Food from home nutritious, cheaper

Published 9:17 am Saturday, September 13, 2008

Here is an outrageous alternative to the decision to purchase school lunches, and the responsibility to pay for them: brown bag your lunch. Purchasing school lunches is somewhat a luxury, similar to any meal out decision. Prepared school lunches involve management, equipment, purchasing, preparation and cleanup. A lot of work and effort. This all figures into cost, and while subsidized, school lunches cost more than self- prepared lunches.

For nearly 15 years, I have made lunches for my wife and kids every day with few exceptions. The decision to do this is not because we cannot afford school lunches, but I do consider buying school lunches a discretionary expense that is unnecessary, and better spent elsewhere. Our decision is based on knowing exactly what kind of nutrition brown bag lunches contain, versus school lunches typically overloaded with fat and sodium.

It takes just a little planning, and a commitment to undertake the small effort of preparation. The cost of these lunches is well below a dollar, and include plenty of snacks for after school sports. My point is that preparing a brown bag lunch can be far less than paying for prepared meals. Avoiding prepackaged items for brown bag lunches can further reduce their cost.

I enjoy the appreciation of my family for my efforts, and I know they are eating healthy foods. Not having time is no excuse; it means it is not important. Common sense shows prepared food is more expensive. If people cannot afford the luxury of prepared food, pack it yourself. I would submit that anyone who can afford to buy and read this newspaper can afford to put together an adequate bag lunch. School lunches should not be considered an entitlement. I think the decision involves balancing effort or hassle, as much as it involves money.

Rob Dietz