"I can't stand soupy yogurt and warm drinks."
SOLUTIONS
Use a frozen juice box to keep yogurt and other foods cold by wrapping the two containers together with a piece of aluminum foil.
The night before, fill a freezable drink container halfway with the beverage (noncarbonated) you plan to pack. Freeze the liquid overnight. In the morning, fill the rest of the bottle with more of the same beverage. By lunchtime, your child's drink will be just cold enough.
PET PEEVE #2:
"I hate when sandwiches are soggy, like egg salad on mushy, wet bread."
SOLUTIONS
Use cream cheese flavored with herbs or spices instead of mayonnaise. If you do use mayonnaise,--in tuna salad, for example--add just enough to bind the ingredients.
Pack condiments separately or butter the bread before adding condiments.
For PB & Js, spread peanut butter on both pieces of bread and a layer of jam in between.
PET PEEVE #3
"The fruit's always squashed, and the lettuce is wilted."
SOLUTIONS
Pack fruit salad (instead of loose fruit) in a sturdy plastic container. And save overripe bananas for banana bread, which makes a great lunch box addition.
Pack lettuce, sliced tomatoes and other veggies separately so kids can add them to their sandwiches at lunchtime. Another plus to this method is that if your child decides last minute that he doesn't want veggies on his sandwich, he can simply leave them off instead of trashing a perfectly good sandwich.
PET PEEVE #4:
"I won't eat it if I don't know what it is! I once found what I thought was a big piece of hamster food!"
SOLUTIONS
Don't get radical. By all means, try changing the presentation to spice things up a bit, but stick to variations of foods you know your kids already like.
For example, try using bagels, pita bread or even date nut bread instead of the usual white or wheat. Or cut a sandwich into puzzle pieces. But don't pack a tomato and pickle salad or meat loaf on rye unless that combo has already passed muster at home.
Consider setting up a system where your kids get to pick sandwiches, snacks and beverages from a predetermined list of choices. After all, they're more likely to eat their lunch if it includes items they've requested.
