Do you pack your child's lunch if they can buy lunch at school?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

I disagree with the notion that packing your child's lunch is cheaper. Not if you're packing healthy. School lunch is $2.25 or something like that. By the time I pack a yogurt, piece of fruit, some grape tomatoes, and a main of some sort, I've probably spent more than that.

I pack healthy, and it's definitely cheaper -- but I don't pack yogurts. Today's lunch was a quesadilla (with 2 corn tortillas), a hard-boiled egg, carrot sticks, and cherry tomatoes. The cherry tomatoes come from the garden. If I didn't have that, I might have packed a clementine. Corn tortillas are $1.49 per dozen, the cheese is $5.49 per pound, the eggs are $3.50 per dozen, the carrots are $0.89 per pound, and I haven't bought clementines lately but they're usually what, $6.00 per 5 pounds?

[Anonymous]

When I complained to DD's public elem school about the lunch quality and allotted time, I was pretty much looked at like I was strange for even bringing that up. The feedback I received from her teacher was, "I know. I know. The kids will learn to eat fast. They have to." The response I got back from the principal was, "Most parents want to talk about the academics or curriculum." I simply said that I felt that the quality of the lunch food and allotted time were just as important because if kids are hungry or do not have the fuel(a.k.a. food) throught a 7 hour day to stay focused, then it would directly impact their performance at school. So, indeed, it does matter. I ended up having to take it to the superintendant, but it really is surprising how many people think that packing and/or providing a healthy and satisfying lunch for our children is not that big a deal Mon-Fri. OH well.....just venting.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I disagree with the notion that packing your child's lunch is cheaper. Not if you're packing healthy. School lunch is $2.25 or something like that. By the time I pack a yogurt, piece of fruit, some grape tomatoes, and a main of some sort, I've probably spent more than that.

I pack healthy, and it's definitely cheaper -- but I don't pack yogurts. Today's lunch was a quesadilla (with 2 corn tortillas), a hard-boiled egg, carrot sticks, and cherry tomatoes. The cherry tomatoes come from the garden. If I didn't have that, I might have packed a clementine. Corn tortillas are $1.49 per dozen, the cheese is $5.49 per pound, the eggs are $3.50 per dozen, the carrots are $0.89 per pound, and I haven't bought clementines lately but they're usually what, $6.00 per 5 pounds?

NP here. Let's not break this down. Basically, the difference is a couple dollars here or there. Just do what you know is right for your child. That's it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm a single working parent, and DD and I pack her lunch together. The school lunch is vile.

Did your DD attend preschool/daycare? Are school lunches in public school worse than daycare food?

She did not attend anywhere until kindergarten. She was home until K.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:When I complained to DD's public elem school about the lunch quality and allotted time, I was pretty much looked at like I was strange for even bringing that up. The feedback I received from her teacher was, "I know. I know. The kids will learn to eat fast. They have to." The response I got back from the principal was, "Most parents want to talk about the academics or curriculum." I simply said that I felt that the quality of the lunch food and allotted time were just as important because if kids are hungry or do not have the fuel(a.k.a. food) throught a 7 hour day to stay focused, then it would directly impact their performance at school. So, indeed, it does matter. I ended up having to take it to the superintendant, but it really is surprising how many people think that packing and/or providing a healthy and satisfying lunch for our children is not that big a deal Mon-Fri. OH well.....just venting.

I'm glad you are taking up the cause because for me, it's just easier to pack a lunch.

[Anonymous]

I never pack lunches.

[Anonymous]

I pack a lunch because the food they serve is terrible. We are just starting Kindergarten so we are just trying to survive the transition. We are at a Catholic school in NoVA so I do wonder how the coice was made to serve Jerry's Pizza on Mondays. For now, we are packing a lunch.

[Anonymous]

One likes to buy lunch the other does not. So I pack one lunch.

I do have a "lunch schedule" because I find it harder to figure out what to make/pack then to actually make/pack. For example, turkey sandwiches are great until one day... all of a sudden... no turkey sandwiches.

[Anonymous]

My DS is a slow eater and I pack his lunch and he tells me he doesn't have a lot of time to eat. I can't even imagine if he had to spend some of that time waiting in line. I get most it ready the night before. I work full-time but I don't think it takes that long to pack lunch. I also like that he will eat grapefruit slices at school so I pack that daily.

[Anonymous]

Last week I packed my kid chipotle beef with whole grain rice, cucumber slices, and grape tomatoes. Oh no, wait, that was actually the MCPS school lunch on Tuesday September 10.

Haters gonna hate.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When I complained to DD's public elem school about the lunch quality and allotted time, I was pretty much looked at like I was strange for even bringing that up. The feedback I received from her teacher was, "I know. I know. The kids will learn to eat fast. They have to." The response I got back from the principal was, "Most parents want to talk about the academics or curriculum." I simply said that I felt that the quality of the lunch food and allotted time were just as important because if kids are hungry or do not have the fuel(a.k.a. food) throught a 7 hour day to stay focused, then it would directly impact their performance at school. So, indeed, it does matter. I ended up having to take it to the superintendant, but it really is surprising how many people think that packing and/or providing a healthy and satisfying lunch for our children is not that big a deal Mon-Fri. OH well.....just venting.

I'm glad you are taking up the cause because for me, it's just easier to pack a lunch.

+1

I would encourage DS to buy lunch if it was healthy AND they had enough time. I don't *like* to pack it, but it's the best option for our family right now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Last week I packed my kid chipotle beef with whole grain rice, cucumber slices, and grape tomatoes. Oh no, wait, that was actually the MCPS school lunch on Tuesday September 10.

Haters gonna hate.

I'd love that recipe! I'm sure it's really delicious. And that's great that your kid has a nice, long lunch break to enjoy such a healthy meal. I'm sure he had time to finish the whole thing.

[Anonymous]

We do a mix. He hated the preschool lunches but the school lunches he likes a few.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Last week I packed my kid chipotle beef with whole grain rice, cucumber slices, and grape tomatoes. Oh no, wait, that was actually the MCPS school lunch on Tuesday September 10.

Haters gonna hate.

I'd love that recipe! I'm sure it's really delicious. And that's great that your kid has a nice, long lunch break to enjoy such a healthy meal. I'm sure he had time to finish the whole thing.

Gotcha, there's some sarcasm. My son says the line for lunch is very short this year, so it's hardly different than when he packs, which he does several days per week. Back when he was in kindergarten, the school was a lot bigger and the line was a lot longer. Schools are all different.

[Anonymous]

My kid goes to a school with a farms %age that is so high that everyone gets free lunch. So it's clearly cheaper.

It's not great but he likes some things. He won't eat much for lunch -- school or packed -- so after wasting lots of money on packed lunches now I only send a drink and fruit. He actually eats more of school lunch as opposed to mine bc it's what the other kids eat. Peer pressure.

I'm unconcerned. We eat well at home which is where he gets 7/8ths of his nutrition.