Groxie

The PB&J campaign was put together by a group of citizens to encourage everyone to replace one lunch at a time with a PB&J sandwich. By eating PB&J instead of a meat sandwich, you’ll save 2.5 lbs of carbon dioxide emissions, 962 gallons of water, and 12–50 square feet of land. The site is full of facts about the excesses of meat production, but it takes on the subject in a friendly, non-threatening way. Who doesn’t like PB&J sandwiches?

They also provide a small list of alternative foods if you don’t like PB&J, but they don’t offer up any recipes. I love me some delicious, easy, vegetarian lunch foods, so I’ll give it a shot. I’ve already posted a recipe for vegan chili that can easily be modified to fit what’s in the fridge. I also dug up recipes for great falafel, veg burritos, and some General Tso’s tofu.

Of course you can also try hummus with sprouts, avocado, cucumbers, or any other great veggies. If you get tired of hummus and are looking for another cheap alternative, you can make black bean or cannellini spread. Cold salads are a tasty option, too. I love using quinoa in place of pasta, and there a plenty of great recipes out there.

Another really fantastic resource is the Vegan Lunchbox. I can’t wait to try out the Whole Meal Muffin Recipe. The author is a stay at home mom who packs lunch for her little guy for school. The presentation is great—she makes liberal use of cookie cutters—but the recipes are the real inspiration.

And for those times when you’re just a little hungry, if you have a stash of delicious snacks on hand you won’t be as tempted to grab a doughnut or some other nasty from the vending machine. Fruits, nuts, carrot and celery sticks with dip, crackers with peanut butter, or granola bars are all good little energy boosters.