Student Friendly Vegan Sandwiches

Dreading the thought of a sad salad sandwich for lunch? Don’t rush to the fake meats and cheeses straight away… Whilst they are perfect for satisfying cravings, basing your diet mainly around wholefoods will be cheaper and healthier.

Here are 5 simple, tasty vegan sandwich fillings, just a drop in the ocean of all the creative ideas out there online.

1. Coronation chickpea

This is a tasty, protein rich filling ideal for sandwiches, jacket potatoes, or even on its own with a few salad leaves! Partially mash cooked chickpeas with either unsweetened soya or coconut yoghurt, vegan mayo or mashed avocado until you have a creamy consistency.

I added curry powder, lemon juice and seasoning. Then for a fruity twist, a spoon of mango chutney. Chopped apple or sultanas would work well too!

2. ‘Chuna’ mayo

Chickpeas can also be used to re-create tuna mayo- blitz them up, this time with sunflower seeds if you have them. Mix with vegan mayo, sweetcorn, red onion, a squirt of lemon and season. It can be put in a sandwich with cucumber, on jacket potatoes or in a toastie with vegan cheese- you needn’t miss out on a tuna melt!

3. Roasted med veg and pesto

Slice, season and roast your choice of Mediterranean vegetables (e.g. peppers, courgette, red onion and aubergine) in a batch. They can be used hot or cold in sandwiches and kept for a couple of days in the fridge- leftovers can be added to pasta sauces.

Spread pesto on your choice of bread (I think bagels are best) and add your veg and any leaves you have in the fridge. Most supermarkets including Tesco and Asda now sell own-brand vegan pesto- I recently spotted some in Aldi for 99p on their special buys and stocked up!

Pesto could be substituted for hummus, or the vegetables can be enjoyed on their own, perhaps with a little cayenne pepper and paprika for a Cajun twist!

4. Falafel and hummus

So quick, full of flavour and both falafel and hummus can be bought from Aldi ready to eat! Generously spread hummus on your bread, wrap or pitta, crumble on falafel (hot or cold) and add salad. They could also be served with rice and veg or salad to make an easy, more filling meal.

About the Author: Gabi Everett is a second year Environmental Geography student at the University of York. She became vegan after starting uni and aims to show how simple having a plant-based lifestyle can be.