Cost of school lunches

[cluckyagain]

Hi all - my children's school lunches are now priced at £1.90 per child, per day (state primary). How does this price seem to you, is yours more or less expensive? I occasionally look after my friend's children after school and would only ever spend £1.50 each max. (mass catering!) This seems really expensive to me, considering it's council run.

£1.80 for a "packed" lunch.

This is in the pre-school, they only offer a packed lunch option.

Our school lunches are £8.50 a week.

Not bad in itself, but I have 3 children and when the youngest goes to school next year it will be more than that.
If they were all on school lunches that's a hell of a lot of money. I can do lunches for 3 of them at the moment a lot cheaper than that, even factoring in time and electricity.

The two who are at school would love to do school dinners all the time, but there is no way we can afford it. We do try and let them have school dinners for a week each once a half term though, they do love them!

Many LAs don't actually provide the meals themselves they put the service out to contract and the private companies set the price of the meal which is subsidised by the LA which is why prices can vary so much across the country.
Yes serenity I'm in Durham and we are piloting the free meals this year. I'm wondering what level of uptake we will have.

We'd do it if it was free, at least DD would - she loves them and as she eats pretty much anything I don't worry that she won't find something she likes. Ds2 wouldn't as he's very picky, he prefers packed lunch.

Going by this thread, I think a lot of people would have them if they were free or cheaper (without skimping on quality obviously) It'll be interesting to see the results of the MN survey actually.

I understand the trial ones are to see if it has an effect on behaviour and academic ability.

In my school we have always had a large number of children entitled to free meals (parents on low income/benefits etc) but roughly half have chosen packed lunches from home instead. Main reason given is their child is a fussy eater (only eats cakes chocolate and crisps) so I'll be interested to see if the free meals for all makes a difference.

Same as weegiemum (£1.15) but since our children are within the same education area, that's not surprising! It makes up for the high council tax we have to pay!

Example of menu: Lentil soup + bread, followed by choice of Breaded fish +baby jacket potatoes + peas or Macaroni cheese + side salad or Halal Turkey sandwich + carrot & citrus salad, followed by Fruit jelly & selection of fruit, washed down with smei-skimmed milk or water.

Another day's choice is: vegetable & rice soup + bread, followed by choice of Halal roast lamb +baby jacket potatoes or roast potatoes + carrots or Quorn enchilas + garlic & herb bread + side salad or Keema burger + tomato sauce sachet + preas & sweetcorn, followed by frozen yoghurt & selection of fruit, washed down with smei-skimmed milk or water.

i can't imagine either of mine ever eating that much at one sitting.

in fact, i probably should get DD1 along to the surgery because i think she's got a problem with her lack of appetite, tbh.

£2.20 for us, which I'm sure is less than what I spend on packed lunches. But I'm a nutrition snob and turn my nose up at the food quality. So we pack 'em -- I think to my nanny's disappointment.

Not sure ds all of it either expat!

As far as we can tell from what he eats at home, ds lives on air (and chocorice in the morning). But he seems healthy enough

The only reason I know what they get at school is that ds brought home the menu: it is a two week rotation, so it deoends on whether it is Week 1 or Week 2, which day ds wants a packed lunch.

£2.20 here in Belfast

£1.00 per day for breakfast club

£1.50 - £2.50 per day for after school activities i.e Irish dancing, art&craft, football, singing and dancing/story club.

DS is only in P1 but imagine the cost if he wants to do ALL these in the future especially the Irish dancing [erm]

£1.75 for slops that are cooked somewhere else and reheated on the premises. They are given a 15 minutes slot, that includes actually getting to the lunch hall, taking coats off, choosing food and a table, eating and putting left overs in the bin. Not nearly enough time for small children.
We do packed lunches.

£1.85
and I probably spend almost that if DD's having packed lunches.

it's bloody expensive in oz. $5 for a meal deal!! main meal and a drink!!! thats about £2.50 at the exchange rate!! he has them as a treat but mainly has packed lunches.

Ours have gone up to £2 this term as well.

It's OK (just) except that a year ago they were £1.70 so that's 2 big rises in a short space of time which is a bit of a pain.

They say the rise is cause of the rising cost of food.

We have a good choice - fish and veggie every day, lots of salad as well as veg and potatoes and pudding (fruit/yog/cake sometimes). My 3 all eat loads - I can see why they are not a viable option for small eaters.

I guess I could do a decent packed lunch for that money but there are lots of reasons why I don't, not just money.

Ours have gone DOWN this year, yes thats right down.
It was £2.30 now its £2.15!

Ours are £1.90 a day (in primary), I have 2 in primary, and 1 in comprehensive (we were told that £2.50 a day would cover main meal)

In our primary school they have free breakfast club, and have a fruit snack @ 25p a day, the only thing I dont like about the fruit snack is sometimes they dont order enough fruit so some children go without. And you are not allowed to give your child any to take in.

Mine have started taking packed lunches this year.

I think it's a bit catch 22 because so few people have a cooked meal they are expensive because their is little economy of scale saving. It is purely for financial reasons that mine don't have them.

I reckon a decent quality packed lunch costs me 70p to make if school lunches were a £1 I'd find the extra money.

I am in Co Durham so school lunches are free.

Our school lunches are £1.90 a day but the quality is poor. I was horrified when I worked at the school and saw how little the children were being served and also the types of things they were being given.

Breakfast club is £3 a day which I think is a bit but I need DD to go to BC so I can get DS to the CM and then get to work myself.

They get free fruit every day and for the first term in YrR, they get free milk. Now DD is in Year 1, I have just paid £12 for a terms worth of milk.

ds2's (primary) are £1.90 a day and that includes a dessert. I think the value is OK*.

At ds1's secondary a main meal is £1.80, but there are some cheaper options like pasta pots and so on. Desserts, fruit, drinks etc
extra.

You can't just compare the cost of the ingredients. Schools have to pay the kitchen staff, fuel costs and also factor in the wear/tear on all the equipment as well.

Ds1 has had packed lunches for his first three years which he loves and eats it all up...so much so that last year he got a certificate each week for clearing his plate!

However, ds 2 has just started and the price has gone up to £2 each which for both of them adds up. Am thinking of doing school dinners for two days an packed lunch the other days but can I really do a healthy filling interesting(!) packed lunch for them both for less than £4 a day...ok so writing it down like that shows that of course I should be able to...I just need some pointers how to do it..sorry ... Should of started a new thread but this one caught my eye as it had been on my mind recently!

gone up to £2.20 here so no more for my dcs

am glad of the excuse really as the menu looks good on paper but the quality is not great and also kids can pick and choose far too much IMHO ie a choice of pasta bolognaise or jacket potato and beans - ds will have pasta and jacket potato

cargirl I certianly couldn't do what DS1 (10yo) eats for packed lunch (eg on school trip) or for that matter what he has for school dinner for 70p!

Maybe my kids eat a lot...

Mine are only in infants so It's a round of sandwiches, value fromage frais, loose raisins & some value biscuits and water to drink. If you price up a basic but healthy packed lunch it really isn't as expensive as you think.

The infant school dinners are very small and no way would they replace the 5 course evening meal we have......

I budget £5/£6 for our family evening meal (2 adults, 3 children) I cannot justify spending £5.70 on the piddly meal that the school would give them for lunch.