Random House Canada (2011)
Nonfiction: Food and Recipes
192 pages
Summary: Good Food to Go is the ultimate guide to packing healthy lunch boxes with food that kids will enjoy and parents can feel good about. Back-to-school means back-to-lunch-boxes, and the daily quandary of what to put in them. With this new book, two working moms - one a teacher, one a pediatrician - offer creative ideas for balanced lunches and nutritious snacks, as well as up-to-date health tips that will make packing lunch a joy and not a chore.
Are you looking for something different to put in your kid's lunches? Something healthy but that they will like and eat? This book has tons of ideas for you. As with most kids, mine are picky too and so some of the recipes they wouldn't even touch but many others, I think they might. Plus they can help make them which is proven to improve the odds of your child eating them!
The book is divided into the following chapters:
- Getting Started
- Vegetables and Fruit
- Sandwiches
- Picnic-Style Lunches and Snacks
- Soups
- Super Salads
- Encore Performances (Leftovers)
- Baked Goods and Desserts
- After-School Snacks
First of all may I say that if my parents called leftovers "Encore Performances" maybe I would have eaten them more? Great name!
The Table of Contents doesn't do this book justice. It's not just a list of foods to pack. The book is full of informative health tips, nutritious recipes and tips to get your child to try new things. These aren't just recipes for a new kind of sandwich with processed meats or new snacks to buy, these recipes could be actual meals for anytime (and I will be trying them as such too!.) Then if the kids like them, I can try making extra to send the next day for school.
All of the tips and hints are in orange boxes and they are VERY helpful. This is a great nutrition book and I learned a lot.
"For young children, the school day is long and a packed lunch can represent a little comfort from home. Make an effort to personalize your children's lunch boxes. Get their help in selecting a lunch kit and water bottle they like. Personal touches like a well-placed sticker of their favourite cartoon character, a joke or a note are sure to bring a smile to any child's face. If your child has a test or is competing in a sporting event, be sure to include a good luck message. Adding the occasional novelty item such as a pen or pencil is always a fun surprise. Your child's lunch should look appealing as well as taste good. Choose colourful fruits and vegetables that look enticing together. Use cookie cutters to perk up boring sandwiches. After all, the more attractive a lunch looks, the more likely it is to be eaten." - pg 69
Some other tips you will find:
- Tips for preventing soggy sandwiches
- Packing for your picky eater
- Packing fibre
- Overfed but undernourished
- Bone up on calcium
- Portion sizes
- Meat in moderation
I suggest watching this video for some tips by the author:
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18 comments:
this sounds like a great book -- one that would serve me well. My daughter is somewhat picky and I'm always trying to come up with something new and creative to entice her to actually eat her lunch (since almost all the items on the school lunch menu -- except pizza -- elicit "yuck" from her!)
I agree that making meals interesting and fun to eat for kids will encourage healthy eating habits. It's all in the presentation and flavor combinations!
This books looks really helpful in planning my kids (and my) lunches everyday!
Great review! I like the idea for this book, as Good Food To Go will be a great resource for parents to apply to their children's lunches, but will also be beneficial to adults eating on the go.
I am looking for books that will give me some ideas for kids lunches and I think this book is perfect for me! I love that it divides into different chapters which will make it very easy for me to find what I am looking for! Also the lunches looks really attractive while those are using good food to make!
This looks like a delightful book! I'm always on the go so I think this book will be helpful to myself as well :)
Ooooh this looks like it would make packing lunches fun again!! I can't wait to try out some of the recipes.
I love the idea of this book! I am always trying to think of new and healthy things I can give my son :)
Wow this sounds like an interesting book. This book is definitely helpful for my daughter since she will be going to school next year.
Would love to check this book out! I love the fact it has menu planners!
Finding out how to keep my sandwich from becoming soggy is enough to read the book!
this book is the best for moms with kids. preparing food that are not only nutritious + delicious but also pleasing to the eye is very important so the kids will actually end up eating them :)
Very Healthy Tips :D Kids will surely love it ^^ :D
I also love the book
I love finding new ways to enhance the kids lunches and this book sounds like it would be a great addition to my cookbook collection! Thanks for the review.
This books sounds really good for me to make healthy foods for my kids.
I particularly like this book review as it gives tips on packing foods. My daughter is now a grown-up kid but still I pack lunch food for her. I might as well use the tips on packaging sandwiches that don't sag as she loves sandwiches for lunch.
Looks like a great book. I really like the idea of making creative ideas out of healthy food and that it will get the kid's attention. I'm trying out different bento boxes for my little one to bring to school.
The picture on the front cover alone will make me want to buy the book. I agree, if parents were more creative about what they called leftovers, maybe kids would respond better...I think I will try this technique myself. Although my preschooler is pretty open to trying new things, I'm sure I will need tips about encouraging him in the future and this book may just be the resource for that.
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