Forums: March 2010 Kickstart Forum Archive: Kids' lunch ideas
Created on: 03/09/10 01:14 PM Views: 1928 Replies: 8
liz25 Joined: 03/01/10 Posts: 5	Kids' lunch ideas Posted Tuesday, March 9, 2010 at 1:14 PM I'm trying to come up with ideas for my school-aged daughter's lunchbox. She doesn't like peanut butter (which is a staple for my other kids' lunches!), and she is very picky about a lot of other things. Her idea of a yummy lunch is having the school's offering of chicken nuggets and fries... So far, she has picked hummus and carrots and pita chips with a side of fruit one day; and veggie chili with corn tortillas and fruit again another day. Other than that, I have no ideas for her! Are there any websites and/or cookbooks with kid-friendly ideas? Thanks for any help you can give me! Liz
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txgirl Joined: 01/04/10 Location: Pasadena, TX Posts: 82	RE: Kids' lunch ideas Posted Tuesday, March 9, 2010 at 1:29 PM Liz - I don't think I've tried any of her recipes yet, but I've been thinking about getting some bento boxes and one of the cookbooks from this blogger: http://veganlunchbox.blogspot.com/ This website also looks pretty yummy but not necessarily low-fat: http://yourveganmom.typepad.com/
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liz25 Joined: 03/01/10 Posts: 5	RE: Kids' lunch ideas Posted Tuesday, March 9, 2010 at 2:21 PM The first link is a good starting point. Thanks! She's not really big on trying things that are "different" -- hummus is about as exotic as it gets for her! The second link looks like recipes of things she would try, but like you said probably less healthy than the first. It might be a good start to getting her tastebuds adjusted though. Thanks again! If anyone else has more ideas, please keep them coming!
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essie Joined: 02/26/10 Posts: 163	RE: Kids' lunch ideas Posted Tuesday, March 9, 2010 at 2:23 PM Will she eat hummus? That's great as a sandwich spread or in a roll-up with a tortilla or wrap. I also stuff romaine leaves and bell pepper pieces with it. (For myself, I don't have kids--but my niece likes these. We put tomato halves on top.) If she likes hummus, you could try various bean-based spreads. The Kale Butter recipe in Engine 2 is apparently popular with the author's nephews. (His sister invented it for them.) Whole Foods does a soy chicken nugget that's pretty good in the prepared foods section (popcorn soy nugget? I can't remember what they call them), and several other companies make vegan chickenless nuggets and patties too. They're maybe not ideal foods, but certainly better than the nonvegan cafeteria junk, so might help you out with the transition. The meatless meatballs are good too. I can see kids liking those things, and I think they would be fine room temp in a lunch box. More homemade options would be The Veganomicon Chickpea Cutlets, which were a hit with my sister's kids. Or maybe a bean/grain burger recipe you can make? Good luck!
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essie Joined: 02/26/10 Posts: 163	RE: Kids' lunch ideas Posted Tuesday, March 9, 2010 at 2:25 PM Oops, our posts overlapped. Hummus is a great place to start. White beans also make a pretty spread, with steamed greens or roasted red pepper, etc. They're mild flavored and can really be seasoned any way you like. Adzuki beans are dark reddish and kinda sweet. Might be worth a try. Any of those can stand in for chickpeas as a hummus, or you can try whizzing up different things. I do these a lot for our own adult lunches. They're just easy and filling.
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liz25 Joined: 03/01/10 Posts: 5	RE: Kids' lunch ideas Posted Tuesday, March 9, 2010 at 2:32 PM I WISH we had a Whole Foods nearby! I know Morningstar Farms has fake meats too, but I know not all of them are vegan. I'll have to look into those again. The chickpea cutlets recipe sounds good. I'll check that out. It didn't even cross my mind to make other bean spreads, like the white beans you mentioned! With Italian veggies and seasonings, that would be perfect with homemade garlic bread (another favorite of hers)! I wish her tastes in food were like my other kiddos who ASK for healthy snacks and just don't really like meat or dairy. It sure would be easier for me!
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aleta Joined: 01/07/10 Location: Claremont, CA Posts: 153	RE: Kids' lunch ideas Posted Tuesday, March 9, 2010 at 10:18 PM The "Vegan Lunch Box" cookbook has 130 recipes that are pretty good. aleta email
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kclayton Joined: 02/25/10 Posts: 33	RE: Kids' lunch ideas Posted Wednesday, March 10, 2010 at 3:47 PM Gardein sells vegan "chicken" nuggets that my son likes more than real ones. They are really good. They are now selling them at the Harris Teeter in the frozen food section near the Morning Star stuff. I've also seen them at My Organic Market. Don't know where you live, but try to find them. My son usually takes pita with hummus (sometimes stuffed with "grass" aka alfalfa sprouts or "leaves" aka spinach) or whole wheat bagel with Tofutti (non-hydrogenized) cream cheese (the yellow top - not the green one). Sometimes he also takes rice cakes smeared with homemade blueberry jam or Polamer all fruit spread. He eats lots of fruits, carrots, red bell pepper slices, raisins, olives, pickles. He also likes Veggie Booty and low-fat triscuits. He's not a huge pasta fan, but he will take pasta with sauce sometimes. He likes couscous and black beans, without the onions! He loves baked beans in his thermos. No sugar added apple sauce, but will not eat homemade. Homemade dehydrated pears and apples. Tofu pudding with fresh berries and agave nectar. I also make lots of healthy vegan muffins for him. The PCRM pumpkin muffins are our favorites. And, I make homemade granola bars that do not have any nuts in them for school since it is a nut-free environment. There are lots of recipes on the internet. He loves Larabars at home. You could send those if your child can eat nuts at school. He also loves broccoli at home but won't eat it at school because apparently the kids make fun of him. Good luck.
	Edited 03/10/10 3:59 PM Quote | Send PM | Link | Top | Bottom
kclayton Joined: 02/25/10 Posts: 33	RE: Kids' lunch ideas Posted Wednesday, March 10, 2010 at 5:56 PM Thought of a couple more on my way to pick up son at school. He likes plain garbanzo beans, and I've been meaning to try the roasted ones. Sometimes I send edamame in the shell. He loves to pop the beans out of the shell. Air-popped popcorn. And tortilla roll-ups with guacamole. The emoticons are his addition.
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