Local chefs share school lunch tips

School is back in session in the Capital Region. For school-age children, lunchtime is for convening in cafeterias or classrooms and sharing snacks. What are they bringing, then, if their parent is a chef or works in a restaurant? Are they toting lunch boxes complete with three course meals, or more like PB&J? We spoke with several food professionals in the region to see what they are packing in their kids' lunch boxes.

Aneesa Waheed, chef/owner Tara Kitchen

Kids: Zoya Shoaib, 8; Suha Shoaib, 7

What she's cooking: Waheed says that school lunches run the gamut but lately she has been making bento box-style lunches for her girls that an assortment of meals, including sandwiches, and a snack item, ranging from fruit gummies to cheese sticks or chips.

The family eats a lot of traditional Indian and Moroccan food at home, so there are some items from the typical American lunch box that her children don't want (Waheed says they've never had a PB&J sandwich). It can also be a challenge for Waheed to easily pack some of those traditional meals to tote off to school, so many lunches are a mix of both. "Some days they might take a thermos full of lamb tagine with some pita bread or a chicken and rice dish," says Waheed. "On other days it might be a grilled cheese sandwich."

Taylor Glindmyer, chef de cuisine, New World Bistro Bar

Kids: Caeden, 5

What he's cooking: Glindmyer keeps lunched pretty simple and convenient to eat since the lunch period at school is only 30 minutes. "I'll usually pack him with a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, a snack such as Goldfish crackers, and fruit." He makes sure to pack a little note with his lunch to read as well.

While his son loves fruits and vegetables, lunch is a good time to focus on sneaking proteins into his diet, since...