Are your children tired of the same old PB and J sandwiches for lunch? Are you looking for ways to liven up your child’s lunch box? Don’t be afraid to try different things or introduce new foods into your child’s diet. Kids enjoy crazy combinations just like the rest of us and to them, oftentimes, the stranger, the better.

Try these ideas and include them in your child’s lunchbox. Soon, your child will be saying goodbye to regular old PB and J, and hello to hot dog soup. Seriously. He/she will love it.

Why not try a healthy sandwich like mozzarella and tomato on sourdough bread? Or try a cucumber sandwich with a flavored cream cheese such as chive?

Meatballs are a staple in any kid’s diet. Turkey meatball pitas are a great twist on your every day meatball sandwich. Instead of beef, use ground turkey, which is 99 percent fat free. Instead of marinara sauce, use a yogurt sauce mixed with chopped cucumbers and dill. By switching the usual sub roll for pita, it’s more nutritious and something different.

Try sending your child to school with a kicked up ham and cheese sandwich in his or her lunchbox. Instead of using American cheese, use a sharper, more interesting cheese like Gruyere or Jarlsberg. Instead of ham use prosciutto or Serrano ham. For a condiment, try using honey mustard. For bread, switch to soft-wheat or oatmeal bread.

Turkey sandwiches are healthy and a great item for the lunchbox. If you are sick of sending your child to school with the same old turkey sandwich, why not switch up the ingredients? Instead of iceberg lettuce, use spinach or red romaine. Instead of plain mayo, use a mayo mixed with lemon zest or garlic. Don’t forget to include slices of tomato. And make it fun by turning it into a wrap.

Looking for a healthy soup that’s not chicken noodle? Why not add pieces of hot dogs and bacon to jazz up the usual creamy tomato soup? What kid wouldn’t love that?

Instead of peanut butter and jelly, why not create a Nutella and strawberry sandwich? If you haven’t had Nutella before, you’ll want to run out to the grocery store and pick some up. It’s your kicked up answer to the standard peanut butter. Made with skim milk, hazelnuts and chocolate, this spread is healthy and sure to make any child happy. Even adults will enjoy this one.