What kids want

The bell rings. Kids unzip lunch bags, pry open plastic containers, tear off pudding and fruit cup lids and rip open bags.

These kids aren't worried about calories, carbohydrates or whole grains. They don't care how long it took their parents to put this lunch together or if it has the vitamins needed to carry them through the afternoon.

It's lunchtime. They're hungry. They want to eat.

In the weeks leading up to a new school year, parents are bombarded with sack lunch suggestions. There's so much advice, they start to feel like neglecting to use a cookie cutter to make Sally's peanut butter sandwich in the shape of a heart is a one-way ticket to therapy.

OK, maybe it's not that bad, but these tips won't always help you because they don't ask the right people.

Face it. If your child won't even look at a cucumber at night, there's no way he'll eat it unsupervised in a sandwich at school - no matter what shape it's in.

So we decided to ignore the adult expert advice and go to the source - the kids.

What's your favorite thing to have in your lunch?

“Croissant sandwiches. I don't get them every day because my mom doesn't always buy croissants, but it's very good.”

- Kaelin Moores, second grade, Penn Elementary School.

“Apples and cucumbers and cheese.”

- Josey Dennis, second grade, Prairie Heights Elementary School.

“My favorite is watermelon.”

- Layton Baber, first grade, Prairie Ridge Elementary School.

“Doritos.”

- Wyatt Vlasek, first grade, Prairie Ridge Elementary School.

“Mine is chocolate pudding cups and a chocolate chip granola bar.”

- Bliss Madere, second grade, Penn Elementary School.

“Vegetables. I love green peppers. I get those every day because we don't have cucumbers.”

- Milana Prelle, second grade, Penn Elementary School.

“Applesauce, crackers. Oh boy - a brownie.”

- Belle Netolicky, first grade, Prairie Heights Elementary School.

“I had a sandwich yesterday and the day after that, pizza.”

- Will Fritz, second grade, Prairie Heights Elementary School.

“I like potato chips. I get them sometimes.”

- Ella Wetjen, second grade, Penn Elementary School.

What would you like to see in your lunch?

“M&M Ice Cream Bars. It's a sometimes treat.”

- Luke Mayer, second grade, Penn Elementary School.

“I'm pretty picky. Homemade pizza would be the best thing ever.”

- Kirk Brotherton, third grade, Penn Elementary School.

“I would like meat, carrots, vegetables and some juice.”

- Claire Schulte, first grade, Prairie Ridge Elementary School.

“And candy.”

“Me, too! I really like candy.”

- Connie Burns, first grade, Prairie Ridge Elementary School.

“I'd like candy.”

- Libby Allen, second grade, Penn Elementary School.

“Ooh! Put two cookies in my lunch.”

- Jordan Johnson, first grade, Prairie Heights Elementary School.

“My favorite is BBQ chips. I'd like to have those.”

- Emersyn Kroymann, first grade, Prairie Ridge Elementary School.

“I would like to get Lunchables. I used to, but now they forget.”

- Logan Pentecost, second grade, Penn Elementary School.

What advice do you have for parents?

“Make things that your kids like.”

- Laiken Geary, second grade, Prairie Heights Elementary School.

“Shop really well. Sometimes I say I'd like turkey and my mom buys it.”

- Madeleine Esno, first grade, Prairie Heights Elementary School.

“I pack my own lunch and so I know I'll like it.”

- Kylie Hamers, second grade, Penn Elementary School.

“I tell them what I want.”

- Maya Carrizales, first grade, Prairie Ridge Elementary School.

“Write me a note. I don't care what it says.”

- Sadie Rebman, second grade, Prairie Heights Elementary School.

Food for thought:

Because we can't resist adding our advice to the mix. After watching kids in the lunchroom and after doing so, we realized it's important for parents to pack food in containers the kids can open themselves, even if it means opening up the peaches snack pack and dumping it in a different container. Lunch is a busy time, and kids may have to wait awhile for an adult to help them open a bag of chips, untwist an apple juice lid or peel back the top of a pudding.

More recipes to make back to school better:

Need some inspiration for your child's sack lunch? Here are a few easy recipes that may help.

• Southwest Chicken and Bacon Rollups

1 cup garden vegetable cream cheese, softened

1 (10-ounce) can chicken breast, drained

1/3 cup crumbled bacon

1/2 cup salsa

6 8-inch flour tortillas (Soft taco size)

Recipe recipe text:In medium bowl, stir together cream cheese, chicken, bacon and salsa; mix gently.

Spread chicken mixture evenly over each tortilla. Roll up; wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate until serving time.

Cut rollups into 1-inch pieces to serve. Serve with additional salsa for dipping, if desired.

Source: Hormel Foods

• Pepperoni Twists

1 (8-ounce) can refrigerated crescent roll dough

1 (3.5-ounce) package pepperoni

1 cup shredded provolone cheese

Heat oven to 350ºF. Coat baking sheet with cooking spray.

Spread dough on cutting board; seal perforations. Top with layer of pepperoni, then all of cheese. Add another layer of pepperoni. Roll up dough tightly.

Cut roll into 1-inch-thick slices; place on baking sheet. Bake 10 minutes or until golden brown.

Source: Hormel Foods