Plant-Based Meal Prep Guide [By a Dietitian]

Meal prepping plant-based meals can feel boring, time consuming, and complicated to plan, right? What if I told you it didn’t have to be any of those things? A plant-based meal prep routine is actually the “not so secret” tool to keep your meals interesting and save you time during your week.

Meal prep can help make sure you have flavorful, nutrient packed dishes for your week, so you’re not tempted by take out or fast food. Additionally, as opposed to having to take time preparing lunch every day, you take one or two days a week to prep your meals. That means more time after work to focus on what you need or want to get done.

So how do we make meal prep simple, balanced, and dare I say…exciting? Let’s break it down!

Why Meal Prep?

The benefits of meal prepping are clear:

• Save Time: Preparing meals in bulk takes the pressure off cooking every day. By setting aside a few hours to prep, 1-2 times per week, you can make a week’s worth of meals in one go. It frees up time for friends and family, working out, and so much more during your busy week.
• Stay on Track with Nutrition: Meal prep ensures that you have nutritious, plant-based meals to support your body’s needs. It’s an easy way to avoid reaching for pricey convenience foods. Even if you’re only prepping one main meal a day, if you can make this a nutrient packed dish, it can give you a boost if other meals don’t go as planned.
• Enjoy Flavorful Meals: No more bland, uninspired meals! When you prep your own meals, you can control the flavors and experiment with ingredients you love.

How to Make Meal Prep Simple

Meal prep is only as complicated as you make it. The key to a successful and manageable plant-based meal prep routine is structure. You don’t need to spend hours in the kitchen every week to eat balanced, flavorful meals. But you do need structure to plan what you’re making and how much to make a balanced plant-based meals.

Before you go the grocery store, plan what you’re going to make using the guide below. We have a free meal planning template you can get delivered right to your email by signing up for our newsletter HERE.

To make a balanced meal below you will see a plant-based “Fill-Your-Plate” guide. In this plant based meal guide, the meals are broken up by protein, vegetables, and carbohydrates with suggested portions for each to create a balanced meal. You may however, adjust these depending your goals or needs.

Plant-Based Meal Prep Guide

The plant-based “Fill-Your-Plate” guide, allows you to fill the sections (protein, vegetables, protein) on your plate with the foods that you have on hand or prepare to make a balanced meal. You can also use this method to order when eating on the go or getting prepared foods.

Vegetables:

• Artichoke
• Asparagus
• Avocado*
• Beets
• Broccoli
• Brussel sprouts
• Cabbage
• Cauliflower
• Carrots
• Celery
• Dark leafy greens (Kale, collards, spinach, etc.)
• Eggplant
• Fennel
• Green beans
• Lettuces (various types)
• Mushrooms
• Peppers
• Radishes
• Rhubarb
• Summer squash
• Tomatoes

Plant-Based protein:

Although you are not limited to plant-based protein on a plant-based diet, since plant-based meals can encompassed vegan and vegetarian diets as well, only vegan sources of protein are noted below. Feel free to sub in other options based on your style of a plant-forward diet.

We cover more on the difference between plant-based meals and plant-based foods in Plant-Forward vs Plant-Based

• TVP (textured vegetable protein)
• Tofu
• Tempeh
• Seitan
• Lentils**
• Chickpeas**
• Edamame**
• Black beans**
• Plant-based Meat**
• Kidney beans**
• White beans**
• Black eyed peas**

Carbohydrates:

• Bread (optional high-protein)***
• Hot or cold cereals
• Corn
• Fruits
• Pasta (optional high-protein)***
• Peas***
• Potatoes
• Quinoa***
• Rice
• Sweet potato
• Winter swash
• Yucca (cassava)

*Also offers Fat

**Also offers carbohydrates

***Also offer protein

Download our, “Plant-based Meal Prep Guide” HERE.

Tips for Efficient Plant-Based Meal Prep

Use Versatile Ingredients: There’s a few staple ingredients that you may like for your protein, carbohydrate, or vegetable sources. For example, canned beans which can add fiber and protein to a large variety of dishes. Consider buying in bulk, if the ingredients have a long shelf life, to save you in a pinch when you can’t get to the grocery store.

Staple condiments: Keep a few staple condiments stocked to add flavor in a pinch. Check out our recipes for Plant-Based Chipotle Sauce to add flavor, heat, and 7 grams of plant-based protein per serving.

Stay Organized: Plan those meals ahead so you can look at what you already have and what you need to get to make your plant-based meals.

Time saving ingredients: Microwavable rice or pasta packets, jarred sauces, frozen cooked proteins, and steamer vegetable bags. I love a fresh meal from scratch more than anything. However, we don’t always have the time to do a elaborate meal prep. Keeping foods on hand that allow you to make a balanced meal in the microwave in under 10 minutes are a lifesaver in some cases.

Our Recipes:

With recipes coming out 3-4 times per month we’ve got you covered with recipes that can be made in bulk in less than an hour.

• Lentil and Potato Curry (Plant-Based)
• Crispy Rice Salad with Chili Crisp Dressing
• Plant-based Smoothie Recipe Guide
• Vegetarian Mushroom Pozole
• Curried Butternut Squash Soup with Mushrooms and Cilantro Lime Dressing

Sign up for our newsletter HERE to keep up to date on when new ones come out.

Take Away: Plant-based Meal Prep Made Easy

Meal prep doesn’t have to be overwhelming. By using the plant-based “Fill-Your-Plate” guide that combines carbs, protein, and veggies, you can ensure your week is full of nutritious and flavorful plant-based meals. With a little planning, you can save time, so you can focus on what really matters to you.

Meal prep, just like anything gets easier the more you do it, but is well worth it to make meals easier flavorful, nutritious, and satisfying. Happy Cooking!