How To Vegan Meal Prep

Do you want to know how to vegan meal prep? In this handy guide, I'll cover my favorite tips for plant-based vegan meal planning and show you how to do it with more ease.

Today, I thought I'd talk about a very important subject: Meal prep! It's a topic that strikes fear into the heart of anyone newly turning plant-based, as well as long-standing vegans or flexitarians!

Here today, I'm going to give you my top plant-based vegan meal planning tips to have you making delicious meals like a pro in no time.

New to a plant-based lifestyle?

First and foremost, if you're new to the plant-based lifestyle - hello and welcome! I'm so happy you've joined Life On Plants. Welcome to a world of cooking that's full of flavor, variety, and deliciousness.

Also, welcome to making the world a kinder place through what you're eating. If you're feeling a bit overwhelmed by the sudden change in diet, I completely understand. I've been there. Take it slowly and with an open mind, there is lots to be discovered.

Going plant-based can be daunting at first. Read on to find my top tips for healthy meal prepping. I'll have you organized in no time!

Main benefits of vegan meal prep

1. Save time
2. Save money
3. Reduce food waste
4. Better for the environment
5. Eat healthier
6. Feel better

How to vegan meal prep - My top tips

1. Plan your food menus

I know writing a meal plan sounds boring, but it saves so much time in the long run. If you plan out what you want to eat in advance for breakfast, lunch, and dinner every day at the beginning of the week, it takes a lot of stress out of cooking and means you will always have healthy and delicious food available!

Sit down for 30 minutes with your partner or household members and plan out a weekly meal plan. It's great to get everyone in the household involved in the planning process. After all, it's all about teamwork!

2. Batch Cooking

The most important tip of all, batch cooking is the best way to take the stress out of meal prepping. Find a few simple dishes you love (meals like soups, curries, stews, and salads work best and make large batches once or twice a week) This way you'll have plenty of food for the days ahead and won't be worrying about what to cook.

Always double or treble up on recipes and batch cook extra to save time and reduce costs. You can store the extra portions in the fridge for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

3. Stick to your shopping list

As tempting as it is to shop without a list and think you will remember everything you need for the week, trust me - you won't!

After making your meal plan, write a shopping list and only buy those ingredients! You'll avoid buying unnecessary items and cut down on food waste. Be disciplined and keep the so-called 'treats' out of the trolly. You will not need to resist the temptation at home if you do not buy unhealthy snacks in the first place.

I highly recommend shopping on a full stomach. You're less likely to make impulse purchases if your stomach isn't rumbling.

4. Stock your fridge and cupboard with basics

Make a few simple items at the beginning of the week to ensure you've always got food on-hand.

I always make a big batch of whole grains early in the week (rice, millet, quinoa, etc.) which I can then eat with salads or stews over the course of the week. You can also freeze some in small packs to defrost and pop them into a recipe anytime.

Having some tins of cooked organic beans and pulses in the cupboard is convenient, along with tinned tomatoes, tomato purees, coconut milk, and curry paste.

5. Equip and organise your kitchen

You will not require a lot of fancy or expensive equipment to meal prep at home. A few good pieces of equipment are necessary:

• A good chopping board
• A sharp chefs knife
• Speed peeler
• Non-stick frying pan
• 1-2 good saucepans
• 1-2 decent oven trays
• A good blender
• Cold pressed juicer (optional)

Organization is key to managing your home cooking and storage. I highly recommend clearing out your old dry store and pantry ingredients that have not been used within the last 6 months. This is cleansing!

De-cluttering and organizing your pantry leaves room for essential ingredients that you will use regularly in your meal prepping.

The same applies to your fridge and freezer. Have a deep clean and de-cluttering session.

Organize your kitchen worktop prepping and cooking area, and clear out the unnecessary clutter. Believe me, this helps to meal prep more effectively.

6. Keep it simple

This tip is especially for anyone new to a plant-based lifestyle (although we can all do with a reminder!) Keep things simple by making easy, quick-to-prepare dishes, and save the more complicated meals for when you're a bit more experienced, have more time, or have a special celebration to cook for.

Try making delicious one-pot dishes that yield lots of portions, like hearty stews, chili, curries, or tagines. As you get more familiar with eating plant-based, you'll naturally want to branch out and try more challenging recipes, but to start with make it as easy as possible for yourself!

7. Team work

Teamwork makes the dream work. There is a lot involved to put good healthy and delicious food on the table every day. The more everyone in the house works together, the better the end result.

Including everyone in the planning, shopping, preparing, cooking, serving, and clearing up will benefit everyone.

How to vegan meal prep: Recap step-by-step

Make a plan
Writing out meal plans for the week means you only buy what you need and know exactly what you’re prepping.

Schedule your meal prep
Block 1-2 hours and put it on your calendar. Set a reminder!

Use your equipment
Multitask by using your Instant Pot, slow cooker, and rice cooker - work smart. Set your kitchen up so you can work efficiently and find a nice flow.

Mise-en-place - prepare in advance

Break down your cooking into two stages:

1. Preparation - assemble and measure out all ingredienst for recipes.
2. Cooking - cook the recipes

Batch cook
Cook a big batch of soup, chili, or protein and enjoy it for several meals! Scale up your recipes to make extra portions to refrigerate or freeze for future use.

Keep it simple
Eat the same thing a couple of days after you batch cook.

Find a core set of recipes
That you can make with your eyes closed. Learn 1 new recipe per week.

Reward yourself
With a healthy raw chocolate cheesecake recipe!

Freezing your meal prep

Having a few portions of curry, soup, or stew in the freezer is very convenient for when you don't have time to cook or just don't feel like cooking!

Top tips for freezing food

Cool food completely before storing it in the freezer.

• 2 layers: wrap in a layer of cling film and store in a larger container or reusable bag.
• Use good storage containers that fit neatly into your freezer.
• Label everything with recipe name, date, and cooking instructions.
• Freeze bags flat, then store upright.
• General rule: eat within 3 months.
• Slow cooker: thaw completely before cooking.
• Never put glass from the freezer directly into the oven, it may shatter.
• Never re-freeze food that has been previously thawed.
• Keep your freezer organised!!!

Happy cooking

I hope you enjoying my introduction and tips for 'how to vegan meal prep'. The world of healthy plant-based foods is vast and exciting. I wish you good luck, health, and happiness on your ever-evolving cooking journey. Never stop learning!

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