Vegan Bento Box Ideas for Kids: Spark Your Culinary Creativity Here
Make lunchtime exciting for your kids with a bento box filled with vegan goodies. Bento boxes reduce waste by eliminating the need for disposable bags. They also allow for portion control while encouraging picky eaters to try new foods. Plus, they’re fun to put together!
Your child may inspire their classmates with fun, healthy cuisine, too! Nutritionists and physicians advise people of all ages to eat foods powered by plants, as they’re good sources of protein, iron, and calcium without animal fat. And the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics states that “[w]ell-planned vegan … diets are appropriate for all stages of the life cycle, including during pregnancy, lactation, infancy, childhood, and adolescence.”
We’ve compiled a list of ideas and tips to inspire your inner bento artist.
1. Vegan Cheese Sandwich
No one needs to steal milk from a mother cow and her calf, especially with all the delicious vegan cheese on the market. Vegan cheese—often made from nuts like cashews, almonds, and macadamias—contains no cholesterol, rennet, or any other disgusting ingredients found in dairy cheese.
2. Vegan Chicken Tenders and Fried Rice, Pikachu-Style
Transform a serving of rice into your child’s favorite cartoon character, and pack some vegan chicken on the side. Chickens are perhaps the most abused animals on the planet, but thanks to vegan chicken, no one needs cruelty to satisfy their cravings.
3. Vegan Snack Box
We get it—life is hectic. Prep this snack box for a quick fix that doesn’t sacrifice nutrition or flavor. Fresh berries, trail mix, and hummus-stuffed mini peppers can power your kiddo through the rest of their school day.
4. Vegan Tofu and Asparagus Fried Rice
Tofu is excellent for picky eaters because it takes on whatever flavor you add to it. Plus, choosing tofu over animal flesh is a compassionate, eco-friendly choice: It takes more than 2,400 gallons of water to produce 1 pound of beef, whereas producing 1 pound of tofu requires only 244 gallons of water.
5. Vegan English Muffin Pizzas
Pizza just got more fun! Use mini cutouts to make the vegan cheese into cute shapes for topping an English muffin.
6. Vegan Jam Sandwiches
PB&J sandwiches are lunch box staples—and they’re (usually) vegan! Make sure that your peanut butter doesn’t contain honey: Like other animals exploited on factory farms, honeybees are victims of unnatural living conditions and genetic manipulation. You can also make your own ravishing raspberry jam with our recipe.
7. Vegan Seaweed Wraps, Star Wars–Style
Need some kelp with your lunchtime art? Try making seaweed wraps into fun shapes—such as characters from Star Wars—that your kids would be excited to see (and eat!).
8. Vegan White Bean Hummus Heart-Shaped Sandwich
White bean hummus is a savory vegan option for a scrumptious sandwich. Try cutting it into a heart shape, and let your kids know that they’re eating with compassion: Every person who ditches animal flesh saves nearly 200 animals per year!
9. Vegan Leftovers Makeover
If you’re running short on time, see what you have in the fridge. Give those leftovers a bento box makeover. With embellishments, leftovers can be a fast yet impressive lunch.
10. TikTok Inspiration
Need some more inspiration? Check out this TikTok mom’s beautiful bento ideas. They’re truly vegan art!
@plantnats My kids vegan bento lunchbox – photo dump. Everyday is leaning #vegan #plantbased #vegantiktok #plantnats #veganmom #vegankidsmeals #veganbento #veganlunch #veganlunchbox #veganmama #vegankids #schoollunch #bento #bentobox #kidsbento #ヴィーガン #プラントベース #ビーガン #ヴィーガン弁当 #ヴィーガンママ #ヴィーガン子育て #子供弁当 #ヴィーガンランチ
♬ My Neighbor Totoro – Ending Theme Song (Piano Version) – Streaming Music Studios
Share the Vegan Love
Share your bento box designs on social media—we want to see them! When your friends “ooh” and “aah” over your child’s healthy, cute vegan lunch, why not encourage them to save animals, too? They can order their own free vegan starter kit.
