Looking to shake up your lunchbox game? Try these vegan packed lunch ideas to jumpstart your creativity, whether you’re packing lunch for yourself or your kid.
Vegan Packed Lunch Ideas for All Ages
Y’all, my child is in KINDERGARTEN. I can’t believe it. He is loving his new school and adjusting like a champ. Now that he’s seeming so big, I feel like I need to adjust his lunches accordingly. Those preschool lunches I was packing just don’t feel like they’re cutting it anymore. I needed some kindergarten-worthy vegan lunch ideas.
Of course, not everyone reading this is packing lunches for a kindergartener, so the list below includes more grownup vegan lunch ideas, too. I tried to include something for everyone!
Lunchbox Supplies
Last time I talked about lunches, I got a lot of questions about the containers my family uses. Below are the lunchboxes I use for my son, the one Dave uses for his lunches, and a thermos a friend recommended that’s on my to-buy list. Her daughter LOVES it!
Kid-Friendly Lunch Box
For my son, I am still using this Lock & Lock box with four removable compartments. I love this BPA-free modular lunchbox, because my kid can open and close it himself, and I can change up the inner containers to suit what we’re packing.
This graphic from my post on preschool lunches gives you an idea of how I make the most of the inner containers:
See how we mix up the configuration?
My Husband’s Lunchboxes
Dave has been on the hunt for the ideal meal prep container, and he landed on this one. They’re nice and big, so there’s plenty of room for the huge sandwiches he favors at lunchtime.
When he brings leftovers from supper, he usually totes them in these lidded Pyrex containers, because we use different sizes of these to store all of our food, and he has access to a microwave to reheat. Why dirty another dish, right?
If we have a bunch of leftovers, I’ll divvy them up between a couple of those Pyrex containers, so Dave and I both have portioned-out lunches to grab and eat.
Thermos Recommendation
I have not personally tried these yet, but my friend, Andrea, says she and her daughter love this Thermos for bringing in warm leftovers (bonus: it’s adorable!). She reheats leftovers in the morning, then piles them into this baby. I’m not ready to send my kid with soups and stews yet, so I haven’t ponied up for a Thermos for him.
Vegan Packed Lunch Ideas
Got your containers of choice handy? Let’s talk vegan packed lunch goodness!
1. The Mighty Sandwich
My kid kind of hates bread right now (I KNOW!), but Dave brings sandwiches a lot. Obviously, you can do sandwiches all kinds of ways, but this is how he tends to make variations on this:
- whole grain bread
- hummus
- avocado
- cucumber
- lettuce
- Tofurkey deli slices (sometimes)
- vegan cheese slice (sometimes)
He’ll usually pack an apple and some pretzels or pita chips to go with this.
For our bread-shunning child, sometimes I do a deconstructed sandwich with that Lock & Lock box I mentioned. One section has a few rolled up Tofurkey slices, one has grape tomatoes and a piece of vegan cheese, and I fill the rest with popcorn or pretzels. He gets an orange or an apple on the side, since you can pack those without a container. It’s not the healthiest lunch, but he loves it!
2. “Egg” Salad
When I get it together to make a batch of Magical Tofu “Egg” Salad on Sunday, we are set for lunches through Wednesday! Use it to stuff a pita or regular bread, send it solo with pita chips and veggies to dip, or send it as a topping for green salad.
If you do want to use this as a salad topper, I recommend packing the tofu salad in a separate container from the actual salad, so you won’t end up with soggy greens. It’s easy enough to dump the tofu salad on at lunchtime. Don’t forget to pack a fork!
3. Chickpea Salad
There are lots of ways to make a tasty chickpea salad, but I love this recipe that uses red grapes for a little bit of tart-sweetness. Like the “Egg” Salad, you can pack it up as a sandwich, a dip, or a green salad topping.
4. Chipotle Tofu Rainbow Wraps
Make the air fryer (or baked) tofu for Jackie’s lunchtime wraps the night before, and assemble them in the morning for a hearty, filling packed lunch.
5. Kale Salad
I know, kale salad is a total vegan cliche. That’s because kale salad is awesome, y’all! You might think of salad as a side dish, but a fully-loaded one, like Cadry’s Kale Salad with Roasted Chickpeas & Baked Tofu or my Macadamia Nut Kale and Broccoli Salad, are totally meal-worthy.
6. Chili or Stew
Now’s the time to bust out that Thermos! Leftover chili is your friend. Our favorite is my Instant Pot Chili, which we make with or without the tofu, depending on how we’re feeling. If chili alone doesn’t feel like enough, pack a Cornbread Muffin to go with it.
I’m a big believer that stews taste even better the next day. Fill up a thermos with my Vegan Chicken Stew or Vegan Beef Stew for a hearty, warm lunch. A cornbread muffin is a nice way to round this out, if you feel like stew alone isn’t enough at lunchtime.
7. Vegan Bacon Sandwich
Whip up a batch of my Balsamic Tofu Bacon or whatever vegan bacon you prefer the night before, and you’re ready to build the vegan BLT of your dreams! I like mine with lettuce, tomato, avocado, and vegan mayo.
If you’re packing lunch for a sandwich-hater, just pair up the bacon with grape tomatoes or carrot sticks, a fruit of their choice, and some kind of starch (pretzels, cubed sweet potato, corn…whatever they like eating).
8. Sushi Burrito
Any time we make sushi burritos, Dave requests an extra one, so he can bring it to lunch the next day. The rice hardens a bit in the fridge overnight, but it softens back up by lunchtime.
My kid mutilates any kind of rolled sushi, so I’d go the deconstructed route here again – pack his favorite sushi burrito elements (rice, carrots & avocado, tofu, mango) in sections of his Lock & Lock and send a pack of seaweed snacks on the side.
9. Pasta Salad
This is another side dish that can totally be a meal, with the right mix-ins. A big helping of Dianne’s Vegan Caesar Pasta Salad is packed with filling beans and veggies. My Southwest-Style Pasta Salad and Pasta Salad with Avocado Lime Basil Aioli are also hearty vegan packed lunch ideas. Throw your favorite fruit into a separate container, and you’re lunch-ready.
10. Vegan Curried Chicken Salad
What can I say? I love mayo-based salads, and Sarah’s Curried Chicken Salad is top notch! It’s made with Beyond Meat Chicken, but you can use your favorite vegan chicken sub, like chicken-style seitan or even pressed tofu.
Just like the other mayo salads on this list, you can make it into a sandwich or wrap, send it with pita chips and veggies for dipping, or send it with a green salad on the side, for last-minute mixing.
11. Sushi Bowl
A sushi bowl makes a great cold lunch. Just fill your box about 1/3 with prepared sushi rice, then pile on all of your toppings. You can use this sushi bowl recipe or just riff with your favorite sushi fillings.
For to-go sushi bowls, I don’t pack the seaweed (or seaweed snacks) in the box, since they’ll get soggy. Instead, send them in a smaller container on the side. If you’re using the Lock & Lock, you can just put one of the inner sections in before filling the box with rice and toppings, then cut the seaweed to fit into that little square.
12. Air Fryer Meal Prep
If you really want to knock out a bunch of packed lunches at once, meal prepping is your friend. This easy recipe uses quinoa (or grain of your choice) as the base topped with air fryer sweet potatoes and brussels sprouts. Two blender sauces keep things interesting all week long.
13. Guacamole Salad
Guac isn’t extra, if you make it at home. Not every salad is meal-worthy, but Amy’s Guacamole Salad will totally fill you up. To avoid soggy greens, pack the guacamole and the oil and lime juice on the side, so you can mix it in just before serving. This is another meal that would be lovely with a cornbread muffin to go with.
14. Sesame Noodle Bowl
Whip up a big batch of my Cold Sesame Noodles, and you’ve got the base for all kinds of great vegan lunch ideas, just add protein and veggies! Here are some ideas for how to build your bowl:
- Protein: cooked or uncooked tofu, edamame, cashews, almonds, or canned and drained adzuki beans
- Veggies: sliced cucumber, carrot sticks, raw or cooked broccoli, raw or cooked kale, snap peas or snow peas, green onion, or shredded cabbage
- Optional sauce ideas: Blender Peanut Butter Sauce, Red Curry Almond Sauce, All-Purpose Coconut Curry Sauce
15. Napa Cabbage Wraps
Napa Cabbage Wraps with Sesame Noodles are a healthy make-ahead vegan lunch idea that you can pack up the night before. Pack the tofu and noodles in one container, then send the Napa cabbage leaves separately, for lunchtime-wrapping. You can also do this salad-style in a single container. Shred the cabbage leaves, then layer on the noodles and tofu. You do you!
Cadry
Becky, this post has made me SO HUNGRY. (After I leave this comment, I’m running to the kitchen. STAT.) There are so many good ideas here, and that thermos is adorable. When I used to do touring children’s theatre, it was always a treat when I packed lunch in a thermos. Because there’s something immediately special about a warm lunch when you’re away from home. Thanks for including my kale salad in your list!