Holly Spindler
Struggling for vegan packed lunch? We share our tips for making vegan school meals a cinch
With muddy clothes, lost books and lunches to be made, getting kids ready for school can be a nightmare. And if you’re trying to introduce more plant-based options into your kids’ lunchboxes, it can be even more overwhelming. Below we’ve shared some of our top tips and vegan swaps so that at least lunch is covered.
Sandwiches
There are loads of vegan friendly sandwich fillings. You can go classic and swap out cheese for vegan cheese and pair up with cucumber, or vegan ham like Quorn’s offering. Or you can experiment with roasted vegetables and hummus, nut butter for a protein hit or use marinated tempeh to give a smoky BBQ flavour.
Most bread and wraps are vegan, and you can always check the label for the usual suspects to avoid - which in bread can include casein and whey, which are derived from cow’s milk.
Crisps
OK, you may not want to give your kids crisps every day, but this one is an easy swap. There are loads of crisps that are vegan-friendly including options from Walkers and Hula Hoops to Tyrells veg crisps and Pringles. For a full list search ‘accidentally vegan crisps’ online.
Snacks
There’s no getting away from the fact that most kids have a sweet tooth, but there are more healthy plant-based options. Fruit is a great option and can be varied, as well as dried fruit bars like Nakd or supermarket own brand alternatives.
Carrots, cucumber sticks and hummus are a cheap, quick and protein-packed addition to any lunchbox. Simply chop up a carrot and a section of cucumber, and pop a bit of hummus in a tub (we like this bamboo alternative to plastic that comes with a smaller container just perfect for hummus.
It’s also really quick to make your own hummus and you can add in your child’s favourite flavour like tomato, red pepper or avocado. If you can spare 10 minutes on a Sunday and have a blender, you can make enough to last the whole week.
So these are our simple tips for swapping to plant-based options. Hopefully you can see that that these switches for your kids’ school packed lunches make the change easier than it sounds, good luck!
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