Madelyn Trosclair rolls up a turkey wrap, one of her favorite take-along lunches.

School bells are ringing, signaling the start of a hectic year as parents juggle their own work schedule between getting their children off to school. With that often comes the dreaded task of preparing take-along lunches.

In the rush, it is easy to fall into the food rut, preparing the same boring lunches. But with a little inspiration and prior planning, livening up a child or adult’s lunch box can be effortless. Ban the reliable peanut butter and jelly sandwich and get creative.

Experiment with different tortilla wraps. With a variety of tortilla wraps available ranging from corn or flour to whole wheat, sundried tomato, spinach or jalapeno, any wrap can be turned into an extra ordinary lunch that is appealing to both adults and children. Daub guacamole or salsa over the tortilla or spice up the wrap with a zesty spreadable cheese or ranch dressing. Add your favorite sandwich sides and wrap around meat, turkey, or chicken for a healthy and tasty lunch on the go.

To make lunch or snack time fun, children can prepare their own wraps and experiment with their favorite fillings.

For a take-along lunch or an afternoon snack, Sarah Trosclair and her two children, Madelyn, 6, and Elijah, 2, turn to tortilla wraps.

“My children always enjoy wraps. Tortilla wraps are easy to prepare for a take-along lunch for school, work or for play. Wraps are perfect for a picnic or even to bring along in the boat on a fishing trip,” said the Jeanerette woman.

“The best part is it can be made ahead of time. It is easy enough for the children to prepare and they can fill it with their favorite ingredients.”

For a full-of-flavor favorite, make a Mexican Turkey Torta using bolillo rolls or baguettes. Thin turkey slices get topped with a zesty black bean and corn relish, crisp lettuce and guacamole. To help keep all the ingredients inside the roll, hollow it out a bit so the other ingredients don’t fall out.

“Many parents dread the task of making lunches, because either they run out of ideas or their kids are picky eaters, leaving the only option the peanut and butter sandwich,” said Mandy Armentor, area nutrition agent for the Vermilion/Iberia Parish LSU AgCenter Office.

“The goal of lunch time, whether your child eats at school or brings their lunch is to provide nutrition and energy for the afternoon. Repeated studies show that kids, who skip lunch, have trouble concentrating, lack energy for after school activities and then ultimately raid the refrigerator when they get home.”

Portable lunches can satisfy the need for food and relaxation even in a relatively brief 30-minute lunch break, she said

“You can control the nutritional quality of a lunch if you select, prepare and pack foods so they will be safe, flavorful and nutritious,” Armentor said.

With proper planning, bag lunches can be low in sugar, salt, fat and calories. The best take-along lunches should contain some protein, a source of grains, at least one serving of fruit and one vegetable.

“When it is paired with milk or water, you have most of the food groups MyPlate recommends,” she said.

But Armentor cautions, lunches brought from home should pass the test in food safety to avoid food-borne illness or food poisoning.

The LSU AgCenter offers these tips in providing a lunch that is nutritious, appealing to a child and passes the food safety taste.

• Have a plan for the week. Cut up fruits and vegetables are more likely to be eaten if they are readily assessable.

• Make sure lunches have some protein, a source of grains, at least one serving of fruit and vegetables. When it’s paired with milk or water you have most of the food groups MyPlate recommends.

• Make and refrigerate lunches the night before, so everything will be cold before packing in lunch boxes or insulated lunch totes.

• Freeze reusable bottles of water to pack next to the food to be kept cold. Wrap the frozen drink in a towel to absorb “sweating” if there is too much moisture.

• Shop for sturdy containers to avoid squishing sandwiches and other fragile items. Look for containers with snap-in ice packs. Look for small containers to hold small items such as dips, dressings, yogurt and cut up fruit. Try to find colorful dishes to make lunch a little more exciting.

• Choose foods that can be held at room temperature without spoiling, such as: whole grain crackers, baked chip, dried fruit, graham crackers, granola, individual sized peanut butter or nuts (if allowed). Don’t forget to experiment with nut butters, in addition to peanut butter.

• Be on the lookout for thermal containers to keep foods hot on those chilly winter days. Fill the containers with boiling water and let set for a few minutes before emptying and filling with hot foods.

• Be sure to ask the kiddos if their lunch was hot or cold like it should have been. You will know if you are passing the food safety test.

• Remember, just like adults, kids eat with their eyes. So the better you make lunch look with color, shapes and packaging the more likely they will eat it.