Kids will be thrilled to find these delicious midday meals in their lunch box. You can even make them part of the prep process for a meal that is truly kid-tested and -approved.

This sandwich possesses energy beyond that of ordinary lunch favorites thanks to salami, prosciutto, provolone, and an array of fresh tomatoes and roasted red peppers.

A classic sized down for tiny mouths. These are a great treat for a weekday lunch.

This savory "cake" is packed with pasta, meaty tomato sauce, and cheese. A springform pan allows it to hold its shape. It takes only a few minutes to pack the rigatoni into the pan for this dish.

Bursting with hunks of mozzarella cheese and fresh pesto, this meatless meal is a super choice for lunchtime.

Here's a way to make your kids smile and let them know you're thinking of them when they unpack their lunch. Place a smiling piece of fruit accompanied by a silly note in a lunch bag. Use a nontoxic dry-erase marker to make faces that are safe to eat and flavorless.

With the rich spread of cream cheese, your little ones might not even notice this lunch is bursting with fresh vegetables -- powering them through the afternoon.

Mandarin oranges, toasted almonds, and celery enliven chicken salad with bursts of wonderful color and flavor.

Able to squash lunchtime hunger in a flash, this hearty sandwich is stuffed with lean turkey, ham, and swiss cheese.

Baked corn dogs, a new and improved take on a state-fair snack, put fast, fun food at your child's fingertips. Be sure to buy ice-pop sticks if you don't have them on hand.

How can fresh fruit compete with ready-to-eat junk food when your little one sits down at lunch? Make it easy for him to find. Toss together a colorful fruit salad, and spoon into single-serving containers.

Salad made with Golden Delicious apples fills lettuce "bowls" for lunch; serve leftovers as an after-school snack.

A covering of ham gives our crispy oven-baked chicken fingers a tasty twist; serve with apricot-mustard dipping sauce.

A nutritious egg-salad sandwich -- loaded with sweet, crunchy pickles. A sneaky way to give your little one protein midday.

Kids will love these easy burritos. The healthy ingredients are rolled in a flour tortilla and baked until crisp and golden.

When kids make their own tortilla chips, they get to pick the flavor and shape (and you can monitor the ingredients). Brush whole tortillas with melted butter blended with cheese, lemon, and herbs, or cinnamon sugar, then cut with a knife or cookie cutters. Once they're baked, package in snack-size bags.

This vegetarian wrap, made with a flour tortilla, is a salad you can eat with your hands. Pack it for a lunch on the go.

It would be easy to believe that taco salads were invented by kids. They're just as yummy as traditional tacos, but instead of being tucked into tortillas, everything is tossed in a crunchy "bowl" that you can eat. Plus, making them is half the fun -- you need little more than the ability to shred and shake.