How much are your kids school lunches?

[HeatherC]

Ours went up to 2.75 a day this year. Roughly $55 a month if you buy every day. With three kids, it got me thinking ....thats $165 a month.

Since my kids all HATE the school lunches, we just pack them everyday.

I realized for us, it saves us a lot of money doing it this way since most days they take left-overs anyway. When they don't, its usually a turkey or peanut butter sandwich. So I guess my dinners actually cost less than I was thinking since they pretty much cover two meals for five people.

What about you? How much are they? Do your kids like them? Just curious what others are paying in their districts?

 

[aprilchem]

$2.55 here. My kids buy occasionally, maybe once every other week or so. There are many children at their school who "buy" every day, but most of those are on the free lunch plan because they live in poverty. We go to a high need school.

Our school lunches are quite good, IMO. I'll often buy lunch if I go up to the school to have lunch with one of the kids. Lots of veggie choices and some of the main dishes are excellent - their North Carolina barbecue is the best around!

 

[Southernmiss]

Ours went up to 2.75 a day this year. Roughly $55 a month if you buy every day. With three kids, it got me thinking ....thats $165 a month.

Since my kids all HATE the school lunches, we just pack them everyday.

I realized for us, it saves us a lot of money doing it this way since most days they take left-overs anyway. When they don't, its usually a turkey or peanut butter sandwich. So I guess my dinners actually cost less than I was thinking since they pretty much cover two meals for five people.

What about you? How much are they? Do your kids like them? Just curious what others are paying in their districts?

Ours are either $2.25 or $2.50. Three still in school. I budget $150 a month for lunch $. Oldest ds is a senior. Buys his lunch every day. Younger 2 mostly bring their lunch this year. Lunches are ok from what I hear. Not sure bringing their lunch saves $ because I have to make sure there are things to pack in lunches. Dh abd i bring leftovers most days.

 

[wellesleyprincess]

Not a parent, but I used to be a teacher and so I still get emailed lunch menus. I looked and it is currently$2 for K-6 and $2.50 for 7-12.

 

[chiisai]

$2.90

One kid right now. Usually, he packs from home 4 days and picks one day to eat school lunch.

 

[wenrob]

$2.00 They only eat hot lunch on Friday, pizza day and pack lunch the rest of the week. They are 3rd graders.

 

[sibesx2]

My grandson goes to a private school. Lunches are brought in by a local restaurant and cost $5. He rarely likes the menu and brings his lunch.

The local public has been having free breakfast for all students for a few years. This year they started giving all students free breakfast and lunch.

 

[havaneselover]

$2.60 but somehow my son (he's 9) spends almost $5 every time he buys. I know they force him to buy fruit which he throws out (he eats fruit but whatever they serve he doesn't like). My DD has Subway at middle school and today is her first time buying so I'm not sure what that costs. My son wants me to move before he goes into middle school so we can attend the middle school with Chick Fil A in the cafeteria : )

My kids are allowed to buy once a week. I figure that probably costs me an extra $5/week. I pack every day, but I want them to be able to buy once a week if they want to.

 

[lnh'smom]

Our lunches are $2.50. Luckily the kids don't like most things they make (I wouldn't eat most of them either!) my oldest will be a freshman next year. The high school charges $4.50!

 

[Sheaboys]

$2.75 for Elementary, Junior High and High School, all the same price. But definitely not the same quality.
I have 5 kids in school. Almost every day they all pack a lunch. The older 3 eat sandwiches of roastbeef, buffalo turkey, and pastrami, added to that rolls or wraps, condiments, spinach, juice boxes or water, snacks, it can add up to more than $2.75 a lunch. But they get more out of bringing their own.

Little kids, take soup or a fluff sandwich. So their lunch from home is a bit cheaper.

 

[Marionnette]

Ours went up to 2.75 a day this year. Roughly $55 a month if you buy every day. With three kids, it got me thinking ....thats $165 a month.

Since my kids all HATE the school lunches, we just pack them everyday.

I realized for us, it saves us a lot of money doing it this way since most days they take left-overs anyway. When they don't, its usually a turkey or peanut butter sandwich. So I guess my dinners actually cost less than I was thinking since they pretty much cover two meals for five people.

What about you? How much are they? Do your kids like them? Just curious what others are paying in their districts?

My kids are done with school but it's very easy to look it up. Very few in our district qualify for free lunches or even the reduced price.

• Elementary level - $2.65
• Middle School level - $2.85
• High School level - $3.00
• Reduced price lunch - $0.40 at all levels.

TBH, I think that it would cost at least that much to pack a lunch and purchase a carton of milk (which is included in the school lunch). By the time that you include a healthy protein, a grain, 2 vegetable servings, fruit, and maybe a cookie -plus the cost of baggies, plastic wrap, or replacing the reusable containers that the kids either lose or throw away by mistake - you're probably spending more on the packed lunch.

Our district allows students to "create their own meal" for a flat price. As long as the student chooses at least 3 (and no more than 5) from the following list and include either a fruit or vegetable, they've made a meal:

fruit
vegetable
milk
whole grain
protein
​

So, pizza + milk is not a meal but pizza + fruit is because pizza is both a grain and a protein source.

 

[marmalade]

Ours are very inexpensive compared to the rest of you guys, ours are $1.50. Both my kids take their lunch though, which usually consists of left-overs but I'm sure I am paying more than $1.50 per kid each day.

 

[Funfire240]

My daughter is in elementary and they are $2.50. She also pays $1 when she wants breakfast there, which is Thursday (breakfast pizza) and Friday (cinnamon bun). She buys lunch almost every day as she really enjoys it, especially Wednesdays when they have pizza from a local place. If she doesn't like the choice she can either buy a sack lunch (turkey sandwhich, fruit, side) or light lunch which is her choice (yogurt, cheese stick and some other stuff).

We are in a smaller city district. My niece attends public in the large school district in our area and they all receive free breakfast and free lunch for elementary (although I believe she packs because in her words the lunches there are "just gross")

 

[Pigeon]

In high school, they are $2.70 this year. Mine prefer to buy, not because they love the food so much, but because hauling your lunch around with you all day is a pain. I can understand that as they rarely have enough time to get back to their lockers during the day.

 

[pkelly6]

$2.75. DD (1st grade) doesn't like many of the school lunches so we pack half (or more) of the time. She likes boiled eggs and tuna.

 

[HM]

I just looked ours up. My kids didn't buy lunches while they were in school. They liked a packed lunch instead.

What surprised me is that our district now gives free breakfast to all kids ($1.80 for adults). I wasn't aware of that.

K-5 $2.50
6-12 $2.70
Adult $3.50

 

[JanaDee]

Our prices are very reasonable.

K-3 $2.10
4-8 $2.35
9-12 $2.40
Adult $3.00

They have a choice of 2 entrees, and the middle and high schoolers have another option of a deli sandwich or ala carte. Plus, milk, sides, veggies and fruit.

We also have a breakfast program for k-12, so that adds a cost to the weekly price.

Both mine eat lunch at school every day and DS also eats breakfast at school every day. DD will only if it is something she likes. In middle school, they have a cart that is wheeled to each classroom for breakfast, but at the high school, it is in the cafeteria and is considered a period during the day.

My guess is we spend about $150 a month, but I don't exactly know the amount because once their lunch account gets below a certain dollar amount, it is replenished automatically.

 

[stsomewhere]

Not sure what middle school is because my daughter never buys.

High school is $3.50 . My son buys everyday. He says that the school lunches are great. They have made to order subs, mexican, pizza,hamburgers, chicken mashed potato bowl, and a daily special. It includes a drink such as gatorade or diet soda, juice or bottle water


Most kids in our district are free lunch. I pay about $100 a month. I just write a check to the school and it is scanned in his account. I check the balance online

 

[lurkernj]

$3 for high school here in nj.

He says it's not enough food, so I give him $20 for the week so he can add something to it for the extra $ (he's 6' and 200 lbs, so it might be enough for some kids)

 

[Maggie Lizer]

The lunch at my son's private pre-K is $5. On Mondays and Fridays, they have pizza day for $2 a slice and $1 for Italian ices.

My son brings his lunch. I am not paying that much for the regular lunch for a kid his age, and he doesn't like the pizza they have (Papa John's).