Does a sandwich of grated carrots and raisins with Miracle Whip spread sound tasty to you?

How about leftover cold spaghetti sandwiched between two slices of buttered Wonder Bread? Tempting?

The sandwiches described are a bit outdated. But both showed up in my school lunchbox more than once when I was a kid.

Kids these days, even if they’re not picky eaters, prefer something a little more creative or, dare we say, tastier.

When my sister and I started school, lunchbox sandwiches were pretty simple. Mom usually slapped bologna or cheese or both between two slices of buttered (it was always buttered) white bread with some lettuce and sandwich spread.

We were a Miracle Whip family. It was cheaper than mayo and a little sweeter, so that was the spread Mom used to hold everything together.

Along with the sandwich, she would usually tuck in one or more of the following: a pickle, apple, carrot, stalk of celery, hard-boiled egg, and/or a cookie.

And to be accurate, I carried it all in a brown paper bag. Mom didn’t spring for metal lunchboxes until I was in fifth grade, at which time she began including some of her home-canned peaches or cherries in small Tupperware containers.

Once in a while, she would switch things up with sandwiches made from meatloaf and ketchup (gotta love those leftovers), Spam or every mom’s go-to, PB&J.

My all-time favorite was the sloppy Joe sandwiches Mom made for supper now and then — consisting of ground beef, onions, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce and other seasonings, served between two slices of buttered white bread. I can still remember the juices dripping down my chin.

But that was too messy, she insisted, to pack for a school lunch. Besides, nobody wanted to eat a cold sloppy Joe.

When we moved out west in the early ’50s, the schools we attended had cafeterias and we stopped taking lunches from home. But on Thursdays, when they always served a glop of mashed potatoes smothered with transparent hamburger gravy, I wished I had one of Mom’s bologna sandwiches instead.

The contents of school lunchboxes have changed a lot over the years. Parents have become more imaginative and health-conscious, even posting their most inspired creations online.

But if you’ve been a bit lackadaisical lately (no judgment here; life gets in the way), resulting in less-than-inspired efforts, we offer some ideas on how to raise your game with tasty sandwiches or wraps for back to school or back to work.

Key are variety, texture, color, crunch and taste. Use quality ingredients, softer deli meats, tweaked sauces and spreads.

Consider interesting cheese options; add a little sweetness; try different breads. Incorporate diced fruits, a variety of veggies and crunchy chopped nuts. Even putting a new spin on an old favorite works.

The peanut butter and jelly sandwich is a school lunchbox classic. No doubt to keep it from getting boring, you may have added sliced bananas.

To really raise your game, make them with toasted waffles, instead of bread, and get creative with added ingredients. Your lunchbox Yelp reviews will go through the roof.

Now go forth and create some nifty sandwiches and wraps for your kids’ lunchboxes. And while you’re at it, make one for yourself.

1 (5-ounce) can of water-packed tuna

2 tablespoons mayonnaise or plain yogurt

Half a celery stalk, diced small

1 tablespoon minced onion, shallot or scallion

1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

Drain the tuna by pressing removed lid into tuna over a sink. Mix tuna with the mayo or yogurt with a fork until well-blended, breaking up larger chunks. Adjust mayo or yogurt to preferred consistency.

Add the remaining ingredients, stirring to combine. Make 2 sandwiches, using slices of your favorite whole-wheat or rustic bread.

2 tablespoons orange segments, roughly chopped

1 tablespoon raisins or dried cranberries

A few lettuce leaves or handful of baby spinach

2 large, thin slices deli ham or turkey

6 thin, inch-wide slices muenster or other soft cheese

2 tablespoons chopped pecans or walnuts

Mix the fruits in a bowl and set aside.

Spread each of the tortillas with 2 tablespoons of the yogurt, nearly edge to edge. Add the lettuce or baby spinach, then the deli meat and cheese. Top each with half of fruit mixture and the nuts, leaving about an inch border all around.

Fold about a half inch lip on 1 side to form a bottom for wrap, then roll tightly 90 degrees to bottom fold and press to secure, seam at the bottom.

Prepare the night before, wrap in parchment paper or plastic wrap and refrigerate until morning. For a veggie version, substitute avocado or beans for deli meat.

1 fresh peach, cut in quarter-inch slices

2 ciabatta buns or crusty rolls

Bibb or butter lettuce, for garnish

Thin-sliced cheddar cheese, as needed

Thick slices leftover ham, as needed

Whole-grain or Dijon mustard, as needed

In a small bowl, whisk the rice vinegar, olive oil and salt. Add the peach slices and toss to coat. Let sit for 10 minutes, then drain in a colander.

Scoop out some of the bread from inside bottom half of each bun to make room for peaches and keep them from slipping out. Spread some of the mayo on bottom half and lay some peach slices into scooped-out area.

Top with the lettuce, a couple of layers of thin-cut cheddar and thick slices of ham. Spread some of the whole-grain or yellow mustard on top halves of buns and close sandwiches. For less bread, use a dinner roll or soft rye.

You can pack a grilled cheese sandwich for a school or work lunch. Sure, it’s great right out of the pan. And in a lunchbox, it may not be warm, but the cheese is still melted, and the bread is still buttery and salty.

Make your favorite grilled cheese and let it cool completely. Cut it into sticks and pack them in a dry thermos. Take along some hot tomato soup in another thermos for dipping your grilled cheese fingers. Yum.

Crisp up 2 frozen waffles in the toaster and let them cool.

Use 2 toasted waffles to make 1 sandwich. Spread 2 tablespoons peanut butter, more or less, on 1 toasted and cooled waffle; spread your favorite jam on other waffle. Press them together and voila! — a PB&J worth raving about.

But wait, there’s more! You can take it to a new level with some ingredients you may not have thought of adding.

Before you close the sandwich, add a layer of fresh fruit such as sliced strawberries, pomegranate seeds or blueberries.

Or sprinkle in some chocolate chips, chopped toasted pecans or toasted marshmallows.

Reach writer Jim Flint at jimflint.ashland@yahoo.com.