A whole week of school lunches planned for you, along with a complete shopping list! Take the thinking out of it and let me help you with this 5 day lunch meal plan.
These easy vegan lunchbox recipes are quick to make, require very little prep and are super healthy to give the littles the energy they need. Great for adults too! If you’re like most of us, making lunch can be so mundane. It’s easy to get in the rut of the same old stuff.
This boring rotation transfers to our kids causing uneaten lunch syndrome. What you ask is uneaten lunch syndrome? This is when your kids bring home a lunchbox with food. You go nuts because it took every ounce of energy you had to pack said food. Tantrums ensue, by both parties, and the evening is spent huffing and puffing around. But it stops here!
The meal plans I have on this site are a huge hit with you all, check them out here, here, here and even a holiday themed one here! You all also really love my post about vegan school lunch ideas. So I got to thinking, why not merge the two? And here we are. Five whole days of preplanned lunches. From me to you, because I love your sanity.
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 around here. Here are some tips, tricks and notes to keep in mind:
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Have the kids help make their lunches. It’s easy to prep things ahead of time, wash and cut and have them 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.
- 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.
- This is for one child only. Multiply by however many you need.
- You will have some extras of things, save them for after school snacks on another day!
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!
A whole week of school lunches planned for you, along with a complete shopping list! Take the thinking out of it and let me help you with this 5 day lunch meal plan. These easy vegan lunchbox recipes are easy to make, require very little prep and are super healthy to give the littles the energy they need.
- 1 avocado
- 2 sticks celery
- 5 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 banana
- 1 medium sized zucchini (you only use 1/6 of it)
- 1 medium sized cucumber (you only use 1/3 of it)
- 7 strawberries
- 10 baby carrots
- 1 apple (you only use a 1/2 of it)
- 10 grapes
- 5 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
- 6 tablespoons nut butter of choice
- 3 tablespoons maple syrup
- 3 tablespoons pizza sauce
- 1/4 cup hummus
- 1 1/2 cups raw cashews
- 15 raisins or other dried berry
- 2 teaspoons sea salt
- 2 teaspoons dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon minced onion
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon dried dill
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon mustard powder
- 5 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 5 tablespoons plain unflavored protein powder or oat flour , both work (I like NOW foods pea protein)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1-2 tablespoons dairy free chocolate chips
- 1 tortilla , gluten free if needed
- 1 pita bread , gluten free if needed
- 1/2 bagel , gluten free if needed
- 1 slice bread , gluten free if needed
- 1/4 cup black beans
- 15 ounces chickpeas (1 can)
- 1 cup unsweetened plain cashew or almond milk
- 1/4 cup your favorite dairy free cheese to top pizza (I like Miyoko Mozzarella)
- 1 slice your favorite dairy free cheese (I like Follow Your Heart Provolone)
- 2 tablespoons your favorite dairy free cream cheese (I like Kite Hill)
- 1/4 cup pretzels
- 6 tablespoons trail mix
- 6 crackers of choice
- 1 rice cake
See post and follow instructions for each day, paying close attention to the notes.
- Nutrition info is an average for each meal. Takes into account only using 1/2 cup of the homemade Ranch dressing. There are other things that are not used in full but for ease I accounted for all of it in the nutrition.
- Prep time is an average for each meal.
- This is for 1 week of lunches for 1 person, adjust for how many people you are making lunches for.
JD says
This is a life saver! I hate packing school lunches and this will help a lot especially when we have those crazy weeks.
Andrea says
Thanks for the ideas! Do you have any tips on how to pack some of these things? Do cut bananas get weird before lunch or the ants on a log get stuck or messy to pack? How do you store the crispy chickpeas.
veggiesdontbite says
Hi Andrea! I pack mine the night before and put it in their metal bento like lunchboxes. It keeps everything in their right spot. I would suggest you wrap the ants on a log in plastic wrap or tinfoil or something similar. It will keep them from getting too messy especially if you don’t have a bento type lunch box. My kids don’t have issues with the bananas or the avocado oxidizing, but I know some kids can be very sensitive to that. You could wrap those as well to help with them browning before lunch. The crispy chickpeas are the same, store in an airtight container if you don’t have a bento box. They aren’t as crispy when you don’t eat the right away but they don’t seem to mind!
Lisa says
Please do this again! Love this—such a big help with packing lunchboxes.
veggiesdontbite says
I’m so happy you like it! I was hoping it would be helpful!
Cassie Autumn Tran says
You can’t ever go wrong with any of these snack and lunch ideas! Sweet potatoes, fruit, raw veggies, nuts, bean-based snacks, and energy bites are my favorite snacks. I have to try your brownie bites! They look divine!
veggiesdontbite says
Thank you so much Cassie! I think you would love the brownie bites!