Kids can be little vacuums sometimes, eating up everything in sight. While it is good for growing bodies to get the calories and nutrition that they need, it isn’t always great for the budget, especially when you want to eat out. A typical family with three kids can spend $25-$30 at a counter service restaurant or $50-$70 at a family-friendly sit down restaurant.
There are a number of ways to reduce the cost of food for your kids, that are not extreme and will leave you spending less to feed your kids. Here are five of the best ways to do just that.
1. Pack school lunches. While a typical school lunch may seem like a bargain, for most kids, especially those in middle school or beyond, the standard lunch isn’t quite enough. This means that they have to order extras, such as yogurt cups, extra side dishes, cookies, etc., all of which increases the school lunch price. If you shop well, you can put together a healthy and hearty homemade lunch for less.
2. Set the rules when eating out. Ahead of time, let everyone know the guidelines when you eat out. For example, you might want to skip the drinks and opt for water unless it is included in the kids meal. You may also want to skip desert and have it later at home, to avoid that expense. With clear rules, you won’t have to make any last minute decisions that might wind up costing you.
3. Go off the kids menu. When ordering food for kids, consider going off the kids menu for a better deal. For example, the appetizer portion of the chicken strips may give you more food for less money than the kids version, and you may be able to split it with more than one child for the best value. Sometimes two side dishes cost less. Take a little bit of time to compare your choices.
4. Select a restaurant when kids eat free. Most family-friendly restaurants will offer at least one day where kids can eat free with the purchase of an adult meal. Time your eating out to these days and pick the restaurants with the most generous terms, such as two free kids meals per adult meal.
5. Select organics carefully. While we want to provide our kids with the best possible food, choosing organic food can raise your food bill by 40-50 percent in some cases. Instead, do your research and find out which food items are most contaminated by pesticides (the dirty dozen) or have other undesirable additives, such as hormones or chemical preservatives. Only purchase organic in those areas. For example, conventional bananas contain very little pesticide residue, while strawberries contain quite a bit.