What kids want
THE BOX Most lunch boxes are hopeless. Children hate cling film, your hands get all messy and you have to throw it away (where is the bin?). Small compartments, however are a different matter. As are containers with lids. There is a surprise element, and we all like nice surprises. Tin foil, too, has its charms - and can often be reused - and even old-fashioned greaseproof paper is better than cling film.
ELEMENT OF SURPRISE A message written on a banana, or a hidden note, will be welcome. A sandwich cut a different way, a biscuit wrapped in coloured paper, an apple chopped and coated in orange juice to stop it browning - these can all add to the element of surprise.
PORTION CONTROL Lots of little things are far more attractive than a big quantity of one thing. Children are no different to adults, they like choice and may want to swap things with friends.
Pitta bread makes a far more convenient envelope for stuffing than two slices of white bread. The same is true of tortillas, and children often prefer their rather more neutral flavour, not to mention the fact that they are less bulky.
Last night's supper is often useful. Cold meat can be threaded on to cocktail sticks, or made into a salad, maybe with fruit rather than vegetables - grapes with chicken, apples with lamb.
MINIATURE CHEESES These are expensive to buy. What you are really paying for is the packaging. Try using some decent cheese for a change and do your own wrapping.
PASTA I'm no fan of cold pasta salads, but children love them. Other combinations involving cooked pasta include tuna and sweetcorn; an omelette made with pasta dressed with tomato sauce (an Italian Easter speciality); pasta tossed with chopped vegetables and mozzarella; or tossed with cold chicken, bacon and pine nuts - the variety is endless.
Don't throw last night's leftovers away. Trim off the crusty bits, cut into different mini shapes and wrap individually in grease-proof paper.
Who would have thought such a healthy food could be rendered so unnatural by manufacturing? Most are now laced with sugar substitutes and fruit flavourings and are decidedly unwelcome in our house. My project this year is to convert my children to plain yoghurt mixed with jams of my choosing. I'm experimenting with squeezy plastic bottles and plastic jars to be used as containers.
Quail eggs, if your supermarket has them, are novel for their size and the mottled colouring of their shells, but ordinary eggs will do!
FRUIT AND VEGETABLES Virtually all children should eat more fruit and vegetables. How boring is that message? Most of us know why. The question is how? Threading fruit and vegetables onto cocktail sticks may seem a minor variation on presentation, but it works. So, too, does cutting everything into different shapes. Worried about the pear going brown? Coat it in a little orange juice and turn it into a fruit salad, to be eaten with a cocktail stick.
This is often a winner, and a good way to supply the vegetables. Think about leek and potato, carrot and coriander, pea and bacon. In my experience, bits don't go down well, and a smooth creamy consistency is preferred.
harnold@irish-times.ie