51 vegetarian lunchbox ideas

September is nearly upon us! Which means the summer is coming to a close, and it’s time for a new school year. My husband works in schools, so despite not having stuck to an academic timetable myself for over 5 years, I still think of September as back-to-school time. And for a lot of people, that means new stationery (I have been known to write a diary purely so I have an excuse to buy new ones), new shoes (school shoe shopping was always the worst), and the need for new vegetarian lunchbox ideas!

If you’re sending your kids back to school this year and you need some new vegetarian lunchbox ideas, or you’re stuck in a rut with your own packed lunches, hopefully you’ll find some inspiration here. Simple sandwiches that can be whipped up in the morning, cold salads to cook in big batches and enjoy all week long, tarts and pastries that can be cooked in advance, and even a few sneaky sweet treats – there’s something for everyone here.

What are your favourite vegetarian lunchbox ideas?

Sandwiches, wraps, etc.

Greek salad sandwich with black olive hummus (pictured above)
Ultimate vegan sandwich with red lentil spread [vegan]
Epic avocado sandwich
Green goddess sandwiches
Cheese and pear ploughman’s from The Veg Space

Pesto white bean tortilla roll-ups (pictured above)
Tofu bacon BLTs [vegan]
Cheesy Tex Mex tortilla roll-ups
Black olive and Peppadew cheese rolls
Falafel, beetroot and goat’s cheese wraps from Tinned Tomatoes

Low-carb cauliflower tortillas (pictured above)
Creamy chickpea salad sandwiches
Nutty tofu lettuce wraps [vegan]
Tangy veggie wrap from Hurry The Food Up
Caprese pinwheel sandwiches from Tinned Tomatoes

Pastries and other savouries

Vegetarian Scotch eggs (pictured above)
Cheesy lentil slice
Mini mushroom picnic pies
Easy rainbow vegetable sushi from Eats Amazing [vegan]
Carrot stars from Healthy Little Foodies

Cheese and chive savoury flapjacks (pictured above)
Cajun spiced savoury trail mix [vegan]
5 ingredient pesto tomato tart
Gruyere and caramelised shallot nests from Fab Food 4 All
Rainbow vegetable savoury muffins from Eats Amazing

Cheese and onion lentil rolls (pictured above)
Smoked cheddar, walnut and broccoli tarts
Black olive and halloumi filo cigars
Cheesy sweetcorn muffins from Foodie Quine
Sweet potato crust veggie quiche from The Petite Cook

Mexican bean vegetarian pâté (pictured above) [vegan]
Easy tomato puff pastry tart from BakingQueen74 [vegan]
Cheese and chive Cornish pasty from The HedgeCombers
Carrot falafel with tahini sauce from Tin and Thyme [vegan]
Spicy 3 bean sausage rolls from Tinned Tomatoes [vegan]

Salads

Low-carb cauliflower tabbouleh (pictured above) [vegan]
Roasted black bean taco salad with avocado lime dressing [vegan]
Sweet potato and quinoa salad with tahini dressing [vegan]
Mint and pistachio pesto potato salad [vegan]
Three bean salad from Supper in the Suburbs [vegan]

Ultimate vegetarian Caesar salad (pictured above)
Fig and fennel salad with rice noodles and radishes [vegan]
Peppadew panzanella [vegan]
Pomegranate and pistachio tabbouleh from Supper in the Suburbs [vegan]
Vegan quinoa summer salad from The Petite Cook [vegan]

Sweets

Peanut butter millionaire’s shortbread (pictured above)
Pumpkin spice loaf cake
Honey and almond blondies
Banana and walnut pinwheel wraps from Fab Food 4 All
Funfetti shortbread bites from Annie’s Noms
Easy chocolate brownie cookies from Kerry Cooks