And as the summer comes to a close, and school approaches we parents experience that wave of mixed emotions that accompanies this moment in time. I probably don’t have to list all of the pros and cons for you.  You could probably list them right back at me.  And other than a few extremely special parents, packing a daily lunch is not one of the pro emotions that September engenders.

In general, we are told we should be eating a rainbow of foods, meaning that if your selection of foods includes items of all hues, you are probably doing pretty well in terms of eating a balanced diet. This is a very good rule of thumb. It also means that your meals will looks more exciting.

But not today! Today’s lunch is all green!

Pasta with pesto (either store bought or try this Mint Basil Pesto), edamame, steamed broccoli, celery, kiwi, and grapes.

And this can become a weekly thing – pick a color with your kid, and go after healthy foods, all in the same color family.  I’ve also tried yellow and orange, to critical acclaim.

This also makes supermarket shopping a jolly challenge, though you have to make it clear that find blue gummy candies is not in the spirit of things. Stick to the perimeter of the supermarket for the most part: that where you’ll find the produce section, dairy section, meats, and other perishable (and thus, for the most part, healthier) foods, though don’t forget to stop in the frozen section for some edamame.

Which is not to say that you can’t choose to supplement a healthy orange lunch with a small bag of cheese doodles, for instance. You’re the parent, you’ll decide.