Can anyone give me some good packed lunch ideas? (Vegetarian)?!
Can anyone give me some good packed lunch ideas? (Vegetarian)?
I can't eat too much bread so anything that's not a sandwich!
Answers:
You say you can't eat too much bread; is it a wheat intolerance? Because there are rye and other breads you could try. Also wheat free pasta to make cold pasta meals; I love it with tomato, basil, olive oil and parmesan. You could make salad, veggie wraps, quiche, all sorts. I also like cold Quorn sausage in salads or with pasta or the "ham" slices etc they make.
Try cut vegetables and cottage cheese or a good dip
Salads
You can get a lot of pre-made vegetarian entrees now that work well.
I also find that I make extra amounts for dinner and then take it for lunch the next day.
Quatro fromaggio tortelini cold
Wholewheat pasta with corn.
Mixed (chopped) vegetables, steamed, little olive oil and black pepper.
Vegetable Biryani Rice.
Vegetarian Lasagne, (small portion).
I have taken this to work for umpteen years and people have copied me from time to time.
a salad
Bean burrito.
Hummus with carrots and celery.
If you have a microwave, vegetable soup.
Falafel (in tortilla wrap) or peas/veg pilau with yogurt or pasta in tomato sauce with roasted sweet peppers & onions.
Lunchbox Dippers
Carrot sticks
Salsa
Houmous
To make lunchboxes more exciting serve some chopped up vegetables with dips.
Houmous and salsa are great contrasting flavours - the creamy houmous with the spicy refreshing salsa. Great served with crunchy carrot sticks or other crudities.
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Lemon and Parsley Couscous
Ingredients
50g couscous per person
1 lemon
1 tablespoon parsley
vegan mayonnaise
The recipe serves 2.
Soak 100g Couscous in the amount of water suggested on the packet (this will change depending on whether you are using brown or white couscous).
Taste to make sure that it is soft and fluffy and if not add more water. Once it is ready add the juice of the lemon and finely chopped parsley. Stir well.
Just before serving add 2 tablespoons of vegan mayonnaise
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Red Pepper Tarts
vegan puff pastry
red pepper
sun dried tomato paste
Pre heat the oven to 200 degrees.
Grease a baking sheet. Roll out the pastry and cut out with a pastry cutter. Spread with a thin layer of sun-dried tomato paste and top with thick slices of the pepper.
Bake in the oven for 10 minutes until the pastry has risen.
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Onion Bhajis
1 large onion
1 potato
cumin
coriander
turmeric
cayenne pepper
olive oil
vegetable oil
Grate the onion and fry gently until soft. Add 1 teaspoon of turmeric and half teaspoons of cumin coriander plus a tiny pinch of cayenne pepper. Cook until the onion starts to brown.
Peel and boil the potato until very soft. Drain and the mash the potato into a bowl.
Add the onion mixture to the potato. Stir up and bind the ingredients together. Add a little olive oil to help the ingredients to stick together. Form the mixture into small balls and deep fry in vegetable oil until golden brown.
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Potato Salad
new potatoes
vegan mayonnaise or salad dressing
chives (optional)
spring onions (optional)
wholegrain mustard (optional)
garlic (optional)
Boil enough potatoes for the amount of people that you are serving. It doesn’t matter if you peel them or not (but make sure they are washed). Once they are cooked either leave them to cool if you are going to serve them cold and add the dressing later. If you plan to serve them hot add the dressing immediately.
As the main dressing either use a vegan mayonnaise or salad cream. Depending on the flavour you require add either crushed garlic, finely chopped spring onions, finely chopped chives or wholegrain mustard for a Cajun style dressing.
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Carrot Salad
very fresh carrots
sultanas
french dressing
Peel and grate the carrots. Soak the sultanas in hot water for five minutes to wash and allow them to swell slightly. This makes them less dry.
Simply mix the sultanas with the carrots and top with French dressing.
pasta with a creamy tomato sauce
nachos with cheese sauce
potato salad
You'd probably don't like it cold or get bored easily..
What about
Rice and vegs wrapped in seaweed wrapper
Fruit -strawberries
Some carrot sticks and a tub of humous to dip them into.
Handful of macadamia nuts
Banana Croquettes
1/2 cup chooped french beans, boiled
1/2 cup chopped carrots, boiled
2 raw bananas boiled
3 tbsp. arrowroot powder
1 tsp. ginger grated
1 tsp. garlic grated
4-5 green chillies
salt to taste
oil to deep fry
Mash bananas well. Keep aside.
Semi-crush beans and carrots, add to bananas.
Crush or chop chillies fine, add to bananas.
Add salt, ginger, garlic, powder to bananas.
Mix well, form croquettes or desired shapes.
Heat oil in frying pan.
When hot, let in a few croquettes at a time.
Fry on medium heat, till golden and crisp.
Serve hot with ketchup, chutney or relish.
Mixed Vegetable Pancakes / Waffles
cup wholewheat flour
1/2 cup rice/maize/ragi/plain flour
1/4 cup beaten rice (poha)
1 onion
4" piece bottlegourd
1 capsicum
1 carrot
2 florets cauliflower
1/4 cabbage
1" piece ginger grated
4 green chillies finely chopped
salt to taste
1/4 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. soda bicarb
1 tbsp. oil
oil for shallow frying
Wash, drain partially, and keep aside beaten rice for 10 minutes.
Put all cleaned vegetables in a chopped and chopped very fine.
Use an electric chopped for convenience.
Put both flours in a large vessel.
Add chopped vegetables.
Add 1-1/2 cup water, salt, soda, chillies, ginger, oil, beaten rice, and mix well.
Heat either a dosa tawa or nonstick griddle, or waffle iron.
If using tawa, pour a ladleful of batter on centre, spread into thick pancake.
Drizzle a little oil, allow one side to turn golden, flip and repeat for other side.
If using waffle iron, grease lightly with oil and brush before putting batter.
Heat and put batter, close iron and allow to cook.
Take out when golden in colour.
Serve hot and crisp with chutney, sauce, etc.
Hi Princess,
I recommend pasta with nice veggie sauces on (or just cooked in stock-cube with a little butter or sesame oil...)
At uni i would always take noodles... Rice salad is also good... but get a packup box which seals tightly or it will leak!! :)
Laura :)
salad. oh, bring an apple! tastes good, and makes you feel satisfied too!
Cheese & Onion Frittata - very simple & healthy option too.
Ingredients:
Mushrooms sliced
onions sliced thinly
4x eggs
5x laughing cow lights
seasoning
lay the sliced mushrooms in the bottom of a small baking tray spayed in low cal spray oil (frylight)
mix the onions, eggs and seaoning together then break off small peices of the cheese into the mixture and stir again, pour over the mushrooms and then bake for about 20-30 minuites on a medium-high heat until the top starts to brown.
take out of the dish and either eat hot or leave to cool.
Yummy!
Also try the cheese and onions mixed with pasta - simple but very nice.
Enjoy!
A salad is always good, so long as it's fresh and not all soggy.
Try some spinach leaves, some nice tomatoes cut up, a bit of red onion and some cannellini beans (canned ones work fine). Add a bit of feta and make a dressing from a finely chopped garlic clove, a tablespoon of lemon juice, a teaspoon of clear honey and about 3 tablespoons of olive oil. x
Just make sure you include a little meat in your diet for complete protein. If you do not, you may suffer from malnutrition.
Try Hummus with Celery sticks, Carrots sticks, cucumbers, and pita bread if you can have that. You can have that with peanut butter instead of Hummus. Try sea weed salads, or vegetarian sushi. Try a good old fashion Salad. All this can hold up in Tupperware, or even a reusable lunch bag.
Wow, you got lots of great responses (well other than the one saying you're going to suffer from malnutrition if you don't eat meat - *groan*).
I think this blog is great: http://veganlunchbox.blogspot.com/...
She has lots of great lunch ideas, and even some recipes :)
I agree with many of the responses here. I make my own hummus, and I usually eat it with celery/carrot sticks or cucumber wedges. I have hollowed out a tomato and mixed some of the pulp with the hummus as well, shaken vegan parmesan on the inside of the tomato and stuffed it with the hummus mixture. You can also make this dip with cannellini beans and basil, pinto beans w/tomatoes & chilies, etc. I even put a scoop of dip on top of salad and pour an olive oil vinaigrette over the top. Be creative!
You can still have "sandwiches" - just put your favorite fillings in a romaine lettuce leaf, roll it up and secure it with a toothpick. If gluten sensitivity is your problem, you can probably find gluten free tortillas or breads, or even make them yourself on the weekends so that they're ready for you to use during the week. I make my own super-easy flatbreads, and I use them for mini-pizzas or to eat along with soup or stew.
When I want a hot lunch, I usually take the previous night's stir-fry, curry or chili and put it on top of rice or millet. Don't forget how filling a hearty soup or stew in a thermos can be too. Hope this helps....
cous cous salad is great for lunch...
Have you tried soup? Take it along in a vacuum flask or heat it up if you have the facility.
What about non-wheat crackers, eg Ryvita?
This is good if you are out for a drive in the car.
make a salad of feta cheese, chopped red onion, chopped tomato, oregano, basil and olive oil. You can add garlic if you like. Put it in a sealed plastic tub. It is best eaten warmish not from cool box.
Wrap Pitta bread in foil, individually, Put it on the dashboard of the car when you are near your destination and turn the windscreen heater on.
By the time you stop you will have lovely warm Pitta bread which you fill with the salad mixture. take plenty hot drinks if it is a cold day and lots of Napkins for the oil spills. Enjoy.
try the website Happycow.com
tortilla wraps are good because you can add what you like to them. Just cut up some peppers etc and add some beans.
Why not a salad with some cheese and rice. This would be very healthy. Then some fruit afterwards
start off with a flask of cold water, and to eat anything from dry bread to a handful of potato peelings. For a sweet you could try a black current.
Most vegans seem to live on things like this..............
Put some pumpkin and sunflower seeds under the grill and lightly toast them, takes a minute, and put them in a sandwich bag and munch! Really tasty and healthy have them every day in my packed lunch! :)
Easy. Make a Tofu stirfry. Stirfry your favorite veggies or buy the frozen mixed stirfry. Towards the end, add soy sauce and hot pepper to taste. In another pan, sautee cubed Tofu, and then end it with more soy sauce. Combine the veggies and the Tofu and you got yourself a meal. Pair with brown rice or a nice salad. ;)