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2006-06-14 10:01:28 · 15 answers · asked by Anonymous in Food & Drink Vegetarian & Vegan

She is vegetarian because her stomach does not handle meat well.

Also, I want to keep the lunches interesting...I don't want to feed her the same foods every week.

Vegetarianism shouldn't be a punishment for her, so I would like to make it nutritious and tasty!

2006-06-14 10:53:56 · update #1

15 answers

I am a former vegetarian and I live with a vegetarian, so I have tons of ideas. There are some recipes that are vegan, lacto or lacto-ovo vegetarian. Most of the lunches can be heated in the morning and served at room temperature--some do not need to be heated at all.

There are many soy based meat alternatives that are somewhat decent. We jokingly refer to them as 'mock meat'. They are high in protein, low in fat and the flavor is pretty good.

Sandwich like foods--serve with dip and veggies, fruit kebabs or oven baked chips

1. 'Tofu pups'--which is like a hotdog

2. Soy based 'chicken nuggets' (without 'real chicken)--with some bbq, honey mustard or sweet and sour sauce it is yummy. Some soy based 'mock chik-en' + veggies and sauce make good wrap sandwiches.

3. 'Tofu crumbles' which my daughter makes 'sloppy joes' or tacos

4. Veggie burgers

5. Cream cheese and roasted veggie paninni/ sandwich

6. Cheese and veggie quesadillas

7. Grilled portabello mushroom with cheese on sourdough bread

8. Nutbutter (penut or almond butters) and low sugar fruit preserve sandwich

9. A burrito with black beans, spanish rice salsa, cheese and veggies

Pizza ideas:

1. We like to purchase a nice gourmet veggie pizza and repackage the slices into individual servings to grab for lunch--this is always a hit!

2. There is soy based mock 'pepperoni'. With a pita bread, tomato sauce, cheese if desired, veggies; your 3rd grader can make their own pizza

3. Pita bread pesto sauce and roasted veggies, with or without cheese make a really yummy 'pizza'

Incidently--there are 'nut based' cheeses and other cheese products that do not use animal products.

What about lunches that you dip--they are fun for kids!

1. Mexican layer dip--which we put beans, salsa, guacamole, cheese in colorful layers and serve with baked tortilla chips--tortilla chips come in many colors and flavors, so the possibilities are endless

2. Veggies, toasted pita bread and greek dips--hummus, babba ganoush (a yummy eggplant dip), tzaki (a yummy yogart dip)

3. Steamed asian veggie dumplings or spring rolls with soy sauce or duck sauce (purchase them at your local chinese restaurant). We like to use leftover brown rice and make fried rice (sesame oil, bok choy, bean sprouts or any veggies you have on hand. Sometimes we add shreaded scrambled egg)

4. Toasted bread slices with a tomato based sauce like marinara or a type a chunky tomato sauce like that which is served with brushetta. Add spinach/artichoke dip (made with low fat cream cheese, parmesan cheese, garlic powder, chopped-drained thawed spinach and chopped artichokes)--the internet has good recipes!

Last but not least

1. Mac and cheese

2. Spanish 'tortilla'--which is an egg and potato dish and often served at room temperature. We like to eat it with salsa--again the internet has recipes

3. If your third grader has access to a refrigerator to freezer, then fruit smoothies are good. We make a 'reese's penut butter smoothie, where we use soy milk, natural penut butter, sweetend protein powder, cocoa powder. Frozen banana and penutbutter with sweetend protein powder is yummy or any type of frozen fruit smoothie. The possiblities are endless.

4. I like to make 'brown rice concoctions', where I take left over brown rice and put in whatever veggies I have on hand--leftover grilled veggies are the best! You can add the soy based vegetarian sausage, soy based bacon bits, tofu crumbles or whatever.

5. Using the same concept, I like making homemade soup concoctions. There are vegetarian soup broths you can purchase on the shelf and adding grilled veggies, beans or 'mock meat' the possibilities are endless. Let your third grader design their own soup! Do not put certain starches in your soup--rice, noodles--they tend to absorb the liquid and swell and turn mushy. Potatoes are okay. You can heat the soup in the morning and transport it in a thermas.

6. If you are lacto vegetarian--try a milk based soup. I like to take sauted onions, baked potatoes, soy based bacon bits, broccoli or califlower and cheddar cheese to make a yummy soup--served in a thermas.


I hope this provides you with ideas and your 3rd grader with lunches he/she will enjoy!

2006-06-14 18:20:27 · answer #1 · answered by think4yorself 2 · 6 1

I'm a freshman and having the same problem vegetarian lunches! I've come up with a few ideas that I use myself: Salads are obvious, mine usually involve a spring mix, italian dressing, feta cheese, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, and toasted almonds. YUM! I've also tried a toasted bagel with cream cheese and a variety of vegetables (whatever works really, whatever tastes good to you!) Some celery and natural PB to go cups is yummy! A sandwich involving some lettuce, faux deli meat, mayo, and cheese on whole grain bread is healthy and good, but be careful with the meat slices and bread if you're worried about carbs! The kind of bread I get advertises as 45 calories (which its obviously more because of two pieces but whatever!) All of these things sit in my locker for 5 hours before I have lunch and everything is fine by the time lunch comes around, so you shouldn't have to worry about it! Have an awesome Senior year (:

2016-03-27 03:58:00 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0 0

There are many soy based meat products that taste good. If your third grader used these products, she can have a lunch that looks like everyone else's, but is nutritious and vegetarian. Sometimes kids do not want to stand out. I always gave my kids home-made lunches for school when they were smaller and my daughter came home one day and wanted a bologna sandwich with chips and a twinkie. I was mortified--so much sugary, salted chemically laden processed food. She had always enjoyed my cooking in the past, but wanted to fit in.

There are also cheeses made from sources other than milk--almond cheese is yummy.

You can experiment and let the third grader decide what he/hse prefers.

thinkforyourself had great ideas--I concur

2006-06-17 16:29:04 · answer #3 · answered by helpwanted 2 · 0 0

In case you are doubting, based on some of the responses here, it is fine to have your children on a vegetarian diet. Not only have I feed two vegetarian, never eaten meat, children for several years, but I've done quite a bit of research. If you have questions you should do the same.
Here are a couple of sites to begin any research...

http://www.vrg.org/family/kidsindex.htm
http://www.keepkidshealthy.com/nutrition/vegetarian_diets.html
http://www.vegsoc.org/info/childre1.html

2006-06-15 04:19:30 · answer #4 · answered by Kalie H 1 · 0 0

You don't say if she eats dairy or not so I'll include it.

1. Pb & J
2. Cheese sandwich
3. Pasta Salad
4. Salad Wrap (favorite salad fixings in a wrap)


For snacks: Yogurt, fruit, carrot sticks, crackers, pretzels etc.

Sometimes I'll do a mish mosh of stuff for my daughters lunch like a stoneybrook farms yogurt smoothie, a buttered whole grain roll, a banana and a granola bar.

2006-06-14 23:44:53 · answer #5 · answered by KathyS 7 · 0 0

umm...It is not healthy to have a child in the third grade be eating vegetarian meals. At this point and for the next while in the child's life, they need to be eating foods from all four food groups from Canada's Food Guide or the American Food Pyramid. It is impossible to cut out a food group and still get all the nutrients needed to be healthy. This is also why the CFG is the best diet out there.

2006-06-14 10:09:13 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0 2

If she has no adverse effects to meat-substitutes Tofurky slices are very good. Tofu salad sandwiches also a big hit. I saw a lot of good ideas before my post also. Try the site below for more ideas.

2006-06-15 05:29:52 · answer #7 · answered by ebenevides 2 · 0 0

vegetable sticks and hummus dip (hummus is basically chickpeas, tahini, lemon and little olive oil - you can buy it pre-made, or its easy to make)

string cheese (for vegetarians, not vegan)

veggie quesadillas (again, vegetarian, not vegan)

tortillas with a bean spread

applesauce

for the brave, there's gazpacho - it's supposed to be cold

a sandwich with egg (like egg salad), or roast peppers, avocado, and grilled mushrooms

a salad with cherry tomatos, red onion, feta cheese, lettuce and maybe some basil

peanut butter and honey sandwich

lettuce wraps - include lettuce, bean sprouts, sliced carrots, onions, and a nice dip

2006-06-14 10:10:10 · answer #8 · answered by Muskratbyte 3 · 0 0

i agree that 9-10 year olds need meat in their diet in order to properly grow. if you cannot feed your child meat, make sure he gets enough protein in his diet by feeding lots of nuts, eggs, peanut butter, etc.
sandwiches are always really easy, as are fruit bites or veggies and dip.
you might also try quesadillas or one of those boboli pizza crusts ... just make the pizza and send it cold.
i also really enjoyed soup in a thermos as a child ... i would take chicken soup and crackers ... it was one of my favorite lunches - and it's hot.
what about lunchable style cheese and crackers?

2006-06-14 10:51:04 · answer #9 · answered by texandiva2006 3 · 0 0

Jiff creamy peanut butter and Smucker's Peach preserve sandwiches with celery and carrot sticks and fresh fruit, and of course don't forget to give them their milk money;) LOL

2006-06-14 10:07:34 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0 0

peanut butter for protien fruit salads always good when i make that for my litle cousins i use cookie cutters on the fruit to make it interesting and fruit smoothies with diffirent fruits every time and for any kid i like to make drinks with ice cubes that have mint laeves and friut and different stuff frozen in them int intrests kids i make it for

2006-06-14 17:40:39 · answer #11 · answered by Anonymous · 0 0

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