Simple Back To School Budget Lunch Ideas

Estimated reading time: 15 minutes

Since our son will be starting junior kindergarten this September, I thought starting a small series on Back to School Lunch Ideas and Tips for parents would be fitting.

Easy Back To School Lunch Ideas

We are first-time parents sending our children to school, so we don’t know what to expect.

However, we have learned from one school meeting, online research, and random chit-chat with other parents.

Sending your child to school, especially for the first time, can be terrifying for parents.

Some children are equally nervous because school is new to the environment, teachers, and children.

If your child regularly visited a daycare for the first years of their life, this scenario may be similar.

However, it’s an entirely new ball game for the kiddos who did not.

Daycare Feedback For Back To School Lunch Ideas

Since Mrs. CBB stays home with our son, we decided to put him in daycare one day a week late last year.

The reasoning behind that was to get him used to going to school.

Surprisingly the most important part of daycare has been consistency.

Our daycare provider offers a school-like schedule with snack breaks, lunch, and indoor and outdoor activities.

We also found that our son eats different foods offered by his daycare provider, which has given us school lunch ideas for September.

Our son is different at home, and as much as we want to keep him on a schedule, it tends to fall apart.

So far, his daycare experience has been great, with expected ups and downs, but he loves going and has made new friends.

Our main goals with daycare were to give him responsibility, a new environment, and an opportunity to be given options from someone else.

We’ve recently ramped up daycare to two days a week since we are one month away from the start of junior kindergarten.

Food Allergies And Nut Free Lunches

One of the biggest challenges over almost four years has been feeding our son.

He’s not a big eater, and when he does, it involves some foods he can’t bring to school.

Luckily for us, our son is simple with food, but he loves his milk, something we’ve been trying to cut back on, so he eats more food.

It works occasionally, but drinking is a favorite thing to do.

We must pack a nut-free lunch!!

Nut-free was not new to us, but it certainly put a wedge in our menu plan for our little guy because peanut butter is King in our house.

At our school, the teachers post a list of food allergies in the school and classroom.

The teachers ask the parents not to include these items in the lunch for kids to protect the other children.

I’m on board with this because I’d be terrified if I were a parent of a child with a life-threatening allergy.

If you’re unsure, talk to your child’s teacher or school administration about school allergies and lunches.

Simple Lunch Boxes For Kids

Now that we are four weeks away from day one of Junior Kindergarten, we started thinking about lunch ideas for our son.

We purchased a vast Roots backpack and Roots lunch box from Costco for a reasonable price of under $30.

Other popular options are Yumbox, Bento boxes, Bentgo, Planet Box, Tupperware lunch boxes, and Rubbermaid Lunch Bloks.

Many lunch box brands are available, so finding one that fits your child is essential.

Some of these lunchboxes can be pricey; however, they last long, protect lunches, and have no spills.

I’ll be doing another post on the lunch box, bag ideas, and costs, but we went strictly inexpensive and functional.

Healthy School Lunch Ideas For Kids

Healthy lunches for kids are essential to everyone involved with the child, from educators to parents.

She provides healthy meals and snacks for our son at daycare but with small amounts and options.

Her sons love Lunchables, including crackers, deli meat, cheese, and a treat, often a small chocolate bar.

Although we’re not fans of feeding our child chocolate daily, we opt for fresh fruit and baking homemade snacks such as sugar-free cookies or brownies.

Occasionally, we buy a bag of Oreo cookies or let him choose a pack of cookies from the grocery store.

Once, we purchased a Lunchable to try, which he didn’t like eating the crackers or the cheese.

Although, he did eat the deli meat and the chocolate bar, which was not a surprise.

We noticed that he liked the little compartment lunch idea and that it was the perfect amount of food for him.

Last month we found a brand-new Rubbermaid bento-style lunch box at Value Village for $2.99, so we bought it.

The reason was to introduce our son to the lunch box idea to get him ready for back to school.

In a way, it reminded us of the Lunchable, so we considered all the foods we could put into each little section he might eat.

If your child loves Lunchables, add crackers, cheese wedges, grapes, hard-boiled egg slices, bacon, and sliced deli meats they enjoy, and away they go.

Adding Seasonal Fruits For School Lunches

Instead of adding a sweet treat, choose seasonal fruits such as cherries, apples, pears, peaches, watermelon chunks, plums, bananas, etc.

School Lunch Ideas: Sandwiches and Wraps

If you find that you need to add a sandwich or tortilla wrap because it’s not enough food, consider healthy sandwich ideas such as;

• Ham and Cheese
• Egg salad
• Chicken salad
• Tuna salad
• Salami and cheese
• Plain cheese sandwich
• Mashed Chickpea and Avocado
• Vegetables and Cream Cheese
• Bologne and Cheese
• Club Sandwich With bacon, cheese, tomato
• Fried Egg and Cheese
• Meatball and Cheese
• Italian Sausage
• Chicken Bacon Ranch
• Cold Grilled Cheese

If you’re not a fan of store-bought mayonnaise, you can make healthier versions at home without all the added preservatives.

Fairy Sandwich

Sometimes it’s just a matter of texture or shape, as in this case which is why the fairy sandwiches have been popular lunch ideas.

Some parents will shape sandwiches with cutters or cut the crusts off for their children to eat lunch.

Do what’s best for your child and stuff, cut, and create the best sandwiches filled with their favorites.

Homemade Italian Pizza For School Lunches

Pizza, Pizza, Pizza

Bacon, Bacon, Bacon

I know our son is a huge fan of cold pizza, and when we make homemade pizza, we make extra for the next day.

Another great recipe is homemade cheesy pizza buns which are easy to pack in a lunch box.

Easy Snack Ideas To Pack In Your Child’s Lunch

Another snack our son loves is bacon, baked pepperoni chips, and crispy salami chips.

He is not a huge fan of bread, but when he does eat it, there has to be something on it, such as butter or bacon. Simple kid, I guess.

Consider adding greens such as kale, spinach, and baby romaine and spreads or dips such as hummus, ranch dip, or tzatziki.

Once in a while, our little guy will eat tortilla chips which are homemade pita bread cut into wedges and baked crisp in the oven.

He loves to dip them in homemade avocado taco dip that he can easily transport to school in a lunch box.

Healthy Sandwich Fillers

Also, consider the following as fillers for sandwiches and mix up the types of bread you offer, such as pumpernickel or homemade tortillas.

• grated carrots
• zucchini sliced paper thin
• red cabbage sliced thin
• alfalfa sprouts
• onion sprouts
• sliced apples
• cucumber slices
• lettuce

Our son loves cucumbers, cream cheese, and bacon in a mini sandwich.

Another favorite our son enjoys is whole wheat tortilla wraps with bananas, cream cheese, and sugar-free strawberry rhubarb chia jam.

You could make tortilla rolls with cream cheese, lunch meats, roll, chill, and slice.

Another favourite might be tacos, or even think of breakfast waffles for lunch.

Bagels are a great alternative to the traditional lunch sandwich made with sliced bread.

A bagel sandwich with deli meats, cheeses, and vegetables is popular with kids.

Creating a list of what foods your child will eat for lunch is a great way to keep organized.

However, It’s always great to introduce your child to new foods even if you think they won’t like them.

You might be amazed to find out; they do like it.

I remember we were shocked when our son devoured a bowl of penne-shaped Bolognese pasta.

He shovelled that pasta in his mouth so fast as if he hadn’t eaten for days.

However, he has never been interested in other pasta recipes, Kraft Dinner, or noodles in a sauce that comes in a can.

Another shock was how much he loves cold pasta, so we make big bowls of tuna pasta salad even though he doesn’t know it’s fish.

Sending Hot Meals To School For Lunch

Last year, we purchased a small Thermos brand container with a spoon on top, perfect for hot meals.

The Thermos will come in handy in the fall and winter to send children pasta, soup, or chili.

I’ve even sent our son a grilled cheese sandwich which he has no issues eating cold.

Owning one is undoubtedly an intelligent option for parents who want to send leftovers from dinner with their child to school the next day.

Most elementary schools don’t offer microwaves for the kids to warm up meals, so having a thermos is a great way to enjoy a hot lunch without any hassles.

Snacks For Kids That Are Nut-Free

Easy Back To School Snack ideas this is another blog post, but to add a few examples that we will offer our son come this September;

• Yogurt or yogurt drinks
• Rice cakes
• Popcorn
• Pudding
• Unsweetened apple sauce
• Fruit pots
• Fruit bread such as banana bread, zucchini bread (with or without chocolate chips)
• Nut-free granola bars
• Pickles or Sweet Pickles
• Olives
• String Cheese
• Nut-free cookies
• Fresh fruits
• Raw veggies and dip
• Pepperettes
• Pepperoni Chips
• Hard-boiled eggs
• Muffins such as Chocolate Zucchini, or Orange and Carrot breakfast muffins
• Tortilla chips and dip
• Trail mix with dried fruits, cereals, and raisins

Back To School Drink Bottles

Stick to water, unsweetened juice, chocolate milk, or yogurt drinks when sending drinks.

If you send drinks bottles, ensure they are sealed so they don’t leak.

We are fans of the Auto-Seal, Spill-Proof Contigo bottles, but many options are available for parents.

School Lunch Box Recipes

Lunch recipes for kids come in all shapes, sizes, and flavors.

I wanted to highlight a few I found on Pinterest: good lunch ideas for back to school.

• Homemade Soft Buttery Pretzels
• Turkey Ranch Club Wrap
• Broccoli Cheddar Bites
• Healthy Baked Carrot Chips

School Lunch Ideas and Tips For Parents

• Talk to the school if you aren’t sure what foods are or are not allowed.
• Prepare a lunch meal plan that includes school lunch ideas that your child helps create.
• Involve your children in picking out foods they like to eat
• Involve your kids at the grocery store to familiarize them with the shopping process
• Have your children help prepare their lunch
• Add greens and other produce separately in the lunch box.
• Always pack the lunch bag before leaving the house and not the night before storing it in the refrigerator.
• Wash and clean the lunch box every day after school with hot soapy water.
• Cook extra at dinner so you have leftovers to create or switch up.
• Send utensils as needed with your child, along with napkins or wipes for easy clean-up.
• Always include fruits and vegetables.
• Label your child’s lunch bag with fill-in Mabel’s Labels (we custom-ordered labels with our son’s name on them straight from Mabel’s Labels) or other waterproof labels so the correct lunch box arrives home each night.
• Don’t be afraid to occasionally add sweet treats for your child because they are kids. Some favorites might be homemade cookies, granola bars, or store-bought.
• If you include yogurt, milk, and puddings as school lunch ideas, send an ice pack or purchase an insulated lunch box with an ice pack if possible.

We’re trying not to get nervous about school lunch ideas for the school year; however, it will get easier with time.

Discussion: What healthy school lunch ideas can you add to our nut-free list?

I was hoping you could leave me your comments below and any other ideas you have for parents.

August Grocery Game Challenge

Join the 2018 Grocery Game Challenge (GGC), but before you do, you must read The Grocery Game Challenge Rules and Print the 2018 Schedule, which includes new prizes! – Challenge has closed

• 6 Inexpensive Meals When Unexpected Guests Drop Around – July Shop #4

Grocery Shop Results

Yearly grocery budget for two + 1 Toddler 2018: $3600 or $300/month (The above total does not include the stockpile budget of $300/year or $25/month.

• Grocery Budget for this Month: $300
  Total Grocery Budget with any carry-overs $300-$13.63=$286.37
• Gift Cards used to date: $0
• Rewards Points redeemed this week: $0
• Total Rewards Points used to date: $0
• PC Optimum Points to Spend: 3,200,000 2021 update 6 Million
• Scanning Code of Practice (SCOP) to date $0
  Coupon Apps (add any other apps you use to save money)
• Zweet -$0
• Checkout51- $1.50

Our Grocery Shop This Week

Zehrs

• Radishes $2.99
• Radicchio $1.24 (rang in as red cabbage, oops)
• 2 bags PC Green Beans 3.99 each-50%
• Ginger root $2.24
• 2 x English cucumbers $1.49 each $2.98
• Tomatoes $2.53
• 3 x PC 500G Sweet Pepper Bacon $7.49-50% $11.25
• 4 x PC Honey Sea Salt Bacon 500g $7.49 -50% $15.00
• 10 x Schneiders Bacon $3.99-50% $1.99 each $20.00
• Gorgonzola Blue Cheese $9.99-50% $5.00
• Mascarpone Cheese $8.99-50% $4.50

Total Out-of-Pocket $71.72

Costco Groceries

Costco

• 6 x 10% cream $1.85 $11.10
• 6 x 35% Whipping cream $25.14
• Asiago Cheese $21.39
• Avocado bag $8.99
• Whisps Parmesan $11.99
• 2 cases diet Pepsi $8.35 each $16.70
• Large jar Bicks Pickles $5.49
• Pillers German Salami $10.99

Total Out-of-Pocket $111.79

Metro Groceries

Metro

• Romaine Lettuce $0.99
• Organic Konjac Spaghetti Sale $3.99
• Bosc pears $3.00

Total Out-of-Pocket $7.98

Note: All totals below already have tax factored into them.

Coupons and Coupon Apps

Here are some great places you can find Canadian Coupons!

Related: Find all the latest coupon apps in Canada right here>>  Are coupon apps taking over the paper coupons.

Sign up for the Nielsen Canada Home Scan Program, and you can earn rewards points fast to redeem for excellent products or gift cards. I did this in the UK and loved it!!

If you want to learn everything I know about grocery shopping in Canada, check out my Ultimate Grocery Shopping Guide!

You’ve made a wise decision to take control of your grocery budget.

Welcome to The Grocery Game Challenge 2018!

-Mr.CBB

• Back to school treats for kids
• 5 Cheap Lunch Ideas To Get You Through The Week
• Should You Give Your Daycare Provider a Holiday Bonus?
• The Ultimate Back To School Savings Guide
• 15 Easy Lunch Sandwiches For Less Than Two Dollars