Lunch Box Ideas for Vegan Kids
Packing a lunchbox for your vegan child can be both a fun and creative task. Ensuring that their meal is nutritious, appealing, and varied is essential for their growth and development. Here are some delightful vegan lunch box ideas that your vegan kids will love!
1. Chickpea Tuna
If you’re looking for a nutritious alternative to the usual vegemite sandwich, try out this chickpea tuna filling in a sandwich or even by itself with some crackers or carrot!
Ingredients:
1 can of chickpeas, thoroughly rinsed and drained
4 tbsp hummus
2 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 red onion, finely diced
1/3 cup vegan mayonnaise
1 tbsp ground chia seeds
3 tbsp water
Optional: Salt and pepper to taste
Method:
Begin by ensuring your chickpeas are properly rinsed and drained. Transfer them to a spacious mixing bowl.
Proceed to mash the chickpeas until approximately two-thirds of them are evenly mashed.
Now, introduce all the other ingredients into the bowl, creating a harmonious union of flavours and textures.
With all the ingredients in place, mix thoroughly until they are well combined, ensuring that no ingredient is left out.
Once your vegan tuna chickpea mixture is impeccably mixed, it's time to exercise a bit of patience. Allow it to rest in the refrigerator, permitting the flavours to meld and the dish to cool.
When it's suitably chilled, your vegan tuna chickpea creation is ready to be enjoyed, either as a sandwich filling, in a pasta dish, or simply on its own. Season with salt and pepper to suit your taste preferences.
2. Crispy Cheesy Air Fryer Tofu Bites
Soy is a complete protein, and is an ideal choice for when you are looking to keep your vegan kids satisfied. The great thing is that tofu is honestly so versatile and can be adapted into many forms. Below is a very simple crispy cheesy air fryer tofu bites recipe that’ll be an instant hit with your vegan kids.
Ingredients:
450g firm tofu, cubed
3 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp garlic powder
1/2 cup nutritional yeast
Method:
In a large bowl add tofu, soy sauce, garlic powder and nutritional yeast. Mix until well combined
Add to an air fryer and cook for 15-18 mins at 200c
If you need some ideas on how to make your child’s vegan lunchbox more appealing, be sure to check out my FREE Ebook on 10 Vegan Kid Lunch Box Ideas by clicking the bottom below.
This free resource shows you a bunch of variety, simple vegan recipes to implement into your routine, and may just be the free resource to assist in adding some new ideas to your vegan lunch box routine!
Following the trend of the last recipe, these crispy air fryer chickpeas are another winner. Flavourings can be completely adapted to your vegan child’s preferences, whether it be a zesty lemon and lime combination, or even some paprika if they want to kick the flavour to another level.
Ingredients:
1 can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp nutritional yeast
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
Method:
In a large bowl, mix together chickpeas, olive oil, nutritional yeast, salt, garlic powder, and onion powder until well combined.
Place the seasoned chickpeas into your air fryer at 180°C (356°F) for 10-15 minutes or until crispy, remembering to shake the chickpeas about halfway through.
Store them in an open container at room temperature for up to a week.
4. Vegan Chocolate Ripple Balls
Here’s an easy, 3 ingredient tasty treat that are so addictive and perfect for a kid’s lunchbox. Make up a batch of these delicious vegan chocolate ripple balls, and they last the entire week, and then some!
Ingredients:
320g Sweetened Condensed Coconut milk
1 cup desiccated coconut (plus more for rolling)
Method:
◾ Place chocolate ripple biscuits in a blender and blend until a very fine crumb
◾ Place in a large bowl with condensed coconut milk and desiccated coconut. Fold together until well combined
◾ Wet hands and roll mixture into tablespoon sized balls. Roll through more desiccated coconut.
◾ Place in the fridge for 1-2 hrs to set, or eat straight away!
5. Vegemite Pinwheels
Here’s a classic Australian snack that work perfectly in a lunchbox. If your child isn’t a fan of vegemite, you can always adapt the flavours to suit - whether it’s a pesto pinwheel or even a pizza pinwheel!
Ingredients:
1 sheet of vegan puff pastry
Grated vegan cheese
Optional: Sprinkle of nutritional yeast
Method:
Preheat your oven to 190°C and line a oven tray with parchment paper.
Unroll the thawed puff pastry sheet onto a lightly floured surface. If needed, gently roll it out to smooth any creases.
Evenly spread your Vegemite and grated vegan cheese. Sprinkle nutritional yeast if using.
Carefully roll puff pastry sheet into a log and cut into desired sized pinwheels. Place on prepared oven tray.
Place in the oven for 15 minutes or until golden brown.
If you’ve been struggling for vegan kids lunch box ideas, then my helpful
7 weeks of Vegan Kids Lunch Boxes spreadsheet will act as a great starting point to create a streamlined and prepared lunch box routine.
This resource has 7 weeks of lunchbox ideas (35 in total), recipe links, shopping guides and helpful tips on preparing vegan lunchboxes. Find it at the below link
6. Puff Pastry Jam Triangles
These puff pastry jam triangles are a great little treat that the kids can get involved in - to mix it up, you can even add a small piece of chocolate!
Ingredients:
1 sheet of vegan puff pastry
Jam (apricot, strawberry, blueberry etc.)
Method:
Preheat your oven to 190°C and line a oven tray with parchment paper.
Unroll the thawed puff pastry sheet onto a lightly floured surface. If needed, gently roll it out to smooth any creases.
Slice your puff pastry into three rectangles, cutting each rectangle into 3 equal sized squares. You should have 9 in total.
Place a dollop of jam in the centre of each square or along one side of the triangle. To create the triangle shape, fold the pastry over the jam, forming a triangle. Press the edges together gently to seal in the fruity goodness.
Place your jam-filled triangles on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and place in the oven until golden brown.
7. Cinnamon & Sultana Protein Balls
If you’re looking for a little bite-sized, high protein snack, then look no further than this tasty treat.
Ingredients:
1 & 1/2 cups rolled oats
2 tbsp sultanas
1 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 scoop (30g) vanilla protein powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
Method:
Place all ingredients into a large mixing bowl. Mix until well combined
Spoon out mixture to roll into your desired shaped vegan protein ball. You may need to have a small bowl of water handy to wet your hands and to roll the mixture much more efficiently.
Allow balls to set in the fridge or freezer in a sealed container before eating (these vegan protein balls will last 1 week in the fridge or 3 months in the freezer)
8. Puff Pastry Pizza Pockets
Get ready to be creative with this puff pastry snack idea, ready for your next vegan kids lunch box. This recipe acts as a great basis, but once again flavours can be adapted to suit your child’s preferences.
Ingredients:
1 sheet of vegan puff pastry
Tomato paste (or pizza sauce of your choice)
Vegan cheese (shredded or diced)
Your preferred vegan fillings (e.g., sautéed mushrooms, vegan ham, onions, olives, or plant-based sausage)
Optional: Herbs and spices for added flavour (oregano, basil, garlic powder, red pepper flakes)
Method:
Preheat your oven to 190°C and line a oven tray with parchment paper.
Roll out your vegan puff pastry sheet, and cut it into two equal sized rectangles.
On one half of each pastry rectangle, add a spoonful of tomato paste, followed by your choice of vegan cheese and fillings. Be generous but not excessive; you'll need to fold the other half over.
Fold the other half of the pastry over the fillings to create a pocket. Seal the edges by pressing them down with a fork.
For extra flavour, sprinkle herbs and spices like oregano, basil, garlic powder, or red pepper flakes on top of your vegan pizza pockets.
Place your assembled pockets on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake them in your preheated oven. Depending on the pastry's instructions, this should take about 15-20 minutes. Keep an eye on them and remove when they're delightfully golden brown and puffed up.
Let your vegan puff pastry pizza pockets cool for a few minutes before indulging. The combination of flaky pastry, savoury fillings, and aromatic spices is a true celebration of flavours.
9. Puff Pastry Pizza Pockets
Keeping with pizza trend, we’ve also got another puff pastry pizza snack idea with these simple and versatile puff pastry pizza twists.
Ingredients:
1 sheet puff pastry, thawed
Tomato paste
Grated vegan cheese
Vegan ham
Method:
Lay out your puff pastry sheet and spread tomato paste over half of it.
Evenly spread your toppings over the tomato paste (cheese, ham etc.). Fold puff pastry in half
Using a sharp knife, cut thin strips (about 3-5cms). Grab strips and gently twist
Place twisted puff pastry strips into an airfryer or oven, cooking until lightly browned.
Creating a vegan lunchbox that is nutritious, tasty, and appealing doesn’t have to be a challenge. With a bit of creativity and planning, you can provide your child with meals that they will look forward to each day. Remember to include a variety of foods to ensure they get all the essential nutrients needed for their growth and development.
Happy lunchbox packing!
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