Instructions: Back to school brings relief ... and another whole set of needs: lunches!

Although our esteemed government swears that school lunches are healthy and nutritious, none of us really want our kids to eat pizza, hot dogs, pizza, tacos, pizza, chicken fingers, and pizza all the time.

Another bane of a parents existence is the need children have to fit in.

Its the rare child that sails through school a totally independent creature.

So, unique and unusual lunches may well end up in the trash because they are too cute and they draw attention. (Remember, attention is only welcomed if you are being complimented for wearing a new outfit that matches everyone elses outfit.) and I promise you that unless your child is a fruit fiend, that nutritious apple, banana or orange will most definitely end up in the trash. Or, how many times have you opened the lunch box to find the bright yellow banana of that morning has become a blackened, spotted tube of mush? Its far more cost-effective to save real fruit for after-school snacks when they can be eaten under supervision!

In our house the weekly trip to the supermarket is punctuated with: "Can we buy these for lunch, can you get us that ... EVERYONE brings these for lunch!" Such items as those ridiculously expensive gimmick lunch packs or yogurt topped with all sorts of sugar.

Fortunately, we can skip the gimmick school lunches, but still let our kids fit in. These suggestions are easy to duplicate nutritiously while maintaining the all-important factor of fitting in with everyone else!

Lunch packs: In a small re-sealable container (they sell ones with divided pockets) you can pack your childs favorite (this translates to: will eat it)

cheese, crackers, fruit, etc. Cut cheese and luncheon meat into squares to fit on the cracker. Or use peanut butter, tuna fish, cream cheese and jelly. The choices are unlimited.

Yogurt with toppings can easily be adapted if you buy a large container of yogurt and those tiny plastic storage containers. Then choose a topping of your childs choice (presumably a nutritious one such as minced fruit, nuts or even breakfast cereal.)

The secret is to have it look like the store-bought version! If you have time, you can even make fruit sheets that mimic the store-bought variety.

For the older child, theres also hope. Wraps are all the rage and they offer a chance to provide nutritious stuffings inside a trendy exterior. and for the adults in the household? Try a fresh fruit salad with yogurt dressing, cold soup or be really cool, take a wrap stuffed with grilled vegetables, feta cheese and Baba Ghanoush!

Whatever you decide, remember the key words for kids lunches are

"fitting in" not "healthy and nutritious" - so practice your parental skill of subterfuge and your kids will think youre cool!

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