Easy Vegan Lunchbox- 1 Week Meal Plan with Shopping List

A whole week of easy vegan lunchbox recipes planned for you, along with a complete shopping list! Take the thinking out of lunch ideas and let me do the planning for you.

This recipe was originally published on 8/29/18

These easy vegan lunch ideas are quick to make, require very little prep and are super healthy to give the littles the energy they need when they go bak to school. Great for adults too! I’m taking the mundane out of making lunch. 

Vegan Lunchbox Ideas

The meal plans I have on this site are a huge hit with you all, check out some of the collection:

• Easy 7 Day Vegan Meal Plan
• Zero Waste Vegan Meal Plan
• Weekly Vegan Meal Plan
• Vegan Thanksgiving Meal Plan

I even have a post that includes them all in one place. Since my vegan school lunch ideas is a huge hit with you all, I figured it was time to add a vegan lunchbox meal plan to my collection.

And here we are. Five whole days of preplanned lunches. From me to you, because I love your sanity.

How can I meal prep for a vegan lunchbox?

I have these easy lunchbox recipes separated by day. I tried to plan ideas that reused ingredients, because this is how we keep costs low and make prep easy around here. Here are some tips, tricks and notes to help with meal prep:

1. Feel free to swap out any veggie I give for another, just make sure to change it up in the shopping list and also note if I use it anywhere else so you are keeping it consistent.
2. Feel free to swap out any fruit I give for another, just make sure to change it up in the shopping list and also note if I use it anywhere else so you are keeping it consistent. On Day 5, I used the leftover fruit from the week to make a fun fruit kabob. So carry over any substitutions to that as well.
3. Overall, I tried to make it easy so you don’t have to prep much. A few things are made ahead of time (but used over multiple days) but you can also buy them pre-made if there is a brand or kind your little prefers. Read the notes for each day carefully.
4. Have the kids help make their lunches. Prep each thing by having all things cut and ready to pack, so that when it’s time to pack lunches they can quickly do a few things themselves. This also helps make them more accountable for their lunch and helps them feel empowered.
5. I put the ingredients in bold under each item as I explain how to make each thing. The shopping list includes all of the ingredients.
6. This is for one child only. Multiply by however many you need.
7. You will have some extras of things, save them for after school snacks on another day!

What can I put in a vegan lunchbox?

There are so many options when it comes to pack vegan lunches, the key is to change it up and be creative so it doesn’t get boring. If you start with the fruit and veggies you like, you can expand from there.

Keeping balance in mind, make sure you have a fruit, a veggie, protein and grains. Plus I always throw in a little treat. You can switch up the same things, a pb&j for instance, by swapping out the nut butter for almond, peanut, cashew and even sunflower seed.

You can also swap out the jelly for different flavors or even bananas or maple syrup. If you aren’t completely vegan you can even use honey. If you’re feeling fancy, using a cookie cutter to cut shapes help get the little excited.

Five Days of Vegan Lunchbox Recipes

Day #1

Prep needed- make ranch dressing (use again on day 5), make Brownie Batter Bites (use as a treat for each day)

Main: Mashed black bean and avocado roll ups

• Using a fork, mash 1/4 cup rinsed and drained black beans (I use canned) onto a tortilla. Spread evenly. Then mash 1/4 cup avocado over the top. Sprinkle with a dash of sea salt. Roll tortilla up, then slice into pieces.

Veggie: Celery and ranch

• Cut 1 large celery stick into smaller pieces. Pack with 2-3 tablespoons ranch on the side. I like to make my own using this recipe, but feel free to sub a store bought brand you love to make it even easier (although I cannot recommend this recipe enough). The shopping list includes the homemade version, so plan accordingly if you buy it.

Fruit: Banana nut butter stacks

• Cut 1/4 of a banana into 4 round pieces. Spread 1/2 teaspoon nut butter of choice on one piece, then top with another piece. Do this for all pieces, you will have 2 mini stacks.

Snack: 1/4 cup pretzels

Treat: 1 Brownie Batter Bite

• I use this brownie batter bite recipe as my weekly treat. It makes 6 bites, and since you will definitely eat one as you are making it, you will have a perfect 5 left for the week. Pack one per day as a treat. Store in an air tight container in the fridge and they will last all 5 days. Take note that you can sub oat flour for the protein powder used in the recipe, I put both options on the shopping list. The recipe also calls for almond butter, but use whatever nut butter you have chosen for the rest of the week’s items to make it simple.

Day #2

Prep needed- none!

Main: Pita Pizzas with zucchini

• Spread 3 tablespoons pizza sauce onto 1 pita bread. Top with 6 thin slices zucchini, about 1/6 of a regular sized zucchini. Sprinkle about 1/4 cup of your favorite dairy free cheese (I like the Miyoko mozzarella, I freeze it, thaw for a few minutes, then grate it into shreds). Toast in a toaster oven on medium toast setting. You can also bake it in the oven at 400 F/ 205 C for 5-7 minutes or until cheese browns at the edges. I include store bought pizza sauce in the shopping list, but you can also make your own. I have a great recipe for it here. Plan accordingly on the shopping list if you choose to make your own.

Veggie: 5 round slices cucumber

Fruit: 5 strawberries

Snack: 1/4 cup trail mix

• I include store bought pre-mixed trail mix in the shopping list, but feel free to buy each item separately and make your own. I do this from time to time, but for ease I sometimes buy it as well.

Treat: 1 Brownie Batter Bite

Day #3

Prep needed- make crispy chickpeas (use again on day 5)

Main: Cream cheese and banana bagel

• take half of your favorite kind of bagel, spread 2 tablespoons of your favorite dairy free cream cheese on top, then top with thin slices of banana (about 1/3 of a banana). You can make your own cream cheese if you prefer, I love this fun recipe I have here, but for ease I included store bought in the shopping list, I like the one by Kite Hill. Plan accordingly if you make your own.

Veggie: 5 baby carrots and 1/4 cup hummus

• You can make your own hummus if you prefer, I love this fun recipe I have here or here, but for ease I included store bought in the shopping list. Plan accordingly if you make your own.

Fruit: 4 slices apple (about 1/4 a whole apple)

Snack: 1/4 cup crispy chickpeas

• Follow the recipe in the recipe card at the bottom of this post. You can make them simple with salt, or use the spices and seasonings used when making the ranch dressing above. Add whatever you prefer to taste. If you really don’t want to make these, then sub with another crispy snack of choice. Plan accordingly in the shopping list as it includes the ingredients to make them.

Treat: 1 Brownie Batter Bite

Day #4

Prep needed- none!

Main: Avocado sandwich

• Take 1 piece of your favorite bread, and cut it in half. Spread 1/4 cup mashed avocado over one of the halves. Sprinkle with a dash of sea salt, and cover with the other half.

Veggie: Ants on a log

• Take 1 celery stick and cut it into 3 smaller pieces. Fill each piece with 1 teaspoon nut butter of choice (3 teaspoons total). Top each with 5 raisins or other dried berry, so you need a total of 15 raisins or other dried berries.

Fruit: 8 Grapes

Snack: 6 Crackers (your favorite, I like Simple Mills) and 6 small pieces of your favorite dairy free cheese (I like the Follow Your Heart Provolone), cut one sandwich slice into 6 smaller pieces.

Treat: 1 Brownie Batter Bite

Day #5

Prep needed- none!

Main: Rice cake open “face” sandwich with nut butter

• take 1 rice cake, spread 2 tablespoons nut butter over the top. Use about 2 tablespoons trail mix to make a face, kids love doing this part too!

Veggie: 5 baby carrots and 2-3 tablespoons ranch on the side (use the Ranch made on day 1)

Fruit: Fruit kabobs

• Use the leftover fruit from the week to make your own kabobs (about 2 pieces of each: banana, strawberries, apple, grapes). Simply thread each piece of cut fruit on a wooden kebab stick. If your child is young, cut off the pointy edge. Kids love putting these together!

Snack: 1/4 cup crispy chickpeas (made on day 3)

Treat: 1 Brownie Batter Bite

All of the ingredients needed for this are in the recipe card below, don’t forget this is for one week of lunch for one person. So make sure to multiply by however many lunches you need to make, but also keeping in mind that some things you may have more of by default (the black beans for example).

As always, please let me know if you have any question! Read through each day carefully and plan ahead when needed! Happy lunch making!