What's In Your (Vegan) Lunchbox?

With schools back in session, every (vegan) parent is thinking about the same dilemma: what to pack for lunch.

I can’t really imagine being a vegan child—my daily roll-with-butter lunch wouldn’t have made the cut. Or my turkey and provolone, chicken noodle soup or slice of pizza.

As I rode the train home on Sunday, I mentioned this column to a friend. “What would you send your kid to school with? What’s an acceptable vegan lunch?” I asked. Before she had a chance to answer, the woman across from us piped in.

“Nothing with nuts,” she said.

“Don’t try sending tofu, no matter what you do,” added another.

“It’s got to be a sandwich. Don’t try sending anything else,” the comments just kept coming.

“Wait, you have kids?! No way!”

No, I don’t have kids. But plenty of our readers do, so I’m curious—what do you send your kids to school with? What’s a vegan parent to pack in the lunchbox?

Beyond nutrition, there’s the social stigma to worry about. Thinking back to middle school, I remember how we all reacted when my friend Tina brought in seaweed. It was not kind, to say the least. Kids can be totally brutal, and no parent wants to invite teasing on their child. Of course, I can say that you should teach your kids to be proud and to take on the bullies, but that is easier said than done.

It’s not just the meal I worry about. What about the snacks? One of the moms on the train, a mother of four, pulled a packet of Matt’s Munchies out of her purse. “I’m the snack maven,” she said. “These are healthy, but still sweet. Kids love them.”

Matt’s Munchies are similar to Fruit Roll-ups, minus all the sugar and preservatives. She went on to say that maybe you should just skip the snack altogether.

“Moms get so sick of hearing about snacks. When will everyone realize that you don’t need a snack every five minutes, or with every meal?”

I couldn’t agree with her more. So if you’re wondering what snacks to add to these meals, consider skipping the snack altogether. A healthy meal is complete in and of itself.

Not a parent myself, I offer these suggestions based on research, my conversation on the train and personal memories.

If nuts are OK:

• Sliced apple and chunky almond butter on multigrain or hemp bread
• Sliced banana, peanut butter on hearty hemp bread

Nut-free

• Sliced avocado, cucumber, tomato, sprouts and hummus on multigrain bread
• Broiled tempeh, avocado, sprouts and hummus on a multigrain roll (as long as the tempeh is hidden among the veggies, other kids shouldn’t notice it)
• Pasta salad—any combination of fresh veggies and whole wheat or gluten-free pasta. Kid favorites seem to be spirals, with olive-oil-based dressing.
• Burritos with brown rice, avocado, black or pinto beans, lettuce, corn and cucumbers on whole-wheat or gluten-free tortillas
• Flat-bread "pizza"—pizza dough from a local pizza shop, topped with roasted veggies or non-dairy cheese 

If you do feel the need to pack a snack, how about almonds, carrots and hummus or fresh fruit? Those were among my favorites, long before I started foregoing meat and dairy.

Whatever you choose to send, remember to limit all the packaging. Use a reusable lunch box, rather than brown paper bags, and reusable sandwich baggies. Most importantly, remind your child that they’re one (or 100) times ahead of their peers by sticking to all these tasty lunches!