[aspenlucas]

I have two young girls. One is a super healthy eater one is not so much. I pack this one's lunch most days so I can monitor what she eats. She is active and rides a lot, but is getting on the "chunky" side. This concerns me as even though my DH is not overweight or obese, his parents are. I need ideas for good healthy, variety lunches for my DD. I don't want to do the same old same old.

We add fruit and applesauce, but I need more and with a full time job and a barn full of animals, I just don't have time to be creative with this.

[ManyDogs]

Maria,
I don't know how healthy it is, but I love peanut butter spread between two graham crackers. Frozen fruit (blueberries or strawberries?) in yogurt is a treat (if she likes yogurt). Would she eat celery with peanut butter? If you put raisins on them they are called "ants on a log". I'll try to think of more things I liked as a kid. My parents were very careful about what we ate.

[rustbreeches]

DD is really picky as well. She takes peanut butter and raisins between apple slices, which I rinse with lemon water to prevent discoloration. Yogurt, fresh sliced fruit, some chips, some nuts, like pecans, and a treat round it out. Often I add a pudding or jello cup made at home in small tupperware containers. She is actually underweight so you could leave out the pudding and use baked chips. You don't want DD to feel like she doesn't get a fun or cool lunch. A healthy chicken salad in a lettuce wrap would be fun, or turkey and low fat cheese rolled up together. Go online and check out ome neat ideas. I think Parents mag has cool bento box ideas on their site.

Kudos to you for not letting your children eat those nasty sodium and carb loaded school lunches. DD has never had a school lunch, and as far as I'm concerned, never will.

Edit: Make sure the yougurt you pick isn't one of those sugar laden ones aimed at children.

[theblondejumper]

I don't have kids and in hindsight did not eat as healthy as I could have as a kid.

This is a great resource--I refer to it for my own packed lunches!

http://www.kitchenstewardship.com/20...hy-food-to-go/