Packing the perfect lunch for the kids is an art in itself, writes Marie-Claire Digby
lunch-box tips
Always include carbohydrate, protein, fruit or veg, a drink and, if allowed, a treat such as a chocolate- covered rice cake, a fruit yogurt, a jelly or a handful of dried fruit.
Variety is always good - would you like to eat ham sandwiches every day of the week?
Get children involved in preparing their lunches; they're much more likely to eat a lunch they have helped make, and even the smallest child can butter bread with a soft spread.
Small is best. Buy mini rolls and pitta pockets; cut sandwiches up; bake small scones.
Pop in a couple of good quality, cooked and cooled cocktail sausages, and sneak in a favourite burger-joint dip or ketchup sachet, occasionally.
It might be retro, but many children like strong tastes and enjoy cubes of cheese, pineapple or pickled onion. Thread them on to cocktail sticks. (If they can be trusted with pencils, these shouldn't pose a danger.)
Cook more than usual when you're planning on eating ham, chicken, lamb or beef, and use the leftovers for sandwiches - much better than buying packets of see-through ham.
Remember that your lovingly prepared lunch won't be eaten for several hours after it leaves your kitchen. Reusable mini ice-packs are a good idea and widely available.
Small hands make much mess; make sure your creations are solid and easy to eat, with no escaping fillings.
Get your deli-counter attendant to wrap small portions of salami, three or four slices, in individual packs. It might not endear you to those in the queue behind you, but kids love having a mystery package to open. Keep a supply in the freezer.
stock up
Fill your fridge and larder with some convenient stand-bys to avoid that Sunday night lunch-box panic.
Oatcakes are as nutritious a snack as you could wish for, and if you buy the Gubbeen cheese ones made by Ditty's, you have a meal in a box. Otherwise, individual packs of Philadelphia or other cream cheese from the supermarket, or single-portion hummus packs from Marks & Spencer, make a good accompaniment.
Ambrosia custard and creamed rice pots are a useful store-cupboard staple; try the new ones with added fruit.
Hartley's low-sugar jelly pots aren't for every day but are a handy standby.
Don't pass the Bunalun stand in your supermarket without stocking up on organic rice cakes - chocolate covered, yogurt and orange covered, or mini ones with milk, dark and white chocolate - or plain, if your school is a treat-free zone.
Chunks of Emmental, tomme or Cheddar sliced from a block in your fridge and wrapped in parchment paper are the sensible option, but younger children will love Avonmore's new, individually wrapped Animal Shapes, made with mild white cheddar, and don't seem to have lost their appeal, either.
Not every kid is convinced that a box of raisins constitutes a treat, but some do enjoy dried fruit, and the variety now available is huge. Mix up apricot, pineapple, pear, mango and banana for a tropical treat and dole it out in small plastic bags.
Spend a Saturday baking, then fill the freezer with child-friendly treats such as flapjacks, banana bread, mini jam tarts, oatmeal cookies and shortbread.
sambo smart
The sandwich is the mainstay of most lunch boxes, but they don't have to be dull.
TWO-TONES Cut the crusts off two slices of bread, one white and one brown; spread one with cream cheese and the other with relish. Sandwich together with some sliced ham, chicken or turkey, and cut into neat triangles.
PINWHEELS Butter a thin slice of bread, remove crusts, top with a slice of ham and a smear of child-friendly mustard or mustard mayo. Roll into a Swiss-roll shape, cover with cling film and refrigerate. Once chilled, cut into slices and re-wrap.
PITTA POCKETS Fill wholemeal mini pitta with chopped lettuce and John West smoked tuna slices moistened with natural yogurt and lemon juice. The smoking means the fishy smell is less pronounced.
FRENCH STYLE Croissants are always well received, and what could be simpler than stuffing one with cheese and ham?
BAGELICIOUS Spread both sides of a sliced bagel with sweet onion relish (the new Branston one in the squidgy bottle is excellent) and fill with cheese.
DOMESTIC GODDESS Add grated cheese, nuggets of crispy bacon, chopped olives or sun-dried tomatoes to scone dough before rolling out and baking. Freeze a batch and you won't be caught short on a Sunday night. These only need a smear of butter to become a readymade sandwich. Savoury muffins are good, too.
salad savvy
When you've run out of ideas to make sandwiches exciting, substitute small containers filled with salads.
SWEET TREAT Sweet potatoes cubed, drizzled with olive oil, honey (Mileeven's orange blossom honey is excellent here) and a sprinkling of thyme, roasted until tender and mixed with slices of a good quality cooked sausage, and a dollop of natural yogurt. Tastes as good cold as it does hot.
PASTA PERFECT Leftover pasta shapes are a good salad base, with added chopped peppers, sweetcorn and a little dressing.
BALLS OF FUN Mini mozzarella balls, cherry tomatoes and a drizzle of pesto or a few torn leaves of basil.
CURRY FAVOUR Mix leftover rice with grated carrot, raisins and sesame seeds, and a spoon of mildly curried mayo.
SI SEÑOR Spanish omelette, made with lots of potatoes to keep it nice and solid, sliced up small. Add chopped peppers, or cubes of chorizo for variety.
SUSHI SMART If the crowds of kids at the sushi counters at Aya and Yo! Sushi are anything to go by, pizza is no longer their snack of choice. Make simple maki rolls with chopped peppers, avocado, cucumber or cooked meat fillings. Rolled firmly and chilled, these make filling, one-bite snacks for older kids.