Veggie Lunchbox Sushi {easy to make & allergy-friendly}

California style, Veggie Sushi Rolls, made & devoured in the comfort of your own home.

I got my bootie kicked today during my workout! 1,000 meter row, wall balls, 1 arm snatches & sit-ups was my WOD (workout of the day), and since many of you don’t know me, let me tell you that I have an INTENSE dislike for the first 3 of those. As for sit-ups, well, those I LOVE! Needless to say,  I chipped away at the workout and made it through in one piece, although my legs felt like jello. The best part of the morning came after class, when I took my jello legs and headed to coffee and get some energy back with one of my friends who hated the wall balls as much as I did. We must have spent almost 2 hours just talking about work, home and family. Those are the best times, aren’t they?

We also talked about how her youngest won’t eat meat anymore (I knew there was a reason I REALLY liked him) and how difficult it was to make lunches for him. That seems to be a trend as that is the one thing I hear quite often from other parents during their coaching sessions. Do you feel like that at all? It may be a food preference or food allergy, but something is restricting the foods you make and sometimes that leaves you running out of ideas and frustrated. Here’s an idea for you,,,,,,,Veggie Sushi.

It’s really quite easy to make and if you don’t have any kids, make it for your own lunch or save it for a “date night”. You’ll enjoy this too! So quick question, do you have any pre-made rice or grains? If not, start a batch of rice now, I’ll wait.

Typically, I make a large batch of rice or quinoa because I know it will get used multiple times through the week. Warm brown rice tastes great as a hot breakfast cereal with a drizzle of agave, quinoa can be added to salads or thrown in a wrap,white/brown rice adds substance to our burritos or any of them can used as a side. You’re options are endless,,, but for today, we are making sushi. Now all you need are veggies, soy sauce (tamari or coconut aminos is what I use to keep these Veggie Sushi Rolls gluten-free), rice vinegar, sugar, salt and nori sheets to make your own, kid-friendly sushi.

Ever wonder how they make the rice so sticky? Well, it’s a mixture of vinegar & sugar that makes it the perfect rice for sushi rolls and once you know how, you’ll be a “sushi making pro”.

Now, it’s just a matter of what veggies you would like to add to your roll. My husband tells me that when he was little, his Korean mom use to place sliced hot dogs in his sushi. No thanks, we’ll just stick with veggies like avocado, carrots, cucumber and radish.

Let’s get rolling

Grab your bamboo mat if you have one and if not, we’ll improvise. A silpat mat works great for this, OR you can pull out your tea towel and cover it with plastic wrap. Either will do.

1. Lay nori sheet on mat, silpat or covered towel.
2. Wet hands, pinch off rice and spread thin layer to cover the nori.
3. Arrange a thin layer of veggies closest to the end you roll first (leaving bottom 3/4 with rice only. Dampen end without rice.
4. Tightly roll using sheet or towel to get a more compact roll.
5. Cut into bite size pieces. Dip in soy sauce. Enjoy!

(I’ve added a helpful video by BlueApron, just in case you are a more visual learner.)

I cannot wait to hear what combinations you and/or your kiddos enjoy best.

How to Make Veggie Sushi

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Veggie Lunchbox Sushi

Yield: 24

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes

Super easy, kid-friendly veggie sushi

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Ingredients

• I-2 C.cooked rice rice or quinoa, cooled
• 3 TB. rice wine vinegar
• 1 TB. sugar
• pinch of salt
• 4-6 sheets Nori
• Chopped veggies (cucumber, carrots, avocado, radish, red peppers)
• Soy sauce (tamari or coconut aminos) for dipping

Instructions

1. In a small saucepan, heat vinegar, sugar and salt and bring to a small boil while stirring. When everything is dissolved, pour into glass container and cool (refrigerate to cool quicker)
2. While you are waiting for it to cool, cut and prep your veggies into thin slices.
3. Take our your rice and now pour in your vinegar mixture. Mix well with a spatula. You now have "sticky rice".
4. Lay out a small towel and cover top with plastic wrap (or a silpat sheet works great). Place nori sheet on that.
5. Dip your hands in water (to prevent the rice sticking) and grab some seasoned rice. Spread a thin layer across the nori sheet, leaving 1/2" open on the bottom.
6. Arrange your veggies in a thin line closest to you (should cover no more than 1/4 of the sheet.
7. Lightly dampen the open end with your fingertips.
8. Start to roll the nori with your fingers tightly and once the veggies are covered, use the silpat or plastic wrap and towel to help roll the sushi into a compact shape.
9. Set aside and repeat with remaining nori.
10. Using a sharp knife (a bread knife works great), slice rolls into bite size pieces.
11. Serve with soy sauce or other dipping sauce.

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