These lunchbox recipes do incredible justice to the “grab-n-go” philosophy—they’re easy to make (even in bulk), they can easily be consumed on the move, and they’re way better than their store-bought counterparts (if we do say so ourselves).
https://youtu.be/cQ8vClJE1VQ
Make Over Your Lunchbox With These 6 Easy Recipes
Whether you’re looking for a near-effortless, hearty breakfast, an alt-potato chip pick-me-up, or a sweet little anytime treat, these perfectly vegan recipes will help you through your day without a hitch.
1. Overnight Oats
Prep Time: 5 minutes | Makes 2 servings
Ingredients:
2 cups coconut milk (or milk of choice)
6 tablespoons nut butter of choice
1 ½ cups rolled oats
1 tablespoon agave syrup (or sweetener of choice)
1 tablespoon chia seeds
¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
Garnish:
1 apple, peeled and thinly sliced
2 tablespoons dried cranberries
Preparation:
- If using nut butter: In a medium bowl, whisk together milk and nut butter until smooth.
- Add oats, agave, chia seeds, cardamom, and salt, and stir well to combine. Keep in a bowl, or transfer to a 2-cup mason jar or other sealable containers.
- Place in the refrigerator overnight, or at least 8 hours.
- Before serving, garnish with apple slices and dried cranberries (or the fruit of your choice).
Notes and Tips:
If you find the mixture too thick for your liking after an overnight rest, add a few teaspoons of non-dairy milk and stir to thin out the consistency.
2. Banana Chia Pudding With Berries
Prep Time: 5 minutes | Makes 2 servings
Ingredients:
1 ½ cups non-dairy milk
1 ripe banana
6 tablespoons chia seeds
2 teaspoons maple syrup
½ teaspoon ground turmeric
Raspberries, for garnishing
Blueberries, for garnishing
Preparation:
- Place milk and banana in a blender and blend on high until smooth, about 30 seconds.
- Pour the banana milk into a 2-cup mason jar or other sealable container. Add chia seeds, maple syrup, and turmeric and stir well to combine.
- Place in the refrigerator overnight, or at least 8 hours.
- When ready to serve, top with fresh berries.
Notes and Tips:
- If you find the mixture too thick for your liking after an overnight rest, add a splash of non-dairy milk and stir to thin out the consistency as needed.
- If you have fresh turmeric, swap the ground turmeric for ½-inch peeled turmeric and add the fresh turmeric in the blender with the banana and milk.
3. Cheesy Kale Chips
Prep Time: 5-10 minutes | Makes 2-4 servings
Ingredients:
2 bunches curly kale, de-stemmed and torn into very large chunks, about 4-inch pieces (about 8 cups total)
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sesame seeds
Preparation:
- Preheat the oven to 325F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
- Add the kale to a large bowl and drizzle with olive oil. Toss well to coat evenly, and massage the kale with your hands to soften its texture. Sprinkle with nutritional yeast and salt and toss again to coat evenly. Arrange kale pieces in a single layer on prepared baking sheets. Sprinkle sesame seeds on top of the kale.
- Bake for about 10 minutes, then remove from the oven to flip the pieces over to ensure even cooking and crispness. Bake for another 5-10 minutes, until crisp and lightly browned. Be sure to watch carefully in the second round of baking to ensure the kale does not burn. Kale chips will continue to crisp as they cool.
4. Beet Hummus
Prep Time: 5 minutes | Makes 2-4 servings
Ingredients:
1 cup peeled, cooked & chopped beets
1, 15-ounce can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
¼ cup fresh lemon juice (about 2 lemons), more if needed
⅓ cup tahini
2 cloves garlic, chopped
¾ teaspoon kosher salt, more if needed
Good quality extra virgin olive oil
Toasted pita and vegetable crudite, for serving
Preparation:
- In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the blade attachment, add beets, garbanzo beans, lemon juice, tahini, garlic, and salt. Process on high until smooth and creamy, this may take up to 5 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed while processing.
- Taste and season with more salt and lemon juice as needed. Transfer to a serving bowl and drizzle a bit of olive oil on top before serving.
Notes and Tips:
If you have the time, removing and discarding the skins from the garbanzo beans yields an extra smooth texture.
5. Rice Cereal Treats
Prep Time: 5 minutes | Cook Time: 20 minutes | Makes servings 9-12
Ingredients:
⅔ cup brown rice syrup
¼ cup coconut oil
Tiny pinch kosher salt
4 cups brown rice cereal
1 ½ cups vegan mini marshmallows
Preparation:
- Line an 8” x 8” baking pan with parchment paper and spray lightly with a nonstick baking spray. (or grease the baking tin if you don’t have parchment).
- Add brown rice syrup and coconut oil to a large pot over medium heat. Bring the mixture to a low boil and cook for about one minute, until the syrup and oil no longer separate. Turn off the heat and stir in the salt.
- Add the cereal and marshmallows and stir to combine, until everything is distributed evenly. Spread in a parchment-lined pan into an even layer, then let cool completely.
- Once cool, remove the cereal treat from the pan by lifting the parchment paper out, and set on a cutting board. Cut into 9 or 12 squares.
- Rice cereal treats can be stored in an airtight container for a few days at room temperature.
Notes and Tips:
Using a greased spatula or even greasing your hands will make it easier to press into a flat and even square.
6. Coconut Covered Energy Bites
Prep Time: 5 minutes | Makes about 12 balls
Ingredients:
15 Medjool dates, pitted, roughly chopped
¼ cup chopped dried apricots
2 tablespoons nut butter of choice
3 tablespoons ground flax seeds (flaxseed meal)
2 tablespoons chia seeds
½ cup unsweetened shredded coconut
Preparation:
- Add the dates and apricots to the bowl of a food processor fitted with the blade attachment. Pulse on high until the pieces are small and start to clump together (about 30 pulses).
- Add the nut butter, flax, and chia seeds and continue to pulse until there are no large chunks remaining. The mixture should look uniform.
- Line a small sheet tray with parchment paper. Place the shredded coconut in a shallow bowl. Pinch off a few tablespoons at a time and roll into a ball with your hands. Set the ball aside on the prepared sheet tray and repeat until no date mixture remains. One at a time, place a date ball in the coconut and toss to coat, pressing down to ensure the coating sticks. Return the ball to the sheet tray and repeat with remaining uncoated date balls.
- Place the tray of energy balls in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week.
