It’s that time of year again – lunch at school or the office! If you’re hoping to eat more healthily, why not try these vegan lunch ideas?
By Lora O’Brien
School’s back in, holidays are over, and for most of us, lunch has gone from salads by the ocean or picnics in the park to a sandwich snatched between meetings. That sucks, because it’s really hard to find something healthy when you’re on the go and have like, 20 minutes for lunch!
The solution? Make your own!
Taking packed lunches to work or school is a great idea – you get to choose if you make the ingredients organic or not (of course, try to when you can!) and more importantly, you know exactly what’s in every bite. As a bonus – you will use far, far less waste than the typical ‘fast food lunch. Better for your health, better for the health of the planet!
Of course you’ll need some basic equipment. Be sure to have some eco-friendly reusable containers on hand, or some waxed paper to wrap sarnies. For liquids, a Mason jar or reusable thermos will do. Love some variety in your lunch? Copy what the Japanese do and purchase a reusable Bento Box.
Remember: avoid plastic containers. Especially ‘harder’ ones that contain hormone disrupting BPA. And don’t ever microwave anything in plastic (especially plastic wrap) or in any paper container (like a Tetra pack) that’s coated in plastic inside. The chemicals leach into the food, more so when heated by a microwave.
Hope you enjoy these Packable Vegan Lunch Ideas that are perfect as pre-prepared meals to take with you to the office, college, or wherever you need to be.
17 Packable Vegan Lunches
1. Chickpea ‘Tuna’ Sandwich
Let’s face it, tuna stinks in more ways than just being fishy. It’s endangered, and yet people are happy to chomp it down like it’s popcorn or something. Plus, it’s full of mercury and other heavy metals. This chickpea tuna sandwich recipe has all the makings off a fabulous tuna sandwich. Well, minus the tuna. Chickpeas mash up to make an uncanny resemblance, and then using bay seasoning and some dill pickles, you really master that fishy vibe!
2. Spicy Bean & Sweet Potato Burritos
I love burritos! They’re a great food option when going to work or school. You can roll them up neatly and wrap them in some foil and they’ll stay in place until you’re ready to dive in. You can also stuff them to the brim with goodness – including high protein beans. This spicy bean and sweet potato combination with a little fresh salad is so, so good!
Get the recipe here.
3. Vegan Gyros
I don’t know about you, but come lunch time I’m more than ready to chow down on something insanely delicious to power me through the rest of the work day. And nothing excites me more than gyros! I tasted these when I visited Greece and they were to die for. For real. The veggie pulled pork jackfruit meat is juicy and flavoursome whilst the cooling tzatziki finishes it off nicely.
Get the recipe here.
4. Vegan Pate
This is one of the simplest vegan lunch ideas! This pate is made from chickpeas and a range of veggies. It’s a healthy and rich recipe that even non-vegan colleagues will be intrigued to try! Dip some crudites into it, spread it on a baguette, or make the crackers in this recipe and top them with this yummy spread!
Get the recipe here.
5. Miso Noodle Soup In A Jar
These Mason jar meals are super for when you’re at work. You just need to pop some boiled water into them, put on the lid, and the noodles will cook pretty quickly like a makeshift Pot Noodle – but without all those nasty chemicals. Our fave flav? The miso soup – just like a big bowl of ramen, but in a jar! You can make this the night before and store in the fridge, ready to add boiling water to later in the day.
Get the recipe here.
6. Vegan Olive & Artichoke Tart
This tart, or quiche to some, is one of the best vegan lunch ideas. It takes minutes to prepare, is hearty and comes loaded with veggies and flavour. The texture is spot on, even without egg, and you’ll trick even those non-vegans! The mixture is super creamy and almost custard-like in texture thanks to the cashews and beans.
Get the recipe here.
7. Roast Vegetable Quinoa Salad
A quinoa salad is really quick and easy to make, and one that will store well in a container so that you can take it along with you. Quinoa makes a great base as you can pretty much throw anything you like in with it. This vegan lunch recipe has roasted vegetables, but I’d also roast some sweet potato chunks and serve with spinach.
Get the recipe here.
8. Curried Tofu ‘Egg’ Salad
This curried tofu salad is rich and indulgent! It will taste as good in a sandwich as it will on a bed of crisp, fresh salad. Why not roast some jacket potatoes and take one along and top it with this egg-like salad for a loaded potato lunch? Yum!
Get the recipe here.
9. Vegan Meatball Subs
This is one of those vegan lunch ideas for those with big appetites! It has meatballs made from chickpeas, smothered in a tomato sauce, and it’s even topped with some vegan Parmesan.
Wrap these up in some tinfoil and stick in a toaster oven at work if you have one. If not, never fear – they’re still tasty when just warm, not hot. But I’m not guaranteeing you won’t get a bit messy eating one!
Get the recipe here.
10. Baked Green Pea Fritters
I love making fritters! They’re so versatile, and can even be served as veggie burgers if you like. These are tasty even when cold, and easy to pack to work. You can add them to salads, dip them in a herbed yogurt sauce, or put them into a sandwich, too.
Get the recipe here.
11. Cheesy Vegan Zoodles
Of all the vegan lunch ideas here, these may be the messiest, but my, they’re delish! And can you believe these only have six ingredients? And the best part is that these zoodles taste great hot OR cold. If you don’t have a spiraliser, well, you should probably get one right now! They’re a game changer, seriously. And did I mention this is one of the most packable of all the vegan lunch ideas? Throw it into a Mason jar, microwave (or just enjoy cold), and you’re good to go.
Get the recipe here.
12. Fattoush Salad
When most people think of vegan lunch ideas, they think ‘salad’. Yawn! But when it’s not only bursting with a variety of different flavours, but also the filling bonus of some toasted bread…well, that’s a different story! Make the most of your Mason jars and pack this delicious Lebanese salad into one for lunch.
Get the recipe here.
13. Vegan Loaded Sweet Potato
How many superfoods can you load into one meal? Kara Lydon has managed to get in loads: Omega 6 packed avocados, beta-carotene loaded sweet potatoes, and protein packed beans, to name a few. Forget your basic baked potato – there’s a new vegan lunch recipe to try!
Get the recipe here.
14. Vegan Poke Bowl
Did you know? In Japanese, ‘poke’ means ‘to slice or cut.’ So a poke bowl is usually a dish served with sliced fish. But luckily, vegans have decided to take the concept of mixing a bunch of yummy stuff in one bowl, and use plant based proteins instead. For example, this one below features tofu. But you can sub in whatever you like!
Get the recipe here.
15. Vegan Chilli Con Veggie
This isn’t one of the most elegant vegan lunch ideas, but I absolutely love chilli. I smother it on the top of potatoes, I eat it from a bowl loaded with rice. And often, I just dig right into it whilst it’s cooking and chow down. It’s full of lots of protein rich foods such as beans and lentils, and it’s really going to nourish you.
Get the recipe here.
16. Vegan Sushi Rolls
How could we not include sushi in a list of vegan lunch ideas? These rolls are great for the office, You can eat ’em with one hand and type on the computer with the other one (just make sure you have some Wet Wipes nearby!)
Get the recipe here.
17. BBQ Cauliflower Bites
I kind of feel sorry for carnivores who think we suffer as vegans because we don’t get to eat ‘fun’ foods like Buffalo wings, pizza, or hot dogs. Well, guess what? There are vegan versions of all these things. And these BBQ Cauliflower bites are a great example! Make a nice vegan-yogurt based dip, add some crudites, and you have a very enviable lunch indeed.
Get the recipe here.
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Great recipes, will definitely try a few (if not all!!)
Glad you like them Silvia! Hope you find a new staple go-to for your lunches 🙂
Love all these ideas! Thanks for including our Vegan Granola Bars!
Thanks for the great recipe! 🙂
The differences in the weight gain are evident
while you compare veggie and non veggie menus!