One of the challenges you're going to be faced with as your little one heads off to school is continuing to ensure he or she eats a healthy diet. A lot of children are quite picky, and even if the preschool serves up perfectly healthy, tasty lunches, your child might feel more comfortable and be more apt to eat foods from home. If you've decided packing a lunch is best for your little one, here are three fun and exciting lunch ideas to try.

Red, White and Blue Finger Foods

If your child has started learning about the American flag and the colors red, white and blue, this lunch is a fun one to send along. All of the foods are one-bite, finger food options, so your preschooler will have an easy time eating them. Here's what to include:

• A little container of sliced strawberries (red)
• A little container of blueberries (blue)
• A container of round, white crackers (white)
• A container of cut-up white cheese cubes (white)

You can also include a juice box filled with your child's favorite red juice, such as cranberry or raspberry.

Shaped Cracker Stackers

For kids that love assembling their own food, these cracker stackers cannot be beat. Your child can take the included ingredients and combine them in various ways to make lot of little cracker sandwiches. All you need to make the shapes is a couple of little cookie cutters. Here's what you need to include in the lunch box:

• Crackers in two different shapes (Round and square are the easiest choices, but ovals are fun if you can find them.)
• Lunch meat (turkey, ham, bologna, or your child's favorite) cut out into a shape like a star or heart using your cookie cutters
• Cheese, cut into a different shape than the lunch meat
• Carrots, cut into thin strips (Your child probably won't add these to the cracker sandwiches, but they are a fun veggie to balance the meal.)

Peanut Butter and Jelly Shapes

Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches don't have to be bored. Toss some of these shapes in a lunch box with a side of fruit or cut-up veggies, and you're set. All you need to do is assemble a regular PBJ sandwich (or two) and then cut shapes out from it using cookie cutters. Avoid the crust. You can eat the scraps and crust for breakfast, and send the shapes to school with your child. Contact a preschool first, like Sammamish Montessori School, to make sure there are no allergy restrictions on certain food items.