With M back at school this week I was keen to sit down and blog – feels like ages since the last post, but somehow I just couldn’t get around to it during half term week. Anyway, I’m back on track now.
This clearly isn't one I made earlier...
So, it’s all about the humble packed lunch today (or ‘pack up’ as it’s called here in Yorkshire – what do you call it where you live?). M takes one to school and I’m sure it works out a whole lot cheaper (and dare I say nicer) than school dinners. G usually takes one to work too. He used to be one of those people who spent £££ each week buying meal deals from Boot’s or yummy things from Pret until it dawned on him just how much he was spending. I’ve never sat down and worked out how much M’s lunch costs, but I’m going to guess at around £1 per day (school dinners cost more than twice that and she doesn’t like them anyway!).
M’s average lunchbox usually consists of:
Some form of bread and filling (I believe they’re called sandwiches)
Bread types include wraps, bagels, pittas, sliced wholemeal, bread rolls.
Fillings include cream cheese & ham, turkey & cranberry sauce, tuna mayo, cheese and chutney, egg mayo & cress (stinky though)
Fruit
Pretty sure we all know what fruit is, but ideas include pot of grapes, clementines, small apples, dried fruit such as raisins or cranberries, pot of blueberries and strawberries.
Some type of ‘sweet’
Favourites here include cereal bars, chocolate biscuits (e.g Kit Kat or the like), fromage frais, homemade (occasionally) cake
Some type of savoury ‘thing’
This nearly always involves a Babybel. You know, those overpriced, bland little flat cheese balls with the red wax jacket. M LOVES them. Alternatives to this include a pot of humous and some carrot sticks, small pot of crisps (from a larger bag), couple of cheese crackers (the Cheddar type ones), breadsticks.
Bottle of Brita filtered water (posh, eh?)
I really do think there’s a lot to be said for taking a packed lunch when you go about your daily business. Aside from the financial benefits, there’s something kind of wholesome and satisfying about tucking into a homemade lunch.
Now, as you can see, I’m not exactly overflowing with exciting lunchbox ideas, so PLEASE let me know yours and pass on the thrifty love!
I too always send my daughter to nursery with a packed lunch. They don’t do school dinners yet but I would still send her a pack up because she’s so picky with food. Her pack up normally consists of :- Marmite sandwiches (crusts off), babybel, yogurt (normally squidgy one), sometimes crisps (that normally come home), sometimes grapes (they normally come home too). Recently I have taken to bringing a pack-up out with us on day trips too. If the weathers bad we eat in the car. I’m on maternity leave so every penny counts and lunch out can be very expensive!
Mmm, marmite sandwiches are a good idea!
SUhca good breakdown and I am VERY into packed lunches! My hubby would easily buy stinking canteen food in his work (school) everyday out of laziness. Big fans of left over chilli in a wrap then next day too in this house.
Left over chilli wrap is making me hungry… x