Customer Reviews

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

5 star:		(25)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

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.

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.

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!

I checked this book out from the library, and loved it so much I put it at the very top of my wish list. I'm glad I used my library copy before I paid for one for myself. At first I really loved it, but every time I try a recipe it disappoints me in some way. There were two constant reoccurring issues:

1- Recipes taking far longer to prep then you think. - There is no "prep time" or "cook time" listed, and more then once I'd start dinner (and hour before dinner time) and discover the recipes takes several HOURS. One recipe seemed simple enough but requires you drain the tofu, marinate it, flip it over and marinate again, and then cook for 40 minutes. In the end it had two hours of prep work, before actually assembling it. You have to read the recipe VERY carefully, and do some math (not that that was the issue) LONG before you expect to cook.

2- Wrong amounts called for- almost every time I had far more filling then crust, or far more wrapper then filling. One recipe (aloo samosas)says to use 1 9" pie crust cut into 18 pieces. While you can cut a 9" crust into 18 pieces you can NOT shape them into 5" circles EACH, and make 18 items. I had to double my cut pieces, making only 9 instead of the 18 it called for. So I regularly had to make far less then the recipe said it made, which would through my meals into quite a downward spiral (trying to find more to make it a meal, how to dide the number it managed to make for everyone, etc)

Besides those two another issue I had was that I don't think many of the recipes are cookbook worthy. Saying to take one can of vegetarian beans, and 2 soy hot dogs to make beans and franks does not a recipe make. Also "recipes" for sandwiches and things that use veg deli "meat" and "cheese." I think I can manage to make a basic sandwich without using a cookbook. Actually, so can my three year old.

In the end I returned my library copy before it was even due, and took this cookbook off my wish list.

Although my family is not vegan, I try to cook vegan at least twice a week. I have 2 elementary-aged school children with multiple food allergies. Jennifer's recipes are easy and delicious. Our family is eating much healthier thanks to Jennifer's book. There are so many choices for my kids to try. Since following Jennifer's recipes I have found that I like the taste of baked goods made without egg. Before Jennifer's book, I would often get heartburn after eating meals. Since eating healthier, I feel better and the kids often request food that is made with whole wheat or flax seed instead of processed flour. Jennifer...thank you! Food allergies can be dealt with much easier by following vegan recipes. You have improved the quality or my children's lives greatly. I had no idea it was so easy to bake foods without egg or dairy in them. A huge thank you!

This was my first vegan cookbook, and I adore it. Although I actually don't have kids. The Ethiopian dishes are amazingly delicious, and it's worth buying the book for those recipes alone. I've used them successfully to impress company. There are a ton of recipes in this book that have become regular favorites, like the easy hummus, sweet potato fries, and cheezy roasted chickpeas.

Another great thing about this cookbook is that it's clearly noted which recipes are nut-free, soy-free, gluten-free, and wheat-free. That's been very helpful when making food for people in my life with different dietary needs.

Cute concept, but not very useful. The amount of effort you would need to create these lunches for kids is exhaustive. I have the cookbook, but can't really see using it much.

My son does not prefer meat, so I bought this book to get some fresh ideas on what to pack in his lunch. Unfortunately, many of the recipes call for processed foods like tofu hot dogs and lunch "meat". We try to stay away from processed foods and would rather eat some locally sourced, humanely raised animals than chance our health on ingredients I can't pronounce.

I am not a parent. I got this book because I am vegan and was tired of skipping lunch for lack of quick, simple pack and go lunch ideas. I thought this book would offer inspiration and options that would make lunch-less workdays a thing of the past. Many of the other reviewers are spot on. These are NOT quick and easy lunch ideas. I can't fathom a working parent having the time or inclination to slave away in the kitchen for some of these meals. Needless to say this book did not serve its intended purpose for me. HOWEVER, the recipes themselves are quite good and can be made for dinner or weekend lunches as time permits. AND some of the recipes can even be made in large quantities and frozen for great grab and go options (ie: the calzones - think Amy's frozen lunches, but way better). I didn't mind putting in the effort on the front end for the ease that freezing the extra yield offered in the long run. Furthermore, I have young nieces and nephews, and although I hadn't considered this when I bought the book, I have found that they enjoy coming over and prepping these fun, kid-friendly meals, which is a great outlet for tantrum free quality time with the kids. Best of all, they love the food - and they are totally not vegetarians - so that is great for everyone! One last thing - the lack of pictures is a bit nerve racking - the whole time I am prepping a meal I am left wondering if it is going to turn out remotely edible - but it always works out for me in the end, and the next time around there is no anxiety about the outcome.

I own both books and I much prefer the first edition (yellow) over this one, the second purple version. The first edition is much better in terms of organization. I find the second edition confusing to follow and highly dislike how the meal plans do not have the recipes immediately with it. The flow in this version is not good and I find it sitting on my shelf unused.
It is very confusing to have meal plans in the front not followed immediately by the recipes. I don't like that I have to keep going back and forth between the meal plans in the front of the book to the recipes in the back to see what is in it. It is very frustrating and I only reach for the first edition now.
that said, the book has a lot of great kid friendly and FAMILY friendly meals in it. I loved that it wasn't your typical vegan/vegetarian cookbook that had a lot of substitutes for meat in it, but instead shows you simple pairings of food to make a meal. We have not had a recipe in here yet that is not well loved.