Opinion Best vegan products to buy for kids’ lunch boxes in Australia

Looking for a little extra something to bulk out a plant-based lunch box? These kid-approved, fuss-free vegan goodies will make lunch duty a breeze.

Packing a nutritious, filling, and fun plant-based lunch box doesn’t have to be complicated. With a few nifty tips and tricks, it’s totally achievable, even on busy mornings! The key is to keep it simple. There are plenty of tasty plant-based recipes that are easy to prepare in a hurry yet still seriously satisfying. 

But sometimes, especially on those mornings when time seems to slip right through your fingers, you just need something you can grab and throw into the mix – something that complements whatever leftovers or home-prepped food you’ve already laid the lunchtime foundations with. 

So we’ve combed the supermarket aisles to bring you a curated list of store-bought vegan lunch box gems ✨

Stock up on these plant-based products (some wholesome, some more on the ‘treat’ side) and thank us later – they are guaranteed to make your life a bit easier and have your little ones eagerly peeling back the lunch box lid every day.

Note: Most of these products are nut-free, but be sure to always double-check ingredient labels according to your school’s dietary requirements.

Main Meal Bases

Many easy-to-find supermarket products like marinated tofu, pre-made lentil bowls, falafels, and fritters make super convenient plant-based meal bases. Combine them with a veggie side and you’re well on your way already!

• Beijing – sliced tofu (garlic)
• Bell Farms – edamame pods (salted)
• Coles – spring rolls (vegetable)
• Edgell – nourish bowl (chermoula veg, spiced lentil, zesty cauliflower) 
• Edgell – snack time (full range)
• Soyco – marinated tofu (teriyaki, Thai)
• Yumi’s – falafels (classic, sesame)
• Yumi’s – fritters (sweet corn, Thai spiced)
• Yumi’s – veggie bites (pumpkin and spinach, zucchini and lentil)

Savoury Snacks

These chips, crackers, and rice cakes are all 100% vegan and sure to be a hit. Lots of them are available in multipacks too, making them an ideal option for lunchtime munching.

• Arnott’s – Bluey snack packs (pizza)
• Bio Cheese – ham & crackers (cheddar)
• Calbee – Harvest Snaps baked pea crisps multipack (original, salt & vinegar)
• Cobs – popcorn multipack (sea salt)
• Golden Days – sesame snaps (original)
• Honest Sea – seaweed snacks (teriyaki, sea salt)
• Kiddielicious – veggie straws (original, cheesy)
• Messy Monkeys – whole grain bites (burger, chicken, lightly salted)
• Obela – dip singles (hommus)
• Parker’s – baked pretzel minis multipack (original)
• Real Foods – corn thins (original, multigrain)
• Sakata – crackers (original, seaweed, wholegrain)
• Table of Plenty – mini rice cakes (pizza, salt & vinegar)
• Temole – veggie puffs (sea salt & cauliflower, sweet chilli & broccoli)
• The Happy Snack Company – snack packs (roasted fava beans, pizza roasted fava beans, roasted chickpeas)
• Vege Chips – mini rice crackers multipack (assorted)
• Vege Chips – multipack (assorted)

Sweet Snacks

Who knew it was so easy to find sweet options that strike the balance between being tasty and healthy? Many of these plant-based snacks are made with 100% fruit, wholefood, or wholegrain ingredients. 

• Carman’s – muesli bars (vegan range)
• Bob Snail – fruit roll (apple-raspberry, apple-strawberry, mango)
• Carman’s – fruit straps (apple, apple & blueberry, apple & mango, apple & strawberry)
• Cobs – popcorn multipack (sweet & salty)
• Leda – baked fruit filled bars (triple berry)
• Messy Monkeys – whole grain bites (sweet & salty)
• Table of Plenty – mini rice cakes (dark choc)
• Tasti – smooshed wholefood balls (cacao brownie)
• The Happy Snack Company – roasted chickpea snack packs (chocolate, dark choc, dark choc & raspberry)
• True Fruit – fruit strips (apple & mango, apple & strawberry, tropicana)
• Uncle Tobys – breakfast bakes (apple & cinnamon)
• Uncle Tobys – fruit rollups (assorted)

Juices, Milks & Yogurts

A refreshing addition to any lunch box, these fresh juices, smoothies, flavoured milks, and dairy-free yogurts pack a delicious energy boost to keep your little ones going throughout the day.

• Alpro – flavoured soy milk (chocolate, strawberry)
• Chobani – oat yogurt pots (blueberry, mango, strawberry)
• Cocobella – coconut yogurt pots (mango, strawberry, passionfruit, vanilla)
• GoKids – flavoured oat milk (chocolate, vanilla)
• Golden Circle – fruit puree pouch (banana berry blast, berry buzz, mango & pineapple, passion punch, strawberry, tropical smash)
• Impressed – oat shake (chocolate, strawberry)
• Juice Lab – smoothies (banana & cinnamon, green oat) 
• Nudie Kids – tetra juice (apple, orange, tropical fruit)
• Sanitarium – dairy-free Up&Go (choc ice, vanilla ice)
• Toatl – flavoured oat milk (caramel, chocolate, strawberry)
• Vitasoy – Greek-style soy yogurt pots (mango & passionfruit, strawberry, vanilla) 

Biscuits, Lollies & Treats

Every so often, a lunch box demands a surprise sweet treat! With everything on the shelves these days, from vegan biscuits to cookie dough bars, fruit jellies to chocolates, there are plenty of options to choose from! 

• Arnott’s – Snack Right oaty bites – (cocoa & oat) *these taste just like Tiny Teddies!
• Arnott’s – biscuits (choc ripple, gingernut, lemon crisp, nice, raspberry shortcake) 
• Gomacro – organic kids bars (choc chip cookie dough, cinnamon roll, double choc brownie, oatmeal choc chip cookie)
• Leda – cookies (Anzac, arrowroot, choc chip, choculence, minton, gingernut) 
• Lotus – biscuits (biscoff)
• Naturally Good – mylk partyz chocolates (original, crispy) 
• Nature’s Kitchen – bakery items (banana bread slices, chocolate chip cookie, chocolate cupcake)
• NOMO – chocolate bars (caramel & sea salt, cookie dough, creamy, fruit & crunch)
• Noshu – snackles (double choc)
• The Natural Confectionery Co. – vegan fruit flavoured jellies (assorted)
• Woolworths – Free From biscuits (arrowroot, choc chip, chocolate scotch finger, creme choc, double choc, double choc chip, gingernut, mint creme, scotch finger) 

What did we miss? There are so many vegan-friendly lunch box products out there that it’s impossible to list them all – and more are appearing every day!

You can find even more easily-accessible vegan supermarket products on the Coles and Woolies websites or by browsing VegKit’s shopping guide.

Ready to start packing?

The best way to incorporate these products into a plant-based lunch box is to use them to complement (not replace) more nutritionally dense wholefood and home-prepped options – and we’ve got stacks of ideas for those, too! 

Check out our top suggestions for easy vegan lunchbox recipes here.

We’ve also got a school-week meal plan which shows you exactly how these simple ideas – home-made and store-bought – can come together to make perfect plant-based lunch boxes.

Because in our humble opinion, as long as it’s wholesome, kid-approved, and involves a sustainable amount of effort to put together each morning, that’s true lunch-prep perfection.

Thank you to all the vegan parents who shared their go-to lunch box products with us for this article!

Header Image: © Nature One