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Lunchtime Solutions
Do you regularly pack a lunch? It saves money, but until you make it part of your regular routine, it can be a hassle. My husband and I want the health and money saving benefits of taking lunch from home, but often are too unorganized, lazy, short on time, or whatever to consistently get something together either the night before or in the morning. Here’s what we’ve done:
Fred’s Community Sandwich saves money for the whole gang
My husband started a ‘community sandwich’ option at his worksite. He takes a week’s worth of ingredients for sandwiches (deli meats, sometimes cheese) on Mondays. It’s stored in the frig in the break room and anyone can use the ingredients to make a sandwich. They pay $1.00 per sandwich. Every week he buys a couple of different deli meats (pepper turkey is the most popular). Someone else brings the bread and other fixings. They take the money out of the sandwich ‘kitty’ to fund the ingredients each week. This started as a ‘trial’ run that has helped my husband save money and is so much easier then packing a lunch. Many of his co-workers are appreciating the cost savings and healthier eating as well.
Plan a lunch that won’t get traded away
Have you ever visited your kids’ school lunchroom. Imagine the New York Stock exchange–only with yogurt being exchanged for a sack of chips instead of stocks being bought and sold.
Plan for Healthy Eating for Kids this Summer
Families in Iowa are getting ready for summer vacation. I’ve heard several discussions concerning how old children should be to stay home by themselves part or all of the day, household rules, and how to get siblings to get along when the parents are gone.
Schools Back in Session
Here in Iowa, schools are back in session. For some families this means packing lunches, although the cost of school lunches is hard to beat, and packed lunches are not automatically healthier than school lunch.
It’s fall and soup’s on
This month’s featured recipe, 3-Can Chili, is one of my “Go-To” recipes. You know what I mean—the ones that you know by heart, make often, and everyone likes. Plus, you can have this one on the table in about 20 minutes. To lower the cost, I buy canned tomatoes, canned beans, and frozen corn when they are on sale. I use my price book so I know a good price and try never to buy full price.
Pass the Word: Free Lunches for Kids
Free and reduced price lunches at school are very important for the growing number of low-income kids. But what do the 150,000 Iowa kids who get free and reduced price lunches do in the summer when school is out? The fortunate kids (about 9,000 in Iowa last year) get lunch through summer feeding sites.
What School Lunches look like in other Countries
School lunches have been front page news in the U.S. this fall with lots of discussion about the healthier meals. Have you ever wondered what kids in other countries eat for school lunch? BuzzFeed, a social news organization, posted What School Lunches Look Like In 20 Countries Around The World about a year ago. The lunches are random pictures but do give an idea of what kids eat in other countries. I feel sorry for the kids in Kenya, Honduras, Ghana, and Djibouti (a tiny country in Africa). Their lunches are very skimpy. The U.S. lunches shown are higher in fat and have less fruits and vegetables than many of the other countries. However, these pictures were taken before the Healthy, Hunger Free Kids Act became effective.
What’s for Lunch? It’s in the Bag.
A few weeks ago I invited myself to lunch at three different middle schools in Central Iowa. My “hosts” were two of my nieces and a friend’s son. I learned a lot about the changes to school lunches during those visits. I also had a chance to observe some of what I call ‘sack lunches’, although hardly anybody uses paper bags anymore.
National Grilled Cheese Sandwich Day!
The classic grilled cheese became popular in the 1920’s when inexpensive cheese and sliced bread became available.
Do it Yourself Meal Kits for Kids
Better Nutrition, Lower Cost, and Less Waste
It’s Not Just School Lunch. It’s Bigger Than That.
This year my daughter started kindergarten. And honestly one of my biggest concerns was if she was going to be hungry throughout the day. Going from daycare and preschool to kindergarten is a huge adjustment for various reasons. I was particularly concerned about the change in foods available to her and how much time she would have to eat. The thought of her having fifteen minutes to eat lunch and no snacks was a little scary!