Crack the lunch box issue

4. Stay calm
If your child is coming home with a full lunch box most days, it's important to stay calm. Quizzing him about what he's eaten is not going to result in any answers, so talk to him about his day at school first.

Remember, it's probably just a phase, so if your child's hungry, have an earlier tea or arrive at the school gate with a filling snack like a banana or wholemeal fruit bun.

Start the day with a good, wholesome breakfast of porridge or cereal and fruit or even a boiled egg on toast. That way you're packing your kid off to school with a full tummy.

5. Get them involved
'If they don't eat anything at school, help them make their own lunch,' suggests Helen Brown. 'You will need to allow more time in the morning, but letting them butter the bread and put in the ham or cheese helps them to feel they own it.'

While you don't want to turn your child's entire life into a star chart, there's nothing like a mini bribe to encourage your child to get healthy. Helen Brown plans with her eldest son what he's going to eat for the week.

'He chooses what he has in his sandwiches every day and is rewarded with a jam sandwich on Friday. We write it down together at the beginning of the week and this way he feels more in control of what he eats. Also, it's one less thing for me to think about early in the morning!'

6. Encourage them to eat fruit
A staggering 80 per cent of kids throw out their healthy lunch box items. If your child never touches his fruit or veg, try including a smoothie. Chopping up fruit into small portions or making mini fruit salads can be a good way to encourage them to tuck in as well.

Be careful with cartons of fruit juice, though, as some contain very high levels of sugar, which is bad for children's teeth. Try diluting the juice with water and putting it into a flask instead.

7. Cool lunch boxes
There's nothing more off-putting to a child than a soggy sandwich and leaking bits of food in the box. Invest in a good Tupperware box and sandwich bags to pack their foods. Get the kids to put stickers on their favourite Tupperware which will encourage them to get involved with their lunch box.

8. Keep it simple
Most kids' lunch boxes revolve around sandwiches. Recipe books might list realms of different lunch menus for kids, that make you feel you should whip up a pasta or couscous salad for a change, but remember, kids are quite happy to eat the same food every day.

'If you find a formula that works for your child then don't sweat about it,' says Helen Brown. 'You can offer variety and fill in the missing bits at home.'

Share your lunch box tips in iVillage Connect's Back to School group