Tasty School Lunch Recipes Under $2

Blog | September 7th, 2018

School is back in session and that means your child needs to eat lunch away from home.

We all want to provide a well-balanced diet for our children, but the cost of popular school lunches can really add up, and anything premade from the store can contain unnecessary chemicals and preservatives. School-made lunches can be affordable, but those mass-produced meals don’t always have the vitamins and nutrients your child needs.

You don’t need to sacrifice your child’s nutrition to save money and time on their lunch menu. These recipes cost less than $2 per serving and they won’t have you spending hours in the kitchen.

Vegetable Quiche

This recipe is not only a great meal for your child at school, but every family should be baking this delicacy at home. Quiches are high in protein, low in carbs, and you can fit tons of healthy and tasty ingredients in it without scaring your children away. This is a basic recipe, but feel free to get creative with whatever you have leftover in the fridge.

Ingredients

1 Tbsp butter
1 large sliced onion
3 – 4 cups of chopped vegetables
8 large eggs
1 cup of milk
1 cup of grated cheese (cheddar or otherwise)
Salt and pepper for taste

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Add onions, salt, pepper and butter to an oven-safe, cast-iron pan on medium heat. Add your chopped vegetables into the pan when the onions are caramelized. You can use broccoli, spinach, cauliflower, squash, or almost any other vegetable. In a separate bowl, beat together your eggs and cheese, adding salt and pepper if desired. Pour the mixture into your cast-iron pan and back for an hour. Slice into wedges and enjoy!

Related Story: Easy School Lunches to Make on a Budget!

Lunch Meat Skewers

Your child may enjoy Lunchables or a simple sandwich, but this recipe will take a similar concept and turn it into something healthier and easier to eat. You get to skip out on buying bread, and your child gets a healthier lunch that’s still made of familiar ingredients.

Ingredients

Bamboo skewers
Turkey or chicken breast
Block of cheddar cheese
Grapes, cherry tomatoes or any other fruit

Preparing this recipe is all about your skill with a knife. Cut your meat and cheese into similar-sized cubes. Wash and cut your fruit if necessary, but leave items like grapes and cherry tomatoes whole. Alternate between the three ingredients for a good looking lunch that is big on flavor. You can mix up this recipe with new ingredients to add some variety throughout the school year!

Bite-Size Pizza Balls

This recipe is great for parents that don’t cook much, and with only three ingredients, it won’t break the bank. Plus, it tastes like pizza, so your child will love this during their lunch break. You can also freeze these for a quick snack down the road!

Ingredients

Pepperoni
Refrigerated biscuit dough
Pizza sauce
Oregano and parmesan cheese for taste (optional)

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Divide your biscuit dough into balls slightly larger than a slice of pepperoni. Place each ball of dough on a baking sheet and top with a splash of pizza sauce, pepperoni and whatever herbs or cheeses you feel like adding. Bake for 7 minutes or until the dough starts to turn brown. Serve with a small container of pizza sauce for dipping.

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