Vegan Lunch Boxes for Preschool!

Sylvia started preschool this week! To distract from the emotional turmoil of being separated from my baby girl (dramatic, much?), I threw myself into planning her lunch boxes. 

Nothing revolutionary. Yet challenging. And fun! I'm trying to strike a balance between healthy food, convenient finger food and what Sylvia likes and will actually eat.

I seriously felt like a domestic goddess as I cut out Sylvia's sandwiches in flower shapes!

Chocolate spread sandwich, rockmelon, cherry tomatoes; rice crackers,
hummus, blueberries and more rockmelon

Coconut yoghurt and berries; sushi, cranberries and Vegemite sandwich

Sylvia's morning tea and lunch needs to be nut, egg and fish-free as per preschool policy. The last two are easy, of course, but nut-free takes a bit more thought. Luckily, seeds are allowed.

I made some tamari-roasted chickpeas and banana, oat and chia seed muffins, but unfortunately they were vetoed by Sylvia before they made it into her lunch box. They were enjoyed by the rest of us, though!

Sylvia liked most of this stuff. Some of it came back, but I think that was partly due to all the excitement and nervous energy of starting preschool. 

Much inspiration is from Sarah at Play.Love.Vegan. She prepares the most amazing lunch boxes for her children. 

There are also lots of creative ideas in the great book Vegan Lunch Box. 

Most importantly, Sylvia is enjoying preschool and was eager to return on the second day. It's amazing to see her world opening up.