What can I do to liven up my child’s (and spouses) Lunch?

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• Choose fruits that are easy to eat and not messy. Be sure to peel fruits that need it, and cut them into finger-size pieces for younger children.
• Write a riddle on the peel of a banana or orange or draw a cartoon picture with words of endearment or encouragement to brighten up the day.
• Vary the bread offerings from plain sliced bread to raisin bread, pita pockets, dinner rolls, flour tortillas, or mini-bagels.
• Rice cakes are a fun addition. Pack tuna salad, peanut butter or cheese spread in a separate container to be spooned on at lunchtime so the cakes don't get soggy.
• If your child/spouse likes cold pizza, send it along for lunch! Pizza is actually not a bad choice.
• A thermos of hot soup is perfect for cold days, along with crackers.
• Cut sandwiches into diamonds, triangles, rectangles, or other fun shapes. Kids and spouses seem to think they taste better this way!
• Make your own trail mix at home using their favorite cereal, raisins, nuts, and mini-pretzels. Toss in a few fruit gummies or M&M’s (my favorite) as a surprise.
• Send along naturally-sweetened fruit cocktail in a container to mix with yogurt.
• Mix cream cheese with raisins and a dash of honey to spread on graham crackers.
• It doesn't have to be a sandwich. Pack string cheese and ham sticks with a honey mustard sauce for dipping.
• Mix shredded carrots with raisins, unflavored yogurt and a bit of honey for a crunchy salad.
• Make fruit kabobs of cubes of favorite fruits using thin strips of celery for skewers.
• An old favorite is Ants on a Log. Fill celery sticks with cream cheese, sprinkle with grated carrot, and push in raisins for ants.
• Bean dip and baked tortilla chips make a fun side.
• Cut veggies into fingerfood-size, and accompany with seasoned cream cheese for dipping.
• Popcorn is always a welcome treat, and the low-fat microwave versions make it easy to pop up quickly to send along. Be sure to put it in a sealed baggie to retain freshness.