With three active and growing boys, 9, 6 and 3 lunchboxes are a part of my family’s daily routine! If you are like me, a busy person, but intent on giving your kids delicious, nutritious lunches, here are some great ideas.

I like them most, because they are quick, easy and economical and often help me make use of my leftovers.

Chose a lunchbox with individual compartments, or otherwise use lidded containers, kids loooove little containers of things, there’s no 7 wonders of the world in the eyes of a child, but 7 million … It’s the love of discovery!

Apple slices
Served with peanut, cashew, or almond butter or any of those then sprinkled with coconut or sultanas.

Cheese cubes
With sliced kabana and grapes … A Lunch box Cheese Board!

Crackers
Variety is the spice of life, for young and for old, so buy different crackers each week.

Cottage cheese
Top crackers with cottage cheese, chopped toasted walnuts or raisins

Dips:
There are many, but our kid’s favourites are:

• Hummus
• Easy Creamy
• Cinnamon
• Devonshire

Serve the savoury with fresh vegie sticks and the sweet with freshly sliced, seasonal fruit.

Fruit Salad
Is the ideal lunch box solution; it’s colourful, easy to eat and bursting with vitamins. Our favs are strawberries grapes, apple and oranges (the juice of the orange prevents the apple from discolouring too)!

Leftovers
The trick is to think ahead and make a little extra at dinner for lunch the next day. Roast chicken becomes a yummy sandwich when cut and mixed with a finely chopped, dried apricot and mayonnaise, or part of our sensational Chicken Carnival Cones! Turn leftover rice into a yummy fried rice, and Spaghetti Bol Scrolls cleverly uses any leftover spaghetti bolognaise sauce.

Mini-Muffins
With just self-raising flour, cream and a little sugar create any variety of these: Blueberry, carrot & pineapple, choc-chip, raspberry or white-choc and apricot.

Piklets
Oz’s version of a smaller pancake. Take two, spread with butter and strawberry jam and watch the fly!

Salads
Of all kinds make great school lunches. Our favorites are Corn Salad (with bell peppers and scallions, olive oil and lemon)

Yogurts 
Add a separate container of wheat germ, granola, toasted coconut, berries, or chopped walnuts for a kid-pleasing crunchy topping.