5 delicious lunch ideas

THERE is something about the process of making lunches that can zap the creativity right out of us.

Instead of seizing the moment to create a nourishing, satisfying meal, we get stuck with the same old crutches: baby carrots and cheese sticks and some sort of drab, uninspired sandwich.

Here's a solution for the back-toschool, back-to-the-office lunch conundrum: five delicious lunch ideas that work for everyone.

They are kid- and adult-friendly, fun ideas that will have you counting down the hours until you get to open that lunch bag.

◆ Each lunch idea starts with the baseline: a simple, pared-back option designed to make eating fun for children. Then, it uses similar ingredients and flavours to transform it into a lunch that no-nonsense adults will love, too.

◆ For example, what kid doesn’t love

eating pasta ... on a stick? Thread colourful veggies and tortelloni on to kebabs for children. The same ingredients transform into an elegant, zingy pasta salad you can take to work for a few days.

◆ Another idea: getting kids to eat their vegetables can be near impossible. But everyone loves a nugget. Our baked falafel nuggets are packed with flavour and veggies. For more adventurous eaters, let them in on the secret that the nuggets are amazing on top of a main-course salad with a makeshift hummus-based dressing.

Of course, all the concepts actually work for everyone. Who says adults don’t want pasta kebabs and dipping nuggets, too? Mix and match these ideas to fit all the eaters.

Each recipe works in an insulated lunch bag with no refrigeration needed, and there are options for quick assembly or make ahead and freeze.

Use the recipes on this page to break up the monotony of the brown bag boredom. | The Washington Post