School Lunches, Vegetarian-Style

My kids go back to school early this year, on August 12th. As much as I love school supply shopping (new notebooks! new pens!), I feel like my mind is still set to Summer and I’m still a bit school-resistant.

Best to ease on in with……..food. Below, are some of my tried and true vegetarian school-day lunch ideas.

The easiest way to put together a lunch is with a selection of basics:

Proteins:
Nuts, seeds, tofu cubes (marinated or plain), nut butters, cheese (easiest choice is string cheese), yogurt, and beans (refried or whole).

Fruit:
Kiwi (cut in half, pack a spoon), banana (1/2 is a serving size), mandarins (easy to peel, perfect for little hands), plums (very juicy this time of the year, pack a washcloth)… you get the idea, whatever is in season.

Grains:
Whole grain crackers (pair withcheese or nut butter), flour or wheat tortillas (simple roll-ups with tofu or cheese), brown rice, bread (for sandwich, of course), pasta (kids love corkscrews and shells best), granola, and coucous.

Vegetables:
Carrots, celery (Bugs on a Log! Spread with nut butter, sprinkle with raisins), cherry tomato, cucumbers (make little sandwiches with cucumbers as the “bread”), peas, edamame, whatever your kids like.

Extras:
So many things to add, try dried fruits (raisins, cranberries, cherries, and apricots are a good start), salad dressing, cream cheese, and baked chips (corn chips, beans, cheese, salsa and you’ve got instant nachos).

Use the extras to make the basics more interesting. The Bugs on a Log is an example, or throw together some grated cheese, cherry tomato, peas, pasta, and salad dressing for a quick pasta salad. Pack some granola in a little container along with raisins and sprinkle over granola before serving. Add some apple sticks and you’ve got a whole meal.

I like to send a frozen fruit juice to keep everything chilled. Or use a re-freezeable cold pack. They make them in fun shapes like flowers, cookies, footballs. When the weather turns cooler, it’s easy to pack items like refried beans, veggie chili, or soup in a thermos.

I worked in the school cafeteria for 3 school years. If you want kids to eat their lunch and not throw it away, make it fun. They like a kit sort of set-up with separate containers of ingredients. That’s why products like Lunchables are so popular.

Happy back to school to you!!

Image credit: Michelle Smith