Super Quick Vegan Lunchbox Ideas

These quick and easy vegan lunchbox ideas are for those mornings. You know the ones I mean. It’s Monday morning. You totally planned to bake a bunch of things for lunches over the weekend. But your weekend was jam packed, and there was just no time! And now all of a sudden it’s Monday morning and you have 5 minutes until you have to leave, and the lunches still aren’t packed!

So, here are some great 2 minute ideas that you can throw together as you run out the door. Grab a few of these next time you go shopping and you’ll be all set for next time!

Sandwich Ideas for Super Quick Vegan Lunchboxes

Sandwiches are by far the easiest throw together vegan lunchbox option. When you go vegan it really feels like your super quick sandwich options are gone, but there are still a few options left. There are even quite a few nut free options!

Nut Free Vegan Sandwich Spreads:

• Jam
• Vegan Cheese – some brands even do pre-sliced vegan cheese to make sandwiches even faster.
• Vegan Lunchmeat – I’ve just started to try out some of these, and I’ve discovered that some of the options are actually quite nice. I doubt they’d be a direct replacement for chicken or ham, so maybe hold off if you’re just starting out. Give your taste buds a chance to forget how meat tastes!
• Vegemite – if you’re an Aussie like me your kids might like a vegemite sandwich (and if you’re not an Aussie, you’ll probably think I’m crazy for suggesting this, so move right along).
• Hummus – hummus is such a great option for sandwiches. If your kids aren’t keen on traditional hummus, there are heaps of flavoured options. If you feel like making some, my Sweet Potato Hummus recipe is delicious, and doesn’t taste much like chickpeas at all!
• Chocolate Hummus – and if they’re really not keen on hummus, you can always use my secret weapon – chocolate. My Chocolate Hummus is super healthy, super delicious, and makes a great sandwich spread!

Vegan Sandwich Spreads with Nuts:

• Peanut Butter – the ultimate vegan sandwich spread!
• Nut Butters – try almond or cashew butter for a change up.
• Choc Hazelnut Spread – there are heaps of healthy, vegan nutella alternatives on the market, that taste amazing. You can also make my Chocolate Hummus and add in some roasted hazelnuts to make your own super healthy version!

Pantry Snacks for Super Quick Vegan Lunches

While I do try to bake ahead some snacks for my kids on the weekends, some weeks it just doesn’t happen. So I try to keep some vegan pantry snacks on hand to add to my kids’ lunchboxes.

• Roasted Chickpeas – you can buy these in the health section of Australian supermarkets. My kids love the chocolate ones, and they’re all vegan!
• Rice Crackers – the lightly salted brown rice ones are great if you can find them, as are the seaweed flavoured ones for some extra iodine. You can serve these with some hummus or salsa for dipping, or even some vegan cheese for cheese and crackers.
• Rice or Corn Cakes – again, I opt for the wholegrain versions here. You can serve them with heaps of different toppings or dips, although I try to pack the extras separately otherwise they go a bit soggy. These also make a great bread replacement if you’ve run out (or does that only happen to me?).
• Muesli Bars – I actually find it quite hard to find vegan muesli bars, which is why I tend to make my own (you can get the recipe here). But you can sometimes find vegan brands in the health food section. Watch out for honey, eggs, egg white, whey protein, and dairy in the ingredients.
• Accidentally Vegan Biscuits – I normally try to avoid commercial biscuits in school lunches because they don’t really give any helpful nutrients for kids, but I use them occasionally. Oreos are a classic “accidently vegan” option (depending on your feelings about palm oil), and the Woolworths Free From brand has some great options.

If you have a bit more time on your hands, you can try some of these nut free lunchbox snacks.

Quick and Easy Fruit Options

Fruit is an essential part of my kids’ school lunches. I sometimes add in veggies, but I always do fruit. Some fruit is easier to pack in school lunches than others. My favourites are ones that you can wash quickly and throw in without any other effort.

Berries – we always have blueberries and strawberries in the fridge, and sometimes even raspberries depending on the season.

Mandarins – if your kids can peel them, mandarins can be a great option to throw in, too.

Sultanas – these are another great option, plus they come prepackaged in their own cardboard boxes!

So there you have my go to quick and easy ideas for vegan lunchboxes in a hurry! The great thing about these ideas is that they store well, so you can easily keep a couple of ingredients on hand for your next hectic morning.

If you’re looking for more lunchbox recipes and ideas, I’ve put together my 5 most popular nut free lunchbox recipes. You can download them for free here.