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Packing lunches for school-age children is always a challenge for moms. After all, if you packed something obviously made of vegetables, you risk finding the lunch bag untouched when the child comes back, or worse, tossed in the trash without you finding out. Meanwhile, you really cannot imagine packing Pop-Tarts or other food you consider unhealthy. So how do you strike a balance while still making sure your kids get the nutrition they need? Here are some tips to help you get started:

1. Mix it up a bit. This means you are not limited to a single sandwich in which you stuff all your greens. You can pack a fruit-and-vegetable or potato-vegetable salad once in a while, since the dressing will cover up the veggies and the sweet taste of the fruit will also mask the bland vegetables. Alternatively, you can let them go with a peanut butter and jelly sandwich but pack an extra apple on the side. One mother successfully added fruits to her son’s lunches by slipping in tart green apple into the PB&J. Yogurt is also healthy but still delicious, so you can enjoy filling your kids’ week with different flavors.

2. Jazz up your ensemble with interesting presentation. Sometimes, it is not really the healthy food that kids are against, but the boring look of anything considered healthy. One mom managed to use whole wheat instead of white bread but cut it up in fun shapes like stars and hearts. Another mom made little pinwheels with vegetables in the dressing but held together with a toothpick flag. Creativity will make the lunches you pack much more appealing, giving you power in influencing your kids to eat healthy.

3. If possible, pack them fresh fruit juice in a water bottle. This may at least keep them from buying soda everyday at school while not “punishing” them with tasteless plain water. You can buy oranges or lemons from the local market and squeeze them yourself, or if you have access to a juicer, pop a couple of apples in and you are ready to go.

4. Include a surprise somewhere in the lunch bag. This could be a post-in note stuck on the sandwich cover, or a small chocolate bar every once in while. This sends the message that you are not out to get them but indeed have their best interests at heart. Perhaps you can even bake your own potato chips once in a while to include in the kids’ lunch, so that when they want chips, at least they have the home-baked version instead of the greasy commercial ones sold in the cafeteria.

5. If possible, involve the kids in preparing their lunches once in a while. This allows you the chance to bond and to tell them what each food does while making it look presentable. Treat this as a special moment and be sure to steer clear or lecturing mode. Instead, let this time be a chance for your son or daughter to express his preferences. For example, you can make mini-pizzas together, and this special time means that you do not insist to put many onions if your child does not want them, but you can reach a compromise, or if possible, skip it altogether just this one time. You can still think up other ways of inserting onions into his food if you are really intent on it, such as burritos, tacos, or similar specialty food.

In the end, it will not be so much what you pack for them everyday that will ensure they eat nutritious food, but rather what you portray to them as you prepare their lunches. Your packed lunch will only serve as the foundation for the type of food they eat as well as their overall perception of lunch. If you avoid making every meal a battleground, they will wind up more relaxed, and therefore more teachable. This is why it is much more helpful to put effort into making their lunches look attractive to young eyes than threatening them with privilege losses if they do not finish their vegetables. Kids are tricky to handle, but parents can be wise and witty as well. Make use of every ounce of creativity in preparing their lunches, and you will certainly be rewarded in the long run.