4 Simple Tips for Budget Friendly School Lunches

Packing a lunch for you kids can be a delicate balance of creating something that tastes good, is healthy and nutritious and cost effective. But meeting all of these criteria doesn’t have to break the bank, follow these tips and tricks to create an easy-to-make, affordable and delicious school lunch for your kids:

Pack smart. Instead of putting each snack into different baggies, which can get expensive fast, group foods together in Tupperware’s for a bento-box style lunch.

Keep cool. Freezing your kids’ favorite juice or large water bottle is a smart way to keep your family’s lunch box cool without investing in an icepack. The best part is that by lunch time it’ll be thawed out and ready for drinking.

Get creative with leftovers. Making use of leftovers from last night can be a great way to minimize waste and keep lunches interesting. Try using leftover roasted chicken for a fun-Mexican style burrito or quesadilla.

Go techy. Check for savings on lunch box items by using Zweet, the new generation app for grocery cash back rewards. Rather than spending hours clipping coupons to take with you into the store, Zweet allows you to save on different products every week. This new app was designed to replace cumbersome grocery coupons with a user-friendly model where you merely snap a shot of your receipt, upload to Zweet’s mobile app and see savings accumulate in your account within 24 hours. Once you hit the $20 mark, you can request to have a cheque mailed. A sweet way to save!

This fun, healthy and wallet-friendly lunch is perfect to make for your kids to stay on budget and keep them fueled for the whole day.

Recipe: Avocado Hummus and Spiced Pita Chips

Ingredients:

• 1 avocado

• 1 can chickpeas

• 2 teaspoons tahini

• 1 glove garlic

• 6 tablespoons olive oil

• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

• 1 large pita

• 1 teaspoon paprika

• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. In a blender, combine chickpeas, tahini, garlic, lemon juice, salt, pepper and avocado (pitted).

2. Drizzle in olive oil until the mixture comes together and is smooth and creamy.

3. Brush pita with olive oil and sprinkle with paprika and salt and pepper.

4. Bake for 20 minutes, or until crispy. Once cooled, slice into triangles.

More ingredient inspiration and grocery saving opportunities are available at zweet.com.

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