Millions of kids will be heading back to school this week, and millions of moms will again be stressing out about what to pack for lunch. I know I am. It's the first school experience for Sadie (we're talking pre-pre-pre-school here; she's not quite 2 years old!), and except for the occasional picnic lunch or airplane trip, I've never had to pack a meal for her.

To make things a little more interesting, Sadie's school is a "nut-free school," because so many kids these days have peanut allergies. One of Sadie's classmate's moms commiserated with me: "What can I pack for lunch? Pretty much the only thing Elijah will eat is peanut butter and jelly sandwiches!" There's more rules, especially for kids their age: no hot dogs or grapes (choking hazards), and because our school is under the jurisdiction of an accreditation agency, all lunches must meet certain standards: milk in every lunchbox, plus a good balance of protein, vegetables and carbs.

Whether it's your first experience packing a lunch, or you just need some fresh ideas, here are some ideas on how to overcome some of the sack-lunch challenges.

No Nuts? Peanut butter was always a staple in most of our childhood diets. But if your kid is allergic, or you're simply trying to be sensitive to the kids who are, don't despair. Taste a few different soy nut butters until you find one that suits your palate. I have found that the Trader Joe's creamy version is a fairly good substitute, particularly when used in a sandwich. Another friend swears by sunflower seed butter.

Veggies They'll Like. I remember a classmate who, every day, used to swap his boring, healthy lunches for the twinkies and Lunchables that another kid brought. At the time, I remember looking enviously at the bartered snack cake and tidy little plastic-wrapped container of processed meat and salty crackers. But now, I imagine how that kid's mom would have felt, knowing that the healthy and well-planned lunches that she was sending were ending up in front of someone else's kid. True, you can't have much control over what happens to the lunch you lovingly pack, but you can try to be a little creative about what you put in it so that your kids will be happy to eat even the healthy stuff. Cut vegetables into spears and pack a small container of hummus or yogurt dip along with them, or make kebabs with cherry tomatoes, chunks of cucumbers, and pieces of bell pepper or broccoli. In other words, make it fun to eat.

How Much Are They Eating? Ask your teachers to pack up the uneaten lunch and send it back home, or get your kids in the habit of just closing up their containers and lunchbag without throwing the food away. This way, you'll be able to see what they are and aren't eating, which can help you adjust quantities or can open discussions with older kids about what sort of food they'd like to see in their lunches.

Milk or No Milk. I wasn't the only parent who was a little flummoxed by the directive that our kids' lunches must include milk. Sadie is pretty particular about her milk: she likes it lukewarm, in a particular sippy cup, and only when she wakes up in the morning, and before nap and bedtime. So it didn't surprise me that the milk sippy I packed on her first day came back full. If your child won't drink either, you can still make sure they get their calcium with flavored low-fat milks. Making your own chocolate milk with Ovaltine or a small squirt of low-calorie Hershey's syrup might be healthier and less expensive than buying ready-made chocolate milk. You can also try flavored soy or rice milks, or fruit-flavored kefir or drinkable yogurts.

Have you found some creative, healthy ideas for your own child's lunch? Please share... there are still about 180 school days to go!

Image courtesy irrational_cat.