Vegan Lunch Box: 130 Amazing, Animal-Free Lunches Kids and Grown-Ups Will Love! [Paperback]

Jennifer McCann (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 5, 2008

If you think vegan lunchtime means peanut butter and jelly day after day, think again! Based on the wildly popular blog of the same name, Vegan Lunch Box offers an amazing array of meat-free, egg-free, and dairy-free meals and snacks. All the recipes are organized into menus to help parents pack quick, nutritious, and irresistible vegan lunches. Ideal for everyday and special occasions, Vegan Lunch Box features tips for feeding even the most finicky kids. It includes handy allergen-free indexes identifying wheat-free, gluten-free, soy-free, and nut-free recipes, and product recommendations that make shopping a breeze.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Library Journal Xpress Review, 6/23/08
“McCann's recipes are easy to follow.”

 

New York Daily, food editor’s blog

“A fun new collection of vegan recipes that I will be turning to regularly this fall.”

 

Boston Metro, 08/13/08

“The recipes are fun to make as a family and good enough for Mom and Dad to enjoy as well.”

 

Associated Press, August 2008

“McCann's book is great for children willing to try new foods, but who might be stuck in alunchbox rut. As the title implies, the recipes are all vegan, but they still offer plenty of appeal.”

 

Mothering, 2/09

“Chock full of uncomplicated recipes for clever noontime fare.”

 

Colorado Springs Gazette, 9/1/11

“Even if you’re not vegan, I would give this cookbook a look. It can be an inspiration.”

About the Author

Jennifer McCann is the creator of the award-winning Vegan Lunch Box blog. She lives in Kennewick, Washington.

Product Details

• Paperback: 280 pages
• Publisher: Da Capo Press (August 5, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1600940722
• ISBN-13: 978-1600940729
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.9 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (50 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #61,368 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

56 of 58 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars The book is not like the blog..., November 19, 2008

By 

Christine Johnson (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Vegan Lunch Box: 130 Amazing, Animal-Free Lunches Kids and Grown-Ups Will Love! (Paperback)

I just received my copy of Vegan Lunch Box after much anticipation. I was a fan of the blog that inspired the book and for some reason expected the format of the book to be similar, which is what appealed to me. Unfortunately, the entire book is laid out in a new way.

First of all, there are virtually no pictures (save for a special insert in the middle of the book), and none to accompany the recipes. There are very few set "menus" except in sections for special occasions and a few to kick off your thinking. The recipes are divided into apps, salads, soups, sandwiches, main courses, sides, breads, desserts and beverages, which is useful, though there are a few stand-by recipes in here I think she could have skipped for most of us- veggie dogs and baked beans for example, takes up an entire page.

The recipes go perhaps a bit beyond lunch- I won't be making soups or homemade beverages for my child's lunch box- but that's ok, it makes it a bit more versatile as a book for veggie families.

What I found helpful about the original blog was the creativity of how Jennifer, the author, put the meals together in the bento lunchboxes she created. The combinations of food items and what her child choose to eat and appreciated. It's not the recipes I struggle with, it's how to put together an appealing lunch for a vegetarian child (and one that her classmates will envy!).

That said, this is a useful book and a must have for parents to new vegetarians, and does have plenty to offer the veteran as well. I just wish they had followed the format of the blog a little bit more closely. The book does mention that all the original recipes are on the blog archive- but that's why I purchased the book, so I could have that information in a book format.

46 of 49 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Imaginative and Informative, August 5, 2008

By 

Norma Lehmeierhartie (New York, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Vegan Lunch Box: 130 Amazing, Animal-Free Lunches Kids and Grown-Ups Will Love! (Paperback)

Vegan Lunch Box is packed with recipes, antidotes, and information on more than the vegan lunch box. Yes, it is primarily a cookbook for elementary school kids when prepared as the menus suggested--but it is so much more! To read it through is to learn how to become a vegan, or to incorporate more vegan dishes into you life.

Jennifer McCann became a vegetarian at age 15 and ate the same thing for lunch for a year. She decided things would be different for her son. Every menu had to be graded a "5" by her son to be included in the book.

McCann packs the lunches in a clever bento-like box, allowing for lots of choices and minimal environmental waste, as they are re-usable. Very clever. The lunches are sure to appeal to kids because they are colorful and fun. McCall is aware that kids notice other kids' food and takes pains to create meals that become the envy of fellow students.

Part I is divided as follows:

* Quick and easy menus. For example, one menu includes lunch nibbles--vegan deli slices and cheese with rice crackers. Disigned for the kid to assemble.

Sample menu: veggie burger, sweet potato fries, wheat free apple crisp and Amazake to drink.

* Rise and Shine menus.

Sample menu: coconut carrot rice pudding, black strap gingerbread with lemon sauce, applesauce and soy jerky

* Ready and Waiting

Sample menu: peanut butter and jelly muffins, frozen snack tube, popcorn, vegetable juice

*Lunch box adventure
Includes menus from around the world.

* Special occasions
Birthdays, Halloween and more.

Part II is the recipes.

While some of the recipes take a bit of time to prepare, many have multiple uses. McCall has smart suggestions like baking large batches of muffins and freezing them individually--perfect for the teen on the go.

Highly recommend for all--vegan or not--for smart, fun and healthy lunches!

From the author of Harmonious Environment: Beautify, Detoxify and Energize Your Life, Your Home and Your Planet.

28 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great resource for mums, September 3, 2008

By 

Cindy Peterson - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Vegan Lunch Box: 130 Amazing, Animal-Free Lunches Kids and Grown-Ups Will Love! (Paperback)

I was dying to get this book after being a fan of her blog for so long. It's got great menu plans - ones for mornings you have time to cook, ones for a rushed morning and ones for preparation the night before.
It has great recipes, a little too much fake meat and processed food for my taste - but then it's written for everyone, not just me :)
My only criticism (and that's why it lost a star) is the lack of photos. The beauty of the blog was the photo of each lunch, I was expecting this in the book too but there's just a few photos together in the middle of the book - 99% of the recipes and menus don't have photos which is sadly quite common with vegan cookbooks.
But this book is WELL worth the price and will truly be USED in a household with kids. Just give us some photos!