School lunches - frugal or cheap?

[myself]

I can only respond as to how we feed our children for lunch. There are 4 of 'em, so that would change your numbers a bit. But we have them pack their lunches every day. We have since they were in school. Occasionally they get a "treat" by buying lunch at school, but because my wife packs relatively healthy food and snacks for them, they don't much care for the lunch at the school usually. Sometimes on pizza day they want it, but only because it's a pizza brought in from the same place that we buy the pizza when we order out.
Every day they have at least 2 fruits (although occasionally it's a canned fruit in light syrup), and 2 vegetables. Usually a starch like potatoes or rice for enough carbs to give them enough energy to make it through the day. And by their pediatricians measurements, they are considered underweight, but never go to bed hungry.

Looking at it from a financial perspective:
I've calculated our total grocery bill for all of us to eat averages $5.10/person/day, and that is with 2-3 snacks after dinner. Now, keep in mind that the oldest 2 are only 11 years old right now, and the next two are younger. And we're working on using the freezer that we recently purchased to lower that down to $5/person/day if not lower by couponing and buying stuff that is only on sale.

 

[myself]

Your post cracked me up about the young girls.
Our oldest 2 (this year only 11), turn the TV if an inappropriate commercial is on if we aren't right near the TV when some of the commercials come on. And, knock-on-wood, they still want cuddle time with dear old dad (that's me).

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.