Kids can be picky eaters, especially when it comes to eating healthy foods. This often presents a challenge for parents — preparing lunches that are not only nutritious, but meet the approval of their young eaters. Here are several ideas for how to pack a healthy lunch that your kids will love.

• Balance it out. Include equal parts proteins, fruits and vegetables, and healthy fats in their lunches. Go easy on empty‐calorie snacks that have lots of sugar or processed grains, like juice, cookies, and crackers. Be cautious of yogurt cups, which sound healthy but are often filled with sugar.
• Make it visually appealing. Presentation can go farther than you think. Pack the lunch in a bento box with lots of small compartments, or use small, separate containers. That way, it's more fun to discover what's inside. Keep it bite‐size and colorful — think baby carrot sticks next to purple grapes and green cucumber slices.
• Add a personal touch. Bring smiles to their faces by adding some creativity and personality to their lunches. Stick a paper mustache on a banana or draw a smiley face on an orange. Use a cookie cutter to create fun shapes out of sandwiches or cheese slices.
• Ask your kids. Give them a choice of veggies by asking what they want that day. This gets them more involved in the preparation of their lunches, and makes it more likely they'll eat their veggies.
• Get creative. Include leftovers from last night's meal, especially if it's one of their favorites. Surprise them with something different, such as breakfast sausage pieces and mini‐waffles. Or, use a tortilla and the kids' favorite toppings to make a pizza wrap.