Whether you’re sending it with your kids or relying on what they will receive at school, lunch is an important meal. It provides the energy for your child to continue learning through the afternoon, so what your kids eat (or, for those who are heading back to campus themselves, what YOU eat) should be nutritious, tasty, portable and FUN!

Here are some things to keep in mind as you plan for the months ahead:

• Involve your kids in choosing and preparing the foods they will take. If you send a lunch they don’t like, odds are good that they will trade it or throw it out.

• Choose foods that will add to a healthy, balanced diet. Check with your doctor, school counsellor, health care provider or government for recommended nutrition guidelines. The Canada Food Guide and the USDA Food Pyramid recommend an emphasis on whole grains and fresh fruits and vegetables.

• Use higher fat, salt, sugar and calorie choices in moderation. This may mean using fewer prepared or packaged foods. If you do choose a prepared lunch alternative (such as cracker and cheese packs or pizza and dessert meals), supplement this with a piece of fruit or some carrot sticks. School-aged children don’t need more fat in their diet than adults do, so choose lower-fat options when possible. Your kids will thank you later for the good habits formed now.

• Remember to keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold to avoid poisoning. Invest in an insulated lunch bag or thermos for hot foods. To keep food cold you can purchase mini freezer packs or freeze your child’s single-serving size juice box (it keeps other lunch foods cold as it thaws).

• Know your child’s tastes–if they’ll eat anything, give them lots of variety. How about a pita with houmous instead of a sandwich? Or a bagel with cream cheese? However, if your child wants to eat the same kind of sandwich on the same kind of bread every day, round out the menu as you can and don’t knock it.

• Add some crunch to their lunch–and it doesn’t have to be potato chips. Try roasted nuts or trail mix or a small bag of popcorn. If they have to have chips, try the baked variety.

• Save money by packaging your own single servings. Purchasing prepared single-servings of snack foods, puddings and pastas can save time, but the cost can add up. Invest in sealable plastic bags and small plastic containers in a variety of sizes and pack your own lunch-sized portions.

• Kids like finger foods and they are easy to transport. Cut cheese in sticks rather than slices; slice apples in wedges. Try sending their favourite cut-up vegetables with a small, sealed container of low-fat dip.

If you are concerned that your child is not eating lunch, do your best to find out why. It may be something as simple as an “uncool” lunch box or foods they dislike. Ask your child when they get home if they ate their lunch and whether they liked it or not.

Don’t forget a treat!