Spend Smart. Eat Smart.

Krista from South Carolina asked if there was conflicting information about freezing peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Jan Temple says, “I did my own experiment to test this. I made a total of 6 sandwiches, two of each type listed. All were made with store brand, 100% whole wheat bread. Jelly was also store brand. One sandwich I froze; the other I left at room temperature.”

Assembly methods tested:

1. Traditional PBJ with 2 slices of bread, peanut butter on top of one slice, jelly on top of the peanut butter and topped with the second slice of bread.
2. Spread both slices of bread with reduced fat margarine, then applied peanut butter to one slice, topped with jelly and the second slice of bread. (In the 50’s, this is how all sandwiches were made – butter on both slices first to prevent any filling from making the bread soggy.)
3. Spread both slices with peanut butter and spread jelly in between.

Jan continues, “I then compared the frozen with the room temperature to test for sogginess. My taste panel could NOT detect any sogginess in ANY of the six samples. I conclude that freezing peanut butter and jelly sandwiches works as an effective way to save money on lunch away from home. If both time and money are your motivation, I would recommend method 1. If you have more time and can handle a few more calories, choose method 3. (It takes time to spread peanut butter really thin – especially if you have stored it in the refrigerator! You might try warming briefly in the microwave first to avoid getting two thick layers of peanut butter.) Method 2 works, but today, few of us need the extra fat calories from margarine or butter.”

-pointers by Peggy

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Have you ever visited your kids’ school lunchroom. Imagine the New York Stock exchange–only with yogurt being exchanged for a sack of chips instead of stocks being bought and sold.

One of the most important tips for packing lunches that your child won’t trade away is to involve them in the planning, shopping and preparation of their meals. Children who help select items are likely to remain interested in their selections…and will probably look forward to trying them. This is also true for meals at home, but even more important for meals eaten away from you. For more tips on packing sack lunches kids will enjoy, check out Tips for packing lunches……for kids and others.

-pointers by Peggy

food preparation, resources kids, lunch, planning, preparation, school, shopping

School is starting soon. Where can you get a balanced kid’s meal for under $2? The answer is your local school…and if money is tight you might be eligible for free or reduced price lunches. According to Mary Kay Madsen, Nutrition Consultant for Iowa Department of Education, school lunches are lower in fat and sodium and higher in calcium than in the past. She said studies show that—overall—school lunches are more nutritious than what kids bring from home, especially when you consider that school lunch comes with milk.

2008-2009 School Lunch Prices in Iowa
Average and Range

For more on school lunches, check out the State of School Nutrition 2009 Survey. Contact your local school for free and reduced price lunch application forms.

-pointers by Peggy

food cost, resources kids, lunch, nutrition, school

My husband started a ‘community sandwich’ option at his worksite. He takes a week’s worth of ingredients for sandwiches (deli meats, sometimes cheese) on Mondays. It’s stored in the frig in the break room and anyone can use the ingredients to make a sandwich. They pay $1.00 per sandwich. Every week he buys a couple of different deli meats (pepper turkey is the most popular). Someone else brings the bread and other fixings. They take the money out of the sandwich ‘kitty’ to fund the ingredients each week. This started as a ‘trial’ run that has helped my husband save money and is so much easier then packing a lunch. Many of his co-workers are appreciating the cost savings and healthier eating as well.

-contributed by Renee

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Do you regularly pack a lunch? It saves money, but until you make it part of your regular routine, it can be a hassle. My husband and I want the health and money saving benefits of taking lunch from home, but often are too unorganized, lazy, short on time, or whatever to consistently get something together either the night before or in the morning. Here’s what we’ve done:

My noon lunch is usually ‘super cheap’…and super easy. I always keep a variety of light yogurt and fresh fruit on hand. If there are no leftovers available, I can just grab a yogurt and 1 – 2 pieces of fruit and my lunch is ready. If I happen to have cut up veggies or whole wheat crackers on hand I may grab them, too. This lunch costs about $1. The down side is that for some people it would not be enough to eat…and I admit, some days I’m hungry at the end of the work day. If you want to watch calories and sugar intake you do have to be careful when buying yogurt. Look for the containers that are both low fat and low sugar, they will usually have 100 calories or less for a 6-ounce serving. (Check out the yogurt buying tips on the website at http://www.extension.iastate.edu/foodsavings/dairy.)

Tell us about your ‘lunchtime solutions.’ How do you eat economically—yet healthy—for  lunch?

-contributed by Renee

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