Lunch & Drink ideas for kids?

[Belinda4]

Please share!!!
I am freaking out a bit....I have a feeling my grocery bill is going to double during summer break!

What are you feeding the kids for lunches & snacks?
What are you giving them to drink? I'm actually debating making ......GASP....kool-aid this summer :o I am ashamed to even admit that! But I don't know what else to do? With four of them drinking milk all day, all summer long will cost a fortune. What are other options?

[Julie]

i will admit i make kool-aid for my kids but they only get 1 cup a day usually. i also only use about 1/2 the sugar that it calls for. they dont know the difference. my kids also LOVE the crystal light that comes in the individual packets. i have been buying it from aldi and there isnt much difference in taste but a huge difference in price. i just keep a few cold bottles of water in the fridge and can make it when they are ready for it. when they empty one bottle, i rinse it out and fill it back up with tap water and it goes back in the fridge.

for lunches, i do lots of the convenience foods which i probably shouldnt admit to but... lol. we do hot dogs, sandwiches, lunchables, spaghetti o's, chicken nuggets,... but i always make sure they get a fruit and veggie with whatever i give them so they have a least a little nutritional value (even with the lunchables and such). with 5 children running around (which i know you can relate Belinda) it isnt easy to fix a full blown meal that takes forever. we just try to give them a decent breakfast and dinner.

hope this helps and good luck!

[Belinda4]

I thought the same thing.....1/2 the sugar in the kool-aid!

And I never even thought about that crystal light! GREAT idea!!! I shop at Aldi weekly....so I will definitely pick some up! Thank You so much for the tip! Matter of fact, that is where I got my "kool-aid" packs. I got 12 of them for 79cents!

Our lunch menu is almost exact! Convenience foods! I do feel bad about it, but really what can I do? I'm not going to prepare gourmet lunches everyday! I bought tons of fruit at the store yesterday! I bought several blocks of cheese to cube up. So I do feel like I have healthy options to give them along side the nuggets and fish sticks and frozen pizzas!

Thank you again for your input! I'm glad to know I'm not the only one running around just trying to get the kids fed and happy!

[kimmie745]

HI,
I give my kids water. They have always liked it. I know they would rather have some coke or something but thats only on special occasions. And sometimes juice and milk once a day. I have one of those filters that go directly on the faucet and I think the water tastes great. For meals i havent even thougth about it. I guess i better :) Probably grilled cheese, soup, turkey subs, pizza bagels or pizza. I have to work so it has to be something easy for the sitter. But i make sure they get a decent dinner and fruit with breakfast. I figure most of the time in school they didnt eat those veggies anyways and I sure dont have the time to cook a huge lunch before work.

[SAHM2]

I give my kids water all day and on occasion they get juice, or sprite. My daughter won't drink milk unless it's chocolate and we recently found out that my son is allerigic to choocolate so I don't even bother. I make sure and give them plenty of other dairy products to make up for the calcium. My kids either eat cereal, oatmeal, a gronala bar or toast for breakfast. They always get a fruit as well. For lunch I serve either pbj, grilled cheese, or turkey sandwiches with a yogurt stick and 2 vegetables. On occasion they will eat chicken noodle soup or a salad for lunch. I am blessed that my children like to eat healthy and I encourage it and praise them when they do. I am also a mom on a very tight budget with only one source of income so I've learned how to serve great meals at a very low cost. I can buy 2 weeks of groceries for a family of 4 for around $90.00. I'm happy to give tips just email me.