When it comes to vegan lunches for kids, you should focus on mostly whole foods such as fruits, vegetables, and grains, with a little treat thrown in. Plus, your kids can help make their lunch or snack. Trust me, from toddler to teen, you get kids excited about cooking healthy foods.
Turn your kitchen into a great hands-on classroom. These fun classroom activities include spelling (parsley; cucumber), math (count out the ingredients), nutrition (what does vitamins and minerals do?), and science (chemical reactions in the kitchen). Sandwich-making will provide your kid with sequencing and counting practice, too. And an extra bonus, many of healthy vegan recipes make a great packed on-the-go lunch for adults!
Burritos are an excellent opportunity to involve your kids in the kitchen. You can use whatever food your kids actually like and wrap it in warmed tortillas. Adding this or that is part of the endless fun for your kids, developing early interests in healthy eating and teaching useful skills. This is a great opportunity to clean out the refrigerator, too.
Prep time 10 minutes
Cook time 1 hour
Total time 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings 2
Ingredients
1/2 cup brown rice
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 ounces canned black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup sweet corn, frozen
1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, chopped
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon mustard powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin, ground
Sea salt, to taste
4-6 lettuce leaves, shredded
1 lime, freshly juiced
4 small whole-wheat tortillas
Directions
Add 3/4 cup of water and brown rice to a pot and bring it to a simmer. Cover and reduce to a slow, steady simmer.
Let it cook for about 45 minutes or until tender. Rinse and fluff the rice with a fork.
Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Then, sauté the onion for about 2 minutes or until tender and translucent.
Add in the garlic and continue to cook for 30 seconds more or until aromatic. Then, add in the beans, corn, cilantro, cayenne pepper, mustard powder, cumin, and sea salt.
Continue to cook over medium-low heat for about 10 minutes or until cooked through.
Spoon the rice and black bean mixture onto warmed tortillas. Top with the shredded lettuce. Drizzle fresh lime juice over everything.
You can add toppings of choice such as non-dairy homemade guacamole, sour cream, or black olives.
Wrap your burritos and cut them in half. Bon appétit!
(Amount per 358g = 1 serving)
Calories 491
Total Carbohydrates 80g
Protein 13.3g
Total Fat 15.8g
Chef’s notes:
For a little extra protein, you can add shredded vegan cheese or leftover tofu.
You can toss 1 chopped bell pepper to the skillet when sautéing the onion, if desired; you can also add fresh peppers to your burritos.
These burritos are so versatile; other nutritious and delicious add-ins include sliced avocado, tomato, buckwheat, chickpeas, and so forth.
