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Home » Recipes » Best Of

8 Vegetarian School Lunch Ideas

By Laura Fuentes Updated Aug 1, 2024

5 from 13 votes

Recipe

This post may contain affiliate links. Read our disclosure policy here.

These vegetarian school lunch ideas are perfect for families avoiding meat or others going meatless every now and then. Easy, nutritious, and delicious!

If you’re family is looking to eat less meat, then these vegetarian lunch ideas are a great place to start. The recipes are easy to prepare, portable, and loved by both kids and adults- they won’t even miss the usual turkey sandwich.

an image collage of vegetarian school lunch ideas

If you’re trying out more meatless meals with your family, try our 30-day meatless meal plan. It’s 4 weeks of delicious kid-approved recipes with done-for-you shopping lists and detailed meal prep. Take a peek inside the meatless meal plan here.

Vegetarian Lunch Recipes for School

As with any of the lunch recipes you’ll find on this blog, vegetarian lunch ideas need to be: 

  • easy to make
  • healthy
  • satisfying
  • portable
  • delicious- of course! 

And just because these recipes are vegetarian doesn’t mean they skimp on the protein. Ingredients like hummus, cheese, legumes, and beans are all great sources of protein as well as other nutrients such as fiber, healthy fats, and calcium. 

Grab more lunch ideas in my latest ebook below!

101 Packed Lunches eBook

All my best kid-friendly lunches from over a decade of creating meal plans. Add some variety to your child’s lunchbox with these epic lunches, plus receive my Pack Meals Like a Pro ebook, free with purchase!

Grab the Book!

Vegetarian Lunch Ideas

These school lunches ideas are perfect for vegetarian families or even those who want to go meatless every now and then. They are lunches packed with veggies, fiber, and alternative sources of protein to keep you feeling satiated all day!

Did I mention how delicious these recipes are? Your kids will love them. It’s always fun for them to open up their lunchbox and find a delicious meal!

Related: Top 5 Lunchboxes We’ve Tested

Lunch can be one of the hardest things to plan for, unlike dinner, there is only so much you can do since most lunches are eaten outside of the home. Most people want something that can be quickly assembled and is both healthy and satisfying. Not only do these recipes meet those high standards but they’re also 100% vegetarian approved!

Hummus Veggie Club
A healthier twist on a club sandwich, this hummus veggie club will be sure to satisfy everyone! Creamy hummus makes a nutritious swap for regular replaces mayo and adds more flavor . Stack on any veggies you want and use whatever bread your family enjoys.
Make This Recipe
Enchilada Soup
5 from 15 votes
This perfectly spiced enchilada soup makes the best thermos lunch. It’s even more delicious on cold days when all you want is a warm bowl of soup. Pack this soup in a thermos and send it with your kid’s favorite toppings, such as cheese, avocado, and pico de gallo. Make sure to use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth!
Make This Recipe
Southwest Quinoa
5 from 18 votes
Black beans and quinoa bring on the protein in fiber in this southwest salad. It can be packed ahead of time and is best served at room temperature or warmed.
Make This Recipe
Falafel Stuffed Flatbread with Tzatziki Sauce
If your family loves Mediterranean food, then this recipe is for you! Crispy falafel is stuffed in a flatbread with veggies to make a satisfying lunch to please both kids and parents alike. Chickpeas contain lots of nutritious protein, fiber, and flavor!
Make This Recipe
Apple Grilled Cheese Sandwich
5 from 14 votes
This sandwich is a great way to use up all those delicious, juicy apples! It’s a spin on the classic grilled cheese sandwich with the added nutrition of fruit! Your kids might even love this version better than the original.
Make This Recipe
broccoli tater tots
Broccoli Tater Tots
4.95 from 35 votes
Get some veggies into your kids’ diets without them even knowing! These broccoli nuggets are crispy and cheesy, an irresistible combination. They make an easy-packing lunch or great grab-and-go snack. Pair them with some fruit and nuts in a lunchbox, and you’ve got a super nutritious vegetarian lunch!
Make This Recipe
a collage of school lunch ideas with guacamole
Tex Mex Bento Box
5 from 8 votes
All-time favorite party finger foods can also be turned into a fun and satisfying lunch! These are great for packing at the end of the week with leftover odds and ends from the fridge and pantry. Bento boxes also come in handy for lunches such as this.
Make This Recipe

Vegetarian Snacks for School

If your kids are involved in afterschool programs it’s likely they’ll need extra fuel to keep them going. These snacks are perfectly portable and kid-favorites that you can make ahead of keep in the refrigerator all week long.

  • Chocolate Bites
  • Blueberry Oatmeal Cookies
  • Healthy Chocolate Chip Snack Bars
  • Hummus with veggies
  • Banana Chips
  • Pumpkin Cookie Dough Dip

We hope you enjoyed our round-up of vegetarian school lunch ideas. Check out our other lunch ideas for easy packing!

8 Vegetarian School Lunch Ideas

an image collage of vegetarian school lunch ideas
Servings: 1
Prep Time: 6 minutes mins
Cook Time: 10 minutes mins
Total Time: 16 minutes mins
These vegetarian school lunch ideas are perfect for families avoiding meat or others going meatless every now and then. Easy, nutritious, and delicious!
5 from 13 votes
Print Pin

Ingredients

Black Bean Taco Cups

  • 40 wonton wrappers
  • 1 can refried black beans, warmed
  • 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
  • ¾ cup pico de gallo, or salsa
  • Sour cream, for topping
  • Guacamole
  • 2 green onions, sliced

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 375F. Grease 2 muffin tins with cooking spray. Line each cup with 2 wonton wrappers and lightly spray with cooking oil.
  • Transfer the muffin tins to the oven and bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until the wonton wrappers are golden brown and crispy.
  • Meanwhile, in a microwave-safe bowl, warm the beans.
  • Remove the taco cups from the oven and fill each with warmed black beans, cheese, pico de gallo/salsa, sour cream, guacamole, and green onions.

Equipment

The Best Homemade Kids’ Lunches on the Planet
1 101 Packed Lunches
1 Kids Lunch Box
1 ice pack

Nutrition

Serving: 2 cups | Calories: 240kcal | Carbohydrates: 27.5g | Protein: 8.8g | Fat: 10.6g | Saturated Fat: 4.4g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 24.2mg | Sodium: 465.9mg | Fiber: 3.9g | Sugar: 1.2g

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Comments

    5 from 13 votes (6 ratings without comment)

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    Recipe Rating




  1. P says

    September 06, 2022 at 9:55 am

    5 stars
    How packing a box with Tacos is practical? Does it not get soggy? Same thing with apple and cheese, would apple turn brown in the box?

    Reply
    • MOMables-Laura says

      September 07, 2022 at 5:35 pm

      Using a compartmentalized lunch container can help ingredients from getting soggy, and you can prevent the apples from browning by soaking them in a lemon-water mixture. https://www.momables.com/how-to-keep-apples-from-browning/

      Reply
  2. Mary says

    July 05, 2021 at 11:18 am

    5 stars
    Heat packs for lunches?
    Here and now is my first time hearing about them!
    Thank you1
    Mary

    Reply
  3. Ashley says

    April 20, 2021 at 10:09 am

    5 stars
    Thank you! I’ve been struggling to figure out things they will eat.

    Reply
    • MOMables-Laura says

      April 23, 2021 at 4:13 pm

      I hope these are a hit with your family!

      Reply
  4. Seija says

    March 04, 2021 at 7:02 pm

    5 stars
    Thanks so much for the great ideas! With 2 out of 3 of my kids not eating meat, and one being in a nut-free class, I’ve been struggling this year. I am excited to try these!

    Reply
  5. Christina says

    January 29, 2020 at 11:08 am

    5 stars
    For dairy free kids, Smiths kroger brand has dairy free bread. Pb and j sandwiches are easy with that bread. I packed a lunch for her one day of a quesadilla with dairy free cheese with a heat pack jn her lunch box to keep warm and a boy knocked her lunch over after she took one bite and nobody told us and she went all day hungry. Good luck with the public school system and with free lunch there is no vegetarian option…being vegetarian doesn’t make us better, it makes us lucky to be able to maintain that belief in this world.

    Reply
    • Rachel says

      October 22, 2020 at 11:06 am

      5 stars
      i didn’t think they had heat packs for lunches! #gamechanger

      Reply
      • Priya|howtobeapositiveparent says

        March 15, 2021 at 3:37 am

        5 stars
        Lunch ideas are absolutely great . Being a vegetarian these ideas are ideal for me as I am always struggling to think what to pack for kids lunch.

        Reply
laura fuentes momables holding a lunch bag and lunch boxes

My name is Laura Fuentes
I’m here to help you simplify school lunches with fresh ideas your kids will actually eat.

Mom of 3. Certified in Integrative Nutrition. 5x Cookbook Author.

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