Let’s face it—more and more kids will be brown-bagging it this school year due to the continued “belt tightening” of American families.   It’s tough enough to pack an exciting lunch day in and day out when money is not tight, so the economy is bound to add an even bigger challenge this fall.   If your child buys lunch now, examine the cost. The average cost for a school lunch across the U.S. is $1.85. This adds up to $9.25 a week per child (nearly $30 a week for three children). 

        But, never fear—boring old (but cheap…) PB&J sandwiches aren’t the only answer.   Believe it or not, there are ways to be thrifty and creative when it comes to packing school lunches.  And another good reason to pack your child’s lunch is because you can pack a nutritious lunch.

        Heidi Diller, Albertsons registered dietitian and mother of two boys, has a few favorite tips she likes to share with parents about packing cheap, healthy school lunches:

•  Get kids involved in the planning and packing, which usually means your kids will be less likely to trade or throw away their lunch.

•  Parents can save 30–60 cents per ounce on lunch meat (ham, turkey, roast beef, etc.)  purchased from the service deli vs. the pre-packaged meat.

•  Pre-portioning chips, fruit, and veggies, instead of buying individually packaged items, can result in big savings.

•  Use meatless alternatives like peanut butter, sunflower butter, and hummus 2–3 times per week, which not only saves money but also provides a nice variety for kids.

•  Re-usable containers instead of plastic bags add up to big savings over the course of a school year, especially if you are packing lunch for the entire family.

•  Doubling dinner recipes such as baked chicken and pizza and using leftovers for lunches the next day is always a big hit with kids and cuts down on your grocery list.

•  Brown bag school lunch ideas can be made more economical by getting rid of the “brown bag.” In other words, save money by buying insulated lunch sacks and reusing them, instead of constantly buying brown paper bags.

•  Clipping coupons is all the rage these days, so keep an eye out for coupons that can help save money on the lunch list—or, better yet, make a little game out of coupon clipping with your kids.  You might be surprised at what types of things they might find attractive to take for lunch.  

        Successful lunch packing is all about doing a little planning.   Luckily, saving money is a hot topic on the internet and in many popular magazines right now.   People are spending a lot of time thinking up ways to save a few bucks and are sharing these ideas abundantly.   Use the resources available and you will find that packing a tasty, low-cost lunch for your kids is not as hard as you think.  Look around the checkout aisle starting in August and almost every magazine shouts “back to school.”   Or, try searching the following words (in almost any combination) on the web and you will get hundreds of great ideas:

•  cheap school lunches

•  thrifty school lunches

•  pack school lunch cheap

•  cheap healthy school lunches

•  frugal healthy school lunches

•  back to school lunch solutions

•  brown bag school lunches

•  school lunch tips

        You’ll get enough information and recipes to get you through a good part of the school year, not to mention that it’s cheaper than spending money on several magazines.   Ask your kids for their input and let them help pack the lunch. You can also use the food pyramid as a guide (mypyramid.gov) and plan on the lunch providing about 1/3 of your child’s daily vitamin, mineral, and calorie requirements.

        If you are looking for an alternative to PB&J, here are five great ideas that most kids will eat:

•  Tuna/Ham Salad Wraps:  Wrap a favorite tuna or ham salad in flour tortillas lightly covered with margarine or butter.  Make several and freeze, for a quick and easy lunch prep in the morning.

•  Mini-Hero Sandwich: Use more appropriately sized whole-grain hotdog buns and fill with ham, light mayo/butter, lettuce, and tomatoes.

•  Holiday Sandwich: Stack bread, deli meats, mustard, and cheese, then trim with a favorite holiday cookie cutter to make into fun, holiday appropriate shapes.

•  Mini-Bagel Sandwich: Sometimes just mixing up the bread can make all the difference.  Mini-bagels can be filled with everything from deli meats to cream cheese and jelly.

•  Lettuce Wrap Sandwich: Replace tortillas and bread altogether by using lettuce to hold a variety of favorite ingredients.   Turkey, Gouda cheese, Caesar salad dressing, and chopped tomatoes are always a good combination.   Make sure to wrap these sandwiches in aluminum foil to keep fresh.

        Remember, all of these lunch ideas need some additions such as fruit cups or veggie sticks and something to wash everything down. It is much cheaper to pack a thermos of water or milk than it is to buy beverage boxes each day, and it reduces trash significantly. Be sure to keep the lunch safe by keeping everything clean when packing, keeping cold foods cold in an insulated lunch box, and keeping hot foods hot in an insulated bottle stored in an insulated lunch box.

        Another thing to keep in mind is that your child will probably have only 20 to 25 minutes of time to eat. Many parents tend to pack too much food, so remember what your kids will eat if they are limited on time—just the sweet treat (if you include one).  So, be reasonable on portion sizes and the number of items you pack in the lunch.

        Packing a great tasting lunch each school day this year is possible, even when money is tight.  And, don’t forget, one thing really is free—a little love.   For a special surprise each day, include a short love note to your child. For the price of a small slip of paper, you can make your child feel special when they open their lunch sack.  That’s priceless.

Stephanie Worrell is a Treasure Valley-based freelance writer, a busy mother of two school-age children, and always in search of ways to eliminate spreading grape jelly and peanut butter on two slices of white bread from her morning routine.  She can be found at www.oshouldknow.com.