There's help for local parents who are tired of packing a lunch for their kids. Meriel Batchelor is running a franchise called the Lunch Lady, which delivers hot, affordable lunches to Burnaby and New Westminster elementary schools.

"It's a little break in the middle of the week, without costing an arm and a leg," said Batchelor, a mild-mannered British woman with red hair.

The idea is similar to hotdog days, only healthier. Batchelor drops off an order form at the schools, the kids take it home to their parents, who place an order and send them back with a cheque or lunch money in hand.

Batchelor then makes up the orders and delivers hot meals to the schools, usually once a week.

The menu options are varied, as are the prices.

The most expensive is the "Steve Nash high performance meal," which has chicken parmesan on whole grain pasta with tomato sauce, beans, a roll, fruit cocktail and chocolate milk - a full meal for $7.50. A bowl of chicken noodle soup costs as little as $1.25. There's also sushi, locally grown veggies, spaghetti and meatballs, macaroni and cheese, salads and tacos.

The menu meets provincial requirements for healthy food in schools, and Batchelor tries to keep the items interesting for the kids.

She offers vegetarian options and can accommodate special diets, and her kitchen is nut-free for kids who may have allergies. She also tailors the menu for each school, if need be.

"We listen to the kids too if they say, 'Do you have this?' or 'I really like this,'" she said.

For the parents, the Lunch Lady gives them a day off from packing brown bags, which is why Batchelor opened the franchise.

"My friend said, 'I wish someone would make lunch for my children once in a while,'" she recalled. And being a mom herself, Batchelor knows it's hard to come up with new ideas for bagged lunches.

"I know what it's like, trying to tempt your children," she said. "They quickly get tired of the things you pack them for lunch."

A Toronto woman started the Lunch Lady in 1993, and the first franchise opened in 2001.

Batchelor is the fourth Lunch Lady in the Lower Mainland. The Tri-Cities, Maple Ridge and Surrey already have franchises, and another is set to open in Delta in the fall.