Pack or Buy? What School Lunch Really Costs in 2026

Pack or buy? What school lunch really costs in 2026

With the first day of school arriving at the end of September, parents are weighing one of the most routine and in some cases expensive decisions of the school year: pack lunch or buy it?For Mom Jordan Fitzpatrick, the answer depends on the day."We kind of do fifty-fifty, so it just depends on what school lunch is and if it's something they'll eat, and if it's not, then we usually pack it," Fitzpatrick said.Fitzpatrick, whose son Beckett is head…

Packed Lunch Costs Hit $6.33 A Day As Grocers Lean Into Back-To-School

School lunch is getting more expensive to pack, and health is increasingly what shoppers are paying for, according to new research from Deloitte, as grocers including The Giant Company roll out programs to help families manage the back-to-school season. Deloitte’s annual school lunch report – “The New Value Menu: Can School Lunches Be Both Affordable and Healthy?” – found the average daily cost of packing a school lunch has reached $6.33, up 2 p…