When it comes to school lunches, peanut butter-and-jelly sandwiches are the old stand-by, but even the most devoted PB&J fan quickly tires of the same-old, same-old.

So as the school year begins, consider jazzing up that lunchbox with healthier options your kids will love. Remember that most kids don’t have a lot of time to eat lunch, so quick-n-easy should be the rule. As parents, we want to pack as much nutrition as possible into that lunchbox, but we also know that little Johnny or Susie will want a meal that’s fun and tastes great, too!

We’ve put on our thinking caps and come up with a few ideas:

• Skip the chips! Pair your child’s favorite sandwich with carrot and celery sticks, along with low-calorie ranch dressing in a sealable cup. A great way to get kids to eat their veggies!
• Rustic Crust Ciabatta Flatbread makes a great sandwich – just wrap it around roasted turkey, pepper jack cheese and green leaf lettuce for a healthy lunch. Made with all-natural, premium ingredients and no artificial colors, flavors or preservatives – our Ciabatta Flatbread is a great alternative to boring sandwich breads.
• No matter what the sandwich, don’t automatically reach for the mayo or margarine. Use healthier spreads, like high-protein hummus or lower-calorie mustard.
• Use cookie cutters to cut sandwich meat (ham, baloney) and cheese into fun shapes, and pack them with crackers, so your child can ‘assemble’ their own cracker ‘stacker.’
• Create a kid-friendly trail mix that’s made from nutritious options, like raisins, nuts, and pretzels, to encourage healthy snacking — and keep your child away from that candy vending machine!

Creating school lunches your child will eat (and enjoy!) can be a challenge, but with a little planning and creativity, you can encourage healthy eating away from home!