Why not give your kids’ lunch box a meat-free makeover this back to school season? With a bit of planning you can cut the junk out, move beyond ham & cheese sandwiches and give your child a protein packed and healthy veggie school lunch once or twice a week.
Below I have rounded up some meat-free recipes that are easy to make. They are suitable for both adults and kids so you can gain time by preparing together work & school lunch boxes. Packed with low fat protein and fibre; beans, pulses, whole grains make ideal vegetarian options.
Soups, quiches, muffins can be made ahead in batch and frozen. Frittatas, fritters and pasta are easy dinner options and leftovers can be used the next day. You will find some additional breakfast inspiration here.
Don’t forget to check out Lunchbots’ wide range of BPA-Free food containers for both adults & kids. They are so practical and even include an insulated food jar for soups and stews.
Rainbow Salad Wrap by Jamie Oliver [vegetarian]
Carrot & Houmous Roll-Ups by BBC Good Food [vegan]
Curried Quinoa Wrap by Lunchbox Bunch [vegan]
Creamy Greek Salad Wrap by Kitchen Treaty [vegetarian]
Cool Refried Bean Wrap by Veg Kitchen [vegan]
Mellow Lentil “Sniffle Soup” by Dreena Burton [vegan]
Winter Lentil Soup by Real Simple [flexitarian]
White Bean and Pasta Soup by The Tolerant Vegan [vegan]
Sweet Potato and Lentil Soup by BBC Good Food [vegetarian]
Red Lentil and Carrot Coconut Soup by The Flexitarian [vegan]
Spanish Spinach Omelette by BBC Good Food [vegetarian]
Quinoa & Broccoli Frittatas by Citronlimette [vegetarian]
Veggie Eggs & Cheese Lunch Pies by Fresh for Kids [vegetarian]
Cheddar Pasta Frittata by Delicious Magazine [vegetarian]
Vegetable Frittata Muffin by Joy Bauer [vegetarian]
Tortellini with Pesto & Broccoli by BBC Good Food [flexitarian]
Lunch Box Quinoa Salad with Veggies by MOMables [vegan]
Tangy Couscous Salad by BBC Good Food [vegetarian]
Three Grain Grilled Vegetable and Feta Salad by Naturally Ella [vegetarian]
Root Vegetable and Cauliflower Tagine by Food & Wine [vegetarian]
Asian Quinoa Salad by Two Peas and Their Pod [vegan]
Sweet Lentil Salad & Green by Love & Lentils [vegan]
Lebanese Lemon Parsley Bean Salad by Cookie & Kate [vegan]
Zesty Black-Eyes-Pea Salad by A Dash of Soul [vegan]
Veggie Chilli by Jamie Oliver [vegan]
Vegetable Stew by Woman’s Weekly [vegan]
Green Club Sandwich by BBC Good Food [vegan]
Mediterranean Sandwich by The Flexitarian [vegan]
Better-than-Tuna Salad Sandwich by The Fig Tree [vegetarian]
Roasted Red Pepper Hummus, Avocado, & Feta Sandwich by Tow Peas and Their Pod [vegetarian]
Cheesy Quinoa Bites by So Very Blessed [vegetarian]
Oven Baked Falafel by Chocolate & Zucchini [vegan]
Mini Spanakopitas by My Recipes [vegetarian]
Leek & Feta Quiches by The Flexitarian [vegetarian]
Cheese & Spinach Pasties by BBC Good Food [vegetarian]
Butternut Squash, Sage and Parmesan Pasties by The Kitchn [flexitarian]
Vegetable Fritters by Taste [vegetarian]
Potato Cakes with Broccoli and Cheese by Food 52 [vegetarian]
Courgette Fritters by Nigella Lawson [vegetarian]
Rice and Vegetable Fritters [vegetarian]
Sweetcorn Fritters by Good to Know [vegetarian]
Classic Hummus, with variations by VegKitchen [vegan]
Roasted Red Pepper Hummus by BBC Food [vegan]
Three Easy Dips for Kids by BBC Food [vegan]
Broccoli Dip by Real Simple [vegetarian]
Paleo Egg Muffins by Healthy Crush [vegetarian]
Sweet Potato, Kale and Feta Muffins by Betty Crocker [vegetarian]
Cheese and Mushroom Muffins by The PaperCup Kitchen [vegetarian]
Savoury Carrot and Courgette Muffins by Sainsbury’s [vegetarian]
Power Packed Oat Bars by Annabel Karmel [vegetarian]
Breakfast Bar by BBC Good Food [vegetarian]
Chocolate & Banana Flapjack by Tinned Tomatoes [vegan]
Rhubarb Oat Bars by A Bit of Sunshine [vegan]
Sugar Free Banana and Date Flapjack by Mumsnet [vegan]
Follow The Flexitarian’s board Lunchbox Recipes on Pinterest.
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Raise those young ones on healhy foods now! Important to start em young.
More healthy foods options to choose from different variations for your kid’s snacks and food. Thank you for sharing those awesome ideas which are helpful to us parents to provide new and healthy food to my kids.
Cakes (whether homemade or bought in) can only be served at lunchtime, as they can be high in fat and/or sugar. This includes cookies and flapjacks, scones and pastries such as croissants. Breadsticks and crackers are classed as savory biscuits, and should not be provided at times other than lunch.
Malt loaf and other bread type products like bagels, currant and fruit bread, crumpets, tea cakes and English muffins can be served at any time, as these tend to be lower in fat and sugar.
Processed fruit bars are classed as confectionery, so cannot be provided in schools at any time of the day. The processing releases the sugar from the cells within the fruit and can do more damage to children’s teeth than plain dried fruit.
As plain dried fruit is permitted, fruit bars made solely from compacted dried fruit (where the outline of the fruit is clearly visible) are permitted in schools. These can be provided at any time of the day, but schools may choose to provide them at mealtimes only, to help protect children’s teeth. We would consider that products that have undergone more processing than simply compacting dried fruit to be confectionery.