Your kids may not believe it, but there is life — and food — beyond chicken nuggets.

And if you need help persuading them of this, two new cookbooks offer a bit of guidance. First is Jennifer McCann’s ‘‘Vegan Lunch Box,’’ which is drawn from the author’s popular blog that chronicled the lunches she packed for her son.

McCann’s book is great for children willing to try new foods, but might be stuck in a lunchbox rut. As the title implies, the recipes are all vegan, but they still offer plenty of appeal. Many are quite inventive.

As in, aloo samosas (simple Indian-style potato hand pies), sushi, polenta fries, and hazelnut banana sandwich bites.

For children with more carnivorous palates, check out Tracey Seaman and Tanya Wenman Steel’s ‘‘Real Food for Healthy Kids,’’ a primer on helping kids eat right and eat well.

Seaman and Steel, editor-in-chief of Epicurious.com, cover plenty of nutrition basics, then put them intro practice with appealing, kid-friendly recipes. Offerings cover cookie jar treats (usually spiked with whole-wheat flour), and everything from breakfast to dessert.

BOOKS

Jennifer McCann’s ‘‘Vegan Lunch Box,’’ Da Capo Press, 2008

Tracey Seaman and Tanya Wenman Steel’s ‘‘Real Food for Healthy Kids,’’ William Morrow, 2008