What vegetarian food can I take to lunch?

Why should being a vegetarian make it hard to figure out what to take to school for lunch? There's such an infinite list of things it would be hard to list them off here! For starters, you could go with the basic sandwich that so many cold-lunch people seem to be fond of. Put cheese mayo, mustard, spices, and LOTS of veggies in it like lettuce, tomato, bell pepper, cucumber, onion, et cetera. You could also make an egg sandwich or egg salad. You could also do what I did which is pack dinner leftovers for lunch. If you have a microwave at school, this could broaden your options. Chili for example is kind of gross when cold, but good when warm. When you make a vegetarian chili, make sure to include lots of kinds of beans like black beans, red beans, white beans, garbanzo beans, as well as things like stewed tomato, salsa, and rice. You can also make stir fry. Some things that are decent when cold could include pizza, macaroni salad or potato salad, or any other kind of salad. Basically, if you have a microwave at school, any dinner leftovers that you have would make a good lunch. If you don't have a microwave available, any dinner leftovers that are good cold would make a good lunch. When you don't want leftovers, there are still plenty of options for things to bring. There is no reason for you to have difficulty figuring out what to bring.

Veggie Sandwiches:
Mix and match breads (sliced bread, french bread, bagel, what ever) with some veggies, fruits, and favorite cheeses. You can have a savory sandwich (like pumpernickel bread with cheddar cheese, tomatoes, and bean sprouts) or a sweet one (a bagel with cream cheese and sliced strawberries)

Salads:
(no need to explain here... right?)

Chopped veggies:
Dont just do carrot sticks, go crazy with it! There are VERY few veggies that are not suitable when raw. Experiment around with your favorites

Avocado bowls:
When you slice an avocado in half and pop out the seed, viola, you have a perfect, tiny, delicious little bowl. Fill it with tasty things and consume! (salsa, cottage cheese, whatever you dig!)

Rice bowls:
Make a layer of rice in the bottom of a bowl, then put layers of stuff you enjoy. It may be a mexican rice bowl with veggie salsa, lettuce, cheese, or it may be a curry bow with vegetarian curry and yogurt, it may be an asian bowl with stir fried veggies on top or tofu or anything you like!

As a vegetarian eating fruit parfait with granola for lunch every day is NOT healthy unless you are getting super varied and filling breakfasts and dinners. Also, since you are in high school, you need to be very careful about getting proper nutrition both as a youth and as a veggie. Make sure you get enough protein and calcium. I highly suggest nuts and beans for the protein. Peanut butters, almond butters, dairy products, eggs, whatever you allow yourself to eat, eat plenty of it. Lean dairy might be a good answer so you dont get too many calories off it. Just remember that even though you are in high school and almost grown up, your body isnt quite done yet on the inside. Your muscles and bones arent done developing, and its a critical time for them if you want to be a healthy person in 30 years! (or now for that matter!)

You may want to talk to a health professional like a doctor or school nurse, or look up some good resources on the internet for dietary suggestions. And there is nothing wrong with being a veggie at your age, it can be done, you just have to do it right.

Good luck!

Sandwiches:

Nutbutter sandwich (peanut butter, cashew butter, etc.)
Hummus cucumber sandwich with sprouts, tomato, and lettuce
Cheese sandwich with veggies
Tomato, fresh basil, and mozarella sandwich
Portabello mushroom burger/sandwich

Main dishes:

-Bring a salad in a tupperware container (add kidney or garbanzo beans, feta or parmesan cheese, or nuts like walnuts for some protein)
-Bring leftover pasta dishes or vegetarian casseroles in tupperware
-Fill a thermos with vegetable, lentil, or bean soup (canned is fine if you don't have leftovers)
-If your school has a microwave, you can bring a frozen entree or instant soup (the kind where you add water and heat up)

Side dishes:

-An apple, banana, or other piece of fruit
-Cheese and crackers
-Hummus or dressing dip and sliced veggies
-Yogurt or cottage cheese (Yoplait containers are convenient)
-A small green salad (pack dressing on the side for freshness)
-Del Monte serving-sized containers of canned peaches/pineapple (sold in packs of six, I believe)
-Pretzels or other crackers
-Raisins or other dried fruit
-Almonds or other nuts

Drinks:
-Juice box
-Caprison
-Soy milk
-Vitamin water

How about a sandwich with hummus or pesto, then lots of fresh veggies. One of my favorite sandwiches is pesto then tomatoes, cucumber, lettuce, onion, red pepper and a slice of pineapple. Or make vegetarian chili or lentil soup (sooo easy) and bring that in a soup thermos.

i have tomato soup in a thermus, with yogurt and an apple.
a bean burrito (whole grain tortilla = protien) with yogurt and an apple
veggie burger in a whole grain pita with yogurt and an apple
or left overs from the night before, with as you may guess, yogurt and an apple. yum you could do pp and j as well.

Does your grocery store have a fresh Mediterranean Olive Bar? Ours (at Kroger) carries vegetarian stuffed grape leaves, different types of hummus & tabboleh (sp?) - bring some pita bread

Take some wholesome, nutritionally complete, carrots in your vegetarian, lunch pail.

Carrots, you rabbit! LOL

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