Students at a Chicago high school blame the district's contractor for serving meals they say are worse than prison food. And they're getting results.

Under the healthier meal standards, more children are choosing and eating fruit and consuming more of their entrees and vegetables, increasing their nutrient intake and decreasing food waste. Parents and students alike support the healthier meals.

As former educators, we share the goal of all school leaders to set students up for success. As moms, we recognize that to get kids to eat healthier foods, food needs to be delicious and kids need to help generate new menu ideas, develop and test recipes, and even name the foods they create.

Lunch is the most important meal of the day to keep our kids full and focused until that final bell rings. Don't make the afternoon harder on them! Pack a nutritious lunch and they'll be well on their way to a productive day.

The new school year has begun and even if you prepared for weeks, the daily routine can get hectic very quickly. In the midst of all the tasks, sometimes lunches are the first thing to fall to the wayside. But with a little preparation and a few solid lunch ideas, you don't have to give up on sending your kids to school with healthy lunches every day.