Serious Eats - seriouseats.com

Roasted shrimp and orzo salad, with feta cheese and asparagas.

derosa's picnic looks divine.
I'd go for that!

A big bowl of strawberries drizzled with balsamic vinegar

Some of my favorites: chicken wings (fried, soy sauce, etc.), cold sesame noodles, banh mi, saltines+nutella+strawberries, orangina, iced tea, and definitely watermelon.

I love the bread, cheese, sausage, and wine kind of picnic...but I also like to make it a bit lighter and more interesting by bringing fruit (grapes, cut up cantaloupe), salads that can be served chilled/room temp (marinated three-bean salad, tabouleh, couscous salad with pine nuts and roasted vegetables, etc.) and hard-boiled eggs. I love the suggestions about bringing summer rolls and veggie sushi!

could go european with bread, cheese, fruit, and some meat like salami.... or my favorite picnic had indian curry and puris (fried bread).

An air-conditioned stretch limo with driver.

My mom used to pack me hard boiled eggs with a little packet of salt to season it. Also fruits (cling peaches, fruit cocktail, pears, etc) with cottage cheese. She also froze juice boxes so it would be cold, but drinkable at lunch time.

How about you jazz up the sandwich by making them on different breads - like a baguette, ciabatta, pita or making it into a wrap or a burrito?? I do not know how old they are, but maybe they can assemble the sandwich themselves - like pack them a tuna salad, with lettuce and tomato separately and have them build it so the bread does not get soggy. The same with hummus, tomato, grain mustard and sprouts. I also love an eggplant parmesan sandwich or even a hot dog they can assemble themselves.

And these are new... but how about these different treats:
Brown-Rice Krispies Treats
Guava Paste and Cream Cheese
Rosemary Almonds - my niece loves these!!!

Madelyn
KarmaFreeCooking

I used to spread pb on a tortilla, top it with chopped dried fruit, nuts, coconut, etc, roll up, and slice into bite-sized pieces. In the summer mom would pack me strawberries with a little container of powerdered sugar for dipping. My friends liked to try to make me laugh at just the right moment so I would spew powerdered sugar clouds. I also liked salami stacks - a slice of salami, a slather of cream cheese, a slice of salami...until you reach desired height. Cut into wedges. Ham/turkey roll-ups are good (fill a slice of meat with their favorite cheese and/or veggie sticks). Try veggies & dip, cold pastas, chicken salad, egg salad (if their friends don't make fun of the smell), fruit salad, trail mix. Anything leftover from last night that is yummy cold is fair game.

If they are old enough, let the kids help make lunch. Even if it is a lot of the usual stuff, they will be more interested if they invested some time in it.

Bento boxes are a great idea.

Just don't put in love notes. So embarassing...

This thread is making me hungry.

I second the bento. I grew up with them, and let me tell you, a peanut butter and banana sandwich with some cut up fruit or a rice ball is a whole 'nother experience in a bento box. Not to be un-PC, but I think bento boxes work better with girls past a certain age. They tend to revel in the cuteness, where boys pretty much sign-of-the-cross it away, though when they're little-little they both seem to like them.

Lettuce cups and chicken/tuna salad?

Crudite and dips...ranch dressing, hummus, PB?

Pasta salad? Or, pack a tortilla or pita bread, with the lettuce/tomato/condiments separate and let them assemble it.

I was always sent in with leftovers from dinner. And inevitably, they were GARLICKY and POTENT. My mother couldn't understand why I asked her for just a sandwich and not her delicious leftovers, LOL.

Oh, and I think I ate a buttered potato roll for about 3 years straight...and then switched to pepperoni and provolone cheese sammiches.

Peanut-butter filled pretzels, homemade granola bars, mini reeses, and homemade empanadas. Yummm!