apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Almond butter and raspberry bonne maman on whole grain bread. And maybe some chocolate soymilk in a thermos.

Or hummus with veggie sticks, crackers, and fruit juice.

There are a TON of lunch box/school lunch-related flickr groups -- I don't have kids, but even I get inspired by browsing around and looking at what people are putting in lunch boxes for their kids. Blogs, too! It's not all fancy/complicated bento lunches, either -- although many do employ bento-like methods for organizational purposes ;o)

I don't have kids, but I loved when Mom packed me up with whole grain crackers, cheese and a few slices of turkey with some veggies and an apple.

My fondest memories of childhood are of my packed lunches. My father was German, and often packed a hunk of good bread, a few slices of good cheese and meat, and a bunch of grapes, an apple or on special days...a homemade cookie. To this day, I still prefer a simple lunch like that. His lunches were always thoughtful and simple-easy to prepare, easy to carry around, and delicious.
A very easy way to spice up the bagel/cream cheese lunch is to literally spice up the cream cheese. Sometimes, I'll throw in some fresh chives and garlic, blue cheese, or honey, or lemon or orange rind....
My favorite additions to sandwiches are: pesto, sun dried tomato paste, avocado, capers, hummus, sprouts, thinly sliced lemon wedges (rind cut off), apple or pear slices....
Don't forget the loving note!

Such great ideas. when I was a kid I used to get leftover at times. Maybe I'm weird, but it was nice to get some rice and beans with a piece of chicken. I still do it to this day, I make larger portions for dinner and bring the left overs into work. I even use a cool Bento Box (http://tinyurl.com/96uxl6)

For lots of inspiration, visit http://www.laptoplunches.com/. My husband and I use their lunch boxes, and I love to see what everyone else packs for lunch in their Photo gallery section.

Having the little containers to fill makes it much more fun to pack lunch, and I bet kids would be happy to get involved!

check out the vegan lunchbox blog! She has a lot of really great ideas.

I was an extremely picky eater as a kid, (I didn't even like pizza), but I did love salad, and especially loved it for lunch.

Also, 'ants on a log' (celerywith peanut butter down the middle and raisins on top) is tasty and fun for little ones.

Hummus is great and healthy. try adding flavors and just calling it veggie dip at first to get your kids to try it.

Yogurt is great with many flavors, and you can also add granola, nuts, fruit, etc. to add variety.

Every year, the month before school starts, I ask my kids what they liked in their lunches and what they didn't want to see anymore. Every year it changes - they started out liking grilled cheese and peanut butter and now they want pastas and salads. Also, I like to make more of dishes they like for dinner and pack the leftovers for lunches. Also, ask them what their friends are eating and if it sounds healthy, do them same.

Take a look at your school's restrictions. Many schools ban all peanuts or other nut products.

In my experience, kids are as excited by new! different! and creative food. They pretty much want the familiar and the not-gross.

There are lots of options beyond sandwiches for lunch, if your kids are adventurous eaters.
Kids like food on skewers. Kebabs are always fun.
You could always make fresh spring rolls with veggies and fruit.
Edamame is great if they will eat it.
Bean, grain, and pasta salads are filling and taste good at room temp.
Chicken or soy nuggets with a favorite sauce
Gazpacho could work, too, if you have a watertight container.
Wrap up the occasional leftover slice of pizza and some fruit or baby carrots for a quick and easy lunch.
Healthy mini-muffins could be a good addition to a lunch.
Coin-sized pancakes or french toast sticks with syrup for dipping
You can make themed lunches, where every food is the same color or starts with the same letter, or is similar in shape.

This time of year, a little thermos of soup might be nice. And in places like here where it's getting warm, a chilled fruit soup in a thermos!

My mom almost always gave me ham and cheese sandwiches on wheat. I once traded for a bologna on white (we never had white bread) and loved it. My mom bought me a pack of bologna and I ate ALL of it and got sick. I happily went back to ham and cheese.

But I think asking at the beginning of the school year is a great idea. I liked getting soup with my lunches and wished I got more. I also wouldn't have minded leftover meatloaf. She also made awesome spaghetti, sauce was from scratch that was cooked all day. I was small and didn't want to be a pain asking for different lunches.