Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Back to School Lunches Made Easy

With the start of school just around the corner, my kids and I were talking about what they want in their lunches. They rarely eat the hot lunch provided by the school, so that leaves me with the task of providing them a healthy, yet tasty lunch. So I did some research on the brown bag lunch.

Bag Lunches for Less Money
1. Avoid Prepackaged Items. You pay extra for the convenience. If possible, make your own snack-size bags of pretzels, trail mix and treats.
2. Use reusable containers and utensils. Reduce the use of plastic forks, spoons and sandwich bags by using reusable containers and utensils. Invest in a BPA-free bottle for beverages. Refilling the bottle is cheaper (and environmentally-friendly) than prepackaged water bottles, juice and sports drinks.
3. Watch for sales and coupons. Many grocery stores offer weekly specials. Purchase needed items when they are on sale. Save even more when you have a coupon. Check the Sunday newspaper and the Internet for manufacturers' coupons.
4. Left-overs? Take a look at what's in the refrigerator. You can send cold pizza, fresh veggies and cheese along in their lunch. Most of the money we waste in groceries is what we end up tossing because it's expired.

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