School lunches - frugal or cheap?

[LOL!]

My kids report that some parents bring their kids home-cooked hot meals for lunch. The parents line up outside the lunchroom and the kids get their bento box as they go in. This is almost exclusively Asian parents, so it must be a cultural thing.

 

[Aiming_4_55]

Interesting comments... it's been awhile since I've thought about school lunches.

- I get the impression the food quality is like fast food, tasty but not good for you.

- It's not the cost, packing a lunch has many benefits, i.e. quality, time lost, better seating, learning $$ skills, etc.

DD is 5 so some things won't apply just yet, but good to know. Thanks.

 

[Aiming_4_55]

We'll probably be one of those families as the school is just 2 blocks from home and gives DW another reason to walk the dog.

DD generally just want plain rice (mix of white & brown rice) and stir fry tofu or steam fish. I'll toss a starburst in as a treat... it just makes DD happy for a tiny treat.

My kids report that some parents bring their kids home-cooked hot meals for lunch. The parents line up outside the lunchroom and the kids get their bento box as they go in. This is almost exclusively Asian parents, so it must be a cultural thing.

 

[Aiming_4_55]

It'll probably be easier for us to identify a special day like every Friday for a school lunch if at all. I agree a mix could be nice.

Our son's school posts the menu monthly, we go through and pick and choose which lunch's he brings in and which ones he eats hot. Its a good mix.

 

[52andout]

Go point on type of foods and quality. I thought I lost control at age 25 probably not huh?

I read further on that your daughter is five. Well, wait till you see what you have to face in the public school system. One of my neighbors told me she was relieved when her son going into third grade picked sneakers that only cost $67. Young girls with make-up, bras, pants that say "Sexy" across the bottom in elementary school. Childhood zips by today, and much innocence is lost so young with all the influence from TV. When I am at the gym I see some shows that are on primetime and I just about go into cardiac arrest at the shock of the sex and violence little ones are exposed to.

You have gotten a lot of hints about setting limits in this environment from several posters who allowed their kids to make choices and learn from them. School lunches save many kids from going hungry all day, but the food may be a far cry from what you serve at home.

 

[Chuckanut]

If I recall correctly, the school lunch program's main goal when it was started was to use up surplus food produced by the farmers. Given what I have seen served to the students, I think that is still the truth. Examples: pancakes made with highly processed flour and flooded with sugary syrup, hot dogs on a stick, all sorts of sugary cerials, chips, cookies, and the list goes on. Make her a good lunch.

 

[Aiming_4_55]

52andout - yes, kids nowadays scare me, not the cost, but the sexual content every time you turn. I hope semi-ER one day will allow me not to overstress and have a heartattack due to some things you mentioned. For the boyfriends, I'll make sure my police caps are casually displayed.

I read further on that your daughter is five. Well, wait till you see what you have to face in the public school system. One of my neighbors told me she was relieved when her son going into third grade picked sneakers that only cost $67. Young girls with make-up, bras, pants that say "Sexy" across the bottom in elementary school. Childhood zips by today, and much innocence is lost so young with all the influence from TV. When I am at the gym I see some shows that are on primetime and I just about go into cardiac arrest at the shock of the sex and violence little ones are exposed to.

You have gotten a lot of hints about setting limits in this environment from several posters who allowed their kids to make choices and learn from them. School lunches save many kids from going hungry all day, but the food may be a far cry from what you serve at home.

 

[flyfishnevada]

I call it frugal. I suppose you could beat school lunch prices with a daughter that eats light, but I have a 15 year old boy that is 5'11" and goes 190 and a 13 year old that's 5'8" and 160. A half sandwich and some fruit ain't gonna cut it. We pay $100 for about a months worth of meals. There is no way I could pack lunches for that. Even if I wanted to pack them leftovers they now eat everything I make for dinner. I'd have to make extra just to have left overs.

I have a hard time believing that you can pack a lunch for under a buck that's going to be better than the school lunch. With the cost of fresh fruit and vegetables, milk, etc., I just doubt it can be done, even for a 5 year old, much less a teenager, even a girl.

 

[Chuckanut]

Read food costs more than junk food. Over the years our modern food system has flipped. It used to be that real food was cheaper than prepackaged, factory made food. Now real fruits, vegetables, decent cuts of meat, etc. are more expensive. I would take a good hard look at what the school lunch consists of when comparing the expense. It may be cheaper, but it is good value and is it healthy?


Personally, I try to eat more food that grows on plants, and less food made in plants.

 

[Aiming_4_55]

Sounds like your kids get their/your $$ worth when you go to the local buffet!

Based on the feedback, $$ isn't the #1 factor, it'll be overall diet. Either way $2 a meal is inexpensive in my mind. DD is a lightweight for now, always low on the weight curve from the doctor's.

I call it frugal. I suppose you could beat school lunch prices with a daughter that eats light, but I have a 15 year old boy that is 5'11" and goes 190 and a 13 year old that's 5'8" and 160. A half sandwich and some fruit ain't gonna cut it. We pay $100 for about a months worth of meals. There is no way I could pack lunches for that. Even if I wanted to pack them leftovers they now eat everything I make for dinner. I'd have to make extra just to have left overs.

I have a hard time believing that you can pack a lunch for under a buck that's going to be better than the school lunch. With the cost of fresh fruit and vegetables, milk, etc., I just doubt it can be done, even for a 5 year old, much less a teenager, even a girl.

 

[Aiming_4_55]

Agree - healthy food is more expensive generally speaking.

Read food costs more than junk food. Over the years our modern food system has flipped. It used to be that real food was cheaper than prepackaged, factory made food. Now real fruits, vegetables, decent cuts of meat, etc. are more expensive. I would take a good hard look at what the school lunch consists of when comparing the expense. It may be cheaper, but it is good value and is it healthy?


Personally, I try to eat more food that grows on plants, and less food made in plants.

 

[Badger]

A few decades ago I spent some time teaching in High School and absolutely refused to eat what was being passed off as food. My wife retired last year after 12 years in some nice neighborhood Middle and Grade School and would go hungry before eating from the cafeteria. She knew what the sanitary conditions were (unresolved mice and roach problems) as well as nonexistant fresh fruits and veggies but rather large volumes of processed foods, starches, and sugar in a variety of forms. Not so good for developing minds and bodies. Even the chocolate milk that most children opted for had very little dairy with high concentrations of milk substitutes (non-dairy chemicals).
If you ever get a chance to see Jaimie Oliver's show where he tries to reform the cafeteria food in a Huntington, WVa highschool you will get a good idea of what is being served to our children in most schools in this country and the opposition to making changes from the powers that be. It is sad and contrary to healthy diets/eating habits as taught in Nutrition courses.

Cheers!

 

[FUEGO]

We have children roughly the same age (1st grader and Kindergartner). We have mostly done school lunches - $2 per kid here. We are one of the rare families that actually pays the full price for lunch (poorest school of over 100+ elementary schools in the district). We figure a bag lunch runs at least a dollar, maybe a bit more (typically a ham sandwich, small apple or banana, and self packed bag of chips or crackers, bottle of water, often reused multiple days). Occasionally we will pack leftovers like edamame or corn. We could probably trim $5 a week off the food expenses, but the convenience for us of not having to pack 10 lunches a week is worth it.

I don't think there is a stigma of poor kids eating the school lunch because virtually all the kids are poor (getting free/reduced lunch) at our school. We mostly let the kids eat the school lunch because they want to, and we feel it is a good way to expose one of our kids to other foods because she is a picky eater. So far no complaints from the kids, but we would certainly switch to packing bag lunches if they wanted to pack lunch.

 

[Texas Proud]

My young one actually will ask to take a lunch at times... she says she is a 'lunch boxer'...

The older one in 8th grade will not eat if he had to take his lunch....

 

[obgyn65]

I agree.

OP: I think you are frugal!

 

[jimnjana]

Guess I'm wondering how much of the school lunch costs are subsidized by the Federal Government.

 

[Texas Proud]

Guess I'm wondering how much of the school lunch costs are subsidized by the Federal Government.

Probably a lot more than you might think... lots of kids on free or reduced breakfast and lunch...


Decided to do a quick search....

"In FY 2010, federal spending totaled $9.7 billion for the National School Lunch Program. This federal support comes in the form of a cash reimbursement for each meal served."

National School Lunch Program « Food Research & Action Center


2009-2010 Participation:

• 31.6 million children in more than 99,685 schools and residential child care institutions participated on a typical day.
• Nearly 20 million of these children received free and reduced-price lunch.

 

[jimnjana]

Probably a lot more than you might think... lots of kids on free or reduced breakfast and lunch...


Decided to do a quick search....

"In FY 2010, federal spending totaled $9.7 billion for the National School Lunch Program. This federal support comes in the form of a cash reimbursement for each meal served."

National School Lunch Program « Food Research & Action Center


2009-2010 Participation:

• 31.6 million children in more than 99,685 schools and residential child care institutions participated on a typical day.
• Nearly 20 million of these children received free and reduced-price lunch.

I don't mind subsidizing meals for kids who need it. But likely alot of parental fudging of their income figures here.

 

[ER Fireball]

The So-called Farm Budget

<<Guess I'm wondering how much of the school lunch costs are subsidized by the Federal Government. >>

The Farm Budget is always a popular place to attack spending. When you look at it, over half the budget goes to school lunch, food stamps, WIC (women, infant, children), and elderly nutrition programs. Not sure what the percentage is, but that will vary significantly based on the demographics of the school system.

There are some excellent programs around the country, but they are overshadowed by the programs who take the easy route of 'carving a can' of highly processed food. Really no different than the food served in most households.

 

[W2R]

Nutritionally, the food was crap. And the menu was repeated so often that after the 4th time the kids didn't think it was all that great.

You kids are smart, and making good choices.

When I was a little kid in private elementary school (1954-1959), a frequent and typical school lunch was:

canned spaghetti
canned green beans
Wonder bread with butter (half sandwich, cut diagonally)
small carton of whole milk
glass of water

On Fridays, instead of the butter half sandwich made of Wonder bread, we got a peanut butter and grape jelly half sandwich made with Wonder bread. For those who don't know, Wonder bread is a white, spongy, nutritionally devoid bread with a lot of hidden sugar in it.

I know school food is bad these days, but could it get worse than this? As a kid, I thought it was great. Nutritionally, maybe not so much...

 

[FUEGO]

I know school food is bad these days, but could it get worse than this? As a kid, I thought it was great. Nutritionally, maybe not so much...

Our kids school lunches are probably not too bad. They don't serve any white bread - only whole wheat. Nothing fried any more, only baked. I believe they still serve lots of stuff from cans, but they are typically low sodium (for veggies) or low sugar or natural juices only if fruit. Some veggies are of the fresh or frozen variety, such as broccoli.

Typical lunches are stuff that kids like - chicken nuggets, chicken sandwiches, pizza, tacos, grilled cheese. Plus fruit, veggie and 8 oz lowfat milk. Cheaper than a happy meal and probably better for you.

 

[Janet H]

When I was a little kid in private elementary school (1954-1959), a frequent and typical school lunch was:

canned spaghetti
canned green beans
Wonder bread with butter (half sandwich, cut diagonally)
small carton of whole milk
glass of water

I know school food is bad these days, but could it get worse than this?

Yes. Todays offering at my neighborhood elementary (menu on reader board):

Pizza
Berry-milk <--What the heck is that?
Tater crowns
Aotmeal-raisin cookie (their spelling not mine)

 

[FUEGO]

Yes. Todays offering at my neighborhood elementary (menu on reader board):

Pizza
Berry-milk <--What the heck is that?
Tater crowns
Aotmeal-raisin cookie (their spelling not mine)

I checked ours. Sounds pretty darn good!

Hot Dog w/ Chili or
Chicken BBQ on Bun
Baked Beans
Creamy Coleslaw
Oven baked sweet potato fries
Chilled pineapple (probably from a can)

That beats the heck out of my orange and a slice of cake from the work party.

 

[W2R]

Yes. Todays offering at my neighborhood elementary (menu on reader board):

Pizza
Berry-milk <--What the heck is that?
Tater crowns
Aotmeal-raisin cookie (their spelling not mine)

Pizza and cookies for lunch? You win hands down! I am agog. Let's hope that berry-milk is not another name for cherry coke or some such thing.

 

[Nords]

Guess I'm wondering how much of the school lunch costs are subsidized by the Federal Government.

Keep in mind that public schools receive "impact funding" from the federal govt to compensate them for the cost of educating the kids of active-duty military families who are stationed (living) in that school district while being exempt from state/local taxes. So some of the school's expenses are imposed on them by the federal govt and actually reimbursed.