As another school year approaches, one thing that may be discussed in many households is whether or not to have children buy hot lunches at the school cafeteria or take a sack lunch. This decision is a tough one to make, especially when you have to consider the pros and cons of each. Once you have the information that you need, you will be able to make an educated decision that will be in the best interest of your child.
Pros and Cons of Hot Lunches
Millions of children purchase hot lunches daily throughout the United States each school year. If you and your child are considering to use this approach for their daily lunch, listed below are some pros and cons of utilizing hot lunches:
Pros
- Provides a variety of food to choose from
- No preparation is needed
- A menu can be viewed either on paper or Internet (i.e. school's website)
- More nutritional options are provided (i.e. salad bars, fresh fruits, etc.)
- Many school districts have nutritional guidelines for their hot lunches
Cons
- Can be expensive
- Not all school districts have a nutritional guidelines
- Not set-up to meet special dietary needs or food allergies of students
Pros and Cons of Sack Lunches
Taking sack lunches to school has been a tradition that began when our grandparents attended school. This tradition continues on. There are several pros and cons of having your child take a sack lunch to school listed below:
Pros
- Less expensive
- More individualized (i.e. children can help choose foods that they want to take, can be designed based on dietary needs or food allergies)
- Easy to make
- Can be more healthy
- Parents have more input (i.e. help children make healthy choices)
- Children can help make lunch (i.e. can help prepare sack lunch the night before)
- Provide words of support or encouragement (i.e. parents can write a little note)
- Younger children enjoy choosing a sack lunch container
Cons
- Takes some time to prepare
- Children may not want to take a sack lunch (due to peer pressure, especially at secondary grade levels)
- Possibility of children swapping food
It is hard to decide which lunch route to go with your child, take a sack lunch from home or purchase a hot lunch at school. After taking a closer look at the pros and cons of each as well as your child's needs; you will be able to make an educated decision. Once you have that decision made, you and your child will be one step closer to being read for the upcoming school year.
