15 Healthy Vegetarian School Lunches!
It’s no secret that you have to search a little harder to find new ideas for vegetarian lunches. Luckily, with a little creativity and some ingenuity, there are tonsof options for even the strictest of vegetarian diets.
If you’re looking for inspiration to add some variety to your lunches, then look no further. Read on for our picks for the best vegetarian school lunches!
Break the Routine!
In this article, we’re here to give you some inspiration to switch up your boring lunch routine. Vegetarian or not, lunch is the one meal that has the potential to settle into a monotonous routine pretty fast. You might become reliant on that same old sandwich every day. But with a little inspiration and commitment to routine, you can break out of this rutand turn lunch into an exciting meal.
So whether you’re packing lunches for your kids, or even looking for some lunch ideas for yourself, there’s tons of variety here and you are sure to find something that everyone will enjoy.
Here are 15 delicious ideas for you to try:
Hummus Wraps
Hummus is a great option for vegetarian lunches. It is a healthy, delicious spread, and chick peas are packed with protein and nutrients. A hummus wrap can get as complex as you want it to! Try adding lots of veggies. It works especially great with avocado and shredded carrots. Spicing it up with some hot sauce is a fun idea as well.
Sushi
Sushi is a tried and true vegetarian lunch. There are so many options when it comes to vegetarian sushi, especially if you eat fish. But even if you don’t, sushi is a reliable lunch option, and quite healthy and filling.
Pesto Pasta
Pesto pasta is a go-to pasta dish for lunch, and one of the main reasons for this is that it tastes great cold! You can pack pasta leftovers from the night before and it will still taste great for lunch, no heating required. Try it with home-made pesto, and add some cooked spinach and tomatoes to the dish.
Veggie Burritos
Veggie burritos are a great lunch if you are looking for something super filling! Pack your burrito with rice, refried beans, vegetarian sour cream, salsa, and veggies. If you don’t feel like opting for a tortilla wrap, throw all these ingredients into a bowl!
Vegetarian Chili
Vegetarian chili is a staple in many people’s vegetarian diets. Chili is great because you can cook a big pot and have lunches all week. Chili almost gets better as more time passes, as flavours have time to really soak up within the dish. Regardless, it is a great lunch, and it’s packed with protein to carry you through the afternoon.
Fruit and Granola Cups
Fruit and granola cups are a basic, healthy lunch. Try mixing it with some vegan yogurt, and you have a well-rounded, balanced meal! Lunch doesn’t have to be anything too complicated, after all.
Pizza with Vegan Cheese
Who doesn’t love pizza? Pizza with vegan cheese is just as delicious, and you can really let your creativity run wild with the toppings. Despite its reputation, a pizza that is loaded with veggies can be quite a healthy lunch.
Chickpea Salad
Chickpea salad is a delicious lunch, and definitely one of the heartiest, most filling salads you can eat. Try topping with a basic vinaigrette, and mixing with onions, bell peppers, and cucumber. Chickpea salads are nothing too fancy, but they are delicious and full of protein.
Quinoa Salad
Along the same lines as the chickpea salad, a quinoa salad is a delicious, filling lunch, and definitely more filling than what you typically imagine from a salad. A basic olive oil and lemon dressing will do the trick, and be sure to load it up with veggies. We recommend chick peas, parsley, red onions, and some cucumber.
Pasta Leftovers
Pasta is a versatile dish. But no matter which pasta you prefer, why not bring some leftovers for lunch? Pasta keeps quite well, and whether you like to eat your leftovers cold or throw them in the microwave, pasta is a solid choice for an easy lunch. Not to mention you can cover two meals with one meal prep.
Tofu and Hummus Sandwich
Tofu on a sandwich? Sure! If you’re a tofu aficionado, why not just have a basic sandwich, with the meat substituted by tofu. Try some hummus, tofu, and cucumber. Nothing too fancy, and it’s easy to throw this one together in minutes.
Bean Salad
A bean salad is similar to the chickpea salad above, but with even more bean variety! Try it with chickpeas, kidney beans, and black beans. You can even use the same vinaigrette you would use on your chickpea salad. Don’t forget to add your favorite veggies. We recommend parsley, onion, cucumber, and tomato.
Thai Curry
Curry is a great choice for a vegetarian lunch. Thai curry often comes in a vegetarian variety, using tofu instead of meat. It’s a delicious, flavourful lunch, and you can have it over rice to keep you full all afternoon.
Veggie Wrap
How about a simple veggie wrap for lunch? Load up a wrap with all of your favourite healthy foods. If you are worried about it not being filling enough, try adding hummus and avocado to the mix. It also goes great with a vegetarian tzatziki sauce.
Veggie Burger
While usually thought of more as a dinner food, there’s nothing wrong with packing a veggie burger for lunch! You can pack the patty separately to heat it up in the microwave, or even eat it cold. Dress it up like a normal burger and you’ve got a great, delicious lunch.
Conclusion
Thanks so much for checking out our inspiration ideas for vegetarian lunches! As you can see, a vegetarian diet doesn’t have to be quite as limiting as it may seem. Try one of these delicious lunches, or put your own spin on any one of them. Lunch doesn’t have to be boring!
About the Author
Alissa is a resilience coach, cartoonist, and advocate for ‘connection, not perfection’. She’s dedicated to helping others find a sense of safety and belonging inside themselves so they can heal, connect, and build authentic, joyful lives.