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Original poster

Is it cheaper to do packed lunch?

79 replies

Twiglett · 05/09/2006 09:14

if school lunch costs £1.42 a day

I tried to work it out based on

juice - 50p (litre carton over the week)
bread - 90p
meat - 2.80
fruit - 1.80
crisps / treat - 2.00

works out at £1.60 a day

so I'm right in thinking a school lunch is cheaper .. or am I going mad some way

OP posts:
colditz · 05/09/2006 09:20

How are you spending £2 a week on treats for one child's lunch? Do you live in a very dear area? I would buy supermarkets own crisps, biscuits, and little individual choc bars - they are about half price and no different.

Do you have to put meat in the sandwiches? What about sliced egg, or cheese?

Original poster
Twiglett · 05/09/2006 09:24

well I figured (roughly) £1 in Iceland for a bag of 6 crisps .. similar for treats

yes could home-bake treats or he doesn't need it

but seriously I'm wondering ... is it a matter of pennies a day or could there be a substantial saving with packed lunch?

OP posts:
Original poster
Twiglett · 05/09/2006 09:25

Also what DS has .. DD (2) must have too

I'm beginning to think that school lunches are the way to go

OP posts:
colditz · 05/09/2006 09:27

90p on one loaf of bread is a lot... I think a multipack of tesco value penguin type things is about 40p, teso value plain crisp is similar, tesco value biscuits taste the same.

the way I look at it (and am not being snobby about this sort of food because I buy it!) it's all junk anyway, so why spend money on it? None of it is any good for you, so you are not getting a bettyer product for spending the money, unlike with meat.

Ulysees · 05/09/2006 09:28

I spend more on packed lunches tbh but the dinners at DSs school are awful. Plus, they run out of food a lot. I'm hoping this will change in the future as it is easier to send them for lunches IMO. DS2 has always been lunches and just gone into yr 1. DS1 has just gone back on packed lunch and couldn't wait as he was always complaining.

colditz · 05/09/2006 09:30

50p loaf of bread (brown or white according to preferance)
50p juice
6 eggs 80p?
small block cheese £1
small portion meat £1
Fruit £1.80
Treats, £1

I think that is about as much as I would spend.

Original poster
Twiglett · 05/09/2006 09:33

that's still £1.32 a day though colditz so actually not that much cheaper than a cooked meal with pudding (DS not keen on egg and doesn't do cheese .. will do tuna / marmite / jam etc though)

I'm beginning to think its a false economy (school lunches are pretty good quality I just need to talk to them about allowing choice in 5 year olds)

OP posts:
Ulysees · 05/09/2006 09:38

If your lunches are ok then I'd go with them myself as the weather is getting colder and a nice hot meal and pud will be lovely

Original poster
Twiglett · 05/09/2006 09:40

I need to speak to head though .. my ONLY bug-bear is the amount of choice they get (from reception age)

they choose what they eat .. so can choose not to have veg rather than choose between say carrots and brocolli or both .. .. a friend of DS used to swear that she ate white rice sandwiches for school lunch .. and I believed her

think I'll go and have a word tomorrow

OP posts:
Dingle · 05/09/2006 09:57

School dinners are £1.55 here and due to go up again!

fireflyfairy2 · 05/09/2006 10:04

I got a letter home yesterday saying that I had to send in £2.00 every Monday for fruit, a biscuit and milk every day. My dd surprised me by saying she drank her milk at break time (she doesn't drink it at home!) It asked that you not send in a snack with your child, but to allow them to eat the platter of fruit provided by the school. So that's an extra £2 a week on top of what I spend on packed lunch!

beckybrastraps · 05/09/2006 10:06

Our lunches are £1.65 a day, and I think they're pretty good value. Ds eats like a horse, and I would have to put a LOT in his lunchbox to keep him going. Actually, I prefer him to eat a main meal in the middle of the day rather than endless sandwiches. And veg is certainly not optional!

Dingle · 05/09/2006 10:08

From what I know, our fruit is provided FOC, is that gov. funded? But our milk we have to pay for termly-in advance.

Original poster
Twiglett · 05/09/2006 10:13

fruit and veg snacks provided FOC here too

OP posts:
fireflyfairy2 · 05/09/2006 10:16

I wonder why ours isn't? It said on the letter that £1.20 was for fruit and a biscuit (rich tea or a digestive) and 80p was for the milk. Perhaps it's because it is a very small village school, there were just 10 children started yesterday and everything about the school involves the parents and the teachers getting together, fund raising etc... would that be why?

MamaG · 05/09/2006 10:16

Our school meals are almost £2 a day. My DD has:-

bread - 31p (half a 62p Morrisons wholemeal loaf)
Ham - 70p (ish) for 5 slices
or
cheese - 50p (going on she'll eat about half a block in a week)
Piece of fruit - 50p for the week
Home made muffin / flapjack - don't know how much, but very cheap as I buy Value flour, sultanas etc - 20p a day is prob a bit on the high side, so I'll go for that.
Yoghurt - whichever is BOGOF, so about 45p for 5
Drink - free! I just re-fill a water bottle every day.
Sultanas - buy a huge bag of value sultanas for about 42p which will last weeks and just put in a small sealable sandwich bag. Say, 5p a portion?

Therefore, DD's school packed lunch costs about 45p, is healthy and i know she'll eat it.

Original poster
Twiglett · 05/09/2006 10:19

school fruit and veg scheme

about half-way down

seems schools have to sign up to the scheme . .HTH

OP posts:
MamaG · 05/09/2006 10:20

they get free fruit / veg at our school

prettybird · 05/09/2006 10:28

Our sschool lunches are £1.15. Even if it were cheaper to make a packed lunch, I couldn't be bothered with the hassle of making them up.

Not sure if he gets free fruit and veg - he did when he was at nursery. We do send him in with a snack for break time (which he often doesn't eat): a wee box of raisins or a cheese string, or (on Fridays) a wee sweetie, plus a carton of juice.

He does get free breakfasts though - all school children in Glasgow are eligible.

MamaG · 05/09/2006 10:29

is anybody impressed by me 45p a day packed lunch?

Cappuccino · 05/09/2006 10:32

dairylea obviously cheaper than meat

homemade flapjack cheaper than cereal bar

Cappuccino · 05/09/2006 10:32

sorry, was just knocked over by the sheer value of MamaG's lunches

MamaG · 05/09/2006 10:33

lol

fireflyfairy2 · 05/09/2006 10:34

MamaG I am

Thanks for that Twiglett, that's something I might have the courage to bring up at a meeting maybe not

Bozza · 05/09/2006 10:48

Our school get the free fruit/veg and that is eaten in the afternoon. They are asked to take in fruit/veg for morning breaktime. We also pay about £6 a term for subsidised milk which is drunk in the morning.

I agree with you twig that school dinners are the way to go but that 5yos are not that great at balancing their own meal. DS has cucumber everyday but has been known to have had cucumber, mash and pasta, for instance. Or at least that is what he tells me. There could have been some protein in there that has slipped his mind by the time he gets home. It is frustrating. I need to to work on explaining to him how to make suitable choices.