Trade you for a Twinkie

Both my daughter are in preschool during the week. (There will be no apology from me for being a working mom.) During the week, their cafeteria puts out junk food and crap. On Fridays, they get a break and I get to send lunches with the girls.
I have realized that if I am ever going to get my husband to pack these lunches, he will need a guidebook. So, here it is.
First and foremost, I want excitement when they open there lunch boxes (ok, true, my 15 month old is always excited about food). My three year old always her sandwich cut in the shape of a heart. I have a giant cookie cutter that does the job.
Sandwiches are on fresh whole grain bread. I stop by the bakery twice a week to pick up fresh bread. It doesn't taste like the wheat bread I always cringed at growing up. It comes in small loaves but, it doesn't have any preservatives so, you wouldn't want to keep it around long any way. My three year old loves jelly. I am not a fan of jelly since the first ingredient is sugar - yes, you can find jelly that does not a high-fructose corn syrup as an ingredient. But, this is one of my gives; a thin layer of jelly on one side and peanut butter on the other. Every grocery store carries peanut butter without preservatives. You keep it in the refrigerator and it tastes awesome.
Instead of the PB&J, sometimes I do grilled cheese or something else warm. I use a thermos. First I pour in hot water, let it sit for 10 minutes. Dry it out then add the warm food. It is still sort of warm by lunch. The better the thermos, the longer it stays warm.
Now, I like to add some more protein. Cheese or yogurt are my go to items. Yogurt also doubles as dessert and is a great nutrient rich food. I prefer organic with less sugar. If I was really on the ball, I could buy the pint of plain and add honey and squashed up fruit. Since I am human, I buy the individual containers. I like Brown Cow or Stoneyfield. Ok, I also buy YoKids and YoBaby. It has a ton of sugar but, it is easy and is a good portion. Oh and Silk makes a pretty yummy soy yogurt. Cheese are great because, yum - who doesn't love cheese?
Then we just need fruit or veggie. If I sent cheese, I sent fruit to double as dessert. When I send veggies, I sent ranch to dip. I just add a small ice pack to the lunch box. My three year old isn't a fan of all raw veggies so, a quick steam in the microwave takes care of that.
I send milk to drink. My girls drink it well and now that Horizon makes those convenient boxes, it is easy. When the girls are older, I will probably substitute water (in a reusable non-BPA container). I don't send juice. That is a whole other topic. But, drinking calories without any other benefit is not something I encourage.
My philosophy on lunches are get enough protein and foods high in fiber (whole grains, veggies, fruit) to get my kids through the afternoon. Too much sugar will make them cranky when they come off the sugar high. Also, I need to send food they will eat. Thus heart shaped sandwiches and cheese cut into cubes.
Making both lunches takes me 10-15 minutes. It keeps high levels of sodium and food additives out of their little bodies (yeah, lunchables do not do a body good). It is one of those time sacrifices that I feel is worth it.