Back To School is coming, and before long parents all over the country will be dusting off backpacks and ironing uniforms in preparation for the first day back.

Nutrient-rich lunches ensure Aussie kids, who are learning for six hours a day, will have the energy and motivation they need to concentrate and power through their schoolwork.

Chef Katrina Neill, from Sunny Queen Australia,  has created a series of back to school tips and ideas to create school lunches that will make every child smile on the first day of the school year.

Katrina’s back to school lunch tips are:

• The rainbow approach – foods of all colours – ensures kids get fun and colourful foods, with a variety of flavours and nutrients
• Include a nice mixture of fruits, vegetables, eggs, and nuts
• Think: the more fun lunches are to look at, the more likely your kids will be happy to bite down on your creation – you can create interesting shapes out of your foods or even use funky containers
• Get the kids to help out in the kitchen and make it with you. Getting them involved will help make sure they’re excited for their lunch
• Pre-make grab ‘n’ go sides like vegetable muffins or carrot and cucumber sticks with hummus and other bite-size snacks on a Sunday; that way you can just pop it in the lunchbox each morning
• Make faces out of your food or draw smiley faces on them (just like Sunny The Egg) and it’ll be sure to put a smile on their face as well

Sunny Queen recommends eggs to be kept chilled at all times. Tip: try using a frozen juice box to keep lunchboxes cool.

What are your kids’ favourite back to school lunch box ingredients? Tell us in the comments below.