Looking for vegan school lunch ideas that are kid-friendly and easy to make? You’re in luck! These vegan recipes are easy to pack for lunch, whether it’s for the kiddos, for teenagers, for college students, or the adults who need a grab n’ go lunch for work. These recipes are allergen friendly and include plant-based, whole-food ingredients.
Want to skip ahead? Here is our list of vegan school lunch ideas and then tips for packing school lunches.
Does the thought of packing school lunches again make you cringe? Or work lunches?
It can be frustrating to plan and pack vegan school lunches, especially now that most schools require nut-free lunches. I’m here to help relieve some of that stress!
I’ve been packing lunches for our girls (and my hubby) for about ten years now, so I’ve learned some tricks and definitely have a school-year system.
One of my tricks is to rely on key recipes for vegan school lunches. Ones that are easy, quick, that my kids love, and that pack well for school lunches.
Tried and True Vegan School Lunch Ideas
Today I’m sharing my top 11 recipes for vegan school lunches, along with tips! Ready to take notes? Class begins, now!
1. Chickpea Nibbles (aka Roasted Chickpeas!)
I would be lost without Roasted Chickpeas. For years I made Tamari Roasted Chickpeas, and then I needed a recipe even easier. Enter Chickpea Nibbles from Planted Powered Families.
I make double and triple batches of these. Seriously, my kiddos easily eat one batch in one sitting. Sometimes I hide away extra for lunches in the fridge, just so they won’t eat them all straight away.
Roasted chickpeas are so easy to customize. Try this recipe and then play with your own seasonings!
Chickpea Nibbles (aka Roasted Chickpeas)
Ingredients
- 2 14 / 15 oz cans chickpeas rinsed and drained
- 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 1/2 tbsp tamari
- 1 – 1 1/2 tsp pure maple syrup
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F (205°C). Toss all ingredients together and place on baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 20-25 minutes, tossing chickpeas once or twice during baking, until marinade is absorbed but chickpeas are still a little moist (not dried out).
What to do with them beyond snacking? Add them as a side snack in lunches, or mix them into pasta, or rice/quinoa. Mash into a sandwich with your kiddos’ fave condiments.
FYI, other kids may also want them. I’ve had requests. 🙂
2. Hummus
Hummus must be in your arsenal of vegan school lunch recipes!
Now that the hummus food group movement has officially begun, get started with my Hummus 101 from Plant-Powered Families (page 84)! If you don’t have PPF, try one of .
And, you know you can FREEZE hummus, right?
Yes, double or triple batch, then freeze in about 2-cup portions. It thaws beautifully, take it out the night before and pop in the fridge.
How to use in vegan school lunches? In sandwiches, slathered in wraps, as a dip for veg and rice crackers or pitas, on pizzas, as a spread for bagels or on pizzas, thinned out and mixed into pasta!
3. Easy Nut-Free Baked Goods
When it comes to vegan school lunch ideas, baked goods are always near the top of the list.
Some of my favorites are Vegan Banana Bread, Oatmeal Banana Bites, Apple Hemp Muffins, and Pumpkin Snackles. You can find most of those recipes here. Put 4-5 recipes in rotation, double-batch and freeze some if needed.
4. Simple Tofu Recipes
Vegans don’t have to eat tofu. But, yes, vegans often do enjoy tofu! For back-to-school recipes, keep your tofu recipes very easy and with a versatile seasoning.
For years I made my “Lemon Herb Tofu” (from Vive le Vegan). Then our girls went through a phase where they were fussy about the herbs. I created my Simplest Marinated Tofu for PPF, and that has since become my staple recipe.
5. Smoothies
Either before school or after school, are a brilliant way to nourish and sustain your kiddos in a nutrient-dense drink.
Don’t just fill them up with fruit, balance with some greens and veggies if you can, and also add nutrient-rich hemp seeds, chia seeds, goji berries, or nut butters.
Need tricks for balancing the grassy tones in green smoothies? You can get the .
6. Energy Balls
These Cocoa Cookie Dough Balls are sweet enough to be in the cookie category (see 10). Still, I think Energy Balls or squares need their own category.
These are so nutrient-dense and pack a nice burst of energy while sneaking in good stuff like seeds, dried fruit, and oats. A win-win for us and the kids!
The recipe for these Cocoa Cookie Dough Balls follows, but also see the squares linked above and the Protein Power Balls in PPF.
Cocoa Cookie Dough Balls
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup raw almonds see note for nut-free option
- 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp rolled oats
- A few pinches of sea salt about a scant 1/8 tsp
- 1 cup pitted dates
- 1/4 cup raisins or more dates
- 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp nondairy chocolate chips or cocoa nibs optional
- A few teaspoons of unsweetened cocoa powder unrefined sugar, or a combination of both, for dusting/rolling (optional)
Instructions
- In a food processor, process the almods until fine and crumbly. Then add remaining ingredients and (except the optional chocolate chips) pulse or process. Once the mixture starts to become crumbly, process fully for a minute or two. It will appear as if nothing is happening at first, that the mixture is just whirring around in crumbs, but soon it will start to become sticky. When you see it start to become a little sticky, add the chocolate chips and process again. Continue to process until it forms a ball on the blade. Stop the machine and remove the dough. Take small coops of the dough (1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons in size) and roll in your hand. Repeat until you have rolled all of the dough. Toss or roll the balls in the coating, if using,, and refrigerate. Eat and repeat often.
Notes
- Allergy-Free or Bust!: For a nut-free version, replace the almonds with just 1/4 cup of raw pumkin seeds, and add another 1/4 cup of rolled oats.
- If This Apron Could Talk: Make a double batch and freeze half. They thaw very well.
- Kid-Friendly: These are excellent to pack in school lunches, with a nut-free option for you if nuts aren’t permitted in your school. For a nut-free version, replace the almonds with just 1⁄4 cup of raw pumpkin seeds, and add another 1⁄4 cup of rolled oats.
- Savvy Subs and Adds: Replace vanilla with 1/2 teaspoon almond extract or orange oil.
7. Nutritious Soups
Admittedly, soups don’t top my personal list of back-to-school recipes. But I know that so many of you love to pack nutritious, hearty soups so I must include a few.
Sniffle Soup (below) is one of our girls’ favorites, and I hear it’s popular with your families too! Make it for dinner one evening (keep on thicker side), and send it to school in a thermos for the kiddos another day.
Some other soups my girls love include this Sweet Potato Bisque, Tomato Lentil Soup, and this .
8. Cheesy Sprinkle
This unassuming little recipe with nutritional yeast transforms many of our school lunches from drab to fab. I add it to pasta, and “ta-dah!”, kiddos love it.
Sometimes I’ll use a basic marinara sauce, but more often I’ll do a simple slurry of apple cider vinegar, tamari, and maple syrup (just a touch) – mix it up to taste, toss into pasta, then mix in the cheesy sprinkle. Kids LOVE this for lunch. Add in some veg or beans (there’s those tamari roasted chickpeas again!), cubed tofu or tempeh, and it’s a very satisfying lunch.
I also sprinkle it into wraps for the girls, with things like cubed potatoes and hummus, and into quinoa bowls. Many possibilities! Note that the original version is nut-based, but I offer a nut-free alternative in the recipe. This is the one I use for school lunches, and the girls really haven’t noticed the difference.
9. Healthy Puddings
This may not be something you pack into vegan school lunches. If not packed, prep for after school. These puddings give a great boost of omega 3’s with chia seeds.
Here are just a few of our family’s favorites. They are incredibly delicious!
- Pumpkin Chia Pudding
- Bananascotch Pudding
- Vegan Chocolate Chia Pudding
- Raw Orange Chocolate Pudding
- Fresh Vegan Raspberry Pudding
- Peanut Butter Pudding with Berrylicious Swirl
10. Vegan Chickpea Salad
This chickpea salad mixture has become very popular with all of you. The recipe is in PPF, but you can also find it posted here.
Play around with the add-ins, using raisins instead of apples, omitting the celery or capers, and adding other chopped veg. It’s very versatile – and very delicious!
11. Cookies and Desserts
With the school year comes school parties. Halloween, Christmas, birthdays… someone lost a tooth, someone has a new baby sister, it’s “party day”!
Yeah, I’m exaggerating a little. Still, school treats flow freely, and we need to have our cookie recipes ready for vegan school lunches.
Here are a few vegan cookies that your kids will love!
Tips for Making Vegan School Lunches
The key takeaway here is to plan ahead. With these tips, you won’t be stressing kids’ lunches every morning before the school bus arrives!
Pack lunches the day before
There is already enough chaos in the morning, so pack the lunches during lunch the day before, or the evening before.
Also fill water bottles!
Have them ready in the fridge ready to tote.
Cook things in batches through the week and weekend
Hummus, tamari roasted chickpeas, muffins, as mentioned above. But also batch-cook potatoes, sweet potatoes, rice, quinoa, beans, etc. All those staples can be used in wraps, sandwiches, added to soups, pastas, and more.
Pack plenty of fresh fruit
And don’t forget to make it EASY for them to eat.
Yes, it feels a nuisance sometimes to peel those mandarins or cut oranges into bite-size pieces and pop into a container. Why not just pack the whole fruit? Because kids have very little time to eat in school, that’s why.
So, make it easy for them to eat that fruit. Peel or slice or cut into small pieces and pack in a container along with a fork. They are far more likely to eat it.
Pack occasional treats
Seaweed snacks, baked chips, cookies, a few vegan gummy worms. They have very healthy lunches, let them find a treat once in a while!
Have stock of different size containers
I have an entire cupboard with different sizes of containers. Some are ziploc, others are reused containers from non-dairy yogurt or store-bought dips, etc.
The smaller ones are great for fruit and snacky items, the larger ones for pasta, sandwiches, etc. One day I may reveal my crazy cupboard of containers and lids! If you prefer a bento box, this Planetbox gets top reviews.
I have a list of my favorite containers to use here.
Use shortcuts when needed
You may not always get to making marinated tofu, making soup, or baking muffins. Get some Amy’s burgers or other veg burgers that you can easily heat and put in a sandwich, and pick up healthier granola bars or snack cookies.
Try Amy’s baked beans in a wrap with rice (I always add about 1 cup or more of black or kidney beans to stretch it out) or Amy’s alphabet soup – amp up the nutritional profile by adding beans, cubed potatoes or sweet potatoes, or cubed tofu.
Try pre-marinated tofu which simply needs to be sliced or lightly heated. Keep some quick fixes on hand to avoid mama (or papa) food-prep burnout!
What recipes do you rely on regularly? And, what are your go-to snacks and meals to pack into lunches? Any terrific quick fixes to share?
Note: Find more vegan school lunch ideas in Plant-Powered Families, plus an entire chapter on packing lunches section. Flip to page 233… and breathe more easily!
Nicolann Miller says
Hi Dreena. I made the baked tofu from you Plant-Powered Families book. What is that white sauce that I see in the picture? I t wasn’t mentioned on the recipe page. Thank you.
Dreena says
Hi again 🙂 My photographer prepped that photo, but I *think* it was the velvety cashew cream that’s in PPF. Enjoy!
June says
Hi Dreena,
I remember reading one of your recipes for a bowl with rice and veggies and you had a sauce for it that you said you made for your kids all the time which they loved.
i have all your books but cannot find the sauce recipe. Help please! Thanx!
Dreena says
Hi June, I’m thinking it was the “slurry sauce” from PPF??? That ring a bell?
mollyjade says
Thanks for all the suggestions. How do you pack smoothies for school?
Cathe says
Hi Dreena, I have a dehydrator and would love to make these chickpea snacks for my grandkids. Could you tell me how long to dry them in a dehydrator. never have any luck with the oven. Thank you so much. I love your work!
CHristy says
HI there, I’ve just started exploring your site but it’s been very frustrating. Your pages take forever to load and scrolling is extremely clunky. Some pages don’t load the majority of the content. It’s also draining my phone’s battery extremly fast. Something is very wrong.
Dreena says
Yes, my site is under some renos. I’m working on it as I received your message.
Tracey says
Is the recipe for Quinoa mixed with tamari roasted chickpeas, tamari/vinegar slurry and cheesy sprinkle, and peas on your website? I’d love to make this!
Marvin says
Thanks for sharing, this is really helpful. My son is going back to school and I’m plan to try these creative food ideas for him at school.
allergy friendly fun lunchboxes says
Great tips!!
Emily says
This is fantastic! I have struggled for a few years to provide a variety of tasty snacks for my daughter that are not only nut free but also homemade. This will be a perfect reference!
Genevieve says
Thank you for this post Dreena. I am on the other end of the school spectrum-teaching high school. We have just as short a time as the kiddos to eat, and ideas like these that are simple to prepare, delicious, and healthy are extremely helpful. I too would love to see future posts of what you and your family eat for lunches (or other meals) in a week just to see how a seasoned veteran of veganism eats.
I have never made the tamari roasted chickpeas, but certainly intend to try them this weekend as my new afternoon (passing time between classes!) snack.
I left a review for LETV because it is the only way that I can think of to repay the positive contributions you have made to me and many others through your encouraging postings, essential cookbooks, and amazing ideas. Thank you for all you do.
Dreena says
Genevieve, thank you for this kind feedback – and for leaving a good review on amazon, that’s most appreciated!
Chloe says
This is great! Thank you for all your wonderful ideas. One thing my 5 year old daughter requests every day – cinnamon apples. I just peel the apple and chop into bite-sized pieces, then sprinkle with cinnamon and shake them up to get all the pieces coated. Kind of like an apple pie without the crust. And the cinnamon keeps them from getting brown (or maybe it just hides it!)
Dreena says
Thanks Chloe! So funny you mentioned this idea (and thanks for doing so)! My girlfriend suggested the same to me a few weeks ago. I’ve been making the cinnamon apples for the girls and they LOVE them (and I do too). Thanks for the note. 🙂
Sasha says
Thank you for your creative yet simple lunchbox ideas Dreena! They are just in time. Your post was sent to me by Choosing Raw’s Gena Hamshaw and I’m so glad it reached me!
We have 9 and 10-year-old and I dread packing their lunch. At their elementary school, they are only given 15 minutes to eat lunch, which I find completely ridiculous. I’ve gotten into the rut of giving them a pb&j sandwich, grapes, mini-carrots, water, and a cookie almost everyday.
I am so excited to try your recipes. A couple quick questions:
-Which chopped fruits to you back that don’t go brown?
-What kid friendly veggies to you pack other than carrots and cumcumbers?
-What to you pack to drink?
-Is the rice/tofu/lentil soup ect eaten cold if you’ve backed it the night before?
One recipe I can pass along is Nava Atlas’ zucchini chocolate chip muffins with flax seed (vegan). They are nutrient packed and we never have a crumb left.
Muchisimas gracias!
Sasha
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Dreena says
Hi Sasha! Thanks for connecting, Gena is a dear and I appreciate her sending you in my direction. I completely understand where you are coming from, we have 3 girls, and some days it feels a chore to pull that lunch together. But, with some of these ideas you may find it easier (hopefully!), and develop a bit of a system that works for you. Also, couldn’t agree more about how little time they have to eat. I noticed how much faster our girls starting eating after they started public school… because they had to start scarfing down lunches in 10-15 minutes. As for your Qs, fruits like apples and pears oxidize, but you can toss in a little lemon or orange juice to prevent browning. Grapes, melons, kiwi, berries, oranges good choices for now browning. I mostly pack cukes and carrots b/c they are easy and the girls eat them readily, but if your kids will eat things like raw broccoli, raw cauli, bell pepper slices – go for it! I only pack water to drink. Our girls eat the tofu/rice chilled, but if you want to pack the soup warm you could use a thermos. Hope that helps!
Zoe Emmerson says
I love your posts about what you feed the kids, it’s just so inspiring and gives me so much support with feeding my own – thanks. I cannot wait for the new book – although I’ve still plenty to try in the current one.
I’ve done a review of both LTEV and PP15 on Amazon UK for you.
Dreena says
Zoe, really glad to know it helps your feeding your own kiddos! The biggest challenge for me is not vegan lunches, but nut-free in schools! I can do a lot of yummy stuff with nuts. 🙂 But then, I’m able to swap out at times with nut-free alternatives. Thanks so much for the kind note and the reviews.
Carrie says
I’m not sending children off to school, but I take my lunch with me to work every day. I refuse to pay high prices for garbage/crappy food, and trying to find something decent close by in the limited amount of time I have is pointless. I usually have leftovers, but sometimes want something different. It’s easy to get stuck in a rut, so thanks for the great ideas Dreena!
Liz says
I use To-Go Ware Tiffins (http://www.luckyvitamin.com/m-2026-to-go-ware) and Lunchbots (http://www.luckyvitamin.com/m-1897-lunchbots) to send my “big one” (my SO) off with breakfast and lunch. I’m especially fond of the Tiffins; they’re super durable but really lightweight. (My “big one” managed to SOMEHOW break it on its first day of use!It was consequently fixed but I’m still spinning over that one. Living with him is like the equivalent of living with a bull — things get broken all the time and, thus, we can’t have anything “nice”. LOL)
Suzanne Holt says
My kids love fruit smoothies but I’ve never considered adding greens to them because I’m not sure I could get them to drink it. I will try your pineapple suggestion. Thanks for the tip!
Sarah says
I love this post! My eldest is in Kindy two days a week and goes into prep next year and I love making up the Lunchboxes. We love your recipes and I can’t wait for the new book (or details)! Tamari roasted chickpeas are a family staple here 🙂 Thank you for making notes of what freezes well, I am always after ideas for big batch cooking that freezes well. I always google but I am never sure what i can and can’t freeze. You are amazing! thank you
Kathryn @ Mamacado says
It’s fun to see the photos of actual food you pack for your kids! My son is only 3 so I don’t have to worry about school lunches YET, but I always need new food ideas since he has multiple food allergies. I am definitely going to try some of your yummy baked good recipes!
Lauren says
Love this. You make it look so easy!
Laurie says
What a fabulous post, Dreena! Thank you for all of the time you take to put together such a helpful and beautiful post!! I don’t have school age kids any more but my 4 adult children and my husband have all joined me in eating a whole foods plant based diet and we all love your recipes! I just posted a review for LTEV and Plant Powered 15 on Amazon. Like I always say, you are a vegan genius and I just love all of your recipes. THANK YOU so very much!! 🙂
Dreena says
Alright!!! That’s awesome Laurie, kudos for getting the whole crew on board with your plant-powered lifestyle. Just fabulous. Thank you for your feedback, generous words, and the review. Really good of you. 🙂
Lois says
Oh oh oh! This is fantastic! Off to make cookies RIGHT NOW!
Dreena says
atta’ girl! 😉
Alisa says
This all looks fabulous Dreena! Since I work at home, I have the luxury of making salads. But for my niece, I send her off with a whole wheat sandwich, strawberries, and homemade granola bars.
Dreena says
Thanks Alisa! I love salads for lunch too – and green wraps. I’d have to find a way to pack them up if working outside the home. Sounds like you are a very special aunt. 🙂
Emma says
There are some great tips and tricks here Dreena, as well as lots of your recipes I haven’t yet tried 🙂 I don’t know what my schedule will be like this academic year but I may well find myself packing lunches to take to university with me. This advice is useful even for home lunches and snacks though.
Dreena says
Thanks Emma. I sometimes forget all the GROWN students packing lunches out there!! Yes, many of these ideas will work so well for you. Good luck with your studies!
D'Ann Martin says
I absolutely loathe packing my kids lunches! They are continuously comparing their lunches to the other kids who pack SAD lunches. I know I’m doing the right thing, but it hurts when they feel left out or picked on for their healthy lunches. I really needed this post and the encouragement. Thanks Dreena!!!
Dreena says
Oh dear, that’s frustrating D’Ann. Our girls have grown with eating vegan, since birth. Have you been eating plant-based for very long? I’ll send a few words of encouragement that they truly do grow to become connected to their good food, not only enjoying it but also appreciating it. Understanding how it makes them feel good, and understanding how real food tastes much better! It’s not acceptable if children are taunting or excluding b/c of their lunches – and it’s bullying. Please hang in and give your kiddos a hug from me – they are plant-powered stars!! 😀
Kate says
Wow what a comprehensive and awesome post. Thank you so much. This is a smorgasbord of fabulous ideas not only for school kids but everyone who needs a packed lunch for work too! So tasty. So healthy. Yum!!!
Dreena says
You’re welcome Kate, glad you find it useful!
Laura @ The Green Forks says
This post was AMAZING! You’re recipes are so inspiring. I can’t wait to try some of these on my daughter.
Dreena says
So kind of you Laura! I hope your daughter enjoys the food goodies. 🙂
Jaime says
This post is close to my heart – I just blogged about our back to school lunches a couple of days ago! I rely heavily on leftovers for lunches so I always make my meal plan for the week with using leftovers as part of next days lunch. There are always some days it doesn’t work out but I use leftovers plenty. I also try to make up a bean and/or grain salad at the beginning of the week to keep in the fridge for days when leftovers aren’t happening. I always pack fresh fruit – either a fresh cut fruit salad (using a variety of fruits) of a sliced season fruit or two, and then so other thing we like to pack are veggies and dip (hummus or guac), sometimes a spinach or tossed salad, crackers or pita and hummus, coconut milk yougurt, a muffin or healthy cookie, leftovers in the thermos (soups, chilis, pasta, grains and beans, etc), veggie wraps,….the list goes on and on! We use planet boxes to pack our lunches and they are fantastic!
But I think the best tip for packing school lunches is to give variety and make sure you pack things they like! If its healthy and they’ll eat it, I’ll back it! I don’t want to send them with stuff they might eat because I think its healthy. If they don’t eat it they can’t think and learn well during the day. Thats why sometimes leftovers don’t work – sometimes dinner the night before wasn’t a “hit” and I don’t want to send something I’m sure they won’t eat much of.
It would be great if periodically you post a week of lunches that you pack for the girls and hubby – I always find those post to be so usefully for ideas and inspiration. Thanks again!
Dreena says
Jaime, those planet lunchboxes are handy! i can see why you love them. Your kiddos are being very well nourished, those lunches are so colorful, full of vitamins and antioxidants!! It’s so smart to use leftovers, many nights I don’t have any, lol! Then, sometimes our dinners include mixes with nuts (like a veg burger or pasta sauce), and no nut products are allowed in the school – that’s tricky for me at times. You know I’ve never thought to post a week’s worth of lunches – that’s a great idea Jaime – I’ve made a mental bookmark and hope to get to it!
(And agree with you, seeing a lunch returned mostly not eaten gets to me – not just b/c it’s a waste of food but b/c I know the appetites my girls have and they then just inhale the snacks after school… not great.)
catherine (FOOD SNOB) says
While this might not always work for kids, I almost always pack my lunch the night before, right after dinner, when I’m putting the food away. Sometimes I’ll portion out two or three containers’ worth of leftovers, which make super easy grab-and-go lunches for either myself or my husband!
P.S. My brother and I were lucky enough to be able to come home for lunch until third grade, at which time, my mom taught us how to pack our own lunches (the night before . . . always . . . ) and supervised for a couple of years until we got the hang of it. To this day, I think those early skills and habits I developed have allowed me to save so much money and eat healthy lunches my whole adult life!
Dreena says
Catherine, I remember going home for lunches as well! I’d often walk home, have a quick soup or sandwich and then back to school. Things are so very different now! Smart mama, teaching you that food prep biz! So true, it’s MUCH easier to pack up those things beforehand, esp when you have some of the items out already – like leftovers. You were a good student. 😉 Thanks for sharing the tip here too!
Robin says
My latest favorite lunch (fortunately, I come home for lunch), is to put a split whole wheat pita in the toaster and then cover it in your great creamy hummus topped with either a kale salad or sliced tomatoes. Yum!! The pita in the toaster is an easy no added fat pita chip. Thanks for all the ideas above. I’m a fan!
Dreena says
That’s a dynamite lunch Robin, especially toasting the pita – almost makes the hummus melt into it, right? I love salads on top of things like that, sometimes pizza houses do the same, really a switch-up that’s so tasty. Thanks for sharing that idea! 🙂
Robin says
Also, forgot to mention the chocolate chip studded banana chia muffins that have been a hit in the lunchbox lately. All her friends ask for a bite!
Christine Magiera says
Such a great post with a lot of really useful information….and the recipes! Wow! I use a lot of these ideas myself. My oldest has tree nut and peanut allergies in his room so that limits him. However he’s a big fan of quesadillas. I usually include refried beans, salsa, Daiya and black olives. I toast it at home and he re-heats it at school. He also loves sunbutter sandwiches. My middle son does well with PBJ sandwiches and my youngest is most versatile. He loves the Goddess Chickpeas and Egg-less Sandwich Filling. I always include fresh veggies and sometimes something crunchy (like pretzels or cereal). Muffins or banana bread, cocoa cookie dough balls, are all common in my boys’ lunches too. I also have been adding coconut milk-based yogurt. Oh, and hummus for dipping! There are so many possibilities!!
Oh, and tonight I made the lemon-herb tofu. I hadn’t made it in a while and it hit the spot! Yum!
Dreena says
Christine, I don’t think I knew that about the peanut/nut allergies with your boy. Gosh, that’s tricky. For school, I’m always baking/cooking nut-free, so hopefully some of these ideas will help! I need to get that eggless salad recipe up on the blog – thanks for mentioning that! You have given many ideas here – the small nondairy yogurts are terrific too, and yeah, kids love munching on crunchy stuff!! Thanks for your ideas (oh, and our girls LOVE quesadillas too)!
Dreena says
oh wait, I now see you mentioned the allergies are in his class!! Do the other classes allow nut butters then? Our schools all have a no-nut policy – throughout the schools, and all the schools here! Even if there’s none in the specific class. So, no peanuts or nut products of any kind. Makes it a little more finicky, but I’m used to it now b/c it’s been so many years of working around it.
Christine Magiera says
Right, there’s a boy with an allergy in his class. Sorry for the mixup. 🙂 Thankfully my boy doesn’t have any allergies, that would be difficult to accommodate all around! But you do make it easier, giving lots of variations in your recipes to allow for allergies or aversions in general! The school as a whole isn’t nut/peanut free so I do pack nutbutter and peanut butter sandwiches for my other two. That makes it easier for my middle one especially who is the most choosey. Thanks again for the great ideas!
Anna {Herbivore Triathlete} says
I love this post Dreena! It is super helpful for not only packing my kids lunches but mine as well. I also have a crazy cupboard full of containers, but you are right, the kids are more likely to eat the fruits/vegs if they are pre-cut. I will definitely have to make some of the recipes you’ve posted. I will also leave a review of LTEV, every recipe I’ve made out of it has been a huge hit with the family. Which reminds me, I’ve got to make that Mac-oh-geez ASAP!
Dreena says
Anna, I joke I have the leaning tower of ziplocs! Sometimes they just tumble everywhere, when I’m scrambling to get the lunches in order, ha!! But, they serve their purpose. Thanks for your feedback, and for offering to leave a review of LTEV, very appreciated! (and yes… make the mac!) 😀
Tiffany says
Dreena, This post is so helpful for everyone! I know so many of us have to go to work or college and it helps to have so many healthful meal ideas!
I’ve been making so many of your recipes and each one is fantastic! I can’t wait until your next book is out! I made your maple banana bread, this time with chocolate chips and it was amazing!!!
By the way, I am really looking forward to your exercise post. Can’t wait to read all about it!
As a side note: tonight on food network, Rachel and Guy are premiering their new show kids cook-off. I am so intrigued to watch this. I wish the show taught kids about veganism but at least it gets kids in the kitchen and interested in food rather than packaged products.
Thank you so much for inspiring everyone around you and I am always so happy to pass on all the information I’ve learned from you! xo
Dreena says
Oh great! Thanks Tiffany, glad to know it’s helpful for many, not just for parents with wee kiddos! You are so kind – thank you, it’s just the best to hear that recipes are being enjoyed.
I’ll look into that food network show, not sure if we get that one in Canada, but would love to see it, thank for heads up!
I’m *this close* to getting the exercise post in order! I had technical glitches with the video, but think I have it figured now – so SHOULD be the next post. #fingerscrossed 😉