When it comes to vegan meals, there are a vast number of recipes to choose from. Besides that, your child reaps many health benefits from the simple vegan lunch you pack for them. When it comes to kids’ food, you need to be creative enough because some are picky eaters. The secret is to make the dish as colourful and less monotonous as possible. It’s also important to understand the school rules surrounding packed meals because there may be some restrictions on what’s allowed or restricted.
The type of food you pack depends on your child’s specifications. Age and size should also be considered to serve the right amount into the lunchboxes. If you’re stuck on what to pack for your kid’s next lunch, here are some helpful tips:
Sandwiches
Over the years, sandwiches have been a favourite meal for children. You can play with a few vegan ingredients to make it more appealing and savoury. Whole grain bread, veggies, avocados, bananas, strawberries, and raspberries are among the foods that blend to create a sizable and delicious sandwich.
The veggie wrap also falls in this category. For this, you’ll need medium wheat tortillas, butter or other spreads, and vegetables. You can roll it before packing or pack it unrolled. Veggie meal ideas include diced tomatoes, guacamole, salad dressing, chopped broccoli, and diced peppers. You can alternate between cream cheese or pesto spreads.
Salads
You can pack pasta salad, grain salad, or the traditional salad (green). Side dressing, cheese, seeds, dried fruits, shredded or chopped vegetables, and leafy greens are suitable ingredients for the green salad.
Pasta salad contains cheese, vegies, pasta (whole grain), and sauce. You’ll need fresh herbs, toasted nuts, chopped veggies, beans, and other whole grains, for the grain salad. Ensure that the latter are well cooked to avoid complications.
Side Dishes
After packing the main meal, remember to throw in some side dishes. You can never run out of ideas on this section. If you haven’t added too many veggies to the main dish, ensure that they are part of the side dish. Fruits are also highly recommended.
If your child’s school allows them to take seeds or nuts, packing them as side dishes is a great idea. You can also include cheese and corn salad.
Snack Foods
There are many vegan snack foods. If you feel the urge to tilt your kid’s diet a bit, here is a list of assortments to consider; yogurt, tortilla chips, rice cakes, pretzels, sauces, energy bites, whole grain baked goods like oatmeal, hard-boiled eggs, and dried fruits.
You can pack them as accompaniments to the main dish. Likewise, you can sort out the bits that your child enjoys the most and pack them together.
Vegetable Rice
You can prepare rice separately and make a veggie side dish. It’s also a great idea to mix the ingredients and prepare them in one pot, putting other accompaniments as the side dish.
For the vegetables, you can use spinach, diced bell peppers, and chopped cucumber. Pack the meal in a presentable manner to add more appeal.
Vegan Mac and Cheese
Another creative meal to add to your kid’s lunchbox is the rich, creamy mac and cheese made entirely from plant substitutes. You can prepare the cheese sauce at home using raw cashews.
Tofu Burger and Beans
Tofu burger and beans is a rich flavoured vegan dish with a wide range of textures. You can add mushrooms for a more exotic taste. This veggie burger will encourage your child to clear their lunchbox.
Carrot and Cucumber Sticks
Carrot and cucumber sticks are made by slicing these vegetables vertically. They can be eaten raw, so you don’t have to worry about lighting a fire early in the morning when packing your kid’s lunch. You can serve them as side dishes along with sweetcorn, pasta or rice.
Vegan Sausages and Pizzas
Following the rising numbers of vegetarians, many stores have wide varieties of vegan sausages. You can check out recipes for homemade vegan pizzas or buy a ready-made one from the nearest eateries. The fish blends well with dried fruits, olives or blueberries.
You can never exhaust all the available vegan lunch ideas. If you like having fun in the kitchen, take the chance to experiment with as many recipes as you can and make your child look forward to their lunch breaks at school.
