Estimated reading time: 16 minutes
If you're looking for vegan lunchbox ideas and tips, I have rounded up some of the best vegan lunch ideas and tips to make your life easy and your children's lunchboxes something they look forward to opening.
Jump to:
Whether it's back-to-school or the middle of the school year and you need inspiration, these 19 easy vegan school lunches for kids give you plenty of options. They can be customized to suit your child's age, eating abilities, and dietary needs. Feel free to modify these kid-friendly vegan lunch ideas and make them delicious and mess-free for school and home.
Download your free two-week meal plan for recipes.
What is a typical vegan school lunch?
A typical vegan lunch for kids is a wholesome, colorful, and delicious meal that is entirely plant-based, providing essential nutrients to keep kids energized and support their growing bodies.
A popular choice is a nut butter and fruit spread sandwich on whole-grain bread, offering a good balance of protein and natural sweetness. Veggie sticks with hummus or guacamole make for a fun and colorful side, encouraging kids to enjoy their vegetables. A small container of fresh fruit, such as grapes, apple slices, or berries, adds a refreshing and naturally sweet touch to the lunch.
For a more substantial option, vegan pasta salad with colorful vegetables and a light vinaigrette dressing can be a hit among young ones.
To satisfy their taste buds and provide a treat, a vegan energy bar or a homemade oatmeal cookie made with plant-based ingredients can be a delicious addition.
A well-rounded vegan lunch ensures kids receive the necessary nutrients, promotes healthy eating habits, and contributes to a positive and sustainable food experience.
Here are a few tips for packing school lunches
Prepare Ahead: Pre-cut fruits and veggies, cook grains, and prepare protein options like roasted tofu, falafel, bean burgers, or chickpeas in advance. Make double batches of items that could last a month in the freezer. This will save time during the busy mornings. Also, take some time at the beginning of each week to plan the school lunches. This way, you can ensure you have all the necessary ingredients and avoid last-minute stress.
Utilize and Repurpose Leftovers: Make a little more at dinner or use leftovers to create new and exciting lunch options. For example, turn roasted vegetables into a wrap or pasta salad. Some other vegan-friendly leftovers that work well in lunchboxes include mac n cheese, vegan hamburger helper, rice dishes, and for those cold days, soups.
Use Balanced Nutrition: Aim for a balanced lunch that includes a variety of food groups, such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, proteins, and healthy fats.
Involve Your Child: If possible, involve your child in the lunch planning process. Ask them what they want in their lunchbox, and consider their preferences while ensuring nutritional balance.
Pack with Food Safety in Mind: Use insulated lunch bags or containers with ice packs to keep perishable items fresh and safe until lunchtime. This helps prevent foodborne illnesses.
Keep it Simple: Opt for easy-to-eat and bite-sized foods, especially for younger kids. Finger foods or bento-style lunch boxes can be fun and convenient.
Make it Colorful: Think of a rainbow. A visually appealing lunch is more likely to entice kids. Include a variety of colorful fruits and vegetables to make the lunchbox attractive.
Offer Water: Encourage your child to drink water by including a reusable water bottle in their lunch. Avoid sugary drinks and juices.
Be Mindful of Allergies: If your child or others at their school have food allergies, pack allergen-free lunches and consider others' dietary needs. For example, use sunflower seed butter instead of peanut butter.
Add a Treat: While providing a nutritious lunch is essential, including a small treat occasionally can make the lunchbox more exciting.
Pack Eco-Friendly: Use reusable containers and utensils to reduce waste and be environmentally friendly for your child's vegan lunches.
Is your child a picky eater? Ensure you include foods they already enjoy and add something new or unique.
Get equipment to make your life easier: Use a mandoline or chopper to make fast, consistent cuts for your kiddo's lunches. Consider getting an air fryer to make heating the foods in the morning extra fast. These tools will save time and energy for those early mornings in the kitchen.
Making vegan school lunch easy
While there is no reason you can't give the kids a bunch of healthy sides or snacks in their boxes, breaking down lunch ideas into 4, main categories can make each meal well-rounded and balanced with a sweet treat.
Think of the lunch plan consisting of the following:
- a main meal
- fruit
- school snack
- and the occasional treat
Vegan School Lunch Ideas
Main meals
Vegan Tuna Sandwich
This sandwich has a plant-based tuna that's so good, even the fish in the sea are doing a double-take. Piled high with velvety avocado and a sneaky slice of tomato (which, let's be honest, some kids will expertly dodge), it's the lunchtime hero every parent needs.
Hummus and Veggie Wrap
Start with an organic whole wheat tortilla and spread hummus over it.
Fill it with your child's favorite sliced veggies, such as sliced cucumbers, carrots, beets, and bell peppers. Roll it up and cut it into bite-sized pieces.
Veggie Pizza Bagel
Toast a bagel and top it with marinara sauce or sliced tomatoes. Add chopped bell peppers, sliced mushrooms, or olives - whatever your child prefers. Sprinkle with vegan Parmesan cheese. Pop it in the oven or air fryer for 2-3 minutes to create a mini veggie pizza.
Peanut Butter and Jelly Rolls
Using a rolling pin, flatten slices of whole wheat bread. Spread peanut butter and jelly on the bread and roll it tightly like sushi. Cut into bite-sized pieces if necessary for delicious peanut butter and jelly sandwich bites.
Healthy Bean Pasta Salad
Pick your child's favorite bean pasta. Add chickpeas, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, and olives. Use pesto, their favorite vegan dressing, or a little salt and pepper for the younger kiddos.
Roasted Tofu Cubes with Sweet Potato Fries
Cut firm or extra firm tofu into cubes and coat in simple seasonings like salt and pepper for young children (add more complex seasoning and sriracha for older children). Bake in the air fryer at 375 degrees for about 10 minutes until golden brown. Serve with baked or air-fried sweet potato fries.
Peanut Butter and Banana Wrap or Sandwich
For a variation on a PBJ, spread peanut butter on a whole-grain tortilla, add a peeled banana, and roll it up.
Quinoa Salad Burrito Bowl
My kids have never liked quinoa alone, so I mix it with another grain for a nutrient-packed lunch. Layer some chopped lettuce with cooked quinoa and brown rice mix (cooked together to make it easier for you), black or pinto beans, corn, tomatoes, and scallions. You can season it with lime juice and olive oil and top it with vegan sour cream, avocado crema, or salsa.
Vegan Sushi Rolls
Fill sushi rolls with veggies like cucumber, carrot, and avocado. You could also add tofu for extra protein or buy it at the store already made;) Consider making Veggie Sushi Cups for younger children: Sushi rice topped with avocado (with a little lime juice to reduce browning), edamame, and pickled vegetables in small reusable cups.
Apple and Veggie Quesadillas
Fill one side of a wheat tortilla with vegan cheese and top with the child's favorite veggies and thin apple slices for a sweet and savory taste. Fold the tortilla in half and toast it until the cheese melts in a press or on the stove. Cut into triangles. Let them cool down briefly before placing them in the lunch box container or wrapper.
Vegan Sausage Rolls
Roll vegan sausages, marinara sauce, and spinach in puff pastry and bake until golden brown for a savory and portable lunch option.
Three Bean Salad
A refreshing three-bean salad packed with kidney beans, chickpeas, green beans, red onions, cilantro, and corn tossed in a zesty vinaigrette dressing is a nutritious and flavorful addition to your kid's lunchbox meal. Serve it with some crackers or corn chips.
V-BLT
A vegan BLT sandwich featuring crispy soy curl bacon or store-bought vegan bacon, fresh lettuce or spinach, juicy tomatoes, and creamy avocado crema on whole-grain bread is great for older children. You can offer a deconstructed tempeh bacon sandwich for younger children.
Baked Potato with Beans
This is a good meal for older children. Batch potatoes in a pressure cooker or oven and keep them in an air-tight container in the fridge for the week. For lunch, reheat the potato and add your child's favorite beans - baked beans are delicious with a baked potato. Serve with vegan sour cream, diced veggies, and vegan cheese sauce.
Air-Fryer Fries with Dip
These air-fryer fries are quick to make in the morning. Serve with a delicious dip like Cashew Cheese Sauce.
Falafel Wraps
This is a quick meal with a little planning. If you have premade falafel in the freezer and buy precut veggies like shredded carrots, sliced olives, and shredded lettuce, this meal can be wrapped up in a few minutes. Heat up the premade falafel in the microwave, air fryer, or oven. Serve with vegan tzatziki sauce on the side.
Mashed Chickpea Salad
Similar to a tuna or chicken salad sandwich but made with protein-packed chickpeas, this takes 5 minutes to prepare in the morning and is even faster if you prepare it in advance. Think of different types of bread (pita, tortillas, naan, etc.) for variety, or serve it with crackers.
Black Beans and Rice
This classic combo is a lunch the kids request on regular rotation. I make the recipe in advance, but when that is not an option, a can of beans reheated on the stove with adobo seasoning or garlic salt is a perfect, fast solution.
Vegan Summer Rolls
You can prep the chopped ingredients for this the day before or during your weekend meal prep and assemble the rolls in the morning. It doesn't take much time. Serve with a side of mango or pineapple chunks. This is better suited for older children. I do not recommend making this the day before. Fresh is better.
Vegan Black Bean Burgers
These burgers keep well in the tight quarters of a lunch box. Make a large batch on the weekend, freeze them in an air fryer or pan in the morning, and you have a satisfying veggie burger for lunch. Serve it in a salad or bun with your child's favorite sauce and toppings.
Fresh fruits to include in vegan lunch boxes
apples or apple slices with nut butter
bananas
grapes
berries (strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, etc.)
oranges (clementines)
kiwi
pineapple chunks
watermelon slices
cantaloupe or honeydew melon cubes
peach or nectarine slices
pear slices
plums
mango chunks
cherry tomatoes (technically a fruit!)
Snacks or sides
Snacks include various items, from sliced fresh veggies to trail mix. Here are some ideas:
veggie sticks or slices (with optional dip) - chopped veggies like carrot sticks or baby carrots, cucumber slices (with a pinch of salt), celery sticks, bell pepper strips, and cherry tomatoes with a side of hummus or vegan ranch for dipping.
pita bread triangles and hummus
pumpkin seeds
rice cakes with nut butter
vegan yogurt
homemade energy balls - bite-sized snacks made with oats and nut butter, and coconut flakes
dried fruit
edamame
dates
vegan cheese and crackers
popcorn
pretzels
- vegan banana bread
Delicious Treats
Don't forget the treats once in a while!
cookies (vegan chocolate chip, oatmeal, etc.)
vegan brownies
cupcakes or muffins
vegan rice krispie treats
mini donuts
gummy candies or fruit snacks
vegan pudding cups
vegan jello cups
vegan marshmallow treats
Comments
No Comments