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.
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