Back-to-school lunches don’t have to be complicated to be fun, colourful, and nutritious. For my daughter Mila’s lunchbox, I put together a playful little lunch featuring homemade broccoli balls, apple sticks with a peanut butter dip, and yellow kiwi cut into heart shapes. I even made the peanut butter dip into a little “scary” character by adding two googly eyes — because sometimes making food fun is the easiest way to get little ones excited about eating it.

The star of this lunchbox is definitely the broccoli balls. They’re soft on the inside, lightly golden on the outside, and made with simple ingredients you probably already have at home. They’re also a great way to sneak some vegetables into your child’s lunch without making it feel like they’re being served a plate of vegetables.

• 1 large Irish potato