Hey, all! I'm new here, a 15-year-old ovo-lacto vegetarian for 3 years who's dreading going back to school. Why? Well, not only for the classwork... but also for school lunches! I pack my own lunch. I plan on having a fresh fruit or veggie, a serving of whole grains, and a source of protein. However, that's easier said than done... being a busy teen, I won't have a whole lot of time to pack my lunches. The fruit or veggie is easy enough, because I love all kinds of fruits and vegetables. It's the whole grain and protein I'm worried about-- primarily the latter. Does anyone have any suggestions for some easily packable whole grains, and some quick-and-easy-to-make sources of protein? There's a microwave in our cafeteria so heating things up is no problem. I'd like to keep everything semi-healthy if at all possible. I'm open to all suggestions and appreciate any help you can give! Thank you so much!
You could make peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, pack a bag of nuts or use something like smartdeli for sandwiches. All are good sources of proteins. And use a whole grain bread. Hope you don't have any nut allergies.
That is a good idea there ^ If you have a microwave you could have lots of packaged foods, like veggie burgers and other stuff that Amy's makes... burritos, pockets, blah blah. Yeah its not the number one choice but I really like Amy's brand foods and they're healthy and low fat so it would be good if you're running out the door!
or leftovers such as beans and brown rice, soups/stews, burritos you made at home, even lasagna. You'll be the envy of the lunch room.
Yea, i dont recommend all packaged foods, take a night or something on the weekend, or whenever, and sit down and make your meals for the week, or plan em, prep everything. Packaged foods tend to have a lot of sodium in them, vegetarian or not. a lot of sodium isnt good for you. even though you are vegetarian. try switching it up and get some like cashew butter, or some different kind of fruit you always see in the supermarket but never tried because it looks weird. Don't be afraid to experiment with new things! and yea prep for the week on one day!
eat a big meal in the morning and dont eat during school hours thats what i do. or just bring a can of pineapple or a grapefruit.
We are super busy during the week so I make meals on Sunday nights and then throw them in the freezer....I also make extra at dinner time and have the leftovers for lunch the next day..... Agreed, that while Amy's and brands like that may fit into the veggie, lowfat, low cal catagories they are filled with sodium.....no good on a daily basis. When I was in high school my vegan friends would all get together on the weekends and make two large pots of food.....one like a veggie couscous and then either a pot of soup, stew or chili....and they would share that throughout the school week....then each day they would take turns either bringing in a salad (fruit or veggie), bread or dessert to share with everyone......
I have a pretty good cookbook called "The Natural Lunchbox" by Judy Brown, see if you can find a book club online to order one.
Hummus, wraps, etc. are good. If you go to the blogs section at http://www.veggieboards.com there's a really good recipe for mock tuna salad.
