A coupon creates a Lincoln Lunch

(not my actual lunch) Eating at Follow Your Heart in Canoga Park is not a straight up Lincoln Lunch because the cheapest items on the menu - a $5.50 bowl of soup or a half salad for $6.50 - are both above the $5 threshold. Plus, neither is filling enough for a meal.

But a coupon from the San Fernando Valley Wildlife Waystation shaved $4 off my lunch bill, bringing my total to $5.34 plus tip. Not bad. Plus, I only need to use one other coupon from the $10 Wildlife booklet to break even.

For lunch I ordered the $8.95 Vegetarian "meatball" sub served on a wheat roll. It comes with with just enough marinara sauce, a coat of melted mozzarella cheese (non-dairy cheese is available), and lightly grilled green peppers.

The "meatballs" were surprisingly meat-like. Granted, I was very hungry. But even my dining companion agreed. After taking a bite she said, "That is a very tasty non-meat product!"

On the other hand her $7.95 faux shrimp (served with Thai noodles in a sweet and sour sauce), did not taste at all like shrimp. The dish did win points for pulling off the light, bouncy consistency of shrimp, however.

Like many coupons in the Wildlife booklet, this one knocked off the cost of the cheaper lunch entree. If you dine alone it gives you 50% off an entree.

Lunch options at Follow Your Heart start at $7.50 and go up to $11.95. Read the menu here. Visit them at 21825 Sherman Way in Canoga Park. (818) 348-3240.

To buy a Wildlife coupon booklet, call your local non-profit group (many churches, girl scout troops and other groups sell them). Or buy it directly from the WWS by calling Bruce at (800) 345-6371 or emailing a request to Bruce@thekuhngroup.com. A book for the Santa Clarita Valley is coming in 60+ days I'm told.