There are a few misconceptions about vegan diets. Some people say that they are bland. Others think vegan meal prep is too expensive and time-consuming to prepare. The struggle to find time to prepare a healthy vegan meal is all too real. Busy work schedules, after-work activities, and general life responsibilities can make planning and prepping meals challenging. However, with the right strategies, you can make this a non-issue. Preparing vegan meals doesn’t have to be time-consuming or difficult. You can utilize several simple strategies to help make things easier on busy days. Whether you follow a vegan diet for ethical reasons, health benefits, or another reason, it’s always nice to have some go-to recipes up your sleeve that is wholesome and flavorful.
Vegan food can be exciting; it just requires a bit of imagination. It is also relatively inexpensive and easy to prepare. If you have a busy week ahead, you can prepare all your food for the coming days ahead of time. That way, you won’t have to think about what you will eat or be tempted to order out.
What is Vegan Meal Prep?
Vegan meal prep is prepping and cooking multiple vegan meals at once. This is a great strategy for anyone who wants to simplify their meal-planning process and spend less time in the kitchen. This is ideal for individuals who desire wholesome and nutritious meals but have little time. It’s also a great strategy for individuals who have difficulty accessing nutritious food due to financial limitations. Vegan meal prep can help to alleviate these issues by making it easier to follow a healthy diet. It’s also a great strategy for individuals who have difficulty accessing nutritious food due to financial limitations.
Here are some meal suggestions and food preparation tips for making delicious vegan meals:
Vegan Breakfast Choices
There are so many good vegan breakfast options. You need to find something you enjoy and build a list to choose from. You can stock your home with the ingredients to prepare vegan breakfast meals.
Vegan meal prep doesn’t have to take long if you plan correctly and keep it simple.
Smoothies are great breakfast options! Put all the ingredients in zip-lock bags and freeze them. When it’s time for breakfast, pop them into a blender, add some plant-based milk, and voila! Your nutritious smoothies are ready.
A tasty and healthy smoothie recipe is one with peanut butter, banana, berries, and oats. It tastes great and will keep you full of energy for hours.
The great thing about smoothies is you have a lot of choices. Just be creative and experiment with a range of ingredients. Other breakfast options include oatmeal, vegan yogurt and fruits, and granola bars.
Vegan Lunch Ideas
How about a healthy sandwich if you’re looking for something more filling? Salads are popular vegan lunch ideas. You can also enjoy chopped veggies with dips, fruits with yogurt, or a fruit bowl.
Vegan meal prep has never been this easy. Even the more difficult recipes need to have their ingredients prepped ahead of time.
An example of a quick and easy dish for lunch is Mexican Quinoa. Here, you use sliced zucchini, green peppers, black beans, herbs, and salsa. This meal will take a few minutes to prepare and less than 10 minutes to cook.
Vegan Dinner Options
Vegan meal prep for dinners often includes pasta and noodles. Another idea is to have a veggie platter for dinner that includes grains, veggie sticks, and salads.
A hearty Veg Pad Thai will take hardly any time to prepare and is delicious. The sauce combines peanut butter, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, ginger, and garlic. Blend those ingredients with a small amount of water. Add some cilantro and basil, then pulse briefly. Prepare brown rice noodles and some stir-fried vegetables. Add the sauce, and you’re done.
Many vegan diet recipes are available, and once you know the basics, be bold and add your ingredients. It will be far from boring, and you can do most of them in just a few minutes.
Rick Kaselj MS, is a leading kinesiologist and injury specialist as well as co-creator of the best-selling Unlock Your Hip Flexors program. Rick creates exercise programs that help people heal injuries and eliminate pain, so they can go back to living a full, active, healthy life.
