It's back to school for my lot next week and I wont lie, I'm really looking forward to it!

Whether your celebrating or commiserating the return of school runs, homework, muddy winter sports and the never ending after school clubs, french brand Brioche Pasquier (makers of yummy Pitch brioche rolls) have asked me to put together 3 typical lunchboxes that I make for my children and pass on some of my top tips and hacks to make your life a little easier during term time.

You wont be surprised to learn that, like most parents, I've made plenty of lunchbox related mistakes over the last 10 years. Cold pizza definitely doesn't cut the mustard in this house (I'd run out of bread), nor does vegetable sushi (I REALLY wanted them to like it, but sadly it wasn't to be). I think I've now just about got it sussed though.

The first golden rule is that I keep my lunchboxes very simple. Working full time, running a house, this blog and looking after 3 kids means I just don't have hours to spend creating intricate artwork on boiled eggs 😁. It would be wasted on my children anyway.

The lunchbox shown at the top is one I usually pack for my middle child who isn't too keen on sandwiches. In it we've got...

•  breadsticks, carrot sticks and a pot of hummus (I sometimes make a yogurt and herb dip too)
•  cheese sticks and cherry tomatoes
•  a pot of melon and grapes (I slice the grapes for my youngest)
•  a Pitch chocolate filled brioche roll (I have to hide these as otherwise they mysteriously disappear before they even get near a lunchbox - I think the main culprit is my husband).

The lunchbox in the picture below is a typical Friday treat day one! My children's school allow treats on a Friday so I usually make some rocky road or mars bar slices to pop in, along with their usual items. You can just see a slice of their favourite white chocolate, ginger and cranberry (you've got to get the fruit in wherever you can) rocky road peeking out at the top. I've also cut the sandwiches into flower shapes with a biscuit cutter to make it a bit more fun (and that's definitely as artistic as it gets in my house). In this one we've got...

• flower shaped ham and cream cheese sandwiches with cheese sticks
• a pot of grapes and blueberries (sliced for my youngest)
• white chocolate and ginger rocky road
• Pitch chocolate brioche roll

The third lunchbox below contains a pot of couscous salad (they like tuna pasta salad too), which keeps their tummies nice and full until dinner time. I try and give them a carb heavy salad like this on a Monday when they've got swimming lessons straight after school. Swimming is a hungry business. In this one we've also got...

• a pot of greek yogurt, which on sunny hot days I freeze the night before and pop it in the lunchbox to keep things cool
• strawberries and blueberries (sliced for the small one)
• cherry tomatoes (again, sliced for the small one)
• A Pitch chocolate filled brioche roll

TOP TIPS FOR KIDS SCHOOL LUNCHBOXES

• Get ahead by preparing a few days worth of carrot and cucumber sticks, cheese sticks, sliced grapes and strawberries and anything else that will keep OK in a sealed container in the fridge (pasta salad, couscous etc). I do this on a Sunday and Wednesday evening which saves time on the other days. All I need to do is reach into the fridge in the mornings and pull out what I need.
• My eldest two take an apple for their break time snack...but they will only eat sliced apples (I blame my mother). So, I have to slice them, reconstruct them and wrap a rubber band around the apple to prevent it from going brown. It seems to work OK unless it's very very hot weather.
• Freeze small water bottles and use as ice packs in the summer. They will be defrosted by lunchtime but keep the whole lunchbox cool all morning.
• Have a loaf of bread and a pack of tortilla wraps in the freezer at all times for any bread related emergencies (I've learnt the hard way). 
• Use shaped cutters to stamp sandwiches into interesting shapes and make things fun. It's a good way of introducing new sandwich fillings to them too. For example salmon and cucumber were cut into fish shapes, cheese and pickle cut into moon shapes. I've also got a jigsaw shape cutter which my 2 year old likes.

SOME LUNCHBOX RECIPES YOU MIGHT LIKE

Pin the back to school lunchbox ideas and tips for later...

Disclosure: Brioche Pasquier sent me samples and a grocery voucher for this post. All thoughts are my own.