Can a packed lunch be done cheaply?

[UndertheCedartree]

My 8 yo DD has FSM at school. When they go back in September the provision for meals is going to be much reduced. There will be only 1 week menu rather than a rolling 3 week menu, only 2 options (instead of 3) and no jacket potatos and salad bar available. Consequently 2 of the days per week there will be nothing she will eat. So I'm going to have to make her packed lunches that I can't really afford. Has any one got good ideas of a frugal lunch box, please?

Post Jamie Oliver there are nutrition rules for school food. Everything has to meet a certain standard. So they will be decent quality fish fingers and burgers, served with a carbohydrate and vegetables.
I think for those of us that are of the she eats what's there mindset, rather than the let's give you options mindset, it's because she absolutely can eat what's available. She doesnt want to. Well tough turnips. Which by the way isnt what's on offer. It's the perfectly edible fish fingers and burgers.
You aren't really in the position to be making her packed lunches or she wouldn't need FSM. It might be worth sitting her down and having that conversation.

But then fussy eating is a huge bug bear of mine when theres children starving to death, so I'm big ol meanie.

I’ve done packed lunch all last week for ds 11. Variations on.....
Pate, chicken or cheese sandwich - 50p
Tub of cherry tomatoes & cucumber - 20p
Pack of hoops hoops - 17p
Satsuma - 10p
Cereal bar - 20p Total £1.17

Or little pork pies or cold chipolatas or chicken kebabs made on cocktail sticks with peppers. Or I make cheese and olive scones.

I'd do a jam sandwich, packet of crisps/cheese savouries and a cereal bar (can get a pack of 5 for 75p in Asda) with a carton of juice if she doesn't like water.

Packed lunches here!
Box of pasta salad. In other words, cook pasta and run under cold water when done to rinse and stop "cooking."
Stir in a spoonful of oil, tomato puree and herbs such as coriander or basil.
If want sandwiches though as a change from "normal" bread do wraps - ham and cheese for example.
Bag of crisps and piece of fruit to go with

[quote UndertheCedartree]@WorraLiberty - it is burgers and fishfingers so don't want to particularly go out my way to feed the family these. We could have a bbq with burgers but she prefers a sausage.[/quote]
Why not?

There's nothing wrong with burgers or fish fingers as part of a healthy and varied diet?

Are you sure it's your DD who's the fussy one here?

@WorraLiberty why are you trying to force this? Her kid doesn't like those foods and the OP and her other child are vegetarians. Burgers and fish fingers don't work for all families. That doesn't make them fussy or strange. They just don't like that food, period.

Cold pasta with tuna/cheese/egg salad? Sandwich and fruit?

Out of nosiness, if there are two options, what are the others on the fish finger and burger day?

@1Micem0use you don’t need to come across so mean. Working in a school there aren’t a lot of dishes I would eat and despite JO whatever school catering has to buy food and budge and make money (unless they school does it’s own which is rare)
I would @UndertheCedartree is choosing the best option and looking at better things to provide than often not great burgers and fish fingers which would be served with chips.

Also OP as your child is fsm you should defo speak to the school regarding the options and see what’s other items they can provide - e.g fruit etc as the school is getting funding for the meals

The school will also receive additional funding and it is up to the school to use this for their pupil premium children but they will have funding to cater to support children and parents and given the current pandemic you should seek out the help you’re child has available

[quote JingsMahBucket]@WorraLiberty why are you trying to force this? Her kid doesn't like those foods and the OP and her other child are vegetarians. Burgers and fish fingers don't work for all families. That doesn't make them fussy or strange. They just don't like that food, period.[/quote]
I'm not sure you've followed all the OP's posts.

I could make her try but she is going through a very fussy stage right now, unfortunately.

I'm not forcing anything. The OP and her children's diets don't actually feature high in my life priorities

Nothing’s ‘wrong’ with burgers or fish fingers if a child likes them as part of their overall diet, but there’s no reason to push a child to get to like particular processed items like that. It’s not the same as getting them to eat a large range of vegetables.

I really can’t bear ‘eh?’, it’s such a rude response and there’s really no need for incredulity when you learn that some families don’t mind if their child never eats a fish finger or a chicken nugget. I’ve made it to 43 without eating either. Not a big deal for many many families.

Children here have a packed lunch, usually a sandwich with some chopped vegetables and fruit for snacks.

I'm surprised the school isn't offering a packed lunch for the FSM option - our school is limiting it's choices from September, but we are offering a packed lunch option for those FSM students who don't like the reduced hot food option - it's a ham or cheese sandwich, snack bar/flapjack/crisps plus bit of fruit and soft drink.

I'd contact school OP - I think the provision is there for your DD to have a lunch provided.

I would try her for s couple of weeks. Our school doesn’t allow packed lunches except for medical reasons and they have veggie and non veggie lunch option (so 2 options), and even my super fussy son eats (he has sensory processing disorder). Year 3 from autumn, and he’s fine - actually he had really benefited from it.

I know it's not what you asked, but FWIW we've had great success with having a few appropriate options available and then having our kids pack their own lunch. It's frugal if the choices are unprocessed.

The only rules we have are that there must be 2 serves of veg (they usually choose cherry tomatoes and chopped cucumber), one or two serves of fresh fruit, at least one serve of protein (cheese/yoghurt/ham/boiled egg/chopped chicken/tin of tuna etc), one serve of dairy, one serve of carbs (bread/wrap/roll/crackers) and no junk food.

Might be a bit easier for you, and she may feel she has more power/choice? Feel free to tell me to be quiet, appreciate this is unsolicited advice

Dd (I’m in Aus so everyday is packed lunch day) has a bento type lunch box with 5 areas and one tiny one.
Today’s lunch (1pm) was a bit of Fruit (strawberries, grapes or sliced pear etc whatever is in the fridge), salami, cut up veg sticks (carrots, capsicum, snow peas or cucumber) with hummus (in the tiny bit), sandwich, filled bread roll/wrap or ricotta piklets.
morning tea:(11.30am) she has yogurt in a refillable squish thing and some homemade biscuits/cake or crackers and cheese.
Brain food: (9.30am) is cut up fruit or berries.

No idea why morning tea is sad...

Fortnum and Mason do nice Children's Hampers but they are a bit pricey.

They also do one for pets!!! What world am I in?

Some posters saying OP’s child should just be made to eat what she is given. Well, she seems to eat a reasonably varied diet, school lunches are notoriously grim, despite Jamie’s best efforts (I’m a teacher, I would struggle to eat some of the offerings and I am most definitely not a fussy eater) so why can’t OP compromise and send her a packed lunch two days a week if DD will eat school lunch 3/5 days? Food should be enjoyed if possible.

There will be no food waste if op informs the school of the decision, so what’s the problem?

OP one of the cheapest ways is to plan to have something for tea the nights before that can also be taken the next day, either cold, or in a flask. I’m not sure what kinds of things you eat for evening meals, but pasta dishes, omelettes, etc usually work well cold. Some surprising things like homemade sweet potato wedges are great cold too.

If you get a cheap flask, you will have even more options available.

Crackers and pitta are both cheaper and more interesting than a loaf of bread. Pitta goes in the freezer. I used to make fake lunchables with the crackers. Pitta could have any leftovers with a bit of lettuce cut up.
Cucumber, carrot and pepper sticks, tube yogurt and something sweet from Mr Kipling or equivalent as they are portion controlled and less than a £1 for six.

The exact same she has when you do her a light/sandwich type lunch at home.

last time DS had packed lunches for school (he's had school lunch for the last several years), I used to add leftovers from the evening meal to his lunchbox. Putting something in a wrap is quite a practical way to deliver it, or the lunchbox compartment can be filled with, say, a rice dish (not too sloppy). Hard boiled eggs are also a great lunchbox food (not too frequently, though, due to the... er... flatulence). Cold sausages, too, or pasta with sausages/ vegetables (rather than a sauce).

If you don't have any cool packs, you can freeze the drink bottle/ drink box to keep the whole lunchbox cool until lunchtime.

When my DD was at primary, she liked a roll with cheese and marmite, an apple, cucumber or carrot sticks and a bottle of water. Sometimes a little carton of juice too.As she got older she preferred pasta. I’d either makes extra with a meal and cool to mix with olives and salad and sweetcorn it she’s have leftover tomato and veg pasta from dinner plus fruit. Try to stay away from individual packets. I also used to buy pooping corn, make a big batch and put it into separate containers or bags. Much cheaper.

The flask thing may not be suitable as many schools are limiting what goes back and forwards and packed lunches need to be in a disposable bag, water bottles to be left at school etc

A sandwich, a piece of fruit and a yoghurt. Done. It's really not difficult.

I would add that many children at my school have lots of packets plus their sandwich or pasta. Their lunches are bigger than mine. I really think it’s not necessary, they don’t get a long time to eat and as they chat, you want the main things eaten. Often they eat the chocolate and crisps and try to hide the sandwich. A pp is right, keep it simple it’s lunch not a competition.