I am back with more lunchbox ideas to make colorful, original, nutritious lunchboxes while trying to be as efficient with your time as possible. School lunchbox making can be tedious, these ideas and tips will make your life easier and your kids lunchboxes healthier.

This lunchbox includes:

1. An apple sandwich with dark chocolate almond butter. “An apple a day keeps the doctor away”, as the old saying goes. Apples are packed with disease-preventing antioxidants and help regulate blood sugar. Almond butter is a protein rich alternative to peanut butter and with a hint of dark chocolate flavor, you can skip the jelly and save your kids a few grams of sugar.

2. Roasted sweet potatoes are high in fiber, heart healthy and rich in beta-carotene, which is an excellent nutrient for eye health.

Efficiency tip #1 – Cook once and eat twice. I use leftover sweet potatoes from the previous night’s dinner. When you are making dinner at night, cook extra for next day lunchboxes.

3. Edamame is a powerhouse legume. A half cup serving has 9 grams of fiber and 11 grams of protein!

4. Pistachios are “nutrition in a nutshell”. A serving size of pistachios is 49 – far more than any other nut!

5. Freeze dried strawberries, blueberries and bananas are a sweet and crispy snack that can take the place of snack foods like chips and cookies. Freeze dried fruits have no added sugar and are a great way to squeeze an extra serving a fruit into your child’s day.

Check out the featured PlanetBox Lunchbox here – kids love them!