You can say I am one of the lucky ones when it comes to having a child who eats healthy (for the most part), but like every other parent I too have had challenges, like when our son was diagnosed as allergic to eggs, soy, and dairy at about fifteen months of age; mind you we are vegetarian.

Over the past two weeks my son has now decided that eating his vegetables in his lunch or at dinner is no longer what he is interested in doing, so I empathize with other parents who have this sometime or chronic challenge. Packing lunch everyday is always an interesting task – figuring out what he’ll eat, determining how much is the right amount, and of course hoping as I pack the vegetable option that he will actually ingest it instead of leaving it to dump at the end of the day when I clean out his Laptop Lunch box in preparation for the next day.

As I packed lunch last night I realized there are certain times I pack his lunch when I know my kid will eat that lunch!

• Leftover sandwich from dinner

• Sliced organic strawberries

• Pickle

• Spinach salad with sliced almonds and raisins with a side of home made vinaigrette (minced garlic, Dijon mustard, balsamic vinegar, and olive oil)

First of all, I think the Laptop Lunch box makes eating fun and helps me organize and remember each food group. I let Blake get involved when packing lunch, so he has a say in what he eats – funny how he is more likely to eat the vegetable that he selects to pack.

Some of our other favorite lunch staples:

• Vegetables with ranch dip (my son likes making from the packet)
• Hummus with crackers
• Hard boiled egg
• Grilled tofu
• Quesadillas