Packing Lunch

Hi AK, This is from vegfamily.com. Hope it helps!

Lunch-Packing Tips:
Freeze a PBJ sandwich or a juice box, and it will serve as an ice pack while it thaws in time for lunch.
Let kids help pack lunch in the morning, so they pick things they'll eat!
Keep a variety of small bottles of juices (apple, orange, tomato) to choose from.
Be creative with different breads, bagels, wraps, pockets, and crackers for sandwiches.
Pack a little note with their lunches to say "I love you and I'm thinking about you today!"
Be sure to check the Recipes section of VegFamily for other soups, salads, dressings and dips.
Sandwiches:
Peanut butter and jelly
Peanut butter and apple or banana slices
Peanut butter and grated carrots
Nut butter sandwiches on small crackers
Nut butter and jelly on a whole grain bagel
Almond butter and bananas
Peanut butter with sliced bananas rolled up inside a flour tortilla
Hummus, shredded carrots and celery rolled up inside a flour tortilla
Hummus on whole wheat bread
Hummus or baba ghanouj instead of mayo
Hummus with tomatoes, cucumber and lettuce
Hummus with sliced grapes
Hummus with grated carrot
Hummus with sliced & sautéed mushrooms
Leftover pasta or grain dishes in a wrap
Cucumbers or tomatoes and soy cream cheese with sprouts in a wrap
Tofu mayonnaise mixed with nut butters, celery and peppers
Vegan cream cheese and jelly sandwiches, cut up into quarters or fingers
Avocado mashed on crackers
Roasted red pepper with tomato and soy cream cheese
Tofu egg salad in a pita pocket with lettuce
Mock chicken salad
Warm lunches:
Heat these up in the morning and pack in a thermos.
Leftovers
Bean and veggie soup with toast fingers to dip in it
Rice and beans, with shredded vegan cheese on the side to mix in
Pasta and marinara sauce
Frozen peas sautéed in a bit of olive oil and garlic powder
Canned chickpeas sautéed in a bit of olive oil and cumin
Canned chickpeas and tomatoes sautéed in olive oil and basil
Cold Meals:
Cubes of marinated/baked tofu
Ziti or multicolored finger food pasta with grated soy cheese and tomato sauce for dipping
Chickpeas, green beans and macaroni (mixed together, no sauce)
Veggie dog wrapped in biscuit dough and baked
Baby potatoes and carrots, cooked whole, with tofu-based dip
Falafel
Baked white or sweet potato 'fries' with cubed veggie burger and ketchup to dip
Taco salad - nachos with chopped tomatoes, guacamole, shredded vegan cheese and other toppings
Quesadillas - vegan cheese with refried beans and whatever veggies are handy
Pancake with fruit spread to dip
French toast cut into bars with maple syrup, jam, or applesauce for dipping
Cold pasta salad - use leftover vegetables, vary the shapes/colors of pasta and the salad dressings
Brown rice or whole wheat couscous based salad
Kidney or black bean salad
Snacks and Sides:
Fresh fruit with dip (vegan cream cheese mixed with juice concentrate or preserves)
Fruit salad
Fruit cups
Dried fruit
Fruit leather
Banana
Raisins
Applesauce
Apple slices with peanut butter to dip
Apples, cut in half, cored and filled with peanut butter, make raisin eyes and pretzel legs, then wrap in plastic wrap, or a container
Ants on a log - spread peanut butter or vegan cream cheese in celery and top with raisins
Carrots, celery and pita bread triangles with hummus for dipping
Fresh veggies and hummus
Celery and carrots with peanut butter to dip
Broccoli with dip
Baba ghanouj (roast eggplant purée) for dipping veggies
Veggie/Fruity/Pirate's Booty
Baked chips
Peanut butter spread on whole wheat crackers
Nuts
Trail mix
Granola bars
Dry cereal
Soy yogurt
Soy cheese cut in cubes
Drinks:
Juice boxes
Soymilk or ricemilk boxes
Bottled water
Soy shakes
Warm apple cider in a thermos
Herb tea in a thermos
Cocoa in a thermos

Pack him a vegetarian wrap as a sandwich.

For my kids I might pack them some pita slices filled with different stir-fried veggies & cheese, celery filled with peanut butter or cream cheese, a non-flavored wrap with cream cheese and jelly or peanut butter, cottage cheese with pineapple, guacamole and chips, pretzels, mixed nuts, yogurt, and then of course all those varieties of fruits and veggies.
Hope this helps - and it's great you want your kid to eat healthy!

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Hello A K -

You could do veggie roll ups with your choice of lettuce leaves,slices of cheese,thin slices of tomato & onion etc,throw a few packets of mustard from the take out place you got them from LOL (always good to keep on hand ;-) )then he just rolls them up in the same container the veggies slices are at for quick cleanup.

The frozen veggie burgers that come in their own plastic casing-be thawed by lunch & (if microwave is available)-place in for about 2 minutes-or have seen some like it COLD lol..veggies etc-bun optional.

fruit & yogurt for dipping.

HTHIA =)

Is there a microwave at the preschool? I give my son Minute Rice brand that is ready to serve and it comes in brown rice (it just takes 1 minute to heat). I also send yogurt, string cheese, fruits and veggies, wraps (cream cheese and diced veggies wrapped in a tortilla), soybeans, mac n cheese packs, and Boca Burger brand "chicken" patties. Hope that helps.

Hey A.K.

Just wanted to throw out that you might want to ask what your pre-school's policy is regarding nuts and nut butters. A lot of pre-schools won't allow any nut products if there are children in class who have peanut allergies. I know my daughter's pre-school won't. Looks like Faith gave you a lot of "food for thought," so I'll end here. I hope your son has a great time.

Al

Hi, I've got a 5yr. old ovo-veggy daughter and I'm always looking for new inspiration for lunchbox ideas.

Although your son isn't vegan, this blogspot has a LOT of great ideas. http://veganlunchbox.blogspot.com/