Customer Reviews

Better Than Peanut Butter & Jelly: Quick Vegetarian Meals Your Kids Will Love! Revised Edition

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

As an adult I have been delivered from the Midwestern home of my childhood (meat and potatoes, cream of mushroom soup casseroles, ice cream every night before bed) to the beautiful land of Oregon where outdoor markets and co-op shopping are plentiful. Over the past ten years I have been exploring vegetarian options and a healthier lifestyle but it can be difficult to get beyond some of the complex recipes, expensive ingredients or bizarre taste combinations that seem to frequent vegetarian cookbooks and co-op shelves.

This wonderful book is geared to suit children, who can be notoriously picky eaters, but it also works well on an adult level. It is a great introduction to quick, simple vegetarian meals that introduce a few basic items without overwhelming the taste buds or the wallet. For both adults and children it is possible to move into a healthier lifestyle gradually, one recipe at a time, one meal per week...when we can sit down as a family and each find something new that we like on our plates then I think we become much more open to making healthy choices habitual.

The book also includes some great recipes for slumber parties, Halloween parties and many ideas for re-vamping typical kid foods (hot dogs, macaroni and cheese, brownies) into healthier options....

I wish I'd found this book years ago not for my kids, but for me. The meals are easy to prepare, and I LOVE the section on packable stuff. Also, the recipes are visibly labeled: vegan, vegetarian, vegan option. Helpful for me since I don't do dairy.

Many, many thanks to the authors for putting together a clear, concise "idea book" of quick meals that can be put together with normal vegetarian staples rather than exotic ingredients.

I bought this book in an attempt to find meal ideas for both my husband and I who are vegetarians, and my 6 year old and eight year old who are more omnivorous. As a registered dietitian, I look for recipes that are lower in fat and include a wide range of grains, fruits and vegetables. Some of the recipes in this book worked very well - we all loved the Brown Rice Fruit Salad, and the recipe for Cartwheel carrots was a hit. Recipes are "kid-tested", but my kids still can't be convinced to love okra, eggplant or spinach casserole. I have managed to sneak tofu into their diet in recipes like Tofu Spuds. This book was a worthwhile buy, if only for the fact that my kids found enough recipes they liked to plan the family menu for a week, even though some meals were supplemented with chicken fingers or fish sticks.

This book is EXACTLY what I was looking for when I was searching for yummy veggie dishes that my kids would eat.
All the recipes are easy, simple, and so far, yummy! Just ask my kids, who are 2 and 4. Picky eaters who love the recipes I have made from this book so far. ESPECIALLY the grilled cheese and apple recipe (my favorite too, ;))
Absolutely worth the money!

I've been a vegetarian for a long time and am sort of tired of the "same old stuff." Even though my kids are grown and gone, I bought this book because it promised simple dishes kids would like. I readily admit I am an uninspired cook and the state of my pantry usually rivals Mother Hubbard's. But this book, as promised, did contain many new and easy ideas and combinations that are quick to prepare from common ingredients. Many of the recipes use meat substitutes, which in my mind is "cheating." The way I see it, vegetarianism is a meatless way of eating, not making traditionally meat-based dishes with substitutes. Except for that personal little quirk, I'd rate it 5 stars. I appreciate the variety this book will introduce to my diet. I also really appreciate the "do it because it's healthful" slant of the book, rather than the usual "do it because if you don't you're a bad person" focus of so many other vegetarian cookbooks.

Typical vegetarian fare. I was looking for easy, simple recipes for my 5-year-old, who refuses to eat meat, yet prefers chips and ice cream to healthy foods. The recipes in this book include bean sprouts and other not-so-kid-friendly ingredients. They just don't impress my son. I much prefer "Feeding the Healthy Vegetarian Family" by Ken Haedrich.

A lot of other veggie cookbooks have meals that while delicious, include unusual ingredients, and lack the foods you grew up on. This book has great recipes that compare to things you loved when you were a kid and include ingredients already in your kitchen. My little one really enjoys the stuff I have made from this book and as a working mom I appreciate the quick easy recipes.

this is a great book. my daughter is 2 and she has enjoyed the recipes that i've tried so far. there aren't any pictures though, so if your a visual person this may not be for you. but overall the book was great.

I'm glad I purchased this book as the recipes are healthy but a competent cook will be wise to jazz them up. I've made a few things so far but can't say I'm thrilled with any of the outcomes. I was really annoyed when the caption said something about it being worth the extra work and it came out so bland even with my attempts to add flavor! I'm a little gunshy now to try more recipes from the book as the ingredients are expensive and I don't want to choke down another family serving over a weeks time as my husband so far has not been impressed! Bottom line: healthy but bland.

I bought this cookbook three months ago for my husband and myself, and all the recipes I've tried have been good. To my surprise, my stepdaughter, who otherwise likes to live on a diet of ramen noodles, McDonalds hamburgers, and pickles, will eat the reasonably healthy things I bake from this cookbook. It's nice to be able to say, "I baked cookies. Please, have as many as you want," without feeling like I'm being an irresponsible grownup. Haha! Little does she know they are made with things like wheat germ.

-Just-a-Guy's wife