Vegan Meal Prep

There's a group called Happy Herbivores that you might like to check out.

With no soy, seitan would be among your best bets for a high protein to calorie ratio. I'd start by making some homemade seitan and then throwing that in various recipes over the week. If you don't want to make seitan, you could use Quorn in your savory dishes.

If you don't want either of those, you can get protein from beans, though you're not going to get as much protein for the calories. For the bean route, I'd start by cooking a pot of dried beans that I could use in the week's recipes.

Also if you're going the bean route, I would include other relatively high protein veggies like peas and broccoli, and higher protein grains like quinoa or farro.

You can also use vegan protein powder, like pea or hemp, in snacks like homemade protein bars.

So, if I'm thinking about protein, I'd throw either some seitan or some beans in my crock pot, and bake a batch of protein bars while that's simmering. Then I'd consider meals that use my savory protein in various ways.

For me (especially with colder weather coming on), I make a pot of hearty soup every week that serves as my lunch or a lazy dinner for the week. Having at least 1 meal prepped is a huge help in not having to worry about what's for lunch or dinner if I'm in a rush. I usually pair it with bread, salad, or a serving of tortilla chips (if it's chili). Soups are low calorie and can be very filling. I've also gotten really good at making and trying new soup recipes from different cusines each week which call for beans, lentils, etc. to up the fiber and protein and the variety helps me not be bored by my lunches. No soy involved. It helps if you have a pressure cooker or Crock-Pot to make prep that much easier and cut down on standing around in the kitchen, but it's not necessary.

I also try to make a casserole meal/dish each week. This way I have soup for lunch and something already prepped for dinner each week (shepherd's pie, lasagna, seitan pot pie, lentil curry, etc.). I make this while the soup is cooking and cuts down on cooking throughout the week so that I can just relax. There are a lot of dishes like these that don't require soy and where seitan or lentils and beans can be a good substitute.

I premake cold salads:

Puerto Rican chickpea salad:
1 can chickpeas
1-2 Diced tomatoes, 1 diced onion, 1-2 diced bell peppers, 1 head of cilantro leaves chopped,
1-2 tbsp olive oil, sqeeze of lemon/or lime juice. 1 tsp of soy sauce (or that soy sauce substitute), 1-2 tbsp of cumin, salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate, eat on for days, put in a lettuce wrap or eat in a bowl.

Also, I know it contains a little fermented soy, but I make a tempeh salad with (vegan) mayo, veggies: shredded carrots, thinly sliced celery (or diced cucumber), diced onion, diced tomatoes, dill weed, a tsp of soy sauce (or substitute), a little season salt (refrigerate, put in wraps/or lettuce wraps)

I love Sweet Earth Grounds (wheat protein meat substitute). Can make just about any dish that calls for ground beef like vegan casseroles, vegan spaghetti (spaghetti squash instead of pasta), also great in vegan chilis (beans: kidney, black, pintos and tomato sauce, chili seasoning). Stuffed bell peppers. It is better in these recipes than real ground beef!! All dishes can be made up in large batches and reheated one serving at a time.

Side note, I loved Quorn products (fungi meat substitute), they taste very good and were my favorite, until my entire family got fungi toxin poisoning.

Here are 120 vegan recipes featuring beans/lentils. https://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/recipe/search/ ?f[0]=field_special_diet:158786&f[1]=field_recipe_main_ingredient:789

My mom has recently switched to mostly plant-based, and I've been making her dal (Indian lentil stew). One batch lasts her a week. Lentils cook quickly, with no need to presoak.

1. Khitchari (mung bean dal with rice) sorry, no link to recipe.
2. Chana dal adapted from https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1014366-chana-dal-new-delhi-style this uses split chickpeas, which I had to buy online, but one could use lentils
3. Masoor dal adapted from https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/7517-masoor-dal-spiced-red-lentils as other reviewers suggested, I added a half can of coconut milk (the thick kind, not the kind you drink) YUM!

In both of the NYT recipes, I reduced the amount of water called for by around half.

In the winter I make an adaptation of Lebanese mujadara (rice and lentils) and have it for breakfasts. https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1014804-one-pot-mujadara-with-leeks-and-greens

• To save time and money, I use sauteed onion instead of frying leeks.
• I use Ethiopian berbere spice mix instead of the listed spices.

I make a red quinoa tabouleh which keeps in the fridge for a week........400g red quinoa (cooked), 2 lemon juice, 1 - 2tblsp olive oil, 1 whole cucumber, 6 spring onions, whole tub tomatoes, chopped spinach (raw)...lots of chopped parsley, corriander and mint (whatever is personal preferance)........I add other veg e.g. broccoli, asparagus ...or add avocado......then I have a dollop of humus on the side.......portion out into tubs......lunch done for the week!!

When I was vegan, I relied on a handful of staple foods. Like, making a big batch of rice at the beginning of the week and adding different combinations of veggies and beans as you go. Keep things like tortillas and nori sheets on hand so you can make wraps, and prepare a big batch of soup at the beginning of the week. Black bean chili, curried carrot soup, lentil stews... Yum!

Making your own beans from scratch is good, but flavored canned beans work in a pinch. Baked beans (make sure there's no pork added), chipotle pepper beans, refried beans... Just always have beans on hand. I have a full cabinet in my kitchen devoted to my habitually hoarded beans. I have no shame and will just dump some in a bowl, microwave 'em, and eat them plain. Protein is protein.

I also roast a big batch of squash and keep that refrigerated to snack on throughout the week. It's sweet, low-cal, and really filling. Sweet potatoes, too.

Overnight oats are also a really good breakfast option, and can stay refrigerated for up to a week. Add chia seeds and nut butter for healthy fats.

Also, if you're meal prepping religiously and have a really consistent diet, invest in a Costco membership or go to a similar wholesale store. Way cheaper to buy in bulk!

potatoes!!!