School (and Work!) Lunch Ideas
by Bonnie Barker
Tired of the same lunch day after day? Here are some fresh ideas to liven up your next midday meal.
Lunch-Packing Tips:
- Freeze a PBJ sandwich or a juice box, and it will serve as an ice pack while it thaws in time for lunch.
- Let kids help pack lunch in the morning, so they pick things they’ll eat!
- Keep a variety of small bottles of juices (apple, orange, tomato) to choose from.
- Be creative with different breads, bagels, wraps, pockets, and crackers for sandwiches.
- Pack a little note with their lunches to say “I love you and I’m thinking about you today!”
- Be sure to check the Food section of VegFamily for other soups, salads, dressings and dips.
Sandwiches:
- Peanut butter and jelly
- Peanut butter and apple or banana slices
- Peanut butter and grated carrots
- Nut butter sandwiches on small crackers
- Nut butter and jelly on a whole grain bagel
- Almond butter and bananas
- Peanut butter with sliced bananas rolled up inside a flour tortilla
- Hummus, shredded carrots and celery rolled up inside a flour tortilla
- Hummus on whole wheat bread
- Hummus or baba ghanouj instead of mayo
- Hummus with tomatoes, cucumber and lettuce
- Hummus with sliced grapes
- Hummus with grated carrot
- Hummus with sliced & sautéed mushrooms
- Leftover pasta or grain dishes in a wrap
- Cucumbers or tomatoes and soy cream cheese with sprouts in a wrap
- Tofu mayonnaise mixed with nut butters, celery and peppers
- Vegan cream cheese and jelly sandwiches, cut up into quarters or fingers
- Avocado mashed on crackers
- Roasted red pepper with tomato and soy cream cheese
- Tofu egg salad in a pita pocket with lettuce
- Mock chicken salad
Warm lunches:
Heat these up in the morning and pack in a thermos.
- Leftovers
- Bean and veggie soup with toast fingers to dip in it
- Rice and beans, with shredded vegan cheese on the side to mix in
- Pasta and marinara sauce
- Frozen peas sautéed in a bit of olive oil and garlic powder
- Canned chickpeas sautéed in a bit of olive oil and cumin
- Canned chickpeas and tomatoes sautéed in olive oil and basil
Cold Meals:
- Cubes of marinated/baked tofu
- Ziti or multicolored finger food pasta with grated soy cheese and tomato sauce for dipping
- Chickpeas, green beans and macaroni (mixed together, no sauce)
- Veggie dog wrapped in biscuit dough and baked
- Baby potatoes and carrots, cooked whole, with tofu-based dip
- Falafel
- Baked white or sweet potato ‘fries’ with cubed veggie burger and ketchup to dip
- Taco salad – nachos with chopped tomatoes, guacamole, shredded vegan cheese and other toppings
- Quesadillas – vegan cheese with refried beans and whatever veggies are handy
- Pancake with fruit spread to dip
- French toast cut into bars with maple syrup, jam, or applesauce for dipping
- Cold pasta salad – use leftover vegetables, vary the shapes/colors of pasta and the salad dressings
- Brown rice or whole wheat couscous based salad
- Kidney or black bean salad
Snacks and Sides:
- Fresh fruit with dip (vegan cream cheese mixed with juice concentrate or preserves)
- Fruit salad
- Fruit cups
- Dried fruit
- Fruit leather
- Banana
- Raisins
- Applesauce
- Apple slices with peanut butter to dip
- Apples, cut in half, cored and filled with peanut butter, make raisin eyes and pretzel legs, then wrap in plastic wrap, or a container
- Ants on a log – spread peanut butter or vegan cream cheese in celery and top with raisins
- Carrots, celery and pita bread triangles with hummus for dipping
- Fresh veggies and hummus
- Celery and carrots with peanut butter to dip
- Broccoli with dip
- Baba ghanouj (roast eggplant purée) for dipping veggies
- Veggie/Fruity/Pirate’s Booty
- Baked chips
- Peanut butter spread on whole wheat crackers
- Nuts
- Trail mix
- Granola bars
- Dry cereal
- Soy yogurt
- Soy cheese cut in cubes
Drinks:
- Juice boxes
- Soymilk or ricemilk boxes
- Bottled water
- Soy shakes
- Warm apple cider in a thermos
- Herb tea in a thermos
- Cocoa in a thermos
