Delicious and Nutritious: 7 Vegan School Lunch Ideas to Keep Kids Energized

Although plant-based foods can easily be just as delicious as any animal product, it's true that children's palettes can be a little less adventurous, especially when it comes to vegetables. Luckily, there are a lot of ways to please a picky eater while sticking to plants.

These seven vegan school lunch ideas are packed with all the essential protein, carbs, and fats needed for proper energy and focus in the classroom, and are also super easy to make.

Imagine this as a sweet take on grilled cheese. To make this sandwich, take your favorite nut or seed butter and spread it on one piece of bread and place a chopped banana or apple on top. Next, spread nut butter on another piece of bread and put the sandwich together. Then place the sandwich in a skillet on medium-high heat, and cook for at least three minutes on each side, according to a recipe by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM).

For this vegan quesadilla recipe, all you really need are some flour tortillas and your vegan cheese of choice, after that, you can add however many vegetables you choose. Simply add your cheese to the tortilla and any cooked vegetables such as sweet potato, and peppers, fold in half, and put it all on a hot skillet to melt the cheese. Cook for around two minutes, per Love & Lemons.

These bagel sandwich recipes require no cooking, unless you opt to toast the bagel. For my personal favorite of the four bagel sandwich recipes shared by Simply Quinoa, add your hummus of choice to each half of the bagel, and top with sliced cucumber, grated carrot, avocado, and whatever other vegetables you have on hand.

This pasta salad recipe involves just cooking your pasta shape of choice, and steaming vegetables such as broccoli, carrots, and corn on the side. After the pasta has been cooked and drained, add the vegetables and your dressing of choice, per VegKitchen.

This overnight oatmeal option is actually super filling and can be made the day before. To make, add oats, almond milk, and any optional ingredients such as peanut butter, nuts, berries, cocoa powder, sweetener, etc., and seal in a jar. Place the jar in the fridge for at least eight hours, or overnight, per The Viet Vegan.

These cracker sandwiches by PETA Kids are great for picky eaters. Grab your vegan cracker of choice, and make tiny sandwiches with small slices of vegan deli meat and cheese. You could even opt for a sweet version, and fill the crackers with a nut or seed butter.

These chickpea nuggets are great for packing, dipping, storing, and reheating. First, drain a can of chickpeas and save the liquid. Then, blend in a food processor with salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and poultry seasoning. Take the chickpea liquid and whisk until it becomes foamy before adding the chickpea mixture, and oat flour. Form the mix into nugget shapes and dip them in panko crumbs before baking them in the oven, per Plant-Based Juniors.