Recipe Time: My family is tired of sandwiches! What are some inexpensive alternatives for sack lunches?

Most of these tips were written with the "school lunch" in mind.  But pretty much all of them can be adapted (with the exception of the cookie-cutter-shaped sandwiches!) to a husband's cheap - not eating out - lunch at work, as well!

If they're tired of the "same old" sandwiches, try cutting them in squares, triangles, rectangles.  Use a cookie cutter to cut out fun shapes.  Use a different kind of bread: cinnamon for pbj, anything else (pumpernickel, rye, other interesting grains) for lunchmeat or cheese.   Try pita pockets, or bagels.  A tortilla can turn any kind of sandwich into a wrap!  I have even been known to make pbj’s on tortillas when we’re out of bread.

But you aren’t limited by the idea of a “sandwich” as the main course, either.  You can come up with all kinds of delicious and inexpensive lunch ideas – the pantry’s the limit!

At one school my children attended, there were microwaves in the lunch room, allowing for lunch brought from home to be reheated at school.  This opened up all KINDS of options!  Last night’s leftovers, a can of chili or soup, a couple slices of pizza; all of these were perfect choices when there was a way to heat lunch up at school.

At most schools, however, including the ones my children attend now, there is not a microwave available to the students.  At first I figured that meant no more “hot” lunches.  Then I remembered the thermoses that came with every lunch box when I was a kid.  I spent some time online reading reviews of the different products and brands, and ultimately chose to purchase one that cost around $10 for each of my school-attending kids.  Now ten dollars is a crazy amount to spend on a container for food, right?  Well, as I figure it, each thermos cost me the same as four school lunches, but allows me to send a “hot” lunch with my kids all winter, as often as I like!  After a week or two, including the cost of the lunch I was sending, the thermoses had paid for themselves.

Here’s a list of some ideas for interesting, delicious, and inexpensive lunches.  Mix and match!  Look in your pantry and refrigerator and get creative with what’s in there!  Remember, the most inexpensive food is the food you already own.

“Main Dishes” aka Protein

·         Sandwiches – on bread, tortillas, bagels, hamburger or hotdog buns, pita pockets.  And try fun new combos as well.  Pretty much anything sweet goes with peanut butter (or whatever “butter” you like): not just jelly or jam, but apples, bananas, chocolate chips for a treat!

·         If you have a microwave or thermos: any leftover from your fridge.  If you have small amounts of several kinds of leftovers, and multiple children, give everyone something different!  Use up those leftovers!  Also, a can of soup or chili, baked beans or stew.  Raid your pantry!

·         Think outside the “traditional” idea of a main dish.  Anything with protein counts: Nuts, peanut butter (to dip carrots or celery in), yogurt (either freeze it ahead of time or include an ice pack), cheese slices/sticks/cubes (again with the ice pack), beef jerky, rolled up slices of lunch meat, a salad with grated cheese and last night’s leftover ham.  Make-your-own-pizza: include pita slices, mozzarella cheese, tomato slices, and whatever other toppings your kids like.  Consult your food pyramid and get creative!

Fruits and Vegetables

·         If I cut it into small pieces, my kids will eat any kind of fruit or veggie.  If it isn’t someone’s favorite, include something fun to dip it in: peanut butter (or other “butter” if your school is nut-free), ranch or other salad dressing, cream cheese, occasionally even something like frosting or marshmallow fluff can be super fun.

·         Our favorite fruits: apples, bananas, grapes, kiwis, strawberries, blueberries, peaches.  Okay, I could really go on and on.  You get the idea.

·         Our favorite veggies: peppers, celery, carrots, tomatoes (yes, I know they’re really a fruit!), broccoli, snap peas, cucumbers.  Again, get creative.  You might be surprised what your kids will love if it’s cut up small and comes with something fun to dip it in.

Snacks or Fillers

·         After you have the main course and the fruits and vegetables taken care of, there’s still a lot of room left in those lunch boxes.  This is where the grains come in.

·         Granola bars (store bought or homemade), a baggie of a favorite cereal, crackers, pretzels, a roll leftover from dinner last night, rice cakes, a muffin, a slice of banana bread, a slice of any favorite bread.  Anything that you didn’t pay much for, or made yourself, that fills in the gap between “hungry” and “full”.

Drinks

·         If you want to pour milk or juice from a larger container into a small bottle, great.  But don’t be tricked into buying individual serving-sized juice boxes.  They are expensive, and usually aren’t even juice anyway.  Give them water.  It’s healthy, and nearly free.  They’ll be fine.

The real lesson here is: be creative!  Think of fun and interesting things to do with what's already in your fridge or pantry.  And don't feel tied down to the idea of sandwich-on-white-bread-with-creamy-peanut-butter-and-jelly.

Kate