AS more people transition to a plant-based diet, going vegan has become more popular. It is a great way to focus on your health, as well as the health of the planet.
Plant-based foods also offer nutritional health benefits and there are so many fun ways to introduce more plants into lunchboxes and gently educate kids around plant-based eating.
It can be frustrating to plan and pack vegan school lunches, but we are here to help relieve some of that stress. Below are a few tips on what to pack.
Veggie ’hotdogs’
You can replace the meaty wors with carrots for a tasty vegetarian twist. Choose the largest, thickest carrots you can find; they shrink during cooking, and you can always trim the narrow end to fit the bun. You can serve these carrot dogs in buns with the toppings such as vegetarian chilli, cheddar, chopped onion, pickles or relish, tomato sauce, and spicy mustard.
Chickpea nibbles
These nibbles are a great snack or appetiser. You can eat them right away for a tasty crunch or after they have cooled down when they are a bit chewy. You can change up your ingredients for anything you think your kids may like. You could use rosemary and lemon zest, balsamic vinegar and sea salt, Cajun spices, or sweeter combinations like cinnamon and a healthy sweetener.
Baked cauliflower wings
Baked cauliflower wings make the perfect vegetarian substitute for crispy hot wings. This is the best way to include cauliflower in your kid’s diet. Although they are super low in calories, cauliflower wings are surprisingly addictive. If there are cauliflower haters around you, give them a batch of these spicy “wings” and see how they change their minds.
Vegan big mac
This delicious vegan big mac McDonald’s replica can be made in 10 minutes at home using easy-to-find ingredients. Anyone in your household will find this burger tasty with my vegan big mac sauce included. If you have non-vegans in your household, it’s quicker to make this vegan big mac at home than it is driving and waiting in line to order a non-vegan McDonalds’ big mac (not to mention healthier, fewer calories, cheaper, and better for the environment).
Meat-free mince tacos with guacamole
Needing a booster shot of fun as an easy vegan lunch-box meal? Whether it’s for Taco-Tuesday or TGI-Friday, this is a great recipe for lifting your kid's spirits and getting all hands on deck and involved in loading up their Tacos with lip-smacking goodness.