How to Plan Vegan School Lunch for Kids (VIDEO)

If you're new to vegan life, the easiest way to transition your kids to vegan school lunches, is by veganizing (make a vegan version) some of the meals they're already enjoying.

Think about it like this.... if your kids love turkey sandwiches - start experimenting with vegan deli slices (I like the Field Roast brand) and use vegan mayo (Just Mayo is a good brand), lettuce, tomato & mustard to make their favorite sandwich vegan. Also, check the ingredients on the bread to ensure that it's vegan (no milk, eggs or butter). 

Try not to overthink it. You want to keep weekly lunches simple for you and delicious for them. :-)

I have an easy formula for making simple and delicious daily lunches....

Main entree + Fruit/Vegetable + Treat/Junk Food + Drink =                                                Vegan School Lunch

I talk about making school lunches and even show you how I put one together for my boys in this video...

Main entree - sandwich (peanut butter and jelly is a great option), burrito, taco, wrap (one with hummus, red bell pepper, lettuce & tomato is an easy option) or leftover soup from dinner in a Thermos

This is a pic of my youngest son, Brandon's lunch from when he was about 6

Fruit and/or Vegetable - any whole fruit that you have on hand - berries, banana, apple, pineapple, etc. Mini salads with lettuce, tomato, carrot & cucumber served with balsamic vinaigrette or any vegetable and hummus.  If you have older kids, a fruit and vegetable is probably a good idea because they eat more. Smaller kids should get one or the other so they don't waste food.

Treat/Junk Food - Don't skip out on the treat because kids love trading snacks! I know I used to back in the day. Plus, I think it's important for some of their food to look familiar.

Vegan junk food options mentioned in the video: Oreos, plain Lay's potato chips Earth Balance vegan cheddar popcorn, Late July chips (not all of their products are vegan; check the ingredients)
Clif Bar (not all of their products are vegan; check the ingredients) and Stacy's pita chips (not sure if all of their products are vegan; check the ingredients)

There are so many healthy junk food options out there! You can also check out PETA's accidental vegan list for some familiar (not healthy) snack options 

Drink - Water is best but I used to give my boys an organic juice box one week out of the week. You can also send your kids to school with almond or coconut milk (they even sell chocolate flavored versions of these) in a Thermos or drink box.

Remember to keep it simple, get the kids involved and have fun!!

One Pot of Chili...3 Meals | Vegan Meal Planning

Listen, I know you're busy...

Working full-time...

Taking care of the kids (including that big kid that's sleeping in your bed lol)...

Maybe you're taking a couple of college classes, too...

And you still have to clean, meal plan & cook along with about 10 other things. *sigh*

This is one of the main reasons we eat soup, stew & chili all. year. long.

Not just because it's delicious, but because meals like that are inexpensive and usually have leftovers for the next day.

I live for leftovers

A few weeks ago, I doubled my chili recipe and made three meals with that one pot of chili.

(1) Chili & vegan cornbread

(2) Chili & rice

(3) Chili taco salad-with lettuce, tomatoes, guacamole & salsa (similar to this recipe but I used the chili instead of walnut taco meat)

Save yourself some time and money and think about how you can remix leftovers for your fam.

I hope this was helpful!

What You Should Do BEFORE You Go Vegan

One of the questions I get often is, "I want to go vegan...where do I start?"

In the latest video I share some tips on how to start a successful vegan journey. 

Watch the video here.....

Recap from the video....

• Write down why you want to be vegan -There's so much power in getting it on paper
• Make the decision that you're going vegan-Something magical happens when you make that declaration! It will open you up to explore, research and do whatever you can to make the full transition to a vegan life.
• Recognize that this journey isn't perfect- I wish going vegan were perfect but even after 5 years it still isn't perfection for me. 
• Plan your meals-Meal planning can be overwhelming; especially since most of us aren't used to planning our meals in detail. Use Pinterest, Instagram, YouTube and vegan cookbooks from the library to get ideas.  Try to focus on what you're already eating and figure out ways to veganize those meals.

I mentioned my podcast at the end of the video...Listen to episodes here

What is A Vegan?

I used to think vegans were crazy and mean.

I grew up near PETA's headquarters and heard about their nonsense around Hampton Roads.

Stories about people affiliated with the organization throwing paint on the Ronald McDonald House and on folks who decided to wear fur...

I pretty much wrote vegans off as deranged assholes...

...until I read Sistah Vegan in 2010.

This book changed everything for me.

For the first time, I saw veganism as a lifestyle that related to me.

I saw it as loving, compassionate and necessary.   

 I made the decision to change for the better.

So what is a vegan?

• A vegan is a person who doesn't consume any animal or animal byproducts (including fish, honey, eggs, gelatin).  So if it comes from an animal...we don't fool with it.
• Veganism also includes what you wear, put on your body and every other part of your life (including not attending the circus, zoo or a rodeo).
• It's trying your best every day not to contribute to animal cruelty, improving your health and spreading love and compassion to others.
• Vegan life is not perfect. It's definitely a process to completely transition to vegan life and it still won't be perfect when you transition. Always remember progress over perfection!
• Being a vegan doesn't necessarily mean healthy (Oreos and plain Lay's are vegan)...even though you will probably eat better than before.  Here's what vegans eat

In a nutshell....vegan life is love, peace and soul!

Veganism is love....love for yourself, other people, our planet and our animal friends

Veganism is peace... a beautiful silent protest against factory farming 

Veganism is soul....it's fun (not uptight), there's so much variety and yes, you can still enjoy some of your favorite meals.  Like my boo, Eryah Badu said, “Vegan food is soul food in its truest form. Soul food means to feed the soul. And, to me, your soul is your intent. If your intent is pure, you are pure."

love, peace and soooul

What's stopping you from starting your own journey? If you're already a vegan, what did you think about the lifestyle before you started?

Let me know in the comments