These easy vegan lunch ideas for kids are both nutritious and delicious. A list of a variety of options to break out of that bored lunch phase!
From colorful veggie wraps to protein-packed salads, these recipes make plant-based eating fun and satisfying. Fuel the day with wholesome ingredients and creative flavors that will keep kids energized and excited about their meals.
This post was originally published on December 14, 2015.
Making lunches can be one of the things I dread the most. As easy as it sounds, it's not my favorite. I love using these ideas and even creating a vegan lunch meal plan to follow!
Vegan Lunches For Kids
It's easy to get into a lunch rut, and as creative as you think you are, your brain may not cooperate when you need it most. So this list of vegan lunch box ideas will keep you from hating the every day lunch making task!
As we all know, you can't just throw one thing in the lunch box every day, day after day. Kids (all people really) like variety, at least to an extent. Pick one or two items from each section below to build a vegan lunch for school kids will be excited to eat!
Ideas for Mains
When it comes to vegan kids lunches, you need to make sure to include something that will fill them up. Skip the deli meat sandwich and try any of these:
- Avocado sandwich - avocado, bread, and a touch of lemon pepper if your kids are adventurous.
- Nut/sun butter banana rolls - spread butter on tortilla, top with thinly sliced bananas, roll & cut.
- Cooked pasta with chopped veggies - see recipe card below for instructions
- Nut/sun butter & jelly sandwich or burrito - put on bread or in a pita or tortilla
- Hummus & cucumber sandwich - spread hummus and top with thinly sliced cucumber.
- Vegan spinach grilled cheese sandwich or quesadilla - fresh spinach and vegan cheese grilled into a sandwich or a quesadilla.
- Bean burrito - include vegan cheese too!
- Vegan quesadilla - with beans
- Veggie pinwheels
- Rice salad - favorite rice mixed with veggies, works great with leftover dinner veggies.
- Veggie burger nuggets - I use my veggie burger recipes but bake them into nuggets.
- Mashed chickpea sandwich
- Grilled Burritos - these have become a huge favorite!
- Any leftovers from food they actually ate (dream big my friends, dream big)
- Bagel sandwich - fits perfectly in the big container area.
- Open faced bagel with vegan cream cheese - you can top with thinly sliced fruit or veggies (cucumbers, tomatoes, peaches, fresh figs, etc).
- Open faced rice cake sandwich - spread rice cake with peanut butter, vegan cream cheese or hummus and top with thinly sliced veggies, nuts, dried fruit, seeds.
- Mashed bean and avocado roll up - mash beans on tortilla, mash avocado over beans, roll and cut into pieces.
- Pita bread, bagel pizza, or English muffin pizza - (spread pizza sauce on top, add thinly sliced veggies if desired, sprinkle vegan cheese on top and bake in toaster or regular oven)
- Seaweed snack roll ups
- Mexican pizza
- Polenta quesadillas
Fruit and Veggie Ideas
No matter if you're making classic, vegan, or vegetarian kids lunches, you should include some produce! Not only are fruit and veggies tasty, they're nutritious too.
Don't forget to include some vegan ranch dressing for dipping the veggies!
- Banana
- Apples
- Tangerines
- Strawberries, blackberries, raspberries
- Grapes
- Kiwi
- Mango
- Peaches
- Pineapple
- Carrots
- Celery
- Peas
- Zucchini & yellow squash, cut into sticks or rounds
- Broccoli (both raw and roasted, see recipe card below for roasting instructions)
- Cauliflower (both raw and roasted, see recipe card below for roasting instructions)
- Cucumbers
- Green beans
- Asparagus spears (slightly blanched, see recipe card below for blanching instructions)
- Roasted radishes (see recipe card below for roasting instructions)
- Thinly sliced lettuce or cabbage
- Apple nachos (put the caramel dip and toppings in it's own container)
- Veggie tots
Snacks and Extra Treat Ideas:
A vegan lunch for school should be just as fun as any other lunch! Kids love snacks and treats, might as well give them something they're excited about!
- Beans - simply freshly made or rinsed canned beans on the side
- Pretzels
- Dried fruit
- Dried fruit and sunflower seed mix -or nuts if they can have them
- Homemade trail mix - dried fruit, seeds and/or nuts, oh's cereal, other favorite dry cereal, coconut flakes, etc. all mixed together
- Dry cereal
- Granola - try this homemade granola, it's amazing!
- Granola bar or Larabar (if not nut free)
- Apple butter sandwiches - nut/sun butter in sliced apples
- Hummus - see my Greek hummus recipe or my white bean hummus recipe
- Crispy tofu - I simply do the tofu portion of this recipe
- Ants on a log - spread nut/sun butter in a celery stick and top with raisins or dried cranberries for red ants
- Muffin or healthy breakfast type cookie - like these banana oatmeal cookies, oatmeal raisin cookies, or breakfast cookies, and these apple cinnamon muffins
- Waffle sticks - waffles cut into sticks
- Raw treats like bars or balls - see my raw superfood balls, brownie batter bites, or these pumpkin pie protein balls
- Chocolate avocado pudding (take out caramel layer)
- Freeze dried fruit
- Fresh fruit and treat skewers - cut up fruit into cubes and put on a wooden skewer switching off between fruit and chocolatey treats like balls mentioned above or chocolate covered fruit (not for small children due to wooden skewer)
- Crispy chickpeas (see recipe card below for instructions)
- Cranberry crumble oatmeal bars
- Vegan parmesan potato chip rounds
- Banana oat blender muffins
Common Questions
I have many guides and lists of ways to make vegan meals an easy part of your eating plan. My favorites are Vegan Benefits - A Low Stress Approach, 30 Healthy Vegan Recipes, Easy 7 Day Vegan Meal Plan, and this 5 Day Raw Food Reset.
We use the Planetbox metal lunchboxes for our everyday lunch. There are many great lunchboxes out there but we tried and loved these, and they have lasted us for a long time.
I like to have my kids help make lunch, or even do it on their own, so the compartments are great in guiding them with packing. For a complete review of the Planetbox items we use, please scroll down to the very end of this post, past the recipe card.
When it comes to vegan kids lunches, (and adult lunches!) we like to focus on mostly whole foods with a little treat thrown in. Anything that doesn't include animal products (dairy, meat, eggs, honey) works if you want a vegan based lunch.
And extra bonus, kids can help make their lunch with most of these vegan lunch ideas! And if you want breakfast or snack ideas, Vegan Recipes for Kids has you covered.
More Kid Friendly Vegan Recipes
Having plenty of school lunch ideas is great, but kids need breakfast and dinner too! Keep those kids happy with any of these recipes:
Easy Vegan Lunch Ideas For Kids- Individual instructions
Ingredients
Roasting veggies:
- 2 cups your kid's favorite veggies (like broccoli, cauliflower, radishes, etc)
- drizzle your favorite oil or broth (for roasting)
- dash sea salt
- your kid's favorite spices , optional (we like garlic powder, oregano, and smoked paprika but many kids don't want any)
Blanching veggies:
- 2 cups your kid's favorite veggies
- dash sea salt
Cooked pasta with chopped veggies:
- 8 ounces pasta of choice , gluten free if needed
- 1 cup chopped fresh veggies of choice (like zucchini, squash, broccoli, etc.)
- dash sea salt
Crispy Chickpeas:
- 15 ounces canned chickpeas (one can)
- drizzle your favorite oil , optional
- dash sea salt
- your kid's favorite spices , optional (we like garlic powder, oregano, dill, parsley, and smoked paprika but many kids don't want any)
Instructions
Roasting veggies:
- Cut veggie into cube sized pieces.
- Toss in a drizzle of oil or broth if oil free, sea salt, and your spices of choice if using.
- Spread evenly on a parchment lined cookie sheet.
- Roast at 450 F/230 C for 30-40 minutes until veggies are crispy.
Blanching veggies:
- Cut your favorite veggies into large pieces.
- Get a large bowl of ice water ready.
- Bring water with a dash of salt to a boil.
- Drop veggies in and let boil for 2-3 minutes, until just tender.
- Drain immediately and plunge into ice water to remain crispness.
Cooked pasta with chopped veggies:
- Cook pasta according to package directions.
- Put chopped fresh veggies into pasta strainer.
- When pasta is done cooking, drain over chopped veggies in the strainer. The heat of the water will slightly blanch the veggies.
- Mix with vegan cheese if desired and/or a dash of sea salt.
Crispy Chickpeas:
- Drain chickpeas. If using oil, then rinse with water and dry. If not using oil you don't need to rinse or dry.
- Toss with oil if using, sea salt and spices of choice if using. You can also wait to toss with spices until after they are baked so that the spices are fresh.
- Place on a parchment lined cookie sheet.
- Bake at 400 F/205 C for 20-30 minutes or until crispy. Start checking at 25 minutes as ovens vary.
Notes
- Times are based on an average of the 4 methods included.
- Nutritional value is based on an average calculation and is not exact.
Recipe by Veggies Don’t Bite, visit our site for more great plant-based recipes.
Nutrition
Nutrition and metric information should be considered an estimate.
Review of the PlanetBox lunchboxes:
Planetbox gave me these products to try at home back in 2015, I did not receive payment other than this to write this post. I still use these all as of the time I updated this post!
I used the PlanetBox setup for two weeks to see what I loved, didn't love, and got feedback from the boys on what they thought. First off, their water bottle, the BottleRocket, is top notch. Seriously.
Don't even get me started on most water bottles out there. This one is uber easy to clean, the boys can open and close it without a tantrum (key), and they are sturdy (made of stainless steel like the lunch box).
For the lunchbox, we used the Rover, it comes with two cute containers as well (note: the containers have been updated so see their site for the newest version with the silicone tops which I think are way better than the ones we have). It is also easy to open/close, and best part of all is that it is easy to clean! The one we were using before had deep containers and it was so hard to get in there with a dish brush (I hate sponges but that's a post for another time).
But this one has deep enough containers to hold food but shallow enough to clean easily. Perfect happy medium. Yay! An added bonus is the adorable customizable magnets the kids can use to decorate the top.
My boys really love picking theirs out each day and I feel it makes them own their lunch a little more. So overall, I would totally recommend the PlantBox. We love them and am so happy to have made the switch. I see these lasting for a very very long time, especially with the addition of customizable magnets!
Erica
I love these ideas! I'm a (mostly vegan) vegetarian and I'm starting at a job where I work in an office for 2-3 days a week. I'll definitely use your suggestions. Thank you for sharing.
veggiesdontbite
I am so happy I can help make lunches easier!
Sarah
I found this post by googling "vegan bento box toddler" and you were a top hit. Love the ideas! I also love that you keep the seasonings so simple, the way kids like it. I want to make these lunches for myself!
veggiesdontbite
Wow Sarah! Thank you so so much! I am thrilled I can help with ideas! These are all my kids approved, so I wanted to share with hopes others can get inspired! Thank you for being here!
Kristina
Lots of lovely ideas! Actually your whole website is amazing! I listened to a podcast today - dishing with delicious and I had to check out your site! Amazing recipes and ideas! I started blogging about dairy free cooking due to my daughter's allergy; you have some great tips here! It is so inspiring for a new blogger like me to see your success! It gives me hope 🙂 Although I know I have a long journey ahead. Thank you for sharing!
veggiesdontbite
Thank you so much Kristina! So happy you found me through Elaine! She is the sweetest and I had the best time on the podcast. Best of luck to you and your journey!
Lynne
I don't have children, but I still am always on the lookout for fast and easy lunch ideas, so I was happy to read this post. If I were still working, I'd be ordering the PlanetBox lunch boxes in a heart beat. Instead I sent your post to my step-daughter suggesting she consider the the lunch boxes (and hopefully some healthy meal ideas) for her young son. Thanks for sharing this info with us! Your posts are always a welcome message in my mail box!
veggiesdontbite
Hi Lynne! Thank you SO much for the kind words. I really love hearing how helpful this is! The PlanetBox's are great and we still use them this many years later! Thank you so much for being here!
Tabatha
We have been struggling to find Vegan ideas for kids lunches and for every meal really. Can't wait to try these ideas out on Zach and Zoe 5 & 2. Our family is transitioning to WFPB and I struggle with finding things they will eat, so many great ideas here to try I'm excited to see how it goes. Love the containers I will have to order some they r perfect for the way my kids eat too, a little of this a little of that small spots for treats and big compartments for fruit and veggies enough ideas to not get bored. Great info thank u so much!
veggiesdontbite
Hi Tabatha! I am so happy to have you here!! I hope some of these work, I totally understand the kid thing. It's so hard! My one piece of advice is start slowly. Let them ease into a transition, with some foods they like and are use to and some new ones. They will get there so be patient! And be patient with yourselves too!
Shanasy
Thanks for the quick and easy ideas! I have forwarded this to my FB group 'Super Quick Plant-Based Recipes' and I think they will love this AND your site!
veggiesdontbite
You're welcome! Thanks for forwarding this to your group! I so appreciate you being here!
Cassie
While I’m in university, to-go meals always come in handy. I always pack fruit, nuts, roasted vegetables like pumpkin and sweet potato, and legume-based snacks with me! The Tupperware you used in this post is probably incredible. All the little compartments and the sealing are perfect!!
veggiesdontbite
Thanks Cassie! I love the box we use, have used it for 3 years ever since they first sent them to me. All those snacks sound great!
Emily Kemp
These lunch boxes look great, I love all the little compartments. Thanks for all the yummy lunch ideas too, very helpful!
Emily
This is perfect thank you! Glad you went with the picture of the toddler fingers, as it's what drew me to your website! I have 4 kids, oldest is 5, youngest is 2 months and we just went vegan. Since we homeschool, I like to make their lunches the night before so they're ready to go for the next day. So happy to have a great list of lunch ideas!
veggiesdontbite
Thank you Emily! This makes me so happy to hear!! Making lunch easy is what we are all about around here!
Jaime
Noticed these containers aren't for hot foods. Food (including veggie burger bites) served cold?
veggiesdontbite
Hi Jaime! They do recommend that you don't put in HOT items and shut the lid. The metal would get hot and can also bend, however I put warmish stuff in, like things that were just heated such as grilled cheeses. But I simply keep the lid open until the items cool down.
Selena
Love the beautiful lunch ideas! Can you please tell me with the avocado sandwiches and the banana roll ups how do you keep them from turning brown before lunch time. Thank you for your time.
veggiesdontbite
Hi Selena! Thank you so much. I don't usually do anything because my boys don't care and they don't actually turn that brown. The reason they brown is when they are exposed to the oxygen in the air. So if you tried to keep the avocado and banana mostly covered with bread or tortilla/nut butter they would stay pretty well. Try not cutting the sandwich, or cutting the bread first then putting the avocado in the center and squish the bread around it. Then for the roll up, cover up any banana you see with a thin layer of nut butter. I've tried the "cover up" method at home and it really works. I had some rice, black beans and diced avocado in a glass container and made sure the rice and beans completely covered the avocado. The next day it was green as could be!! Always start with a good fresh one though.
Becky Striepe
I love these ideas! I'm glad I'm not the only mom who uses frozen veggies in her kid's lunches. So easy!
veggiesdontbite
Thanks Becky! Yes! It's great to have the frozen option! Easy to get in veggies at lunchtime! My kids love them.
Trinity Bourne
This is such a beautiful post! I love how visual it is... suddenly missing having little kiddos again. ahhhw...
veggiesdontbite
Thank you Trinity! That means a lot. I bet you miss the littles, but I'm sure there are some awesome things about your kids growing too!
The Vegan 8
This is a fantastic post Sophia!! Those boxes look very well made and especially the water bottles...definitely good quality! Love, love that they are stainless steel and not crappy plastic! Great snack and lunch ideas that you shared too. This would be a wonderful resource for any mommies and daddies out there!!
veggiesdontbite
Thank you so much Brandi! They are so well made. And the water bottles are awesome. Zero issues with leaks and so easy to clean! Hoping this list helps out others!
Jenn
We love the plant boxes too...we have that same one! And your kids' lunches look VERY similar to what I send with my son every day! I still remember his Kindergarten teacher (2 years ago) during parent teacher conference raving about his delicious looking lunches. LOL!
veggiesdontbite
Aren't they great?? We are loving them so far. I'm sure your kids get great lunches! Lucky little ones!