WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — When we visited Tracy Rosario at her home, she was in the kitchen washing grapes.
WATCH BELOW: 'My budget is $150 for lunch for the week,' Tracy Rosario tells WPTV Anchor Tania Rogers
"These can be ready to go, you just have to pack them," she said.
She tries to get her teen son to eat healthy on a budget.
"My budget is $150 for lunch for the week," Rosario said.
The former personal trainer said planning ahead and checking for sales at different store is the key to saving on school lunches.
"I found out that I was saving more money by going to a produce stand than shopping at the other bigger stores. Find ways for them to eat healthy but stuff that they like," Rosario said. "We don't want to give kids what they don't like, because you will waste money."
When her son got a bit older, she changed her strategy.
"When he was in middle school, I gave him options," she said. "Because he was influenced by what everyone else is eating. So if someone had a soda, I said no you are not drinking soda, but I'm willing to buy something similar."
She said prepping food ahead of time can save you money in the long run.
"You can, for example, if you buy a bag of grapes it will probably be cheaper than buying these fruit cups," Rosario said. "All you need to do is take some time to wash them, break them up, put them in little baggies, where you have a fruit snack for every single day of the week."
Now that her son is in his last year of high school, it's leftovers from the night before. She cooks in bulk.
"I would also get him these protein bars, which make a lot of sense especially, when he was going to school the long hours and it hasn't changed," Rosario said. "Now that helps out with the football team, he doesn't get home until 7:30 even 8 o'clock sometimes."