The Lunch Box: Packed with Fun, Healthy Meals that Keep them Smiling

by Kate McMillian, Sarah Putman Clegg

Jam packed with clever ideas and easy recipes for delicious, healthy, kid-friendly packable meals, this solution-driven cookbook is the perfect book for busy parents looking for lunchtime inspirations.

From yummy recipes that make use of common ingredients, to clever ideas for packing lunches that will appeal to kids, Lunch Box is packed with inspiration. This go-to primer covers all the basics—recipes for sandwiches, healthy snacks, and more—and offers tried-and-true strategies from a chef-caterer mother of three. Learn how to make an easy and delicious lunch from in-the-fridge staples and leftovers; how to accommodate allergies; and how to make every lunch box a fun delight for kids. Colorful photography throughout provides visual inspiration.

Stuck in a rut? Got a picky eater in your house? This book offers ideas and strategies that will inspire you to step up your lunch-packing game, from irresistible wraps and playful sandwiches, to salads kids will actually eat, to versatile snacks that satisfy the fussiest palates and much more!

Genres: Cookbooks, Parenting, Cooking, Food

112 pages, Hardcover

First published January 31, 2012

Reviews

[karen]

okay, i almost bought this book last night, because of the page in this picture:





avocado and pear sandwich? goat cheese and strawberry? banana, almond butter and honey?cheddar, apple, and peanut butter?

these aren't revolutionary ideas, but i really respond well to photos of food, and i like to have books like this just lying around to page through and remember, "oh, i wanted to make that." but the good news is, for my poverty-burdened self, THE WHOLE BOOK IS ONLINE! PICTURES AND EVERYTHING!

http://www.scribd.com/doc/76241899/Th...

i am not sure how this is smart as a business plan, but here is the link, and now as long as i can afford my computer, i can scroll through and look at these really appealing pictures of food intended to make your kids eat healthier, but for me just works as yummy yummy foodporn.

okay - upon closer inspection - IT IS NOT THE WHOLE BOOK. you and i have just gone on a voyage of discovery together. so - yeah - i might still have to buy the book because a lot of the recipes i was wanting are not in the online version. and things like that yukky green smoothie are.

there are still some good things in the online version, but it is incomplete. no peanut butter noodles!! know that. and remember where you heard it...

[Melia]

This book is about quick creative and unique lunches to make lunches more outside the.
Does this count?

[Keri Murcray · Rating 4 out of 5]

Awesome cookbook with lots of neat recipes that I plan to try for my lunches in 2013.

[Everett Grey · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is certainly a cookbook of lunchbox recipes! Nothing ground breaking, I like that there’s pages and boxes dedicated to substitutes, different flavors, and swap ins, along with cute ideas you can use to jazz up your meals. I ALSO like that none of the recipes are more than a page long, but still look really tasty and new instead of just a ham and cheese sandwich.

[Tiffiny · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think this is great for helping to make kid lunches healthier and a bit fun. I currently don't have kids, but can see how this would be a handy tool to have. Also, I think I want some of these lunches!

[Sarah Jean · Rating 1 out of 5]

I found only 4 recipes worth bookmarking.

[Blue · Rating 3 out of 5]

Am I the only one who has a closet full of clothes that are more aspirational than real life? Like high heeled shoes I might wear twice, and more skirts than I will ever have a need for, and what was I thinking that lead to three sequined tops? Plus? I don't actually have all the "staples" a well organized wardrobe has to keep one comfortable and age appropriate.

How does that rant tie into a cook book you might wonder. Well. It's an example of my aspirational thinking, in this case about food. I want to be the sort of person who packs healthy and appealing lunches (extra points for adorable). What I am is the sort of person who: 1- eats random leftovers (that sounds good, until you realize how random my leftovers can be. A pound of broccoli and half a scone isn't the well balanced lunch I aspire to) 2- Popcorn. I have convienced myself this is the lunch of champions, because it is a whole grain, plus I worked in an Olympic a Village in '84, and there was popcorn in the kitchen tent for athletes and staff to eat [free!] which in my mind is the very definition of the lunch of champions...even if I'm not sure if I ever saw any athletes eat any popcorn. This fact, or lack of facts, does nothing to sway me from believing that future gold medal winners aren't stuffing their faces with popcorn even as I type this. 3- I skip lunch because it seems like so much work, and it just seems easier to nap until dinner so I only have to pull one meal together (and, shut up, no this sloth/power napping is not a sign that popcorn isn't the perfect lunch of champions. Don't mess with my dreams!). Option 4 is no longer an options, because grabbing a handful of change piles on my dresser and walking around to the "They call it a liquor store, but I never do since I'm never thinking 'how many quarters do I need to bring to pick up emergency purse vodka?' Since clearly it is the conveniently located building that sells Hagen Das ice-cream bars and Cheetos" stopped being an option not because I swore off junk food, but because the store sort of burned down. And by sort of I mean it didn't burn to the ground, but the roof burned off and what the smoke didn't ruin the gaping hole did by letting rain fall in it. Plus the water from the fire hoses probably didn't help much either. Except for the part where they kept the building from being completely obliterated by flames, so I guess they did help, just not quite enough to keep the store open.

Anyway...I picked this book up at the library to give myself some ideas (and ideally enough motivation to actually motivate myself to skip napping for lunch and instead actually packing and eating a tasty lunch)

Here are the ideas that I like to think I'm going to try;

-mini pita pockets with chicken salad, with lettuce between the pita and the chicken to keep the pita from getting soggy and gross.
-English muffin half with goat cheese, thin layer of strawberry jam, then thinly sliced strawberries
-apple, cheddar& peanut butter on focaccia
-smoked salmon&cucumber with fresh herbs on lavash
-greek salad
-orzo & grilled veggie salad. Layered in small canning jar.
-home made granola bars.

And...thus doesn't even pretend to be a book review does it? Um.... Well, there were seven ideas I'm considering trying. (You know, when I actually act like an adult and follow through on my plans.) and there were about 47 recipes. So... A little less than a seventh of the recipes, which when I say it like that doesn't sound that impressive. But I heard once that on average people only use three recipes out of the average cook book, and if that's true having a seventh of the book be interesting isn't so bad.

Photos clearly show presentation ideas, many of which I don't care about, because I'm not trying to pack cute lunches for small children. Worth a look if you are in fact trying to make small children want to eat their lovingly packed lunch.

[Janine · Rating 4 out of 5]

There wasn't a lot new, but there were a lot of reminders. We tend to get stuck in a rut with the lunch boxes. While I won't use many of these recipes, I will adapt the ideas using ingredients that our kids will eat.

[Megan M · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very cute and practical recipe guide for school or office lunches. I loved that the author gave variations for just about every recipe, so you can change up a favorite dish or substitute something you don't care for. Adorable photos! Very inspiring!

[Sharlena · Rating 3 out of 5]

I checked this out hoping for some ideas for my picky kindergartener's lunches. There are a few interesting recipes but nothing he would eat. Most of the ideas/ recipes are pretty standard. Overall, not a lot of help for me.

[Libby · Rating 4 out of 5]

Don't be afraid to play with your food is the irresistible message offered by this fun cook book. I don't mind at all if my little picky eaters get a taste of foodie marketing at a young age, as long as it is healthy, clean eating.

[Laura · Rating 2 out of 5]

The art direction is excellent - it's a very cute looking book. But hopefully you know how to make egg salad and use a bento box already. I didn't think this was that useful.

[Sara C. Walker · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great pictures but disappointing. This book is only good if you are feeding toddlers and preschoolers. Will not do for teens and preteens.

[Lisa Irwin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Love the ideas. However very surprised how many recipes include nuts and peanuts.

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good lunch box suggestions

[Laurla2]

-it had a lot of pictures, which i like.

-but i didnt find much interesting in this book. just a beet and feta salad with orange juice and balsamic vinegar dressing.