When planning school lunches for your children, try to include food from all four food groups in Canada's Food Guide. These include vegetables, fruit, grain products, milk and alternatives, and meat and alternatives.

Provide a variety of items such as carrot sticks, red pepper slices, canned baby corn, an apple or canned fruit packed in its own juices. And consider grains such as whole grain pita bread, bagel, naan, bannock, tortilla, crackers, pasta and brown rice.

Don't forget lower-fat milk, yogurt and cheese as well as tuna, salmon, egg, chicken, lean deli meat, hummus (chickpea spread) and beans.

The following recipes are kid-friendly. They were developed by Alyssa Rolnick, Nadine Day and Deborah Hoffnung, registered dietitians for The Heart and Stroke Foundation.

Chicken and Apple Lettuce Wraps

The Canadian Press

Makes 2 servings

Try different kinds of fillings such as ham and cheese, tuna, turkey and salmon.

* 1 cup (250 mL) diced cooked chicken breast

* 1/2 cup (125 mL) diced red apple

* 1/4 cup (60 mL) diced celery

* 2 tbsp (30 mL) raisins

* 1/4 cup (60 mL) light mayonnaise

* 4 whole Boston lettuce leaves, washed and dried

In a small bowl, mix together filling ingredients. This can be made the night before.

To serve, spoon about 1/2 cup (125 mL) of the filling down the centre of the lettuce leaf and wrap it up.

Approximate nutrition per serving: 259 calories, 11 g fat, 24 g protein, 17 g carbohydrates, 2 g fibre

Turkey Tortilla Wrap

Makes 1 serving

* 1 soft whole-wheat tortilla, 8 inches (20 cm) in diameter

* 2 tsp (10 mL) honey mustard

* 2 leaves dark, leafy lettuce, shredded

* 1/2 sweet red OR yellow pepper, fresh OR roasted, thinly sliced

* 1/4 small ripe avocado, pit and skin removed, thinly sliced

* 1 oz (30 g) shaved turkey

Place tortilla on a work surface and spread with honey mustard, leaving about 1 inch (2.5 cm) clear of the edges.

Arrange ingredients evenly in rows down the centre of the tortilla: lettuce, pepper, avocado, turkey.

Fold outer edges over filling, then roll up tightly from the bottom. Cut in half on the diagonal. Roll it in plastic wrap and refrigerate for the next day.

Approximate nutrition per serving: 322 calories, 14 g fat, 13 g protein, 38 g carbohydrates, 6 g fibre