5 Easy Vegan Lunch Ideas
Just the thought of switching to a vegan lifestyle can be overwhelming. When my husband and I first made the switch, I wasn’t worried about dinners. I could plan those. My breakfast? It was already vegan friendly. I was worried about lunch. What could you possibly replace a ham and cheese sandwich with?! Was my first thought.
It took some time before I felt comfortable straying away from a smoothie and a snack for lunch every day. And let me tell you, its a decision I haven’t regretted one bit.
So here I am sharing my findings of yummy vegan friendly sandwich replacements that will rock your world and send your tastebuds through hoops.
But first, if you’re looking for an easy to make, high protein vegan dinner idea check out my Creamy Vegan Alfredo recipe!
Yam Sandwich
Yup! Replace the ham with the yam. Its that easy.
Preheat your oven to 400º.
Wash and peel a yam then cut it. You want to cut your yam so it lays flat. Cut the yam into either circle disks or long oval shapes. You don’t want them thicker than about a 1/4 inch.
Place cut yam on a baking sheet and coat in olive oil and seasoning of your choice. I enjoy a steak seasoning, cajun seasoning, or even just basic salt and pepper.
Bake for 20 minutes flipping halfway through.
Once the yam is finished cooking, let it cool and begin to prep your sandwich!
I enjoy spinach, bell pepper, onion, tomato and some vegan mayo. The beauty with these sandwiches, is that anything goes and taste delicious!
Crispy Tofu Wrap
The trick with tofu is to cook it right and cook it well. When you undercook chicken its dangerous. When you over cook it, its tough and flavourless. You have to give tofu the same attention. Cook it properly or else you won’t enjoy it. I have found you genuinely can’t overcook tofu to a point where it tastes bad.
These crispy tofu wraps are an awesome lunch if you’re looking for an extra protein boost in your day. You can bake tofu in the oven or you can pan fry it. For lunch I recommend frying it, just because its faster!
Slice your extra firm tofu into pieces no thicker than a 1/4 inch.
Pour some bread crumbs onto a plate and press your tofu pieces into the bread crumbs until coated.
On a hot frying pan add oil then place tofu on pan. Pressing the tofu down with a flat sided spatula cooking until golden brown on both sides.
Whip up a quick guacamole by mashing some avocado, adding salt, pepper, lime juice and a bit of garlic powder.
Grab a flour tortilla wrap, add your tofu, guacamole, spinach, tomato, onion, salsa etc.
.
BLAT (bagel, lettuce, avocado, tempeh)
I first discovered the BLAT when my favourite vegan local cafe first opened. Here’s the link to their page!
To be honest I was pretty scared of trying new foods like tempeh and jack fruit but also knew this was the life I had chosen and would eventually at least have to give these foods a try.
Safe to say, this is one of my favourite go-to sandwiches. It’s a great replacement for a breakfast sandwich or awesome to pack for a picnic lunch.
Grab a bagel, cut it in half and toss it in the toaster.
Slice an avocado and grab some lettuce.
I use 1 to 2 pieces of tempeh per sandwich (totally depends on my mood/hunger levels). My favourite tempeh is the Lite Life Smokey Tempeh.
In a frying pan on medium heat cook the tempeh until golden brown.
Put your sandwich together and enjoy.
If you want to add some sauces there are some great vegan aioli recipes or you can make it easy and add some vegan mayo (you can find the Hellman’s brand in the same spot as their classic mayonnaise), some vegan butter/margarin or hummus.
.
Easy Shredded Tofu Taco’s
Made with it doesn’t taste like chicken shredded tofu recipe
Now this isn’t necessarily something you can just whip up in a flash for lunch but it is something you can easily make on a Sunday evening to have prepped and ready to be added into some lunch time tacos.
Who said taco’s can only be eaten on Tuesday’s?!
Prep this shredded tofu and put together some delicious, high in protein taco’s sure to please anyone and everyone!
Add tomatoes, lettuce, avocado, onion, bell peppers, jalapeños, salsa, beans, corn…. Your options are endless!
Tofu Scramble
This is the perfect replacement for nip your scrambled egg craving in the but. Plus, you’re getting all the benefits of an egg without the cons. You may be thinking… yeah right, there’s no way tofu could substitute for scrambled eggs. But Im about to prove you wrong.
This is another favourite recipe of mine by another vegan blogger: The Cheeky Chickpea.
https://thecheekychickpea.com/tofu-scrambled-eggs/
Cut some veggies — anything you like in an omelet will do!
Make your tofu according to the recipe and sauté in your veggies. Make some toast and enjoy another high protein, full of nutrients meal.
.
The best advice I can give, is to just do it. Honestly… Nike really killed it with that slogan.
Try new things, open your mind to new flavours and new possibilities. Let your brain and tastebuds get tricked by the flavours your tasting from the food your eating. Enjoy it! Know that you’re having well balance meals that are providing the nourishment your body is looking for to keep energized for the rest of your day!
You May Also Like
One Comment
Alexa
Pack these vegan wraps with vegetables, rice and chipotle black beans to make a delicious and nutritious lunch.