You and your kids still have to make a tough choice everyday: eat a cheap, high-fat, processed, animal product–focused school lunch, or find the time to cobble together a healthy meal.

I recently walked by a public school in my neighborhood (the coveted PS 321 in Park Slope) and was surprised to see the variety of things the kids were eating. Some were snacking on sushi, while others were eating cookies from the nearby Starbucks, and a few even had old-fashioned PB&Js with them. Obviously kids’ taste buds are expanding (at least in Brooklyn), and that’s a good thing. A lunch that you put together—hopefully with your kids’ help—is a great opportunity to get them to try new things while making sure that they’re eating right.

1. Let your kids be the boss.
Well, not really—but give them the illusion that they’re running the lunch show by asking your kids what new fruits and vegetables they’d like to try. If you have a local farmers’ market, take them there and have them pick out a few seasonal items (see fun picks No. 4). Then you and Junior can go online and look for kid-friendly recipes using those things.

Try incorporating one new food each week. If your kid is super-picky, you could create a list of foods to try for the month, and give them a star for each one they eat. Once they reach 10 stars, they get a prize, such as their favorite meal or getting to put their video at the top of the Netflix queue.

 

(Getty Images)

2. Presentation counts.
As I can already see with my 5-month-old’s preference for brightly colored toys, presentation counts. A sandwich becomes something a bit more special and interesting if it’s in a fun shape. Try cutting sandwiches into strips to make it easier for little hands to pick up and eat. Or use a fun cutter like this dinosaur one from Williams-Sonoma.

Also, instead of a nondescript nylon tote or brown paper bag, most kids love to tote their munchies in an insulated backpack in the form of a lion, rabbit, or dog. This one unfolds and can be used as a place mat too.

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