By Reed Mangels, PhD, RD
Whether your child’s school is virtual, blended, or in-person, lunch is an important part of the day. Many school cafeterias have few or no vegan options so packing a lunch is a part of the morning routine for a lot of vegan families. Even if your child’s trip to school only involves turning on a laptop, a packed lunch can simplify things mid-day. You don’t have to cook every morning, either. Many items on this list can be a left-over from dinner the night before or from the freezer. Knowing that some school districts don’t allow nuts or nut butters, items on this list that have nut butters can be modified to use soy or sunflower seed butter. Add a beverage, some cut up veggies and/or a piece of fruit.
Sandwiches
1. Peanut butter and fruit spread on whole-wheat bread
2. Hummus wrap
3. Bean burger on a whole grain bun (can make mini-burgers and serve in small buns)
4. Tofu burger on a whole grain bun (can make mini-burgers and serve in small buns)
5. Falafel in pita
6. Tofu salad on rye
7. Chickpea salad in pita
8. Red pepper hummus on a pumpernickel bagel
9. Vegan deli slices on a small sub roll
10. Almond butter (or sunflower seed butter) on a cinnamon-raisin bagel
11. Bean burrito
12. Baked tofu on an English muffin
13. Veggie dog in a bun
14. Lentil loaf on multigrain bread
15. Veggie sausage in a biscuit
16. Quesadilla with hummus or vegan cheese
17. Scrambled tofu on an English muffin
18. Peanut butter and sliced or dried fruit on whole-wheat bread
19. Bagel with vegan cream cheese
Dips
20. Hummus with toasted pita chips
21. Vegan yogurt with fruit dippers
22. Peanut butter (or other allowed butter) sauce with vegetable dippers
23. Refried beans with tortilla chips
24. Marinara sauce with chewy bread sticks
25. Waffle sticks with fruit sauce
In the thermos
26. Baked beans and veggie dog slices
27. Pasta with marinara sauce and chickpeas
28. Pasta salad
29. Pasta with peanut sauce (or sauce made with soy butter)
30. Chili
31. Rice and beans with salsa
32. Chana masala (curried chickpeas) and rice
33. Ramen noodles with vegetables and tofu cubes
34. Hearty bean soup
35. Barbecue tofu
36. Barbecue seitan
37. Pancakes
38. Pinto bean potato salad
39. Sushi rice salad (sushi rice with vegetables and tofu cubes and a soy sauce dressing)
40. Vegan mac and cheese
41. Samosa
42. Vegan lasagna
43. Sloppy joe (pack a bun and spoon on the filling at lunch time)
44. Sesame noodles and vegetables
Miscellaneous
45. Peanut butter and jelly muffin
46. Homemade calzone
47. Corn and black bean muffin
48. Build your own taco (taco shell plus fillings)
49. Sushi
50. Bean spread roll-ups (roll a bean spread in a tortilla and slice vertically)