We asked Chef Ann Cooper, the self-styled “Renegade Lunch Lady’ and lunch program consultant, for her best ideas to keep sandwiches tasty and nutritious:

1. Try almond or cashew butter (instead of peanut butter) with honey or jam on whole grain bread.
2. Combine grilled vegetables with a mild goat cheese on toasted whole grain bread.
3. Fill a pita with crunchy lettuce and other fresh vegetables and bring a small container of salad dressing to drizzle on before eating.
4. Make a fruit sandwich layering pieces of ripe fruit between slices of banana bread spread with cream cheese.
5. Layer leftover chicken, grated carrots, and a crunchy lettuce like romaine into a whole-wheat tortilla and roll into a wrap.
6. Wrap turkey or chicken in leaves of Bibb lettuce (pin with toothpicks to hold together) and pack a container of plain yogurt flavored with lemon and fresh herbs for dipping.

Find out what else Chef Ann Cooper has to say about improving school lunches for children.