Vegan Kids Lunch Box Ideas

Packing a vegan kids lunch box doesn’t have to be boring or complicated! With a few fun, colorful, and tasty ideas, you can put together lunches that kids will actually look forward to eating. From simple sandwiches and fresh fruit to crunchy veggies, pasta, and easy snacks, there are so many delicious options to mix and match.

These healthy lunch box ideas are great for school, daycare, picnics, or any meal-on-the-go:

1. Invest in a Fun Lunch Box

The perfect lunch box looks different for everyone depending on your kid’s interests and needs. Here are a few of our favorites!

Best Kids Lunch Boxes

• Planetbox – With a range of sizes and fun shells and decorative magnets your kids will love, Planetbox gives you space to fill your kids’ lunches with healthy vegan options. The more choices you offer, the more likely they are to eat something. The different-sized compartments give you some fun challenges in the creative parent department, too. And we love that they’re dishwasher friendly for easy cleaning. Our top pick is The Rover with the Tutti Frutti insulated lunchbox case.
• Bentgo Lunch Box – Another fun compartmented lunchbox is the Bentgo. With a range of sizes, shapes, and designs, these are perfect for the younger kids in your house with leakproof seals that help prevent messy cleanups. And you can feel good about supporting this brand and its Feed the Children donations made with every purchase.
• Elk & Friends Lunch Box – This eco-friendly brand has been making our favorite kids silicone plates, cups, and tumblers for years, and recently they started making sustainable kids lunchboxes! They are very high quality, hold their seal beautifully, and are long-lasting.

2. Choose Reusable Snack Containers and Accessories

Skip the disposable plastic baggies and go for these reusable options instead:

• Stasher Bags – Stasher uses silicone, not plastic, for a sturdy, washable, and reusable bag you can pack up with sandwiches, snacks, fresh fruit, and more. Pop the Stasher bags in your dishwasher for a no-fuss clean-up, too. 
• Reusable Ice Packs – With a thin lunchbox-friendly design, and lots of fun shapes to choose from, these reusable ice packs are very helpful in keeping food fresh all day long.
• Fun Food Picks – Infuse some extra fun into your kids lunch by integrating cute food picks like these plant picks, these mini sauce containers and halloween picks, and these silly eyes that can transform any food into a character.
• Simple Modern Reusable Baby Food Pouches – Kids love those applesauce or smoothie pouches, but they create so much waste! We love these reusable pouches from Simple Modern. Make your own delicious smoothies at home and pack them into these pouches your kids will love.

3. Creative Vegan Kids Lunch Box Ideas

Now you’ve got your lunchbox situation sorted, it’s time to fill it with delicious and fun vegan lunches for kids:

Play With Shapes

Cookie cutters are your friend! Just make sure you’re packing lunch when you’re a little bit hungry yourself so you can enjoy all the scraps as you go.

Sandwich-Friendly Cookie Cutters:

• Stars
• Circles
• Hearts

There are also Fruit & Veggie Mini Shape Cutters you can use for carrots, cucumbers, berries, melons, and so much more. This is especially great for toddlers or picky eaters.

Leave Special Surprises and Notes

Brighten up your child’s lunch or snack-time with a little reminder that they’re loved! School can be overwhelming even for the most well-adjusted kids. A little hello from home can make all the difference.

• A sweet note
• Stickers
• A funny comic strip
• A crossword puzzle or other game
• Family photo
• A colorful flower

Line Up Colorful Snacks

For kids, a lunch full of snacks is just as exciting (if not more so) than a single main meal. And as long as you’re packing the snacks with nutrition, why not lean into that and create a fun snack spread they can pick and choose from?

Find over 50 kids snack ideas that are perfect for lunches here to get the snack party started.

Easy Vegan Lunch Idea #1: DIY UnCrustables

This is one of the easiest swaps! Plus, it looks the most like a “traditional” lunch box meal. Here’s what to add:

• Rainbow Fruit and Veggie Kebabs – Add pieces of fruits and vegetables in rainbow order on a short bamboo stick. If you let your child help or choose their favorite foods, the greater the chance they’ll eat them.
• Whole Grain Toast Shapes – Use whole grain bread to maximize nutrition in your vegan lunch ideas for kids. Whole-grain bread is full of fiber and protein.
• Protein Packed Dessert – Add a few date balls for sweet treat that has lots of protein and fiber.
• Vegan-Friendly UnCrustables – We love the grab-and-go sandwiches by Bobo’s, Trader Joe’s, Gallant Tiger, and Chubby Snacks.
• Use Cookie Cutter Shapes! – Maybe Monday you pack a “You’re A Star!” themed lunch and Friday is a “You’re a Hoot!” owl theme. The cuter the food, the more kids love it.

Easy Vegan Lunch Idea #2: It’s A Pasta Party!

Let’s take a peek inside this vegan lunchbox!

• Twirly Pasta Power – Spiral pasta with olive oil, garlic powder, a sprinkle of salt, and nutritional yeast, topped with green peas.
• Pea-licious Split Pea Stew – Split peas cooked with vegetable broth or bouillon for flavor.
• Blooming Berry Treats – Strawberry flowers and fresh blueberries
• Crunch & Dip Carrots – Thinly sliced crunchy carrots (you might pack a carrot dip like white bean hummus or vegan avocado ranch dressing on the side)

Easy Vegan Lunch Idea #3: Tofu Lover’s Dream

Not every kid loves tofu, but it’s one of the easiest high-protein wins when you’re looking for new vegan lunch ideas for kids. You can share it as tofu waffles, grilled tofu skewers, in a stir-fry, air-fried tofu nuggets, and raw tofu chunks straight out of the package.

Note: Keep in mind that It can take more than 20 exposures to a new food to develop a taste for it. Here are a few ways to get started:

• Start by regularly eating tofu in front of your kids, and being generous (and genuine) with delicious noises. Soon enough your little one will be reaching for the tofu on your plate to give it another try.
• Don’t force your kids to eat tofu (or any food, for that matter). That’s the quickest way to make them hate that food for good.
• Try different cooking methods and seasonings—you can win over the most uneasy skeptics with perfectly seasoned and cooked tofu!

If you’ve tried all these things and your kid still doesn’t want anything to do with tofu, that’s okay! There are plenty of other healthy, high-protein foods out there to turn to instead.

Plant-Based Lunch Idea #4: Pizza Day!

What’s in this vegan lunchbox?

• Cheesy Pizza Squares – Pizza with plant-based cheese shreds or pizza bagel bites.
• Berry Rainbow – Fresh berries (kiwi, raspberries, strawberries) or fruit salad
• Finger Food Veggies – Chunks of corn on the cob or sugar snap peas.
• Melt-in-Your-Mouth Smoothie Bites – Organic Amara or Yumi plant-based smoothie melts.
• Dippable Hot Dog Bites – Vegan hot dog slices or (mummy dogs!) with ketchup for dipping
• Power Bites – Pumpkin baked oatmeal bites (these are freezer-friendly and a lunchbox favorite!) or brain ball bites (full of omega3s).

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