I vary what I put into my children's lunchboxes, but always have the goal of balancing protein, carbs and fat. I try to give my children as few sweets as possible and I only indulge them perhaps once a week with a sweet treat of a small piece of cake or a cookie in their lunchbox. Because mornings are hectic for everyone, I prepare or cook at night for the lunch boxes the next day. I plan my evening meal quantities to have leftovers for tomorrow's lunchbox

Here are a few tips:

• Save cakes for special occasions such as birthdays or perhaps only a couple of times a week. If you have to indulge the kids at least halve the sugar in most recipes.
  
  
• In cakes and cookie recipes substitute whole meal flour for white flour whenever possible. Or, halve the flour and add ground flaxseeds and ground almonds instead. This will lowers the Glycemic Index somewhat by adding fat and fiber and as well as omega-3 and protein.
  
  
• Marinate meat before BBQing to reduce hetercyclic amines and other carcinogens
  
  
• Be mindful that canned food often has a higher Glycemic Index. So I aim to cook lentils and chickpeas for salads
  
  
• Use organic chicken or at least free range. The omega 3 in a commercially farmed, cage raised bird is minimal to non-existent and they contain inflammatory omega-6 oils because of the intensive grain feeding.

Use glass containers whenever possible as many plastics give off estrogen mimicking chemicals, especially if heated.