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

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes, due to food allergies. The school has told us they cannot provide a lunch for wheat allergies.

This. My child has a soy allergy. Making her lunch takes me 5 minutes. Plus, I know it's safe.

[Anonymous]

We do some of each. DC likes the lunch, Revolution Foods, but I like to pack sometimes, too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Agree with others on most points.

1) School lunches are vile. My children won't eat them.
2) On the rare days they did before they went off them completely, they complained about the line and how little time they had to eat.

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.

Yeah. But who wants yogurt and a piece of fruit when you can get sloppy joes? Are you kidding?

[Anonymous]

We have Chartwells which is so gross. They even screwed up the spaghetti last week so now my kids won't eat it at all. Booo!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Yeah. But who wants yogurt and a piece of fruit when you can get sloppy joes? Are you kidding?

The sloppy joes of my childhood school lunches were disgusting.

[Anonymous]

My son says the cafeteria smells like vomit so he has never wanted to buy lunch. Plus, the kids who buy spend half of their lunch waiting in line.

[Anonymous]

Yes, I pack both kids' lunches and snacks. We both work full-time and I pack it the night before. I do it because one kid has allergies and it just seems healthier. Plus one is a slow eater and would never survive the lunch line.

[Anonymous]

Wonderful caterer does lunches a few days a week at our school. The quality and portions are good and my kids often try new things because their friends are eating it. It's a bit more expensive than packing but it's a timesaver on busy weeks.

They always get the pizza on pizza days. I'm told that "Only the allergy kids, the kids whose mom's forgot to order and the weird kids don't get pizza!"

[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.

I pack as well, but that doesn't mean I shouldn't care about the kids who buy the gross food and don't have enough time to eat. We should all care whether it affects you or not.

[Anonymous]

we pack because the lunch line is so long, which drives me nuts. How are the kids who have to buy lunch expected to do that every day? They get 20-23 minutes.

My kid likes some unusual things so that provides some lunch time conversation. I console myself thinking maybe it gives other kids a look at something new, not just making her the "weird kid."

[Anonymous]

My DD just started K at a Catholic school in NoVA. The hot lunch looks pretty decent and it is run by a local catering company. So, occasionally, we'll prob. buy the hot lunch. For now, though, for simplicity's sake, I'm just packing the lunches. It takes me just 5 mins. or so to do a sandwich on whole wheat bread (we rotate b/w plain pb, pb&J, or pb&honey), some type of fruit or veg (clementine, carrot sticks, banana, apple pieces, etc.) and a thermos of chilled water. It's pretty easy-peasy. She then gets a cheese stick for her "snack."

[Anonymous]

^^^wish I could do peanut butter. Our school sent home a note asking us not to due to allergies. Makes packing difficult.

[Anonymous]

We buy the pizza on pizza day but pack on others days since she eats almost nothing on the school menu. The school does provide healthy lunches but mostly not things she will try. Hopefully, this will change.

[Anonymous]

How much is school lunch.
$6-7 here and thats is a lot.

[Anonymous]

We pack. DS is 6 and eats lightly (and he's picky). If he bought school lunch, he'd eat the top bread on the sloppy joe and pick at the fruit. With a packed lunch at least he's getting some protein (pb-- he won't eat meat except for bacon).