1. Challenge yourself to see how many shapes and colours you can offer in their lunch box as each colour offers different nutrients AND the variety is a nice visual for your child when they open their lunch. They taste first with their eyes! 

2. Try to include representation from each nourishment group to provide vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants with a nice balance of energy from carbohydrates, protein for their growing muscles and bones, and healthy fats for brain growth and satiety. 

3. Choose a lunch box that allows your child to see the whole lunch at once rather than needing to open several small containers. 

4. Allow your child to be involved in making their lunches. Ask them if they would like carrots or cucumbers, pita with hummus and pumpkin seeds or turkey and cheese in a wrap. Ask them to help put the berries or raisins into their lunchbox. The more involved they are, the more invested they feel, the more likely they are to eat their lunch. 

5. Remember that the goal is to offer nourishment to children and not a gourmet meal. So it is 100% okay to offer a “snack lunch” of whole grain crackers, shredded cheese, baby carrots, hummus, sunflowers seeds, yogurt, and grapes. And sometimes these “easier” lunches are the ones that are loved most!