The end of summer is near, and that means it’s time for the new school year. Busy parents who are new to a vegetarian diet may wonder, “What the heck am I going to feed my child?” if easy meals, like deli meat sandwiches, are no longer an option.
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The good news is that it’s just as easy to whip up delicious—and might I add, healthier—vegan lunches.
One foolproof route is using mock meats to replace the real thing in all your favorite recipes. It can be as simple as using faux-meat deli slices on a sandwich, or you can use mock chicken to create a salad, like the mock chicken salad recipe below, that can be eaten with crackers, over a bed of lettuce, or between slices of bread.
Mock meats aren’t something you want to serve every day—variety is key to obtaining all the nutrients we need—but they are a great idea for people who are making the transition to a veg diet and for little ones who want to fit in with friends.
Vegan Chicken Salad
Ingredients
16 oz. mock chicken strips, cooked and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
1 stalk celery, diced
1/3 cup minced green onions
1 cup vegan mayonnaise
1 tsp. mustard
Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- In a bowl, combine the “chicken,” lemon juice, celery, and onions.
- Stir in the vegan mayonnaise and the mustard.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Chill and serve.
Servings: Makes 4 cups
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