Most Miami-Dade students will now pay $4.20 per day for lunch, and prices are up in Broward, too.
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For the first time since the pandemic, Miami-Dade students will have to pay for lunch daily: $4.20 per person. And in Broward, lunch prices are $4 for elementary students, $4.35 for middle school students, and $4.50 for high school students.
Now, Miami-Dade will have a 30-day grace period where lunch will be free for all students. And in both counties, families can apply for free or reduced lunch.
For more details about school meal benefits in Miami-Dade, go here. For more details about school meal benefits in Broward, go here.
Still, the increase means a Miami-Dade family with two students paying full-price can expect to pay about $185 dollars more a month just to feed kids cafeteria lunch.
Nicole Dulzaides, a nutritionist with Nicklaus Children’s Hospital, shared recipes to help parents save time and money making healthy lunches in their own kitchens.
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“Think of things that they’re confident with, that you know they’re gonna eat,” Dulzaides explained. “Give them foods that they like.”
Dulzaides recommends a protein, whole grain, fruit and vegetable in each lunch box. To drink, she recommends water to keep them hydrated. Juices are just sugar, she said.
Try some easy recipes below:
Turkey and cheese pinwheels
- whole wheat tortilla
- cream cheese or hummus
- turkey
- cheese
- spinach
To make, spread cream cheese or hummus on the tortilla, add turkey, cheese, and spinach. Then roll up and slice.
DIY Pizza Bento
- triangle mini pita bread
- marinara sauce
- shredded mozzarella Cheese
- favorite veggie
Place items in a bento box and have children assemble the pizzas themselves when they eat.
Sunflower butter and banana rollup
- whole wheat tortilla
- sunflower butter
- banana
Spread sunflower butter on a tortilla. Slice banana and add on top. Roll up and slice.
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