While having no intention of becoming vegetarians, we are always looking at ways to cut down our meat consumption and get more veg into our diets. So we try and limit red meat  and have reduce the amount of processed meat; although I must admit that you will never wean me off bacon!  So when these Goodlife Food vegetarian goodies were offered to me to try, I couldn’t resist playing around with some easy but tasty veggie lunch ideas.

I sometimes find lunches the hardest meals to think meat-free and tasty ideas for, and end up falling back on my usual ham or chicken wraps. Goodlife’s French bean, spinach and Wensleydale sausages make a great lunchtime salad filler. I was a bit alarmed by the colour at first (green sausages aren’t the norm!) but actually they are really tasty, and by that I mean that the veg shines through and they aren’t overly cheesy (so not too bad for the waistline). I created hot dog in salad form: sweet cherry toms instead of ketchup, spring onions instead of fried, mustard in the dressing and, most importantly, croutons made from hot dog roll! A definite veggie lunch box winner for both of us, and easy to pack up and take to work too.

I think that they would also make great sausage sarnies for a weekend breakfast with some ketchup-mmm roll on the next weekend so I can test this theory!

Next up were these vegan falafel. I could have stuck them in a wrap and be done with it, but with a bit of spicy harissa dip, they don’t need wrapping in carbs to be satisfying. So I used little gem lettuce leaves instead. The dip is 2 tbsp of 0% Greek yoghurt with 1tsp of harissa paste. Serving the falafel warms makes them all the more satisfying. These are quite mild so I am sure that they are a great way to get veggies in to picky kids as well.   

Last up on the taste test were these mushroom and spinach Kiev’s. More of an easy mid-week tea than a lunch, they are wonderfully creamy and the filling oozed when I cut into them, which is just how I like my kievs. The breadcrumbs have seeds in so there is an extra bit of crunchy texture too.  

Overall, they are winners for me. The sausages and falafel have made me rethink my lunchtime sandwich habit and the kiev’s are great freezer standbys for days when I get home and just can’t be bothered to spend an hour in the kitchen. I especially like that the sausages and kievs aren’t masquerading as meat which some veggie products do; they are all about the veg as the main event.  Maybe eating ten-a-day won’t be so tricky with food like this to hand! 

You can find them for yourself in Waitrose and Iceland Warehouse.

Other easy veggie lunch ideas

Tarts are also a great, easy way to have simple and tasty meat-free lunches – and if you use ready made pastry they are quick too.

My easy cheese and onion tart is also great for easy lunches and will feed four or two for a couple of days.

This antipasti tart is a taste of Greece and uses jars.

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