Whether you are a working mom or a stay at home one, one thing that you probably fret about every now and then is what you are going to pack for your kids’ school lunches the next day. Your kids won’t like sandwiches every day, even if you try and experiment with the fillings as much as you can. To help you innovate in the kitchen and keep your kids healthy and happy, we have listed the top ten lunch ideas you can start using right from today!

• You can make a banana dog in a bun. Take a hot dog bun and slice in half. Spread cream cheese or peanut butter on one half and honey on the other. Put a peeled banana inside, and add brown sugar, raisins, or chopped almonds as a topping. Filling and wholesome.
• Try a veggie wrap if you are a family of vegetarians. Spread cream cheese on a tortilla roll and put in a filling of vegetables steamed and stir fried in olive oil, with salt to taste. Wrap the tortilla into a roll and throw in a lunch bag. Don’t forget to seal.
• You can do a variation of the veggie wrap with chicken. Boil and de-bone the chicken and saute with chopped onions, a little garlic, cubes of tomato, salt and pepper. Before wrapping up the tortilla, add a little mustard. Instead of the cream cheese, use mayonnaise.
• Macaroni steamed and light fried with a dollop of butter with a little salt and pepper is a great filler. Top it off with grated cheese.
• Make meatballs the night before, and serve on a bed of rice. Add some lettuce and steamed vegetables and on the side, have an optional sauce. It works best if the sauce is hot and sour.
• Boiled and chopped eggs make for great sandwich fillings. Add tomato ketchup, a dash of butter, pepper, salt and little rings of onions and chopped parsley. Layer between two slices of brown bread for a tasty, easy delicacy.
• However much your kids may hate it, one day of the week, have them stick to fresh fruit. You can also pack them canned fruit in natural juices. But fruit in syrup is a no-no.
• It might take a while to cook, but pork or chicken dumplings are a very healthful option. Cook the meat lightly and spice them with a light sauce. Wrap in a sheet of dough and steam until cooked.
• Throw in fruit muffins and chocolate chip cookies made at home rather than ones you bought. They will be lower on calories but the children will love it. Apple cake and yogurt are good for kids with a sweet tooth.
• One day of the week, give your kids enough money to buy lunch. Do not try to monitor what they will be buying. They need this bit of independence, but do encourage them to stick to light and healthful options rather than deep fried, heavy foods.

But who wants the same old toast and fried eggs and ham for breakfast day after day? Of course you want to try new recipes. But then, they can’t take too much time. Whatever you make should be easy on the digestive system, yet high energy and filling. Here’s a list of top ten breakfast foods that are easy to cook and tasty too.

1. Give the regular omelets a miss and cook frittatas for your family. All you have to do is beat eggs together with milk or cream, and ad a filling of your choice. It could be anything from shredded chicken to slices of ham or cooked potato. Vegetarians can add tomato and a little baby corn. Cook on the stove and serve hot.
2. Pancakes make for great breakfasts once in a while. Mix flour and baking powder together with sugar and eggs and beat till fluffy. Fry on the griddle till lightly browned. Have with syrup or honey or fruit.
3. Add eggs, milk and butter to a mixture of flour and baking soda. Bake on a waffle iron and add slices of ham on top. Serve with scrambled eggs.
4. Dip slices of bread in eggs beaten with a little milk. Add cubes of tomato, onions and green chilies if you like. Fry on a low fire.
5. Carefully mix peanut butter and boiling water and smear over toast. fry in butter and serve with honey or jelly.
6. Use leftovers from the night before. Mix cornmeal mush and nuts and let cool on a wet bread pan. Slice and broil on a lightly oiled griddle. Serve with jam. This goes with anything remotely sweet.
7. Some days, just have plain cereal with a helping of fresh fruit and cream.
8. Try an Indian breakfast one day. Make dough of flour and a cup of water and knead well. Troll out into discs with a rolling pin. Deep fry in oil. Serve with a spicy potato curry. Alternatively, you can have idlis, dhokla or stuffed parathas. A Chinese breakfast with dumplings and noodles and steamed vegetables make for a welcome change.
9. Have muffins for a late Sunday breakfast. Try different flavors including sweet potato, coffee, honey, raisins, fruit and nuts.
10. On special days, make a breakfast tray for your mother, spouse or partner. Make French toast or pancakes. You could have ham and eggs after the English fashion. To go totally overboard, have fried sausages with ketchup. On Valentines’ day, you can do the strawberries and cream routine at breakfast rather than at midnight.

To save money on food, the first thing you should try and avoid is shopping for groceries and ingredients at the supermarket. Try visiting your local vegetable vendor and grocer instead. You can get your meats from the local butcher. Yes, you have to do some dressing and curing then, but just think of how much you can save. Local store prices are often significantly lower than their counterparts in supermarkets. By buying from your local market you will also be making a positive contribution to the local micro economy.

If you have to shop at the supermarket, make a list of exactly what you need. Don’t overbuy. For instance, if you need three cartons of milk to last you a week, don’t buy four, even if you get the fifth for free. You may think you got a great deal, but four cartons will cost you more than three, and you don’t even need the fifth one that comes for free. Similarly, buy fruits and vegetables by number rather than by weight. The same goes for eggs. Buy a dozen and use them all up in a week. Only then should you go back and get the next dozen. Never be tempted by offers on food. Only the buy one get one free offers make some sense. But don’t fall for these if you don’t need the food.

Packaged foods are fairly more expensive than home cooked food. They are not good for your body if you continue to consume them over an extended period of time (they are much higher on calories than what you rustle up at home). You can make the same things at home with a little guidance from a cook book. Trust us; they will turn out more delectable if you put your mind to it.

Stick to food that is easy to cook. For your kids’ lunches, make sandwiches with different fillings. Cook in large amounts and freeze what you won’t need or the next meal. You can thaw them in the microwave for subsequent meals. To save energy, eat raw salads with a light dressing and gorge on fruit. Cooking in the microwave is more eco friendly than cooking on a stove.

Eat out as less frequently as possible. You could set aside a couple of days a month for dining out if you can’t live without it. That comes as a huge money saver, and helps you stay healthy too.