Yay! It has finally hit the stores, the Cooking with Trader Joe’s Easy Lunchboxes Cookbook that I photographed. I am so proud of my friend Kelly Lester the creator of the fabulous (my favorite) Easy Lunchboxes & writer of this cookbook.
As most of you know by now I have been a huge fan of  these convenient bento boxes for quite some time. They are used in virtually all of my Project LunchBox posts.
It was a natural fit when Kelly asked me to shoot her cookbook. Thanks Kelly…
Have you ever shot a cookbook? If you have then you know it is heaps of work. From the shopping, prep work, cooking, styling, photography, edits….oh is it a treat of a job! Crazy busy, but one of the best things I have ever done. For certain. Handing in the final photos is one of the best feelings ever.
Shooting the Cooking with Trader Joe’s ELB book this past April (yes I had roughly 30 days to work this magic) was a test in time management and endurance. I thought training for the Boston Marathon (click the link for my 2005 race results) was hard…not compared to this! My days were well planned, long and strategic.
For this cookbook I had over 80 bento boxes created by 32 talented food bloggers to photograph. In the end I think I shot over 1000 photos and submitted over 200.
Each trip home from school I would stop at Trader Joe’s. I always needed something. My days were spent prepping, cooking and being a light chaser.
Working with all natural light I had to make sure I grabbed all of the daylight I could. Sometimes this meant heading outside to the sidewalk with all sorts of reflectors and my kids as assistants!
The weekdays were busy, but the weekends busier! Weekends meant no driving to school and a whole lot more time to cook & photograph. Sunless, gray days were a challenge ~ but thank goodness for awesome photo equipment and my favorite 50mm 1.2 lens that lets in a whole bunch of light.
Hope you enjoy this book & get loads of simple, new & delicious recipe ideas. If you don’t have a Trader Joe’s nearby do not fret ~ you can find the ingredients for these recipes at any market!
You can help this book reach the moon by leaving some nice reviews and comments over at Amazon.com too!
Want to win a Cooking with Trader Joe’s Easy Lunchboxes Cookbook & (1) Easy Lunchboxes Bento Box/Insulated Cooler Bag Set….go right on ahead!
*Please note this giveaway is open to USA residents only.
my 6 year old is always requesting pb+j and a roll with cheese and butter. i’m constantly trying to come up with new ideas of things to pack for him. this book would be a huge help!
SOOOOOOO proud of you Marla! Its beautiful. GREAT job!
Fresh fruit!
Love to pack salads.
My daughter is always asking for lunchables. I love to pack her a “homemade” lunchable with a whole wheat english muffin, turkey pepperoni, cheese and sauce. I add in fresh fruit and veggies on the side and she loves it!! Easy too!
Marla, I was so excited when I saw your name on that book the other day on Instagram. Congratulations!! I know that if I ever needed a photographer for my own cookbook, or anything else, I would only hire you! I love your photography…the bright colors always make me smile and I want to dive into the photo. Super duper talented. Again, congratulations!
P.S. I pack PB & J sandwiches in my lunchbox, with some apples and yogurt. 🙂
I always pack my lunchbox with leftovers. well, not always…………but most times lol. Soups are probably my favorite thing.
I love packing a fruit and a veggie! My kid loves it too!
My favorite to pack is veggies & hummus or berries.
We LOVE love love fresh fruits in our lunches!! And cheese… my kids are going to turn in to cheese one day.
Beautiful pictures. We just got a TJs & I’m excited to make my first trip soon!
I love to pack dips! Hummus, chips, and veggies! YUM, YUM, YUM! Popcorn on the side!
I prepare bento box lunches for my 2 kids’ school lunches. I would love this cookbook!
I love to pack homemade yogurt with fresh fruit and homemade granola..he loves it
Can’t wait to get my hands on this book!! Great pics!!
My favorite is the lunch box stir fry!!
Lovely lunchboxes!
Cheers,
Rosa
Cut up jicama. It is sweet and good for you at the same time.
The photos look fabulous and the food even better! So good to have more lunch inspiration.
I love to pack spreadable cheese triangles with cucumber slices.
This cookbppk looks like it would be great! I always need lunch ideas. And I adore bento boxes – they’re so practical and cute!
‘cookbook’ – sorry! And my favorite thing to back in a lunch are little containers of fresh fruit, or dried fruit, or crackers…I just like little containers of stuff!
chococolate chip cookies
Peanut butter and banana sandwich.
Anything my kids will eat and fun lunch ideas
I always pack peanut butter, almond butter etc.. For dipping fruits in, and it’s great added protein for the kids.
Probably my most favorite thing to pack is…..salad! Exciting, I know! 🙂
Thanks!
This looks awesome!
The thing my son is guaranteed to eat is hummus for dipping pita triangles and sliced veggies. Dipping is fun, plus he gets his carbs, proteins, and veggies that’s so easy to pack!
I like to pack pasta in the thermos – it always gets eaten!
I like to pack dried fruit in my kids’ lunches. There’s such a variety available that it’s possible to pack a different fruit every day.
My favorite thing to pack in a lunchbox is a sweet treat for the afternoon slump. A brownie or a cookie usually does the trick!
I love how easy this makes lunches!
I can’t wait to check out the book, I have already gotten some ideas just from coming to this page 🙂
My kids favorite are English muffin pizzas!
I love packing good, fresh, healthy foods for my growing child! You are so helpful with wonderful ideas.
Looks like a nice gift to win .
We like to pack a variety of sandwiches, our favorites are Sunbutter and jelly, or ham and cheese! We also like to pack healthy snacks like fruit or veggies!
My favorite thing to pack in a lunchbox is some kind of homemade treat for dessert.
The cookbook & lunchbox set look awesome!
I can’t wait to get some ELB’s of my own! My kids love eating bento-style and this seems like the perfect thing for them. They especially like sandwiches cut into fun shapes and pasta with fruit on the side. 🙂 My youngest has multiple food allergies and will be thrilled with a homemade just-for-him version of Lunchables.
I love packing fresh vegetables and homemade dips — my kids gobble it up!
My favorite lunch is a salad, fruit and a sandwich thin spread with a wedge of Laughing Cow cheese!
I like to pack edamame. It’s a great snack.
Wraps with cheese, avocado, fresh cilantro, and red peppers.
I love to pack my lunch with a love note!
My daughter’s favorite is homemade mac & cheese and I usually add carrot sticks, peas, and a small treat. We do this WAY too often, though, so it would be nice to have a book full of new ideas!
I saw these lunchboxes a while back and have been wanting one (or three) 🙂 The cookbook would be a great bonus!
My boys would love this! They use the Easylunchboxes…makes packing lunches do easy!
I love to pack babybel cheese, edamame and inari 🙂
Love those lunch ideas and boxes….would love to have that cookbook!
My kids love cheese, crackers, salami, and of course fruit 🙂
My daughter loves it when I pack hummus and mini pitas in her lunch. Always needing fresh ideas. Excited for this giveaway.
Lunch is my least favorite meal so all these ideas will really help me get excited about it!
Omg we can use these
I love packing cottage cheese with cucumbers and tomatoes!
fresh fruit salad
I love packing hummus and bagels!
I love your website!!! I am a teacher and it is hard to think of great healthy lunches. Especially when their is a vending machine with lots of process food. Will have to check the book out since I do most of my shopping at trader joe’s.
This looks great!
I love packing fresh fruit and cheese and crackers
Whag a wonderful idea! The pictures are fantastic! My kids love homemade mini pizzas, so I pack those when I can.
LOVE ELB’s and the Cookbook is AMAZING!
Fresh fruit and veg wraps
Well I don’t yet have to pack lunches. My daughter is 3 years old and my son is 8 months. This would definitley help me pack a healthy lunch for myself though and will definitely come in handy when it’s time for Emma to start school…YIKES, it’s gonna be here before I know it!
I usually back sandwiches, chips, fruit, water, and sometimes a dessert.
Love the look of this cookbook. Would love to win!
My favorite for the lunch box is strawberries with raw almond butter. Yum!
Love to pack ham and cheese with carrots.
I love leftovers!
We love grape tomatoes at our house. We eat them like candy and they fit so well in lunches!
I love chicken ceasar salad sandwiches with fruit and veggies w a vegetable dip of aome sort and a big bottle of water.
Greek yogurt and fruit.
We absolutely love Cherry Cheese Pinwheels!
A HUGE congrats, Marla!!! Your photos are beautiful — and this must have been so much fun to shoot!! xo
My favorite thing would probably be anything other than a sandwich… I get in such a rut of making sandwiches so I love it when I can give more of a variety. Love doing fruits & veggies too because I’m better about putting those in her school lunch than I am at any other meal.
My kids love homemade pizza’s in their lunchboxes.
I love packing pretzels, apples, and celery with peanut butter as a dip for my 5year old. She loves it!
I could so use this. Need some new ideas for extremely picky 3-year-old!
Anything that makes her feel special, the special touches: fun toothpicks, fun cut food, stickers, notes, etc
The other kids at school like it too and comment.
i love using my leftovers to make fun salads and wraps. 🙂
would love to win this. always searching for new ideas
love following you on pinterest
fresh fruit and cheese!!
Funky Monkey pink pineapple 🙂
I usually pack sandwiches for my daughter but she’s not a big bread fan so I’m always looking for new ideas.
Love to pack the leftovers from dinner the night before since all the hard work is already done:-)
My plan is to prepare more Bento style lunches for my boys .. and this cookbook looks fabulous!
I need helpin presentation and variety for my 2 kids desperatly. It is convenient to pack pb & j and ham/turkey sandwiches but I want to give them more variety. Plus I love Trader Joe’s, what a bonus!
I love sending healthy stuff. So I need some help on being a little more creative!
My favorite thing to pack in a lunch box is wraps … anything in a tortilla! lol
Love packing salads! Fruit, snap peas, carrots, chicken, chickpeas.. the possibilities are endless!
So cute! Fresh fruit is a favorite for everyone in my family.
My favorite thing to pack in a lunchbox besides the obvious food is a note to let my daughter know that I am thinking about her!
Wow on grats!!!
peanut butter and jelly as silly as that is
Lookss great!
I love to pack fresh fruit- and also crackers & cheese!
Even though my kids aren’t in school yet I’m always looking for new, healthy lunch ideas.
My 9 year old REFUSES to each ‘yucky school food’, so I make a lunch for her every morning. I always try to be creative.
She loves taking fresh fruits and veggies!
Lately I’ve been having fun with fruit kabobs or anything I can put on a stick. My daughter loves it!
I love packing soups. My kids request homemade soup in their lunches more than anything else.
Sandwich wraps
love to put in fresh veggies and fruit! looks like a great cookbook!
I love to pack a salad, nuts, fruit and of course a little dessert! 🙂
I love packing a big fat juicy piece of fruit!
What a beautiful book! Congratulations!!
A hardboiled egg, for a good source of protein.
Or, I make little sandwiches with Trader Joe’s whole wheat crackers and Trader Joe’s sunflower seed butter. Sandwiching the crackers and butter makes it less messy in transit, but I know my daughter pulls the crackers apart and licks off the butter when she eats them.
Turkey sandwich, yoghurt, carrots with hummus and juice!
Congratulations! What a fun and practical book to have!
My favorite thing to pack in lunch bags are fresh fruit…and they are my kids favorite as well. 🙂
Fresh veggies and yogurt are staples for me 🙂
I love packing fruit salads and creative salads (like different versions of chicken and egg salad and different greens salads).
I like packing the deli box .. meat, cheese, veggie, fruit, and cracker.. with some picks and cute shapes! So easy and fun!
Sliced peppers, cherry tomatoes, and sugar snap peas! Crunch Crunch right before lunch!
Lately the kids favorite thing to pack are wraps… all different types, but they love having them rolled up!
fresh fruit
I have started packing my husband lunch so he doesn’t have to waste gas driving home or $ to eat out… these are great ideas!
Love Trader Joe’s, Love the Easy Lunchboxes, Looking forward to the cookbook!
looks like an awesome book, I love Tjs!
My daughter just moved home from college, she is vegan and works for a non profit, I’m always trying to think of things to pack her for lunch. It’s challenging, but my favorite thing to pack her is wraps either in tortillas or collard greens.
My kids love pizza rolls: crescent roll dough with pepperoni and cheese inside. Sauce on the side of course to keep them from getting soggy before lunch. 🙂 Bell peppers on the side with fruit, a Nutrigrain bar, and yogurt to round it all out. (I heard a rumor that they put the bell peppers IN the pizza rolls at lunchtime.)
My girls love wrap sandwiches and fruit. Ants on a log are also a big hit! Having just started using a bento-type lunchbox, I would dearly love this book! It looks amazing!
I love to pack fresh, organic produce in my Kindergartener’s lunchbox.
Fresh fruit is the best!! Strawberries, grapes, cantalope…etc. My kids love it!
Nuts! I love packing just a small serving of mixed nuts!
I love to pack things like homemade granola!
I love packing fresh vegetables and fruits for my kids!
I am SO excited for this…my son starts school in 2 weeks and we love Trader Joe’s!
I love these lunchbox ideas. I work as a restaurant manager so I eat a lot of our restaurant food ALL THE TIME. I think getting a set of these lunch boxes & learning some yummy lunch box combinations would be really helpful in me getting the nutrients I am currently missing by eating the same things all the time. I also think it would be helpful when sending my boyfriend to work with dinner leftovers, so that everything can be separated. Great ideas. Nice job on the photo shoots.
Rice and beans, home made chicken nuggets, tuna pasta salad, pb&j, homemade pizza- everything home made 🙂
I love packing soup or sweet potatoes.
It’s so versatile!
Yogurt with baked peaches.
I love packing healthy homemade food that I cooked instead of packaged products.
I love packing grapes! They’re so simple, but satisfy my sweet tooth 🙂
Love these photos… I would want most of these items just as they are pictured in my lunch! Lately, I have been packing a lot of salads. Sometimes I go for the convenience of a frozen entree (usually from Amy’s or Kashi), and sometimes it’s leftovers. I don’t discriminate (much) when it comes to food! Just try to stay away from too much junk and too much processed stuff.
Chips!
Apples and bananas they come in there own package
I love having fruit in a lunchbox!
I’ve been really into wraps these days!
sandwich wraps!
OmG! I need this cookbook to get my daughter off of only wanting “cream cheese/ham rollie-ups” for her lunch! Plus – Trader Joe’s rocks! 😀
PB and banana roll!
Must have!
My favorite thing to pack in a lunchbox is a big salad.
Cream cheese and jelly sandwiches are our fav!
This looks great!
Carrots and hummus is definitely my go-to side item! Thanks for your lunchbox ideas. They inspired me to start an “(Almost) Grownup Lunchbox” series for my blog. 🙂
My favorite thing to pack in a lunch box is veggie wraps and fresh fruit.
I have really been wanting this cookbook to expand on my childrens lunches and help them to eat healthier and less processed foods. They are so darn picky tho!!
Looks like a wonderful cookbook. I really struggle with new ideas…Usually end up with a frozen box. This would be a tremondous help. Love the containers also.. Thanks for the giveaway and the opportunity.
My favorite thing to leave in a lunchbox besides a healthy, colorful lunch is a happy note, picture or reminder of how much I love my kid!
My daughter loves sushi. I love making shaped rice creatures to go along with her sushi lunch. She is in high school now and still loves having me pack her healthy lunches instead of eating junk at the snack bar.
My favorite thing to pack is left overs with some almonds and fruit.
Looks GREAT!!! I know that this would help with coming up with new ideas for my kids lunches! (And boy do I need that!)
LOL, just realized I left out my favorite thing to pack in a lunchbox on my prvious post. Chicken wraps loaded with veggies are my daughters favorite 🙂
I love to pack fresh fruits and veggies with different types of dips
I bought bento boxes this year and love the creative ideas here. I would really like this book!
My favorite lunch is cheese and crackers, fruit and a small sweet 🙂
My kids love crackers, ham, and laughing cow cheese. Also cantaoupe, raspberries, and grapes!
pb&j sandwich
My fav thing to pack in a lunchbox is a note telling them how much mom loves them! 😉
salmon salad, fruit/veggies, and pretzels 🙂
Fresh fruit with yogurt and/or peanut butter!
Yogurt with a little baggy of granola
fruit. cantaloupe, papaya, grapes… any fresh fruit. and my latest obsession: TJ’s Cookie Butter on a rice cake.
as a college student i’m always looking for new ways to pack my lunch, and i work at tj’s!
my favorite thing to pack is peanut butter bread and yogurt
I am a sandwich girl . . . so though it might be thought of as the typical, boring packed lunch item, I love it and will take it any day. 🙂
We love to pack leftovers from the weeks dinner with fruit and salad.
cucumbers topped with homemade egg salad
Definitely need some new ideas! My favorite thing to pack is fruit because I know both my kids will eat it.
My favorite thing to pack for my kids in their lunchboxes is fruit salad!
For a cute dessert I put graham crackers, mini marshmallows and a hazelnut spread in a container. It’s “make your own s’mores”! My kids love them and all their friends want to trade them for it 🙂
homemade treats and fruit kabobs.
I work at trader joes, and this cookbook looks so awesome! I can’t wait to read it!
PB & J
I love to pack a fresh salad with spring mix, zucchini noodles, green beans, heirloom tomatoes, sliced apple, avocado and a homemade balsamic vinegar dressing.
My daughter loves strawberries everyday and I love packing them!
I seem to cook these days with LEFTOVERS in mind to pack in my little divided containers for my lunch at work the next day. Favorite thing to have ready is chicken salad…makes a great lunch!
My kids like macaroni and cheese in their lunch boxes.
My daughter loves Salmon Salad dogs (Canned wild salmon prepped like tuna salad, put into a hot dog roll). She stopped liking sandwiches in the first few weeks of school.
My kids love PB & J in their lunch, as well as Lunchables…I’d love to take on the challenge of making healthier and fun lunches for them!
I am really inspired by your beautiful pictures! My kids love veggies and dip. Dipping always makes lunch 😉
Frozen go-gurts – – they keep the lunchbox cool and defrost by the time lunchtime rolls around.
My favorite thing to pack for lunch is a slice of homemade zucchini bread! So delicious, and healthy at the same time. I do run out of ideas for fruit though. My hubby has gone to work with an apple for the past week straight!
I want to win maybe then my dd will eat if its fun
My favorite thing to pack in my daughter’s lunchbox is anything that doesn’t come back home. If I have to pick something though I would say strawberries. Those never come home.
I love the photography! My daughter loves watermelon but I recently made it more “fun” in her lunchbox by using a melon baller. She thought eating watermelon balls was fantastic! So easy!
Oh, Oh, Oh, Pick me. I would love to get this.
I love packing healthy foods in my lunch box – strawberries, grapes, peaches…and maybe a Hershey’s kiss, too 😉
I usually some fresh fruit or veggies with leftovers or a sandwich blooming for some new ideas! 🙂
These look DELICIOUS! I love to pack snack bars because I don’t have much time to sit and eat. I like something quick that I can grab and go with.
With lots of love! I always make sure there is a note in my kids lunchboxes. Thanks for the chance.
I love to pack frozen grapes or a small container of frozen yogurt. Not only are they still nice and cold by lunchtime they keep everything else at a nice cool temp.
I love pasta and fruit
One of my favorite things to pack in my lunchbox is homemade chili. It is delicous and healthy for you! 🙂 http://allrecipes.com/recipe/fantastic-black-bean-chili/
My son loves lots of fruits!
Love sandwiches, but that chicken and quinoa looks 10x more appetizing than my sandwich 🙂
anything! i try to mix things up, but sometimes it gets challenging. my new fave is currently a santa fe style chicken wrap! yum!! i’ve been making wraps for my (almost) 3 year old, and we call them burrito sandwiches 🙂
I love packing wraps filled with veggies and smoky tempeh or hummus!
My favorite thing to pack in a lunchbox…would have to be muffins!
salads debbie jackson
djackson1958 at hotmail dot com
I take my lunch everyday(K teacher).My favorite lunch I take is a huge salad, a piece of fruit, and some yogurt. I could REALLY use a new lunchbox! 🙂
I always makes sure we have a fruit and a veggie… other than that, I need more ideas! 🙂
My favorite thing to pack in lunchboxes would probably be a nice bowl of white sticky rice with some Korean “banchan” (side dish). =))
I usually bring lunch to work everyday. I can use some ideas.
The photos are awesome! This looks like a great book!
My kids love any type of pizza, leftover, bagel bites, make your own (copying a Lunchables).
This cookbook would be awesome to win!
PB and J sandwiches
I Love Love Love Trader Joes and I pack a lunch every day! I need this cook book!
What a great undertaking. Love the cookbook!
My kids adore these milk-flavoring straws we found at Wal-Mart. There are a bunch of different flavors, and there’s no mixing involved ~ they just drink through the straw to add flavor.
Mini bagels with cream cheese are a winner in our house right now.
congrats, marla – what an adorable book! xo
Fav box lunch is old school- sandwich, chips, oreos, apple, or carrot sticks!
My entire family love Easy Lunchboxes! We take them everywhere, from school lunches, work lunches, etc to trips to Disneyland and the beach!! Would love to win!
I love making lunch boxes fun for the kids and am always looking for new ideas!
Salad with spinach, feta mad tomatoes are my favorite lunchbox item
Yay lunchboxes!!!
I love surprising him with a marshmellow/unreal candie mix.
Salad!
I love to pack fresh fruits and snacks in my lunch bag~!
For my 9my year old, homemade hummus and crackers
Piclke and raspberries
Fruit salad and rice cakes with peanut butter
I love to make pinwheels with a wheat tortilla spread with garden cream cheese then add ham or turkey. Roll up and cut in 3-4 sections!
I love to pack anything that I can use a cute cookie cutter on! From cucumbers to sandwiches, carrots to applewiches, the possibilities are endless!
This is an awesome giveaway. My family would gratefully benefit from this.
I love fruit and cheese along with a wrap.
So excited for this! I love any excuse to use my bento accesories or cute cookie cutters!
My son just started Jr Kinder and love his Easy Lunch boxes..We put lots of fresh fruits and healthy crackers and fun sandwhices. My favorite thing is to leave him Blueberries and yogart.
OMG…The pictures look fabulous and I am constantly trying to get my kids to eat something out of the box…Such a great giveaway. You r a good doobie 🙂
My kids love when I pack them whole wheat wraps or pasta salads. With fruits and veggies on the side of course!
Beautiful! I love good examples of easy meals.
My 3 girls LOVE bento boxes so this would work perfectly for their school lunches! ^_^
I like to fix a homemade version of lunchables with cheese, crackers and lunchmeat
Fresh fruit!
Fresh fruit for lunch!
Love Trader Joes and can’t wait to check out this new book!
I would love the cookbook and lunch box set! With 3 children, lunches are always being packed. Something fun and nutritious is hard to come up with some mornings.
Call me a traditionalist, but I like to pack grapes!
I need these more than ever as I am in a lunch making slump. I’ve diverted to the pre-packaged apple packages and I need to step it up again.
http://goodiesandbesties.blogspot.com
What a terrific idea for a cookbook! And it is beautifully photographed. Nice job!
Gorgeous work! XOGREG
awesome Marla!!! Congratulations- what a beautiful book!!
We love lots of fresh fruits and veggies and homemade treats for lunch!
I always try to include some fresh fruits and veggies for lunch. Of course my girls love to have a little treat from time to time too! =)
Congratulations on this beautiful project! I love Trader Joe’s too… so I’m going to have to get this book for sure!
Congrats Marla! I can’t wait to see this new cookbook and all your gorgeous photos!
Love to pack heart shaped pb&j sandwiches and fresh fruit in kiddos lunch. Would love this cookbook to add some more healthy creativity to their lunch! Thanks for the opportunity:)
Shaped sandwiches are a favorite for my kids! Thanks!
I love it – so healthy and fun. Great way to incorporate a healthy diet into your child’s life!
I like to pack hard-boiled eggs. I eat them daily.
I pack my lunch everyday as well as my 3 year olds. Addison LOVES to help me pack her lunch. She enjoys a peanut butter and strawberry sandwich cut out into a an apple, some carrots, grapes, and water or milk. I would RRALLY love to get her this cool cookbook and lunchbox. We would make all the recipes together!! Vl
We are HUGE Trader Joe’s fans! I pack three lunches and snacks every school day. I would LOVE to have some new ideas using items from our favorite store!
I love fresh fruit with any lunch!
My favorite thing to pack in a lunchbox is a turkey sandwich. A great classic I grew up on 🙂
My favorite thing to pack for lunch is a cheese plate with fruit and a few crackers.
sandwiches!
I love packing mini whole wheat bagel pizzas for my sons!
My son loves when I have a WG tortilla spread with PB, then cut up bananas and just a tablespoon or so of granola for some crunch
My 5 year old son LOVES “pinwheels” … typically whole wheat tortilla with turkey and cheese; he calls these “super duper roll-ups!” When these are packed, I know his lunch box will come home empty!
My kids really love fresh fruit. Strawberries are a favorite!
I am always looking for healthy lunch alternatives for my kiddos.. I have gotten some great ideas from your site already, thank you so much!
I love the bento box idea and have looked at purchasing for my daughter! she likes to get creative with her lunches and being able to pack a salad, fruit and treat in one box is a great idea!
My son loves to have trail mix with nuts, seeds, and dried fruit! Thanks for the givaway!!
I just recently discovered (and love!) Trader Joe’s. My 18 month old will be starting preschool soon and I will be needing great lunch ideas and containers. This is perfect!
My favorite thing to pack in a lunchbox is a ham and cheese sandwich for both my boys!
My husband insists on sandwiches for lunch everyday. I like to add fresh veggies for him to munch on, but I’d love some ideas to mix it up.
I LOVE this! Not just for the little ones either..:-) It is giving me much needed ideas for my high schooler!!
Fresh fruits and veggies. I love grapes and cut up red, yellow, and orange bell peppers as a little snack. And I really like bringing healthy leftovers and soups.
I love to pack little notes telling my little ones to have a great day or to smile or just that I love them. Since they get used to seeing them we have made a game out of “hiding” the note and they have to eat their way to it. 🙂
I love to add a little fruit to every lunch. Something bite size like grapes or melon balls for a sweet treat that is still healthy.
My favorite thing to pack is homemade desserts and some protein source other than turkey meat or peanut butter. Today my son is getting leftover, warmed up, bbq chicken leg pulled from the bone. The bone wouldn’t fit in the thermos.
Lots of fresh fruit.
I’d say one of my favorites would be a turkey hummus wrap. Excited to check out all the ideas in the cookbook!
So happy to have found your blog! It is a challenge to make new and interesting and HEALTHY lunches everyday. My son’s private school is small and does not offer a lunch program. I pack his lunch everyday and I am excited to try what I find here on your blog! Thank you!
I pack my lunch every day. One of my favorite lunches includes spaghetti squash made with a basil pesso along with fresh melon
My husband just happened to be listening to “The Splendid Table” and she was talking about the Japanese tradition of “Bento Boxes”. I just this week started to look into it, so I can create fun healthy lunches for my daughter. I’m hoping to get some of those Bento Boxes and use some creative mojo to get it started! 🙂 Thanks!
I pack PB&J’s or honey’s a lot but would love to mix it up!
My kiddie are loving veggies and dip this year! They also like it when I leave a note with the “Word of the Day”.
my favorite thing to pack is a yummy healthy treat.
I like to pack fresh fruit.
I love to pack my kids lunches as healthy as possible. I always include and fruit and veggie some sort of protein (PB, ham, yogurt) and ice cold water to drink. I sometimes put little notes on the food like “Orange you cute” but my 4th grader informed me this was no longer cool.
I love packing lots of fresh fruits and veggies for my girls. Add in some type of meat/pasta/cheese and they love it!
My daughter usually wants pizza or pb&j….I’ll need new ideas when she starts kindergarten and isn’t allowed pb&j!
My favorite thing to pack in a lunchbox is a piece of fresh fruit, something easy to eat like bananas or apples!
Usually pack salads with various veggies and some type of protein on the side.
We live in Australia and my kiddies favorite thing would have to be frozen bananas processed so they are just like a frozen yoghurt. The perfect way to cool them down and as we are a dairy free house it’s the perfect way to give the ” yoghurt”. Loving your blog y the way!
I have to admit, I am not very creative with lunch. I normally pack PB&J or chicken nuggets, some kind of fruits (apple pieces or apple sauce), chips (ok, not the healthiest thing) or crackers, or yogurt or granola bars or raisin. Thanks for this giveaway.
I love Trader Joe’s and how awesome they have cookbooks, especially a lunch one. I have such a hard time with my 6-year-old because she’s so picky!!
This sounds great! It’s so hard to come up with new, exciting meals that my kids can be more excited over than the boring (yet, strangely exciting…to them…) lunches they can get at school. Looks like that book has some great ideas!
we make dried fruit and nut “monkey bars” to put in school lunches
Hi I have 2 kids at school and 1 in kindergarden. I love to pack for them fruit snacks, salads, healthy sweets and so on. Would love to get the book for much more ideas.
Yes please 🙂
Thanks for the opportunity and ideas! I pack my 2-year-old daughter’s lunch everyday already, so these ideas will be helpful for years to come! I especially love Trader Joe’s too!
My favorite thing to pack is a tortilla with smashed pinto beans, cheese, tomatoes, lettuce, and avocado. Sides: strawberries and yogurt
A chicken salad sandwich, grapes, and a small sweet 😉
I love peanut butter and honey on whole grain bread…when I have to pack a lunch. 🙂
Congratulations on the cookbook, the photos look great. I would love to own a copy!
Greek yogurt and lots of fruit.
I pack my husband’s and my lunch pretty much every day. Veggies and dip is always a favorite.
We just had a Trader Joe’s open near us and I’d love to use this along with their products.
Can’t wait to read this cookbook, the recipes look fabulous!
I love to pack lunches full of fruits and veggies that we get from our CSA! It doesn’t matter if they are mixed salads, healthy leftovers or an almond butter & homemade jam sandwich on multigrain bread. I love “eating local”.
P.S. Your lunchbox pics are a feast for the eyes!
Leftovers!
Beautiful photographs!
you did such a BEAUTIFUL job Marla!! I can’t believe you shot all of that in a month! if anyone could pull that off, it would be YOU!!
I love to pack fresh fruit and finger foods!
My seven year old daughter begs me to put salad, baby carrots, and fruit in her lunch EVERY DAY! I love how much she is into these healthy foods, and they are my favorite things to pack her. 🙂
How fantastic! I would love to get my hands on this book! If I don’t win it, I’ll just HAVE to buy it! It’s only been about a month since I started creating Bento style meals for my girls and I have enjoyed every second of it! This book would be a fantastic addition to my ever growing list of supplies!
The traditional PB&J!
LOVE Trader Joe’s and LOOOOOVE this book idea. My kids and I could really use some lunch inspiration!
My kids love to eat fresh fruit in their lunchbox.
My favorite thing to pack in my Easy Lunchboxes is leftovers. I often make too much so it’s great when it doesn’t go to waste, and often dishes taste better the 2nd day!
I love to pack leftovers. Usually whatever was a hit the night before disappears just as quickly at lunchtime!
Fresh or steamed veggies is always a winner! Love this blog!
My favorite thing to put in a lunch box is definitely pepperoni sandwiches. Sounds gross but the kids LOVE them!
Cheese!
I’ve seen the bento lunch boxes on pinterest and a book that gives you all the easy healthy ideas…I’m sold.
I love to pack leftovers revamped!
I need more creative ideas for school day lunches. This book looks nice!
Awesome blog, awesome giveaway! Those lunchboxes are a lifesaver.
We have these lunch boxes and I would love the cookbook too!!!!!!!
I love bagels in a lunch box. You can mix them with hummus, veggies, and a greek yogurt? Best lunchbox lunch ever!
Be great thanx
I probably shouldn’t be reading this post so hungry because everything looks so good. My favorite thing to pack for lunch is a bagel, cheese, and fruit. I obviously need this book so I can have better ideas!
I’m so excited about this cookbook!
My little buy loves his lentils with cheese and crackers from TJ in his lunchbox. I can’t wait for new ideas.
I hope I win….this would make school lunches so much easier!!
book looks awesome!
I love packing a healthy sandwich, fruit and yogurt!
My favorite thing is a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.
For me, leftovers! For the kids, sandwich, carrots & dip, fruit, juice.
My favorite thing to pack is leftover homemade pizza.
My favorite thing to pack is special treats, wether it is a note or a special yummy.
We love string cheese.
I like packing sandwiches with lots of different toppings. Cucumber, red pepper, lettuce, pickles with some Turkey and hot mustard. Yum!!
This is beautiful! I would love to win it!
My kids pack their own lunches and they really like those Lunchables but they are so expensive so we make our own with whatever we have: crackers, cheese, rotisserie chicken or they will do cheese, meat and fruit skewers or skewers with what they find in the fridge and/or pantry. They come up with some interesting choices but they aways eat what they pack because it is their creation and not mom’s! Love it!
I love to take a chopped salad using TJ’s produce and canned beans.
I love to pack huge salads with lots and lots of veggies!
My favorite thing to pack in a lunchbox is a yummy pita with hummus and mescaline.
I always include an apple (sliced for the little kids) in their lunchboxes. That’s dessert!
Peanut butter on bread, rolled up and cut up like sushi rolls. Chop sticks a must for eating them.
I love easy lunch boxes!!!
I love these ideas! And I love TJs!!! I will be looking for the cookbook soon!
I think my favorite is chopped apple, nuts, nutmeg & just enough cinnamon-sugar or caramel to camouflage the browning. I also love cubes of salami and cheese and a few crackers. I pack salads or leftover soups & casseroles … it really depends on what is in the house!
I love to pack nice, soft pita wedges, a cupful of hummus, fresh vegetables and fruit. And a thermos filled with “icy, cold water” is my kids’ most requested beverage.
fruit and veggies with dip
Fruit and yogurt with granola.
Fun giveaway 😉
My favorite thing to pack is fruit. I also like to back leftovers since previously they would become a waste but since backing them for lunch, we don’t run into that anymore.
Good luck to all 😉
Looks like a great cookbook! Always looking for healthy new ideas.
Your blog is wonderful! Perfect timing for back to school. Wish I would have found this before summer to try a variety before school…great ideas for all my kids!
My kids love mini bagel sandwiches. I’d love to win the cookbook!
I would love this cookbook! I have 4 kids in school – this would be a big help! Thanks!
I like to pack a sandwich, yogurt and cookies.
Love Trader Joes, love the bento boxes, would love to win this!
I’m sure you’re so proud! Congrats and I hope the book flies off the shelves!
These photos are inspiring me to pack my kids’ lunches! We qualify for reduced lunches, but we all know how much the cafeteria food is lacking.