Joanna Goddard from Cup of Jo's Lunchtime Tricks

If you like reading what Amanda feeds her kids, you'll love taking a look into what other people—both in the food world and the world at large—prepare for their own children (and occasionally their signifcant others and maybe even their pets). Prepare to be either resentful or appreciative of your own parents.

Today's lunch was made for Toby by his mom Joanna Goddard, who you know from her wildy popular blog, Cup of Jo.

My four-year-old son Toby takes a lunch to school every day, and although I'm a terrible cook, I actually enjoy packing them. There's something so satisfying about filling the sections of a LunchBots container: It's quick, easy and always looks weirdly good.

I generally try to put in a protein (sausage, rotisserie chicken, hard-boiled egg); a grain (pasta, rice, crackers); something green (broccoli, zucchini fries, seaweed, avocado); and fruit (half a banana, apple, berries, orange slices). Sometimes I'll add a surprise treat—even one friendly gummy bear has proven to be a huge hit.

Three random tips:

• We cut zucchini into French fry shapes and call them "zucchini fries." It makes all the difference.
• My kids go ape for Trader Joe's seaweed. It has a fun crackly texture and is chock full of vitamins and minerals.
• If we're trying out something new, I'll tell Toby it's a special recipe, even if it's a stretch (like, "Grandma's Special Broccoli" or "Cheesy Quesadillas Just Like We Had at that Taco Place in San Francisco!!!") to get him more excited about eating it. For us, thankfully, it has worked like a charm.

What do your kids like? I'd love to hear what has worked well.

Photo by Yossy Arefi