Cookbook giveaway - Beating the Lunch Box Blues

September 16, 2013·Lindsay

Beating the Lunch Box Blues Here at EYB we're all for encouraging our members to indulge their passion for cookbooks. To that end, we've created a program to give our members a chance to win a copy of new, exciting cookbooks that have just been published. To see all the contests, just look in the right-hand category column on any blog page and click on "Cookbook Giveaways."

This time, we're excited to give away 3 copies of Beating the Lunch Box Blues: Fresh Ideas for Lunches on the Go! by J.M. Hirsch. To learn even more about the book and J.M., check out our interview.

To win one of the cookbooks, just post a comment to this blog answering the question: What's your favorite thing to pack for a lunch on the go?

Additional rules are:

Please make certain you have signed in to the EYB website (you don't have to be a paid member). This ensures that we have your email address and can get in contact with you.
The giveaway will expire in 4 weeks on October 14, 2013.

This contest is now closed. Congratulations to the 3 winners, selected by random number generator - MamaLion2204, farmkat and stephlinde.

96 comments

JulesLPSeptember 17, 2013

I like making chicken salad with leftover chicken, or other leftovers.

mschefkitchenSeptember 25, 2013

My fave at the moment is salad with smoked salmon. Protein with omega 3!

CinnabeenzSeptember 19, 2013

Red seedless grapes with dried apricots, some cheese cubes (Jack, cheddar, or even feta), some whole grain crackers and a bottle of water. Easy!

geoff@kupesoftware.comSeptember 18, 2013

Left-overs....the very easiest, healthy way to eat a great lunch.

TerraVitaSeptember 17, 2013

Wraps or burritos. Not precisely original when you say it, but they're infinitely variable, so I rarely get bored.

Susan_FSeptember 17, 2013

Whenever we have left-over chicken it gets shredded in my lovely kitchenaid and used next day for sandwiches. Yummy!

SandytoesSeptember 18, 2013

Left overs typically but great in between snacks are humus and carrots and any combo of seasoned dehydrated veggie chips (gotta say chipotle eggplant and sea salt and pepper squash are killer!

JenPDXSeptember 21, 2013

I just headed out for a 3 hour drive the other day on an empty stomach. I don't usually make nut butter sandwiches, but we had some great levain bread on hand, which I used to make an almond butter and maple syrup sandwich. I was one happy and satisfied camper!

dbielickSeptember 17, 2013

Leftovers. Roast chicken sandwich, stir-fry rice dish, etc.

krobbins426September 17, 2013

Usually leftovers. Option B is often bread and cheese/vegetables to make a melted cheese sandwich.

SueMiskSeptember 20, 2013

Love a salad of precooked Kumera and pumpkin pieces, red pepper, red onion, cherry tomatoes, baby spinach. Add chickpeas if have them. Fold through, when ready to eat, a small can of tuna. Yummo.

rivergaitSeptember 16, 2013

It was PB&J when the kids were home. Now favorite packed lunch for me is thin-sliced salami, spread with a goodly amount of cream cheese, and rolled around a sweet pickle. A few Ritz crackers and, if I can swing it, a tiny airline-size bottle of white zinfandel. Grown-up lunch!

chawkinsSeptember 21, 2013

In season fresh fruits for me.

scarlettchefSeptember 16, 2013

Usually leftovers from the night before. Colleagues think I've gone to a lot of trouble, but it's easier and quicker than making a sandwich. Beats packet soup in a mug which seems to be de rigeur at my workplace!

liasimSeptember 17, 2013

A baked potato with toppings. Easy, delicious and filling!

herbySeptember 23, 2013

I love nothing better than an Indian style box with a vegetable dish, a dal and a chapatti or too. Vegetable could be anything - i.e. ratatouille if that is what's in the fridge. No chapatti? No problem! Pita works just as well.

DonnaDempsSeptember 17, 2013

Salad with leftover chicken from night before. Smoothie. Piece of fruit in season. Need new ideas. Thanks

Diabolical_DrZSeptember 24, 2013

nuts and berries! Everyday some combination of almonds or other nuts and dried or fresh fruits

geoff@kupesoftware.comSeptember 18, 2013

My favorite thing to pack in a lunch is a hummus wrap!!

edify2unifySeptember 17, 2013

I bring a bagel, cream cheese or hummus, and a host of veggies. I put it all together at work so it's not soggy.

nelsonjaybearSeptember 22, 2013

My family are desperate for something other than leftovers. Fresh ideas are needed to create a favourite!!

Marisa_GuimaraesSeptember 19, 2013

Fresh fruits and sandwich

karlaschlesingerSeptember 24, 2013

Roast chicken on a bed of lettuce, tomato wedges, cucumbers, carrots. Basically any leftover veggie goes in too. A cut lime wrapped in plastic wrap to squeeze on it all last minute.

lynettecurtinSeptember 17, 2013

I love to make wraps! They're quick to make and easy to eat. I'm intrigued by J.M. Hirsch's ideas to use pancakes as sandwich bread.

geoff@kupesoftware.comSeptember 17, 2013

Shrimp cocktail and celery sticks with a salad. Fruit in season-honey crisp apples. PB&J anytime. Always looking for new ideas.

PatriciaAnnSeptember 20, 2013

Fresh cut-up fruit or grapes and cheese chunks and crackers.

shaedurlsSeptember 25, 2013

Leftovers! A favourite is the Lemon Chicken with Herbed Rice from What Katie Ate.

JulimorrSeptember 25, 2013

I have a lemon garbanzo salad with feta that I make a batch of on Sunday - it lasts me all week.

JustineHoganSeptember 16, 2013

Salad of cold roast boneless chicken with stuffing, baby spinach, orange segments, red pepper and pinenuts, served with balsamic vinegar and rosemary-infused avocado oil dressing.

sabiluluSeptember 25, 2013

Salads with protein are my go-to lunches.

DFedSeptember 25, 2013

An old-fashioned PB&J Sandwich, chips and an apple!

SweetoothSeptember 25, 2013

Sliced turkey and lettuce with a hint of brown mustard spinach wrap.

geoff@kupesoftware.comSeptember 26, 2013

Vietnamese chicken salad - like slaw with spicy dressing

forgetmenotSeptember 19, 2013

I like to pack leftovers or yogurt with fresh fruit and homemade granola

stargirlSeptember 17, 2013

I love a nice wrap filled with veggies and chicken.

hollyglenSeptember 16, 2013

Homemade chicken noodle soup

LadyberdSeptember 18, 2013

Grilled veggie salad with leftover grilled chicken and feta.

maisie_grnSeptember 22, 2013

A big lentil and brown rice salad packed with whatever veggies i have on hand, herbs, and a mustardy vinaigrette :)

lilhamSeptember 24, 2013

I love rice, little burgers flavoured with bbq sauce, and pickled carrots.

minervaSeptember 25, 2013

Usually leftovers, but I really enjoy spring rolls with whatever I have around when I have the time to make them before work.

adrienneyoungSeptember 16, 2013

Soup!

Aggie92September 16, 2013

My favorite on the go lunch is good old PB & J. You don't need a cooler or freezer packs. It still tastes good if it gets squashed. It is our favorite lunch to throw in our day packs when we go hiking on vacation. Peanut butter and jelly may not be glamorous, but it sure tastes good!

robinorigSeptember 21, 2013

Hummus with raw veggies as temperature is not a worry along with spoilage. And it's filling and healthy.

geoff@kupesoftware.comSeptember 16, 2013

In summer, I like to slice a fresh-from-my-garden cucumber and add salad dressing. By lunchtime, the cuke has had a chance to marinate and smells and tastes wonderful.

JJacksSeptember 16, 2013

My go-to quick lunch is couscous with peas, pesto, fetta cheese and tomatoes. The I add the frozen peas (or sometimes green beans or asparagus) when I add the boiling water to the couscous. By the time I've cut the tomatoes and taken everything else out of the fridge the couscous has absorbed the water and I can add the rest.

NaomiManygoatsSeptember 25, 2013

Lettuce wraps, to cut the carbs and gluten!

tangaloorSeptember 22, 2013

I usually end up with an energy bar. Maybe a cookbook will change that? That's how I've ended up with a shelf full of cookbooks.

volitionSeptember 16, 2013

I'm with scarletchef, leftovers are great. I like to cook extra for dinner, and mix it up the next day. Corned silverside with mustard sauce for dinner and a silverside sandwich with pickle the next day. Is great. Silverside cooked in the pressure cooker of course. Curries and stews ready to reheat in the microwave. We always have some bread rolls in the house for sopping up the juices. And you can also make a antipasti to take in a container with a roll. Lovely. I'm ready to go to work. Sweet potato korma today with a bread roll. Yum.

Queezle_SisterSeptember 17, 2013

A small package of a dip of some sort (most recently the smokey eggplant dip featured in the NYTimes, Melissa Clark) and a bag of vegetable sticks.

taygeteSeptember 24, 2013

Leftover macaroni & cheese, and celery with peanut butter.

lellisoSeptember 16, 2013

Sushi or spring rolls are my absolute favorite lunch to pack! Otherwise leftovers from dinner the night before always make for a good lunch.

MollyBSeptember 25, 2013

I make a bulgur and chickpea salad with feta cheese, cucumbers, celery and a lemony dressing. It's great at room temperature and holds up really well so you can make it ahead of time.

ae.bellSeptember 16, 2013

Fresh fruit!

KiyahSeptember 16, 2013

On weekends when I've got my act together, I like to make Ismail Merchant's Lemon Lentils (Nimbu Masoor Dal). Then I divvy it up into microwaveable containers and grab one every day for lunch.

rahiscockSeptember 18, 2013

Frozen soup! Whenever I make a pot of soup, I make sure to freeze at least one serve. Just grab it out of the freezer on the way out the door in the morning, and it's defrosted by lunch time. Easy!

snfosterSeptember 20, 2013

Can't beat a beautifully ripened avocado. Pack a little container with a tablespoon of olive and a dash of your favourite balsamic vinegar (I hide a gorgeous baby fig and balsamic reduction - just for me - in my pantry) and you've got a delicious and nutritious lunch on the go. Remember to pack a small knife and spoon wrapped in paper towel - it's messy and not much fun if you find yourself having to peel the avocado at lunchtime!

pgarciaSeptember 21, 2013

I've gotten into bento boxes lately, so anything that will fit into one of my now many bento boxes nicely!

ckbkaddictSeptember 22, 2013

Couscous salad made with roasted Mediterranean vegetables, capers and fried halloumi. Easy to make, long lasting and yummy!

merstarSeptember 19, 2013

Pasta/bean salad with lots of fresh vegetables and a Dijon vinaigrette.

westerSeptember 16, 2013

Frittatta. Just some eggs with whatever vegetables/herbs I have on hand. Not with tomatoes though - they get soggy.

souprcookSeptember 19, 2013

fresh fruit, & cheese

EvieSeptember 16, 2013

A quick & easy lunch on the go is the yummy, comforting - PB&J

prpostSeptember 20, 2013

My favorite thing to pack for lunch is any kind of one-pot meal leftovers. Or a fresh salad.

WaverlySeptember 19, 2013

A wrap with hummus and julienned vegetables, some grapes, and a square of dark chocolate.

stephlindeSeptember 25, 2013

Variations on wheat berry or other grain salads are great. They stand up well to travel and taste good at room temperature. I like one with Granny Smith apples, dried apricots, and walnuts dressed with a little lemon juice. Sometimes I throw in some chicken, but not usually.

geoff@kupesoftware.comSeptember 26, 2013

How about one of those French sandwiches, Pain Bagnat? We love this at my house: Nice boule with a little olive oil and rubbed garlic, tuna (in olive oil), tomato slices, lettuce, olives, red onion, capers. Press with heavy skillet for 15 minutes or so. Take off skillet, wrap carefully and off you go!

kylieSeptember 17, 2013

Couscous with a mixture of veg and some curry paste or chipotle paste. Put it all in a pot together then come lunch time just add boiling water and you're good to go for a nice hot lunch at work.

Smuz90September 21, 2013

I usually throw all the veggies i have in a wrap or if i can reheat my lunch i make extra pasta or rice the previous day

TanyaPaquetSeptember 16, 2013

There's this quinoa salad with a great maple-syrup-mustard dressing that I don't tire of...
...and my oat-lentil granola bars (yup, you read correctly!)

tlbeck1September 26, 2013

My new thing is natural peanut butter spread on a tortilla with sliced bananas and raisins. So yummy!

decklededgesSeptember 17, 2013

I'm a big fan of fresh veggies with hummus. Fast, fresh and easy.

toddschutSeptember 26, 2013

Leftovers. If there are none, I usually have soup or chili in the freezer.

TrishaCPSeptember 20, 2013

Any type of homemade soup.

hwbookwormSeptember 26, 2013

I make a quinoa/sausage dish, with the quinoa cooked in chicken stock with the sausages and grilled vegetables added at the end (usually leftovers from the night before). Healthy and delicious (and quick to make!).

mjrrSeptember 23, 2013

Boiled egg and mayo on soft fresh white bread, or avocado and cos lettuce on Vogel's bread. So yummy.m

angelanorrSeptember 16, 2013

Not to steal the thunder of the previous post, but my initial thought was quinoa. I top it with a little soy sauce and nutritional yeast and my little boys LOVE it. Through in a piece of fruit, a rice cake or muffin and I'm done.

TippyCanoeSeptember 26, 2013

shredded veggies, cheese, various odds and ends from the fridge, including last nights chicken or pickled tidbits all rolled in a big tortilla wrap. yum.

Kimberly62September 30, 2013

foccacia with aged prov0lone, roasted red pepper, sliced pickles, mayo

alamobeckySeptember 26, 2013

A former tenant of my FIL left behind 40 pounds of dried black beans. I cook a pound at a time in the slow cooker with an onion, garlic and bay leaf, adding salt about a half hour before they're finished. Delish! I combine with quinoa, whatever vegetables I have around, some Feta cheese and whatever vinaigrette I have around.

RobinCRSeptember 27, 2013

Hummus with raw veggies, cheese, crackers, fruit. Mostly cold finger foods.

rheluneSeptember 26, 2013

I have leak-proof containers, so I usually bring a soup or a stew. I also usually bring rice with gomashio-nori-shiso furikake, a fresh vegetable salad (always some greens), fresh fruit and nuts. I have separate tiny containers for furikake and salad dressing, so I add them just before eating.

farmkatSeptember 26, 2013

I usually eat leftovers for lunch. or I go the salad route - lettuce, cabbage, broccoli slaw, cheese and diced chicken.

jfadimanSeptember 26, 2013

I love hummus with fresh veggies and some interesting crackers!

MamaLion2204October 7, 2013

If I don't have leftovers, then another good option is a wrap with hummus and veggies.

Rockangel007September 26, 2013

It just has to be mini quiches made with whatever is to hand but lots of cheese! it doesn't matter if the boys are off fishing, I am going to work, the younger kids are going to school or for a family picnic. They work for every occasion, freeze well if necessary and everyone loves them.

jd5761September 26, 2013

carrot sticks that have been left in the pickled onion vinegar overnight and have a nice "tang" and don't dry out

napierSeptember 27, 2013

Roasted veg mixed with avocado and spicy roasted chickpeas. Perfect combo if soft, creamy, crunchy

ChristyMcMahonSeptember 30, 2013

I like to pack turkey & ranch roll ups with a side of grapes and cheese!!

bhasenstabSeptember 26, 2013

Real roast beef, on peasant bread, wearing a medium layer of horseradish sauce and a leaf of curly red lettuce. Perfection!

dcockburnSeptember 26, 2013

Carrot sticks are a daily staple for the last 30 plus years.

JaneOctober 15, 2013

This contest is now closed. Congratulations to the 3 winners, selected by random number generator - MamaLion2204, farmkat and stephlinde.

CarrieJohnOctober 6, 2013

Yesterday's risotto with some chopped vegetables and boiled egg added.

NorthernLightSeptember 26, 2013

Most of my culinary “inventions” are one-offs – either because they are good and I can’t remember how I made them, or it’s determined by me and mine that they should never be attempted again. That said, once upon a time, I tossed some firm, cubed tofu and some coarsely chopped tomatoes into a Mason jar, added olive oil and Bragg’s aminos, seasoned it with granules of dulse with garlic (Maine Coast Sea Seasonings) and the tiniest bit of salt and pepper, then left it in the fridge to marinate overnight. The next day it was – lo and behold! – marvelous. I liked it; hubby liked it – and I remembered what I’d done. It’s now a fave. Who knew?

teslacaOctober 14, 2013

Salads - of all sorts. I use up leftover cooked veggies and add lots of fresh chopped or grated vegetables. Sometimes cooked grains go in too if I have leftovers.

JanSchollSeptember 26, 2013

Hummus with fresh sliced home made bread works for me.

MegoolaSeptember 29, 2013

Any vegetarian bean dish that is good at room temperature.