How do you pack a lunch for your school age kids?

You might try purchasing the reusable ice packs in their lunchboxes - this will let you add items that need to be kept cold. In the winter, you can use insulated containers for soups or stews. My kids like taking things like leftover spaghetti or macaroni and cheese. I didn't buy the prepackaged snacks as those are more expensive. We either bought in bulk and divided it out into snack bags or made homemade and wrapped ourselves. We have also used water bottles to help cool the rest of the lunch. Wash them out and either fill them partially with water and add the juice or whatever in the morning when you pack the lunch, or freeze the juice in the bottle and put in - it will keep things cold, but will be thawed in time for lunch.

You can buy a couple of cryopaks. These are packs you freeze and put in the lunch box to keep things cool until lunch time. Also celery sticks, cucumber sticks and carrots are a good snack. Instead of sandwiches prepare some pita wraps for a change. Make a big pot of home made soup and send a small thermos of this when the weather is cool. Make some pudding or apple sauce. Freeze it in small tupperware containers it will be nice and defrosted at lunch time.

I don't have kids, but my mom (who also worked as a registered nurse in addition to me being a mom) let me buy lunch because she said her time was more valuable then the $1.50 she paid for me to eat school lunch.

I put my kids on to packed lunches thinking it would save me money, when I do the shopping by myself it is, however take the boys with me and it costs a fortune, my kids tend 2 like wraps as an alternative 2 sandwiches, or I make up pasta salad with either chicken or tuna which always goes down well!!! I always do the wash and reuse bottles!!!!! I cant justify paying loads 4 water and juice when its a whole lot cheaper 2 do it yourself!!!! I also bought some small tubs and make jelly up 4 them as a cheap dessert!! As for keeping it cool, we have yoghurt that comes in individual sachets that you can freeze put in lunchbag and by lunch they have kept your lunch cold and are ready to eat!!!! Jessica xxx

Fresh apple slices (douse those with some lemon juice a litle bit of sugar and cinnamon , or grapes, toss into a baggie, pepperoni in another baggie and a couple of those individually wrapped string cheese sticks. Freeze a couple juice boxes the night before and that will keep the food good until lunch time. Get small thermoses to pack up hot soups, macaroni and cheese, sweet and sour meatballs, popcorn chicken, leftover lasagna, half a baked potato with cheese and bacon bits, just heat it up in the microwave and pop it into the thermos it will stay hot. If you live where it gets cold in the Winter (like I do) on the days you pack a sandwich,send the thermos with spiced warm cider, or hot cocoa. Some days send half a sandwich, with a side of applesause, cottage cheese and peaches,or a container of yogurt, celery stuffed with peanut butter, or cream cheese, carrot sticks,those days you send the frozen juice box instead. : ) Hope I've inspired you! lol

My daughter isnt at school yet though remembering my packed lunched when I was young I want to make my daughter better ones. I used to have sandwiches, a biscuit and a packet of crisps. Sometimes I would have a jelly or some raisens. Have you thought about things like carrot sticks, cut cucumber, tomatoes or perhaps some pasta - all of which will last until lunch time out of a fridge and are cost friendly. Buying a big pack of raisens and putting a small amount each day in a small container or even a raisen box which you reuse will also save money and all these are healthy too! Also instead of buying bottles of drink why dont you reuse those small bottles and make your own juice in them which will save a lot of money.

An idea that my daughter likes is pizza rolls or meat pies: Pizza rolls, I buy the jiffy pizza dough mix, a cheap pizza sauce and cheese. Make the dough, roll it out, cut into squares, about 2inch by 2inch. spread sauce, add cheese, roll up and crimp ends. Bake at 350 for about 10 minutes, you don't want them to get brown. After they cool, you can wrap them in foil and freeze. When you want to send for lunch, pop them in the oven in the morning, get them good and hoot, wrap them in more foil to keep warm. They are perfect temp by lunch! Meat pies, same idea but instead of sauce and cheese, put chunks of meat, potato and a dab of butter. My daughter loves these!

If you use an insulated lunch bag and a thermos, you can get away with a bit more. Plus, a thermos or other reusable bottle is far better for the budget and the environment than buying bottled water. Some lunchtime idea: -Pasta salad (cheap and easy) -Veggie chips -Homemade pizza (perfect because pizza doesn't need to be reheated) -Gazpacho -Whole wheat pretzels -Pita bread and hummus