So, I bought my first Princess Lunchbox last week. (Well, not mine, but my daughter’s off to preschool, she needs lunch and snack, so a Princess Lunchbox it is.) The very next day, she was so excited to use the lunchbox that we packed her lunch along with her brothers’ and took it with us on our day of errands and such. She proceeded to eat the cheese stick, the Oreos, the juice box, and the grapes. The sandwich (which she had selected) was still sitting pretty with Cinderella, Snow White, and Belle when we returned home.

So, how can you be sure your kids aren’t throwing their lunches in the trash? You can’t go sit with them and make sure they eat. You can’t be a fly on the wall, though we all wish we could!

So, what’s the next best alternative? Give them they like! Make it fun! Sounds logical, right? But it may be easier said than done without sending Lunchables everyday.

First, let’s hope we’ve helped them develop some reasonable healthy eating habits. Of course, they won’t eat every healthy thing you ask of them, but maybe the kid who turns his nose up at a traditional sandwich will embrace a sandwich deconstructed (some cheese, a slice of turkey or two rolled up (maybe around a pickle), and some crackers or cocktail bread), or some mixed nuts and yogurt or cheese sticks and cut-up veggies (check out the produce section for baby carrots and dip individually packaged for convenience). Now my daughter’s in a nut-free school, and alot of schools have gone that route, so that’ll be my last mention of nuts or peanut butter in a lunchbox. But if it's OK at your school and PB is your child’s first love, substitute peanut butter where I suggest cream cheese or other cheese spreads.

For snacks, I love a couple of real retro ideas from my own school days, for example, Ants on a Log — celery with cream cheese or Wispride, also topped with raisins or granola.

Remember to think outside the box — or the bread — when it comes to offering your kids lunches they will love. That can mean replacing sliced bread with pita, wraps or bagels, or even adding crackers or pita chips or tortilla chips into your childs’ lunchbox. You can also skip the sandwiches all together by sending in leftovers: a few chicken nuggets or some sliced grilled chicken breast with a little yogurt or ranch dressing as a dip, perhaps. Two of my favorite finds this Fall have been Chicken Summer Rolls and Cheddar-Carrot Spread (not that I'll be sending Chicken Summer Rolls to school with my kids (note that they have peanut butter) — I’ll reserve them for my husband and myself.

Chicken Summer Rolls
These crunchy Vietnamese-style rolls are healthy and light, and the addition of rice makes them filling. They're gluten-free, but anyone — even adults — will love them.

1/4 c rice vinegar, plus 1 to 2 tablespoons
1 T sugar, divided
2 c shredded, cooked chicken (from a rotisserie or other leftover chicken)
1 medium-large carrot, shredded (about 1 cup)
12 (8 1/2-inch) rice paper wrappers (sold in Asian food aisle in supermarkets or Asian markets)
1/3 English cucumber or 1 kirby cucumber, peeled, julienned, about 1 cup
4 scallions (white and green parts) finely chopped (about 1/2 cup)
1/2 c fresh mint leaves, basil or cilantro
About 12 Boston lettuce leaves
1/2 c cooked brown or white rice
1/2 c chunky peanut butter
2 T soy sauce
3 T water

Whisk 1/4 cup rice vinegar with 2 teaspoons sugar in a medium bowl until sugar dissolves. Add chicken and carrot, season with salt to taste, set aside.

Fill a large bowl with warm water. Working with 2 sheets of rice paper at a time (keep others covered with a barely damp cloth to prevent curling), immerse papers in the warm water until slightly softened (about 15 seconds). Remove and spread out on a clean surface or cutting board. Pat dry with a towel to remove excess water. Lay 2 pieces of lettuce over the bottom third of the rice paper, leaving about 1/2-inch clear on edges. Place about 1/3 cup chicken and carrot mixture on the lettuce, top with 4 to 5 pieces cucumber, scallion, several mint leaves and about 1 heaping tablespoon of rice. Roll up the paper halfway into a cylinder. Fold both edges in to tuck while continuing to roll the paper to seal. Place the rolls on a plate covered with a damp towel so they stay moist as you prepare the remaining rolls. Cut rolls in half and wrap in plastic wrap or place in an air-tight container.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the peanut butter with the remaining 1 to 2 tablespoon rice vinegar, 2 teaspoons sugar, 2 tablespoons soy sauce and water until smooth. Put sauce in sealed containers.

Tuck rolls and sauce into a lunch sack with a cold pack and send off to school.

Time Saving Tip: Use leftover rice to make these quicker. Make them the night before or prep all ingredients including chicken and carrot mixture so in the morning you just need to roll.

Copyright (c) 2008 Television Food Network, G.P., All Rights Reserved

Cheddar-Carrot Butterfly Sandwiches

4 ozs cold cream cheese
2 ozs yellow cheddar cheese, finely grated (about 1 cup loosely packed)
1 carrot, finely grated (about 1/2 cup)
Pepperidge Farm butterfly crackers

In a medium bowl, with a wooden spoon, combine cream cheese, cheddar cheese, and carrot. With moistened hands, gently form 12 balls, each equal to 1 level tablespoon of mixture. Serve or refrigerate, covered with plastic wrap, up to 2 days.

Spread cheddar-carrot mixture on butterfly crackers and top to create sandwiches.

Based on a recipe from Everyday Food