The Little Lunchbox Cookbook: 60 Easy Real-Food Bento Lunches for Kids on the Go Paperback – Illustrated, August 4, 2020

Got sick of my kids eating the same few things for lunch. Gave this cookbook a try and I’m so pleased I did. I’ve made a good amount of the recipes and not all of them have been winners with the kids, but enough have been to where this book is worth it. It also opened my eyes up to new possibilities as far as what can be packed in a lunchbox And ways to prep beforehand so you don’t have crazy busy mornings. It makes me feel good to know my kids are eating full healthy meals and it’s actually cut down some grocery bills because I’m doing so much from scratch.

This is exactly the type of book I was looking for. The recipes are great. My kids have been eating them (other than the soups but they're a hard sell on soups in general/not the fault of the cookbook).I love that she tells you how to freeze and pack. I often do bulk cooking for the freezer specifically for this reason. I refer to this book almost weekly to get new ideas or be reminded of a previous fav. If I don't make the exact recipe, it at least gives me ideas for new items to pack.So far we've tried:- Chicken Salad Pinwheels- Garden Party Quesadillas- Club Sandwich Skewers- Pizza Paninis- Homemade Cracker Stackers Lunchable- Breakfast for Lunch Brunchables Copycat- The Creamiest, Dreamiest Broccoli Cheese Soup- Winter Blues Buster Creamy Potato Soup- Easy Prep Creamy Tuscan Bean Soup- Sloppy Joe Bites- Carnival Copycat Corn Dogs- Grilled Cheese Dunkers- Broccoli Pesto Pasta Salad- Savory Garlic Bread MuffinsAll of the above have been good recipes. My kids especially are huge fans of the Savory Garlic Bread Muffins. I actually just made the broccoli pesto last week and used it to top pizzas with sausage and mozzarella.I've got the gummy bears on the list for this upcoming week. I'm also going to do a sandwich skewer since I saw it in the book.I appreciate that recipes are gluten-free and can easily be made nut and or dairy-free as needed. I know some folks complained about having to buy special ingredients. I keep a mostly gluten free pantry but did special order the Namaste GF Flour Blend. It's been great and I'm glad I tried it. So far my fav item out of the book has been the garlic bread muffin (reminds me of pan de queso) and I often make a 3x batch and freeze as side dishes for our dinners.

I found this book very helpful even thought there were some negative reviews on Amazon about it.I made at least 10 recipes from this book and this book became my go to for muffins/cakes and other lunchbox ideas for my kid.Thanks! my kid doesn’t have any allergies so I substitute all the ingredients with the household stables i find, food taste fine.

First let me say that this is a wonderful cookbook overall.Lovely pictures, nice layout, and good recipes ....... BUT ...... it calls for brand specific specialty flours that are not always easy to find in stores (I couldn't find them and had to order online) and can be pretty expensive. I had other GF brands on hand. The author states in recipes that using other brands will yield different results and I want to judge the recipe based on what she intended the recipes to taste/turnout like. Exp: Buttermilk Biscuits on Pg.19 paragraph 2).I would LOVE to see the author test other flour brands and then given suitable substitutions for these (and a bonus if she would have included recipe adjustments for non GF flours as to open this book up to a wider audience!).With all that being said, please don't let that shy you away from this cookbook! It is defiantly worth the purchase and will be a very useful tool this school year (no matter if your school is remote or in-person learning!). And be sure to check out her website for a lot more wonderful recipes you can certainly use in those lunchboxes!!! Wonderful book Renee!!!

This book is full of creative, yet not overly elaborate, ideas for kids' lunches that are mostly healthy. However, I think most will work better for summer, at home, because prep time is not always so short and I think presentation will be much more appetizing immediately, versus after sitting around for hours. But if your kids are not so picky, that may not be an issue.

Finally a bento style cookbook with things you want to make! I have already made a couple recipes for my kids and they were hits! I’m someone who wants to see a recipe before making it so I truly appreciate the photos! I also love the clean ingredients! No hard to find items you have to hunt down in your local health store. I have to say that I plan on having some of these lunches on hand for myself as well. I appreciate the thought of the whole family and all ages enjoying the food. At the moment I have 7 lunch/bento type cookbooks in my kitchen and this hands down is my favorite! Quick, easy and simple healthy recipes to feed you and your whole family! If you’re in the season of life where you want a new cookbook, fresh ideas and tasty recipes... this book is for you!-In case anyone is wondering how the kindle version of this book is- it’s great! No issues with reading or finding recipes!

*I haven’t actually cooked any of these recipes yet* but just looking through it has me excited! I make recipes every week from Renee’s blog and own her first cookbook so I couldn’t wait for this one. The recipes are straightforward with a picture for every single one! They look fun and delicious, totally the food my kids want to eat. They looked through it too and begged me to make the build your own parfait, the “pink” salad dressing, the sloppy joe bites, basically every recipe honestly. I can’t wait to try the Garden Party Quesadillas and the Confetti Bean Salad! The philosophy of “one homemade thing per lunchbox” is so doable and valuable in how busy parents plan and nourish growing kids. Highly recommend this cookbook for anyone who eats lunch!

A beautiful book with interesting recipes, but most recipes are "prep ahead of time" very lengthy cooking projects, not simpler "night before" recipes or ideas which is what I was needing.