My daughter is Vegan and this is relatively new. I’m having a really hard time with lunch options. Right now we’re making a lot of pasta. My first question is , what are some vegan lunch options and the second is what are the best food containers to keep food warm?
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Soups in a thermos and sandwiches with vegan cheese are a hit for our family when we do vegan meals. We include a lot of beans and rices and Quesodillas and such. Easy things for school
Veggie sandwiches, salads, veggie pinwheels, roasted chickpeas, pickles, carrots, cucumbers, celery, cherry tomatoes, hummus, guacamole and corn chips, fruits, vegan yogurt, vegan pudding, vegan cookies or muffins, vegetable soup, veggie burger, pasta salad, falafels, tabouli salad, mixed nuts, fried cauliflower, rice bowls with veggies
I don’t know much about vegan diets but I do know to make sure there is B12 in their diet!
Eat for diabetic food dune
I can’t help with foods but For the container, I got my husband a wide mouth thermos type container for m the sporting goods/camping section at Walmart. I can swirl boiling water in it then add hot foods and it will stay hot for hours. He takes it on school transports. I’ve done foil wrapped burritos, chili (tucked fried hotdogs into chili),soups and oatmeal. It can be packed early morning and stays warm till late lunch/ early dinner time.
I hear you. We eat a lot of protein pasta here too. Fried eggplant is fire. I love making eggplant lasagna with that and the pea protein lasagna noodles and vegan cheese. Chocolate hummus is great for dipping pretzels or fruit or even on a sandwich with pb and banana. Kodiak cake waffles. Not sure if the frozen ones are vegan though because I usually use the bagged mix
Thermos brand is my go to.
I boil water, fill the thermos and let it warm while I reheat the lunch.
My daughter says it stays really warm until lunch (4-5hrs ish)
I really like sandwiches. Vegan meat, vegan mayo, vegan cheese and ta da. Sometimes peanut butter and jelly on cinnamon toast.
There is a cook called the Jay vegetarian and I y she has a cookbook That is Jazzy vegetarian
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Vegan is the easiest possible diet to provide for. You can make bean and nut patty burgers, there are hundreds of thousands of vegetables that she can eat w plenty of vegan dips such as hummus or guacamole to name a couple, black beans w taco seasoning, alllll the nuts such as almonds, cashews, pistachios, etc. any kind of bean, you could do a bean salad w a few different kinds of beans from a can mixed together w some seasoning unless she likes them plain, beets, hearts of palm, different kinda of oatmeal w water base if she doesn’t do any milks, peanut butter/almond butter/sun butter and jelly sandwiches, falafel, veggie wrap, a million kinds of fruits w caramel or vegan chocolate dip, tacos w black beans, avocados, cilantro, lettuce, vegan cheese, etc. to name just a few things! Pinterest could be your best friend as well! Also, instagram has a great vegan community w people from other countries and various religions who have been vegan their whole lives and they show what they make for their kids lunches. There’s really no limit to the options for her. When I was vegan, pasta was my least favorite thing lol. So many better, tastier options out there as long as she is not picky.
Honestly the easiest way to help with the switch is to stop thinking of it as “vegan meals” and just cook normal things you always do but change the non vegan ingredients to vegan ones. Instead of dairy milk, use almond, oat, or coconut. Instead of butter, use plant based**. Instead of meat, use plant based options, beans, or opt out. It’s more of a mindset problem that’s holding you back.
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Ask the mom on cooking with Sammy she makes great dishes for her vegan family
Honestly if your kid is old enough to decide to be vegan then they are old enough to just tell you what they want for lunch. Just ask them
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Quinoa is a complete protein and quick & easy to make: boil water, take off stove, pour in quinoa, wait a few minutes and voila! I make a cold quinoa salad with halved grapes, dill (fresh, dried, and/or seed) raspberry vinegar, and chopped celery. Pack cashews separately so they stay crunchy and add them before eating.
Cook tofu cubes and Asian vegetables in any kind of Asian sauce/s from the grocery store with brown rice, jasmine rice if available. Add peanuts if you want.
Make “cream” soups with tofu and a little broth or nut milk in the blender instead of using dairy cream. Also use tofu to make smoothies with fruit & ice & greens if desired. You can get packets to mix with tofu to make lemon pudding or a tofu scramble like eggs.
Vegetarian beans & hot dogs (Yves veggie wieners are good, Tofu Pups taste awful). Serve plain beanie weenies or over brown rice.
Roll rice, corn, black beans or vegetarian refried beans, salsa & vegan cheese in a burrito.
Those packs of Indian food over rice are good & easy. Patak’s & Tasty Bite are 2 brands. Skip the ones with paneer cheese. Lentils & rice 90-second packs are fine too. Also vegan black bean soup over brown Basmati rice with a little squeeze of lime & grated onion make a quick, easy and yummy dinner.
Use Impossible burger meat or textured vegetable protein (TVP) any way you’d use ground beef. Vegetarian chili is always good.
Middle Eastern/Mediterranean foods are excellent. Check ingredients for felafel—should be fine, and they make great meatball substitutes. Stuffed grape leaves, hummus & baba ghanouj, tahini, veggie kebabs, fettoush, ful medames, melitzanosalata, bulgur salad, olives, pita bread, etc.
FYI, many beef & chicken bouillon cubes don’t actually contain any beef or chicken; read the label. Veggie broth comes in cartons for soup or risotto.
Oatmeal, grits, barley, couscous, bulgur wheat & kasha are whole grains on which to base a meal. Add ingredients to make them sweet or savory. Toss in pine nuts, sunflower seeds, pistachios, poppyseed.
Potatoes (mashed with veggie broth or baked) & vegan gravy mix plus vegetables. Air-fryer sweet potato fries with cinnamon & cardamom. No-meat fajitas with refried beans.
Soy Delicious yoghurt.
Get a vegan cookbook or several for recipes, inspiration and ideas. Go through it with your daughter and pick out ones to try together.
Summer rolls: get rice wraps from an Asian grocery. Soak one at a time until pliable. Fill with cooked cold cellophane noodles, matchstick carrots, celery, zucchini, snow peas and enoki mushrooms. Roll & seal. Dip in ponzu or soy sauce and eat like a burrito.
Vegan sushi rolls or wraps
Tomato sandwiches on sourdough with a little pesto and vegan mozzarella. Miso soup with rice and grilled veg. Tempeh bacon is amazing. Falafel with hummus. Chocolate hummus with fruit is a good side. Freeze tofu then thaw it and fry it. Mapu dofu with veggie crumbles instead of pork. Veggie crumble tacos. Sweet potato dumplings. Vegan food can be really fun and tasty
We looooved a vegan pizza with no cheese and just well roasted peppers and broccoli
Hummus wraps with thinly sliced peppers
Avocado, tomato, and chickpea salad with everything seasoning and cumin
Avocado toast
Veggie soup unlimited ways to cook
A veggie sushi roll was a once a week regular
Have fun and you’ll realize it’s way simpler than it feels right now. I’m proud of her. We aren’t vegan anymore but I think my kid and I both miss it.
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how old is child? if this is their choice, then I hope they did the homework to understand what nutritional needs they have that match the diet, and they tell you what they want. … and if that old and mature enough, they should be in the kitchen helping/learning how to food prep
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This is the THREAD- all the ideas