Customer Reviews

Better Than Peanut Butter & Jelly: Quick Vegetarian Meals Your Kids Will Love! Revised Edition

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I bought this book for my 1 year old. I want to raise her as a vegetarian but worry about whether or not she's getting the right nutrition. And I also wanted to break from giving her the same thing all the time. I read great reviews on this book, so went ahead and bought it.

There are some great recipes in here for preschoolers (and some for adults too), but as for toddlers, there really wasn't much for her. I got some ideas though which inspired toddler friendly foods (aka, finger foods).

If you have older kids, this is a great book. If you're looking for something to feed a toddler though, you might want to keep looking.

I bought this book in an attempt to find meal ideas for both my husband and I who are vegetarians, and my 6 year old and eight year old who are more omnivorous. As a registered dietitian, I look for recipes that are lower in fat and include a wide range of grains, fruits and vegetables. Some of the recipes in this book worked very well - we all loved the Brown Rice Fruit Salad, and the recipe for Cartwheel carrots was a hit. Recipes are "kid-tested", but my kids still can't be convinced to love okra, eggplant or spinach casserole. I have managed to sneak tofu into their diet in recipes like Tofu Spuds. This book was a worthwhile buy, if only for the fact that my kids found enough recipes they liked to plan the family menu for a week, even though some meals were supplemented with chicken fingers or fish sticks.

As an adult I have been delivered from the Midwestern home of my childhood (meat and potatoes, cream of mushroom soup casseroles, ice cream every night before bed) to the beautiful land of Oregon where outdoor markets and co-op shopping are plentiful. Over the past ten years I have been exploring vegetarian options and a healthier lifestyle but it can be difficult to get beyond some of the complex recipes, expensive ingredients or bizarre taste combinations that seem to frequent vegetarian cookbooks and co-op shelves.

This wonderful book is geared to suit children, who can be notoriously picky eaters, but it also works well on an adult level. It is a great introduction to quick, simple vegetarian meals that introduce a few basic items without overwhelming the taste buds or the wallet. For both adults and children it is possible to move into a healthier lifestyle gradually, one recipe at a time, one meal per week...when we can sit down as a family and each find something new that we like on our plates then I think we become much more open to making healthy choices habitual.

The book also includes some great recipes for slumber parties, Halloween parties and many ideas for re-vamping typical kid foods (hot dogs, macaroni and cheese, brownies) into healthier options....

This book is EXACTLY what I was looking for when I was searching for yummy veggie dishes that my kids would eat.
All the recipes are easy, simple, and so far, yummy! Just ask my kids, who are 2 and 4. Picky eaters who love the recipes I have made from this book so far. ESPECIALLY the grilled cheese and apple recipe (my favorite too, ;))
Absolutely worth the money!

I wish I'd found this book years ago not for my kids, but for me. The meals are easy to prepare, and I LOVE the section on packable stuff. Also, the recipes are visibly labeled: vegan, vegetarian, vegan option. Helpful for me since I don't do dairy.

Many, many thanks to the authors for putting together a clear, concise "idea book" of quick meals that can be put together with normal vegetarian staples rather than exotic ingredients.