If the child comes home ready to eat anything and everything in the refrigerator then he/she may not eat the lunch! The following suggestions may help. What you can do is get a couple of plastic containers with lids that stay on and fill them with fruit cocktail, applesauce, mandarin orange slices, and yogurt, even popcorn or Crackerjacks. You can use cookie cutters to shape sandwiches, crinkle-cut carrots, stuff some celery. If your child is a peanut butter addict and if are ready to add any of the following to peanut butter for a change from the tried and true peanut butter and jelly sandwich: chopped dates or nuts, raisins, bacon bits, applesauce, crushed pineapple. You can also mix tuna fish or canned salmon with sliced cucumbers, sprouts, grated carrots, chopped celery, hard boiled eggs etc.

Wow very nutritious! If all our children will have eating habbit like this, I am sure that they will grow healthy and nutritionally balanced. Their eating habbit begins at home. My daughter seldom eat chololate and candies.

Great suggestions - I always make sure my two girls have healthy snacks after school as well. Fresh vegetables or fruits and some nuts keep them going until dinner time and also help them stay energetic throughout the day for their various activities.

Nice ideas. I think the more variety you have the better. Even a picky child will find something.

definitely some great ideas. Something I saw in a magazine was getting a really cool lunchbox that have little compartments inside and filling them with a variety but of all healthy items as many children will not bother to take out and open each container, where if all the food is there staring at them they may be more likely to eat up. Like mentioned above somethings to try are cucumber slices, baby carrots (although I prefer cut up sticks as they are not treated with chlorine and that is what turns baby carrots white) different nuts or seeds, dried fruit (try mango or pineapple) apple slices, whole wheat crackers with peanut butter, homemade granola bars (many recipes on internet) fruit to go bars, celery sticks with peanut butter and raisins or cranberries

honestly the list goes on!

the more variety the more likely the little fingers with reach a few of the compartments and a few different nutritious snacks. One thing I have realized is a complete miss is any fruit that has not been peeled or chopped such as a whole apple or orange. Trust me most children will not take the time!

I think that's a great idea! I think when I have kids, I'll know a lot because you guys on this site have sure taught me a LOT!! Thanks!!

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-Brittany Brydahl

Those foods were really healthy. Kids would enjoy eating foods with different sizes and colors. How about the drinks? Do you prepare juices or it would be best to have water for snacks?

When I was going to school, my mom packed fresh fruit as well as fruit or granola bars. I loved them, and they were the high point of my lunch. Have you considered trail mix and juice made from 100% real juice? You should have water with every meal, even snacks.

Those were great tips guys. I could now prepare something new for my kids. I only make tuna sandwich. Sometimes I would give them fresh fruits and biscuits. I buy pineapple juice for their drinks. Is it fine to give them something sweet like chocolate bars?