Including lunch ideas for kids
Packing school lunches every day can start to get old quickly. After about three days of getting a sandwich in their lunch, we are tired of making them and they’re tired of eating them!
Having a few great lunchbox hacks and school lunch ideas handy can not only help you save money but get the process moving much quicker!
These hacks will help transform the way your lunch packing goes and make sure that your kids actually enjoy eating their lunches.
These kid-friendly lunches are great if you need to stick to a budget.
Lunchbox ideas for kids don’t have to cause a family argument.
These lunch box ideas can also be adapted for the whole family. Meaning you can still stick to your normal meal plan but please the kids as well.
Save Money as a Family
Kids Lunch Ideas
Here’s a look at what we add to our kids lunches. We add one piece of fruit and vegetables, some meat, nuts or dairy and carbohydrates like wholemeal pasta.
Here are 15 amazing lunchbox hacks and school lunch ideas for kids.
There could be some leftovers but these can be used at dinner that evening.
These ideas are great if you need to fill up your meal plan and don’t want to think. They can all be swapped and changed and fillings amended depending on what the family like or what you can afford that week.
Meal planning for the week can be hard but is the most important part of eating on a budget.
It gives you a plan you can use to help you buy food more wisely and stop you staring in the fridge for 5 minutes trying to think about what to make for lunch or dinner.
If you’ve never meal planned before then start today even if it’s just with your toddler’s lunch. You’ll be surprised how much quicker and easier it will be when buying food and making lunch.
- Make a snack station
- Cut fruit into shapes
- Create your own duct table reusable lunch bags
- Make your own butterfly snacks
- Pack chicken nuggets in a thermos to keep them warm
- Keep a lunch bin in your fridge
- Finish off your lunch with something fun
- Make your own bento container with silicone baking liners
- Use a sponge to make ice packs
- Here are some school lunch ideas that aren’t sandwiches
- Add lunchbox notes
- Make silly face sandwich bags
- Write secret notes on your bananas
- Freeze your sandwiches the night before
- Make your own lunchables
School Lunch Ideas
If you fear that this would lead to your shopping bill rising then it won’t. Here are 5 ways to keep costs down while keeping your toddler happy and still eating:
- Join our FREE saving money help in our Money Saving Mums Facebook group. Our safe community of parents are all in the same boat as you. Becoming debt free isn’t easy but together we can all help each other.
2. Use money managing apps like Plum to keep your shopping bill under control. Using an app like Plum* can really help you keep your money in check. Plum* can help you build up your savings while showing you exactly where your money is going.
You can link all your accounts to it. It’s very transparent! It’s free to use and perfect if you prefer all your knowledge in one place.
3. Join our FREE six-week money saving course that can help you save up to £300 a month. Come join us now!
4. Go through all your bills and check you’re on the best deal. This should be done at least every 6 months. We all know we should be doing it regularly and it really can save you money.
5. Use cashbacks if you shop online for anything. We recommend Quidco* and Swagbucks*. You get money off whenever you shop online through their sites which can really come in handy once baby is born.
It doesn’t cost you a penny to use them. If you make a purchase through their site you receive the money. It’s that simple!
We use Quidco*for cashback on things like insurance and day to day shopping. Join Quidco* today and get a £10 cashback bonus when you make your first purchase.
Swagbucks* is great for earning free gift cards and cash when you do normal things online like watching videos, searching the web and answering survey questions.
If you need help bringing your grocery shopping bill down further or are struggling to find things for the family to eat then try:
Budget Meal Planning: How to meal plan so it saves you time and money
Money Saving Challenge
Do You Want To Save £300 This Month? Then Come Join My Money Saving Challenge Now.
Think about your menu for the week, what can you use to double in your kid’s lunch? If I’m making pizza, can I make pizza bagels with the leftover base and sauce? Is there any Gammon left from Sunday lunch? Then that’s Monday’s filling.
Leftover eggs? Use them. Everything counts!
Search your kitchen staples, is there anything that you can bung together to help bring the cost down? For a full list of my recommended kitchen staples, CLICK HERE.
Can you make more to freeze? So those hectic mornings aren’t so stressful. Think about food pooling with your neighbours.
Totally stuck? Then use our 7 Family Meal Planner Templates When You Need Inspiration and fill your plan.
Related Posts:
- 19 Quick & Easy Sandwich Wrap Recipes
- 49 Aldi Slow Cooker Recipes For The Whole Family
- 27 Easy and Kid Friendly Budget Recipes for Fussy Eaters That the Whole Family Will Enjoy
If you’re currently going through the dreaded toddler fussy eating stage then hang on in there. It’s not fun when the kids only want to eat beige food.
Try out list of 27 easy and kid-friendly budget recipes for fussy eaters that the whole family will enjoy. If the kids love something then make extra and pack it for lunch. At least they are eating something and you aren’t throwing it away.
You can almost see the pound signs when you have to chuck food away. It’s not easy when the kids suddenly change their mind on what food they like.
We try and use everything from taking the crusts to work for our lunch to smoothies when we have leftover fruit.
Use our 21 Food Waste Recycling Facts That Will Help You Save Money post if you feel like you may be throwing to much away as a family.
Laura x
If you enjoyed this post and would like some more family friendly budget recipes or meal plan ideas, then head over to the budget food section here on Savings 4 Savvy Mums where you’ll find over 30 cheap posts dedicated to helping you cook and shop wiser for less. There’s enough tips to help you save over £300 a month! You could also pop over and follow my family food Pinterest boards for lots more ideas on how to eat well and spend less; Family Meal Plans on a Budget, Budget Family Meals & Budget Slimming World Recipes for Families.
Love this post? Then why not save it to Pinterest so you can easily find it later.
What the * means
If a link has an * by it, then this means it is an affiliate link and helps S4SM stay free for all. If you use the link, it may mean that we receive a very small payment. It will not cost you anymore that it would normally.
You shouldn’t notice any difference and the link will never negatively impact the product. The items we write about are NEVER dictated by these links. We aim to look at all products on the market. If it isn’t possible to get an affiliate link, then the link, or product is still included in the same way, just with a non-paying link.