An empty lunch box can be an intimidating thing at 6 am when you are wiping the sleep from you eyes and wishing you had taken the time to prepare and program the coffee maker the night before.  To help you out of this predicament, I offer the following suggestions.  You can mix and match them as you see fit, creating a good combination for your crew.  All the suggestions are cheap and nutritious.  Some require work the day before, but many can be made quickly, even in a bleary morning fog.  Some women will print this page out and keep it on their refrigerator for ideas.  Other women will have their kids look it over and check or circle all of the ideas they like.  Be sure to add your own ideas too. 

Sandwiches are the backbone of box lunches. They are easy and quick to prepare in the morning, or can be prepared and packaged the night before.  Variety abounds, making monotony something only to be endured by choice.  Tommy is going through a stage where he only wants grilled cheese sandwiches for lunch.  I fry them in the morning, wrap them in foil, and pack them in one of the side pockets of his insulated lunch bag.  They seem to be a little warm at lunch, and he is satisfied with them.  Sometimes there are so many variables in a child's day that it is nice to know that lunch is predictable.  I allow my children to indulge in monotony until they tire of it.  Then I encourage them to explore the complex joys of variety.  The following sandwich fillings include proven favorites and new adventures.

If you have a thermos at your disposal, there is no end to the variety you can send along.  Many casseroles, soups and skillet meals pack nicely, making a very interesting lunch for the lucky eater. Give a few of the following a whirl when sandwiches seem boring or old. Remember to pre-heat the thermos with hot tap water.  Also make certain the food is well heated before spooning it into the thermos.  I heat up soupy things on the stove, and more solid things I heat in the microwave.  Be sure to get everything very hot before packing it.

Other items can be packaged in flip top baggies and sent along for crunching.  Children usually like a variety of extra nibbles throughout the week.  If you send fresh fruit, it will more likely be eaten if it is cut into easy to eat wedges, than if it is left whole.  Also, small fruit like bananas or apples will result in fewer leftovers than large fruit.  If  I only have large fruit, I will give each child half of it, which is more in keeping with their appetite.