Interivew with Vegan mom and author Jen McCann

While some parents are all about buying local and organic for their families, that’s not necessarily Jennifer McCann’s biggest concern when packing lunch for her two guys (husband and son James). The author of the award-winning blog and now book Vegan Lunch Box, shares a few insights, tips and suggestions in eating vegan or vegetarian and why it might be a good idea for your family.

Food Trends (FT): Why did you go choose to go vegan and when?

Jennifer McCann (JM): I became vegetarian at age 16 - that was the year of never-ending pbj’s- and went vegan several years later. Both moves were for purely ethical reasons. Our modern industrial farming methods are inexcusably cruel; the animals we raise in factory farms are often kept in severe confinement, in cages that are so small they can't move or even turn around. When you become aware of how these animals are treated and how much they suffer, it becomes difficult to continue eating the way you did before. Later, of course, I also realized how much healthier a plant-based diet can be.

FT: Speaking of healthier- given that obesity is now a documented problem in North America - does a vegan or vegetarian diet promote less body fat and better health in your estimation?

JM: It depends on how it's done. If your vegan diet consists of potato chips, soda pop, white bread, and vegan cookies…no! An animal-free diet can be just as bad for you as a traditional Western diet. I also think people are waking up to what our typical Western diet is doing to us and to our environment. It's no secret that our children are struggling with obesity and health problems at an alarming rate. Eating a diet rich in plant foods like fruits, vegetables, and beans, and low in processed, fatty foods like hot dogs, pizza, chicken nuggets (i.e. the typical "kid's food" we usually give our children) is better for their health at the same time that it's better for animals and the environment. If we all moved towards a more whole food plant-based way of eating we would see a lowering of the obesity and disease rates in North America, most assuredly.

FT: Why did you want your son to go vegan?

JM: I don't want or demand that my son eat the same diet as I do. I'm a bit of a radical free-thinker in a lot of ways, and I tend to believe that children should be allowed choices in certain things like what they eat or don't eat. Since our son has always been raised in a "mixed diet household", with both vegan and non-vegan choices always available, he has tended to drift back and forth between the two styles of eating. When he was around 5 years old he began asking questions about why I did not eat meat, and I answered honestly that I felt it was a kinder way of eating. At that point he chose to be vegan with me for almost two years. Now, although he is not currently vegan, he still usually prefers vegetarian food and tends not to like meat.

FT: How do you get inspired to come up with such creative lunch items?

JM: I'm a raging foodie! I love curling up in bed with a good cookbook or two, or pouring through cooking magazines, food blogs, etc. I'll see a picture or recipe somewhere and suddenly feel inspired to make it vegan and add it to a lunch box menu. Often, I'll spot a beautiful fresh vegetable or fruit at the farmer's market and be filled with inspiration. And of course my son's requests are a big source of inspiration, too.

FT: He’s an adventurous eater- what's James' favourite?

JM: His all-time number one favorite was a lunch I made in celebration of Chinese New Year during his first grade year: Tofu Char Sui with rice, Chili Green Beans (which he calls "teriyaki green beans"), a steamed dumpling filled with sweet bean paste, and a "Chinese Gooseberry" (aka kiwi fruit). He still remembers this lunch and mentions it from time to time.

You can see a picture and description here on Jennifer's terrific Blog. His other favorites include Lunch Box Fondue, Vegan Corn Dogs, and Sushi Rolls.

FT: What's your husband's favourite?

JM: My husband loves the Tofu Apple Spring Rolls with Peanut Sauce. He tells me this recipe is "worth the price of the whole cookbook".

FT: Do you subscribe to the "eat local, buy local and organic" mantra too? Why is that important or not?

JM: That's an interesting question. I love growing my own food and buying local and organic food whenever possible. We're very lucky in that we live in a rich agricultural region (eastern Washington State) with lots of fresh fruits and vegetables to choose from during the growing season.

But "eat local, buy local" is not my number one concern, and it's not what I would encourage other parents to focus on. When it comes to feeding healthy kids my priority would be getting kids to be happy about fruits and vegetables every day. So, for example, if your child is going through a phase where they only want, say, bananas and broccoli, you should be buying that kid bananas and broccoli, even if they aren't local or even organic. Any fruit or vegetable your children will consume will be better for them than local organic foods that are left uneaten on their plates.

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