Q: I have a very big problem at my school. The school lunch does not provide enough nutrition for a vegetarian. Once or twice a week, there is cheese pizza or pizza fires provided. But the other days, there is nothing that can be considered a meal that I can eat.

A: You could try to talk to your school principal or superintendent, or even the person in charge of the cafeteria. Depending on how small or large your school is and how open the faculty is to vegetarianism you may or may not have much success. Explain that you simply want a nutritious meal without meat. Perhaps they could offer a modified version of the regular meal offered such as spaghetti with plain tomato sauce instead of meat sauce or a bean burrito instead of a beef one, for example. If you have some vegetarian friends at your school, have them go with you for strength in numbers.

However, your school may not be overly enthusiastic about catering to one (or just a few) student(s). If this is the case, and the school won't budge, you can take your lunch to school. That's what I did in high school. You may get some odd looks if no one else usually brings their lunch at your school, but you've got to eat, for crying out loud!

There are lots of things you could take in your lunch to get the nutrition you need and not get bored from monotony. First, there are lots of vegetarian sandwiches you could pack. Of course, there's the usual peanut butter and jelly or you could make a bean spread, such as hummus every vegetarian cookbook has a recipe for this) and spread that on your sandwich with some of your favorite veggies and cheese, if you want. If you don't know how to grow sprouts, go to the library and find a how-to sprout book and learn. They're cheap, nutritious, and are very good on sandwiches. Mashed avocado or guacamole along with sliced onions, sprouts, sliced tomatoes, leftover refried beans and any other veggies you want are good on bread or wrapped up in a tortilla.

If you're not big on sandwiches, you could learn to make vegetarian sushi. You can learn from almost any Japanese cookbook, and many vegetarian ones have instructions. You can make it a day or two ahead and keep it in the fridge until you need it. It's not really hard and they keep well in your lunch box (especially if you have a little cold pack). Be sure to use Cal Rose rice or generic medium or short grain rice from the supermarket; actual sushi rice is much more expensive, and the cheap kinds work just as well. Also be sure to slice it before your go to school.

A bean salad or rice is also easy to make and keeps well in a lunch box because it can be served at room temperature. Potato or pasta salads also keep well. A cold pack for your lunchbox is a good thing to invest in to keep your food cool, if needed.

Of course, you'll need to take along a few odds and ends as well to fill your meal out (and fill your hungry belly). Fresh or dried fruit, popcorn, your favorite chips or crackers, raw veggies and a dip, granola or other cereal, some homemade cookies, or whatever you like to snack on will help keep you full and nourish and add variety to your meal. I've learned the hard way that taking just one thing for lunch and thinking it will fill you up doesn't work. It's better to take a little too much food than to be hungry for the rest of the day. With that, here's a lowfat hummus recipe for you.

Easy Hummus

• 1 15-oz. can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/2 cup lemon juice
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed or chopped
• 1/4 cup raw flaxseeds
• 1 tablespoon tahini or nut butter
• 1/2 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4 cup water or bean liquid