How Much Is Your Elementary School Lunch?

[justcantwait]

$2.25 here. Includes hot entree, veg, starch, fruit & milk. If they don't like the entree, there are 3 or 4 alternates (bagel and yogurt, lunchmeat sandwich, chef salad, etc). So, not too unhealthy, and I think it's a reasonable price in this area. Of course, this year I have 2 kiddos that will be buying. Easier for me, but more expensive

 

[mommasita]

Wow, those prices seem very good IMHO.

My son's elementary had no program, and my daughter's school has a Chartwell lunch program 3x a week, and it is catered, and 4.15$ per lunch.

My son's high school (starting this year) has lunches at 2.75 and up.

 

[mom2boys77]

My kids' school lunches cost 3.00. They enjoy it..especially on Tuesday when they have Dominoes Pizza.

 

[Mom2Evie]

I have no idea how much her lunch is each day. We use http://www.mylunchmoney.com and a set amount of money is deducted from my account when her balance gets to $5 or less. The post made me curious, so I viewed my account history for a total amount. She spent $710 total through Kindergarten and first grade. $350 per year isn't bad.

 

[KirstenB]

Ours is $2.25 and going up to $2.40, that's for elementary school. I let dd buy once a week. Her eating choices are typically terrible, so that's why I limit her buying. I need to clarify--what the school offers isn't great, but isn't nutritionally dreadful, rather what she chooses is typically the least nutritious out of all the offerings.

 

[madge]

$1.50 for elementary & middle schools. High school is a little more, but I'm not sure of the exact price.

 

[My2Cinderellas]

$2.10 for hot lunch, $.30 for milk. The food is not that great, there is a lot of prepackaged chicken strips, fish nuggets, etc. Guidelines do not allow frying, so everything is baked. Only 3-4 schools have full kitchens, so they prepare everything then distribute out to the 11 schools. because of this, anything that is supposed to be crispy is now soggy, from sitting in a pan covered with foil. DD10 will only eat on chicken nugget/buttered noodles day, DD8 will eat once or twice a week, her favorites are breakfast foods and spaghetti and cavatelli days. The menus rotate on a 5 or 6 week basis.

 

[mamacatnv]

We were $2.50 last year and this year the district is screaming poverty so lunches are going to $2.75.

 

[mum4jenn]

Our schools charge $1.25 which includes milk.If they want to buy an extra milk it is $.30. Breakfast is $.60. We are on a cycle menu. We repeat every three weeks and we also change many of the menus with the season. So August,Sept, Oct we will have certain items. Then in Nov,Dec, Jan, Feb we will have things like soups, stews, etc, March, April , May we will change many of the items again.

We are pretty healthy. Each year as the vendors have better choices available we try to add them to the menu. We stopped having whole milk several years ago. Also our breads are whole wheat, even our pizza, corn dogs,etc are whole wheat. Our chips are either sun chips or pretzels and this year we are adding baked chips or low fat things like reduced fat Doritos.

Once a year those of us who work in the school kitchens have a work day where the kids are out of school and the vendors come in and let us sample the new foods available and we can usually tell if the kids would like something. If the majority of us like an item and if it is cost worthy we will bid it out for the next school year.

 

[luvmy3]

Last year it was $2.10 with milk.I'm sure it will go up this year. Our school claims to offer a "healthy" alternative but I have seen my kids school lunches and I wouldn't make them eat it if it was free
I send them in with their lunch and they are allowed to buy on one day aweek, its usually pizza but sometimes they don't even want that.

 

[RhondaL]

Last year it was 1.35 but has gone up to 1.75 per day. Milk is .20 a day for their milk break. My dd has been begging to bring her lunch to school. She swears she would make it every night. The school lunch is mostly ok. Plus she has not enjoyed having sandwhiches every day for lunch this summer. I am wondering which is the most cost effective solution?

 

[kinntj]

$1.90 without milk. An extra .40 for milk (white or chocolate).

Our child can choose out of 4 entrees each day. The grab n go is healthier than the entrees and contains yogurt, granola, carrots, cheese stick, and crackers.

My DD6 will be packing her lunch most of the time, but I will allow school lunches as a treat every once in awhile. She wants once a week and I don't think I'll allow it that much unless it's the beginning of the year, so she can get use to going through the line when there's lots of helpers.

I heard there's only 15 minutes to eat and if she eats a packed lunch she can get through faster. Standing in line takes time.

 

[Rock'n Robin]

$2.25 for the school lunch offered at elementary, $2.50 at Jr. high and HS. Ala carte is more or less. My daughters tend to get salad or bagel ala carte (plus something sweet or crunchy if the time of the month warrants it ). My son is still in elementary for one more year and just gets the lunch offering usually. He likes to get extra but blows his budget that way.
We packed for a long, long time before figuring out that writing a check once or twice a month means we don't have to make sure we have 15 juice boxes, 30 snacks, and 15 uncrustables handy--especially when the kids mow through the snacks in 2 or 3 days at home for munchies.
We can get a printout of what they are spending $ on if we wish.
Robin M.

 

[bigbabyblues]

It depends on what they get. I can feed DS easily for $1.75.