Vegetarian / Vegan LUNCH!

VeggiePumpkin

Given enough time most people could probably figure out how to make a veggie breakfast or dinner... but I seem to get stuck when packing my lunch.

I'm vegetarian (but trying to eat more vegan) and seem to eat the same things for lunch. Pasta salad, cold noodle salad or a veggie sandwich... that's it!

If you're veggie/vegan, what do you pack for your lunch? I'm looking for some good school ideas with the new semester starting up soon. :happy:

Vegan_Chick

I eat a big huge salad every day for lunch

lawkat

Do you have access to a microwave? I make my own bean burritos and heat them up. I also saute up some veggies with tofu and put that over rice and heat that up the next day. I try to make plenty for the week so I don't just eat sandwiches or eat out.

veganbaum

I often go with cold brown rice and kale, topped with pumpkin, sesame, and sunflower seeds if I need to pack a lunch. Also sometimes a green smoothie (made with kale) and hemp granola. Luckily right now I can come home for lunch, but those were typical for me, nice and easy. You could also try spring rolls packed with veggies.

littlebeans

Not a vegan or even a vegetarian but I tend towards those for packed lunches because it is easier in my morning routinue. I usually rely on beans for protein and nutrients. I use them in grain salads based especially quinoa salads, in homemade veggies burgers that can be made in bulk ahead of time and then brought for lunch all week. If I have nuts like sunflower seeds or almonds I'll sprinkle some into whatever I'm eating (or combine them into the dish) I tend to put almost everything I bring un top of greens too to bulk it up.

Kimbie500

Lunch is always leftovers from supper sometime earlier in the week. I cook a lot from "Appetite for Reduction" and "Quick Fix Vegan," which generally results in 4 or 6 servings of something. After DH and I eat, the rest goes in tupperware to be nuked for lunch the next day. Easy and requires little thought - both absolutely necessary in the morning when I am packing food for the day!

tiggersstar

here are some of my lunch's in the last few weeks:

-veggie soup, with 2 slices of diet bread or warburton thins.
-warburton thins with quorn slice and a bag of velvet crunch or baked crisp.
-salad with small jacket spud and quorn slice.
-fat free yogurt over fruit and tesco maple crunch cerial.

hope that helps.

:flowerforyou:

wifeygonzo

I'm not vegegatian/vegan but recently decided to cut out a lot of meat and dairy products from my diet. For lunch I've been making sandwiches with whole wheat bread, veganaise, dijon mustard, avocado, tomato, cucumber and lettuce. So yummy!

crobertson87

just today at work we made wonderful portabella fajita tacos!

1 portabella mushroom cap sliced
half bag tri-color peppers
half onion slice into strips

saute above ingredients and serve in ezekiel wheat tortillas with black beans and corn
this recipe made enough for 4 loaded tacos that were very, very filling!
I also have a recipe for vegan chocolate chunk cookies we made today if you're interested!
I work with two other people on 12 hour shifts who are doing plant based diet/Engine 2 diet. it was only a matter of time before I joined in. Feel free to add me

asyouseefit

Falafels, pita pocket, some lettuce, celery, hummus!

Yum!

JennetteMac

I make lots of soups with a wide range of veggies and pulses. If I do a good sized saucepan and blitz them all up I can portion and save them for lunch/evening meal.

Hazelhippo16

I'm veggie - a nice recipe is a wrap with falafels (if you are in the uk sainsburys ones are nice), humous and grated carrot. Very filling !

fakeplastictree

Sweet potato with laughing cow (or some vegan cheese) added. and a side of steamed veggies with a protein shake.

SeaSiren1

Left over dinner
Sandwich or Sub -tofurkey or any veggie "meats", and or veggies of your choice, PB & J, "egg-less" salad
Soup
Soy Yogurt & fruit & granola
Hummus & Veggies
Burrito (I like Amy's)
Spring Rolls
Sushi (vegan of course)
Veggie Burger or Veggie Dog
Veggie Wrap - load it with veggies, hummus, veggie "meats", chick peas, or whatever you have handy
Apple slices and Almond Butter (or any nut butter)
Salads -to many to list

callherbeautyxo

I've always wanted to become a vegetarian but it's just so hard for me to stay away from meat when my family cooks it everyday

peaceinside

bump

JasonSwetland

I cook a bunch of beans ahead of time then freeze them in a ziplock, then nuke them the day I want toeat them. i usually try to have a salad with this or a sandwich with 2 cups of sprouts wedged in there and use hummus or avocado spread, I also try to throw tons of fresh spices (like dill cilantro, basil, parsly, etc) in salads or sandwiches.

I often will take leftovers from last nights dinner, and box them up for the next day. They're veggies, how can I go wrong?

VeggiePumpkin

I've always wanted to become a vegetarian but it's just so hard for me to stay away from meat when my family cooks it everyday

I'm vegetarian, but my husband and son are not. They know if they want meat they're welcome to buy & cook it. About once a month I'll add meat to a meal for them. Like when I made curry. I'll make mine with seitan and theirs with chicken. It's a lot easier than you would think, plus they're both eating a LOT more fruits, veg, beans and whole grains because of it!

VeggiePumpkin

WOW! :noway:
I'm SHOCKED at all the posts this thread got! Everyone had such FANTASTIC ideas to share. I can't thank you enough. Some of these were real forehead slappers (like "why didn't I think of that!") Others sound so great I can't wait to give them a try. You've given me at least a month of inspiration here.

bilzprincess

my favorite is eggless egg salad. instead of making my own mayo, i buy veganaise. it's in the fridged section--the fake mayo on the shelves is more a miracle-whip sweet kind of condiment. blech in my book, but there ya go. different tastes for different folks. add tomatoes, lots of lettuce, all piled onto a sourdough or rye bread. it's a lunch to look forward to.

alexandria412

Feel free to add - I'm veg and love veg friends!

I try to make double batches of dinners throughout the week to pack for lunches. I've found that pastas travel well and don't need to be reheated.

I will shamefully admit this, however: I LOVE sandwiches made with processed veggie meat. My brain knows that these frankenfood veggie slices are filled with weird chemicals and non-foods, but my heart remembers eating ham sandwiches daily as a kid. I do two slices of Trader Joe's fiber braid, 50 calories of veggie slices, yellow mustard, and as much lettuce as can fit.

kyoules

This is a great thread! I have been a lacto-ovo vegetarian for 15 years and am always looking for new lunch ideas. I am not a morning person, so I try to make my lunches the night before. A couple of my favorite lunches:

- Roasted beet and quinoa salad. I roast a bunch of beets at once with a little olive oil, salt, and pepper, individually wrapped in foil. Then I have them for several days with greens, quinoa, goat cheese (omit to make it vegan), thin red onion slices, fennel, pecans, and homemade red wine vinegarette. I also make larger batches of quinoa to eat later in the week either hot or cold in a salad.

- Roasted butternut squash and quinoa salad. I roast squash with some olive oil, cumin, garlic, chili powder, sage, salt, and pepper, and then chill. This salad is good with raw chopped carrots, celery, pepitas (shelled pumpkin seeds), parsley, greens, and a little grated parmesan (omit to make it vegan) on top. I make a homemade apple cider vinegar/lime vinaigrette for this salad.

- Leftovers! Most of the recipes I cook for dinner are 4-6 servings, so I dish up our plates for dinner (just my husband and me), and at the same time put portions in leftover tupperware-type containers.

- Greek-style salad. I use beets, chickpeas, cucumbers, tomatoes (only if they are in season), kalamata olives, a little feta, and greens. Homemade greek-style dressing with oregano. Sometimes I make this salad without greens, sometimes I use quinoa or couscous instead of greens, and sometimes I stuff it in half of a pita.

kyoules

I'm vegetarian, but my husband and son are not. They know if they want meat they're welcome to buy & cook it. About once a month I'll add meat to a meal for them.

Ditto here, except I don't have a son. I am very fortunate that my husband eats just about anything, but he does occasionally make meat for himself, and whenever we go out to eat or eat with family he eats meat. I'm always looking for new vegetarian recipes that are omnivore-pleasing as well. Feel free to add me!

Slugsasarus

I have such a hard time with it too!!!!!!!!!! I'm always asking people for advice. Here's a couple of my lunches.

-Morningstar veggie chicken nuggets and a salad.
-A wrap with hummus and your favorite veggies.
-Soup!
-Subway Veggie Delite
-Left overs from dinner (pasta, homemade pizza, quinoa salad, rice and beans, etc)

I really need to plan ahead in order to get a good lunch. good luck!

carrie_eggo

Do you eat eggs? I'm not a vegetarian or vegan but today I'm having egg salad (2 HB eggs + 1Tbsp mayo) with spinach in a tortilla with a cup of butternut squash soup. Very yummy and filling.

EmilyLStuart

here's my adaptation of a Cajun recipe called Catfish Courtbouillion...I've made it much more healthy and made it VEGAN FRIENDLY! It's a soup so if you have a microwave you are good to go; I make this in a super large batch and then freeze it in indiviual containers. ONLY 47 CALORIES & 0.5 G FAT PER CUP!!! I'm not kidding!

Cajun Vegetable Courtbouillon

INGREDIENTS:
Broth - 8 regular sz cans (about 16 cups?) Vegetable stock
Canned Veggies:
1 lrg can Hunt's whole plum tomatoes (break tomatoes into bite sz with fork)
1 can mild diced Rotel tomatoes
2 cans of sliced stewed tomatoes (I bought some that were already Cajun flavored, Italian variety would be good, too)
2 small cans of green chilies

Fresh Veggies:
2 large white or yellow onions (cut into large bite sz)
1 green bellpepper (cut into large bite sz)
1 orange (or red) bellpepper - use orange for the color (red is already in the soup with the tomatoes) (cut into large bite sz)
1 yellow bellpepper (cut into large bite sz)
1 reg sz bunch of celery (cut into large bite sz)
2 cups chopped kale

Seasoning:
4 tsp Old Bay (add slowly to your taste)
4 tsp minced garlic (again, add more or less to your taste)
optional: salt, pepper, cayenne(red) pepper, Tony's, or other Cajun seasoning (but Old Bay is my fav)


DIRECTIONS:
1) Combine all canned items into extra large pot. (if you don't have an extra large pot, then 1/2 the recipe)
2) Chop all bellpepper, onion, and celery into large bit-size pieces; add to pot. (I know it seems weird that you will be eating large chunks of this stuff, but trust me, after cooking for 2 hours this stuff melts in your mouth!)
3) Chop parsley and kale. Add kale to pot (hold out parsley for now).
4) Add minced garlic and Old Bay to pot.
5) Cover pot and simmer on stovetop for 1 1/2 - 2 hours. Occasionally check pot to ensure enough liquid.
6) Add parsley last 5 mins of cooking.
Serve and enjoy!

SeaSiren1

Emily, that sounds yummy!

thejackswild79

I second leftovers! Fast, easy and usually delicious (or I wouldn't have made them for dinner!).

VeggiePumpkin

I'm with you on the pasta salad for lunch and LOVE Trader Joe's. Have you tried their temph strips? I just got some to try. Like you, I also treat "meat replaces" as occasional "treats." I only have them about once e/o week.

I think I'm going to try making more grain salads to bring. Easy to pack, eat and I can make a lot at once. I'm always drawn to them at our local co-op, but have sticker shock.

VeggiePumpkin

Thanks for the recipe Emily! I'm always looking for new things to try.

VeggiePumpkin

kyoules, those all sound GREAT and are just what I had in mind.
I like lots of different flavors and textures.