Madeleine West is more that qualified to talk about kids’ food, with six children of her own under eight years old. The Australian actress, cookbook author and wife to delicious. contributor Shannon Bennett, welcomes you to the lunch box club. 

Organisation may be a buzzword in parenting circles, but little things – from remembering which day the rug rats have library session, to when they have to wear sports uniform – are key to household harmony.

Lunch boxes are an onerous, unrelenting daily task, but they need not be the bane of a parents’ existence. With a little patience, practice and good ‘ol organisation, the task can actually be fun.

As a seasoned veteran, who will still be in the lunch box trenches for another 15 years, here are my tips. Welcome to lunch box club.

First rule of lunch box club

Make them a day ahead and refrigerate. Like many, I have tried to make a week’s worth of lunches at a time but ended up with limited options that didn’t result in soggy sandwiches and sacrificed an entire Sunday in the process. Instead, just whip up a lunch box in a quiet moment or while preparing other food, such as lunch for yourself or younger children, and store in the fridge until morning.

Second rule of lunch box club

Stick to sandwich basics, with extras as an option. Cheese, ham and chicken are all classic favourites with kids, but even more so when you include a tub of add-ons which, if included in the sandwich beforehand, would inevitably sog the bread.

Grated carrot, sliced tomato, lettuce, mayonnaise, corn kernels, and even mashed egg work well. My lot get such a kick out of having a mini-salad bar in their lunch box, the sandwich gets stuffed with vegetables they would usually never touch. 

On the topic of horror soggy school sandwiches, tinned beetroot between should never be seen. Enough said.

Third rule of lunch box club

Carrot sticks are good, but whole baby carrots are better. The trick? Grab a bunch of organic Dutch carrots from the market, or try the purple and white varieties. Vegetables are one big yawn for children, and getting enough into them can be an uphill battle. But pack something a little unusual, a little special, and kids will munch through them for the novelty alone.

Fourth rule of lunch box club

Likewise, whole fruit should be your lunch box default. Unless you are happy to smother cut fruit in lemon juice and risk a puckered-up rejection, pre-sliced fruit will brown or go mushy (and give the little tykes an excuse to bin it). It’s also important for kids to appreciate that food does not come in perfectly compartmentalised little pieces, and learn to enjoy it in its natural form.

Fifth rule of lunch box club

Lunch boxes love leftovers, and most evening meals can be reimagined as tomorrow’s lunch. Cold quiche, a tub of pasta, rice dressed with vinaigrette, soup in a thermos, or a buttered roll with leftover chopped roast and veg (call it a bubble n’ squeak bun). Lunch boxes should be nutritionally sound as they need to sustain our children throughout the day, but that doesn’t mean they cannot be fun. Be playful, and aim to ensure your little people open their lunch box lid with anticipation. Capturing their imagination is the key to unlocking their appetite.