“There are so many ways to come up with new, fresh ideas for kids’ lunches and when you do, they’ll be so much happier—and more likely to eat what you pack,” says Glockner. One of the biggest, most common mistakes her mom clients make when packing school lunches is forgetting about major food groups. “When serving a ‘smart plate,’ half of it should be filled with fruits and veggies, a quarter with lean protein, and the other quarter with grains—and at least half of those grains should be whole grains,” she says. Now imagine a typical brown bag stuffed with a white-bread PB&J sandwich, piece of fruit, a packaged salty snack, and sugary drink and you can see how a major makeover is in order. Luckily, that’s easy enough to do if you follow Glockner’s advice:

  1. Prep the night before. If you’re trying to pack lunches and get the kids and yourself out the door in the morning, you’ll be much more likely to toss whatever you can find in there, which has a higher likelihood of being unhealthy.
  2. Involve the kids. OK, this one may sound like more trouble than it’s worth. But if your little ones are playing an active role in helping to decide what they’ll have, they’ll be more likely to eat it. This is especially true if you’ve got a garden (or even a pot of veggies or herbs) in your yard that they helped tend to and watched grow.
  3. Sneak in more veggies. Instead of making a sandwich out of bread, cut little squares of bell peppers or rounds of zucchini and make sliders; make a cold “pasta” salad using spiralized veggie noodles; or build fruit-and-veggie kabobs. The more creative you are and the further you go beyond carrot and celery sticks with dip, the more likely your kids will be to eat these good-for-you foods.
  4. Strike the right nutrient balance. You know that if you load your kids’ lunch boxes with too much sugar they’ll crash by mid-afternoon. Still, “what parents may not realize is that not including enough lean protein, fiber, or healthy fats can also cause energy lulls that’ll affect your child’s performance in school,” says Glockner. Just like you aim for a healthy mix of fruits, veggies, protein, fats, and grains at dinner, do the same for lunch. MORE: Quick and Clean Lunches You Can Make for $5
  5. Let them DIY. Pack your kids’ lunch boxes with a deconstructed taco salad, for example, which they can put together on their own, or use one of those bento boxes with all of the little compartments so that (older) kids can make their own sandwich or wrap.
  6. Use leftovers. Who says you can’t turn that delicious, whole grain veggie pasta you had for dinner last night into a delicious, cold pasta salad for your kid’s lunch? Same goes for rotisserie chicken, grilled salmon, or other tasty leftovers. Want some specific suggestions to make life even easier? Here, five out of the (lunch) box ideas that’ll wow even the pickiest eaters: Breakfast for Lunch The mom behind the blog Biting the Hand that Feeds You puts together a bento box filled with a pancake or waffle (extras from Sunday morning’s brunch that defrost in the lunchbox), a hard-boiled egg, carrots, tomatoes, and raspberries. Bento Box Perfection Lisa Leake of 100 Days of Real Food has a ton of school lunch ideas on her site for quick inspiration. A few of our favorite combos: cinnamon raisin walnut bread and organic cream cheese sandwich served with a cheese wheel, carrots and frozen peas, applesauce, and a hard-boiled egg; carrots and bell peppers, cantaloupe, whole wheat carrot applesauce muffin, frozen smoothie pop (with berries, spinach, yogurt, milk and peanut butter), cheese wheel, and whole grain crackers; and a grilled cheese with pesto on whole wheat (served cold) with organic popcorn, apples, and kiwi. Leftovers Love Kerri Glassman, RD, a dietitian in New York City who blogs on her website, Nutritious Life, likes to grill extra chicken, steak, fish or veggie burgers and pack those along with her kids’ favorite raw veggies. Sometimes she wraps these proteins in a whole wheat tortilla with a spoonful of guacamole. Genius—and tasty enough for you to make one for yourself. MORE: Add This to Your Lunch to Make It Instantly Healthier Non-Sandwich, Kid-Friendly Keeley McGuire’s entire focus is on fun, allergy-friendly lunchboxes, and she’s got a ton of great ideas. From salmon salad on gluten-free crackers to chicken and apple strips with a variety of healthy dips, you’ll find plenty of inspiration for thinking outside two slices of bread. Make It Hot As the weather gets cooler, it’s time to break out the thermos and start sending your kid to school with a warm meal. For recipe—and product—ideas, check out The Organized Housewife, an Australian mom who packs everything from chicken nuggets and fried veggie rice to soup to spaghetti Bolognese for her kiddos.