Economic Crisis Hits School Lunches

photo credit: chidorian

School lunches have never been anything to write home about - pork and beans, plain spaghetti, and greasy pizza are noontime staples. Unfortunately for many students, though, these mediocre lunches will soon be just fond memories of the past, as a failing economy causes parents and school officials to economize their lunch ingredient purchase.

Parents, instead of paying for the rising cost of school lunches, have begun to pack their children’s lunches. Chopped veggies and hand-packed potato chips are favorites for daytime snacks, and peanut butter (if a school allergy ban does not prohibit it) and Spam, instead of lunchmeat, are best bets for lunch’s main course.

Parents are not the only ones focusing on lunch’s bottom line. Major food corporations, like Sara Lee Corp. and Kraft Foods Inc., have combined increased prices with smaller sizes to stabilize their profits. In many case, size reductions are tricky, with same-sized packages carrying less food. For struggling families, the only answer is to be vigilant about purchases.

As prices continue to increase, with no end in sight, companies, schools, and parents will have to watch their bottom line. Try to economize by buying shelf products in bulk, changing eating habits to incorporate lower-cost foods, and reducing meat consumption in favor of healthy, less expensive fruits and vegetables.