Vegetarian lunches that don't need reheating

SephirothsChild15

Lunches are always hard for me and with a diagnosis of sensory processing disorder, I can't handle the texture of meat, so I'm basically a vegetarian. And I'm absolutely stumped as to what to fix!

I'm trying to eat low/no added sugar, so I obviously don't want peanut butter and jelly. I do eat carbs and ezekial bread. (Love that texture~)

I will be packing these lunches around between classes and will not have access to a fridge or microwave. They'd need to last 4ish hours but I have a great insulated lunch bag and multiple cold packs so I'm not too worried.

I'm not a vegan, so I will eat butter and cheese and I like tofu but I want to stay away from too much crazy mock meats.

Oh my goodness I am asking quite a lot here, but if you could give me some suggestions as to what to pack for lunch i would appreciate it! What do you pack for lunch?

JoanneKendrick

Salad, couscous, yogurt, left covers from night before, brown rice, etc.

RodaRose

I pack my lunch in an isolated bag too. Berries and yogurt work, cheese sticks, nuts, canned beans, apples or applesauce.
Leftovers are great.

bunnylion

Filling salads like couscous salad or pasta salad. Many great variations of these. Also there are endless possibilities to do wraps. If you like raw veggies with dips, you can play around with that. Hummus! Hummus with everything :-D
One thing I like to do is cut half a cucumber and a whole bell pepper and mix it with a generous portion of cottage cheese and some fresh herbs, have nice slice of bread with that.
Sandwiches are not limited to PB and jelly. Try them savory. Have some plain yogurt with fresh fruit.

There are also lots of hot meals that I also enjoy cold. From left over pizza to savory filled pancakes...

bunnylion

Potato salad. Egg salad. Hard boiled eggs in general.

bunnylion

Gazpacho - a Spanish vegetable soup that is eaten cold

EmpressZhark

Salads are great - so versatile, easy to make, no reheating needed. You can add anything you want to them - quinoa, cheese, eggs, tofu for protein and there are tons of dressings you can make. You could literally have different salad every day of the month so you won't be eating the same thing day in day out.

salembambi

peanut butter & jam
peanut butter & banana/ apple
tomato & avocado wraps
hummus wraps
hummus & crackers
fruit salad

lynn_glenmont

Sandwiches with no-sugar-added peanut butter (I eat Smuckers Natural Creamy, it has just salt and peanuts -- not because I'm avoiding sugar but because I like my peanut butter to taste like peanuts, not sugar) and fresh fruit (I like berries, apples, bananas). Problem solved

Hard-boiled eggs should be fine in an insulated bag with a cool pack.

Bean, lentil, or pea salads (add olive oil, tasty vinegars -- I'm into sherry vinegar right now -- herbs of your choice, spices of your choice -- I like cumin with chickpeas -- chopped veggies such as onions, celery, peppers, tomato, summer squash, carrots, fennel -- I tend to want crunchy veggies for the most part with bean salads. Or do something similar with whatever cooked grains you have on hand (rice, quinoa, barley, plain oatmeal -- or couscous or other pasta, or potatoes), subbed for the beans. Or both beans and grains/starch.

This is more of a "breakfast" food, but why restrict yourself: Plain yogurt mixed with uncooked rolled oats (not steel-cut, unless you really like chewing!), nuts, and fresh or dried fruits of your choice. I generally go with slightly more yogurt by volume than oats, but experiment and see what appeals to you. If you use greek yogurt, you may want to add a little milk to thin it down. Stir it together. By lunch time, the oats will have absorbed some of the liquid and softened a bit, but they will still be firmer than cooked oatmeal. (It doesn't really need to sit all that time though; I have it for breakfast sometimes just a few minutes after stirring it together, although I generally add a little milk when I do.) I've carted this around without even an insulated bag for an hour or two and it hasn't killed me yet, so I think four hours in an insulated bag with cold packs should be no problem.

UtahWI

I like to make "chicken salad" using chickpeas rather than chicken...just mash them slightly. I usually use plain greek yogurt rather than mayo. Dice in some peppers or carrots or celery or apple or...or or or....whatever you like. Maybe a dollop of grainy mustard. Stuff it into a pita or on crackers. Yum.

tlblake84

Your chick pea chicken salad sounds very good!