Save money, time, animals and, the planet with this 3-Day Easy Vegan Meal Prep! Each meal is Indian-inspired. Think Chickpea Pancakes, Dal, and Biryani.
Meal prep can seem intimidating! Especially if you are new to the habit. However, it doesn’t have to be complicated. Choosing easy recipes, which use few ingredients, and straightforward preparation techniques should get the job done easily!
In this post, I will share meal prep tips for beginners, some benefits of vegan meal prep, and what the best meal prep containers are.
Lastly, I will share why I chose Indian recipes for this prep as well as the step-by-step instructions on how to prepare three breakfasts, three lunches, and three dinners which will last in the fridge for up to four days and are easy to make.
This post is all about easy vegan meal prep!
Easy Vegan Meal Prep:
Meal Prep Tips For Beginners
Meal prep can definitely seem intimidating at first, but once you get the hang of it you’ll be happy to save time and money. Most VMPS meal prep recipes suggest prepping three days’ worth of meals at the time. This allows you to meal prep twice a week (Sunday and Monday, for example), which is less overwhelming than meal prepping only once a week. It also increases the freshness and variety of foods.
Nonetheless, every venture comes with a learning curve, so here are my tips to help you succeed easily!
Planning Is Key
Think about which meals you want to eat during the next few days and establish a meal plan. If you don’t have a plan, you will find a 3-Day Easy Vegan Meal Prep Plan which you can follow. Either way, don’t just wing it at the grocery store! Make a shopping list based on your meal plan.
Multitask Like A Boss
While one dish is baking in the oven, start cooking the next dish on the stove. While you are cooking a dish on the stove, get the pressure cooker going with rice to serve on the side. Make use of all your kitchen equipment to make meal prep happen in the most efficient way.
Don’t Overprep
Overprepping is a common mistake amongst meal prep beginners. Try your best to avoid this mistake! Overprep is overwhelming because it unnecessarily increases the workload. But also, it leads to food waste if you don’t manage to eat everything before spoils. Lastly, overprep takes away flexibility during the week! It’s just not fun.
Vegan Meal Prep Benefits
I love that even the smallest vegan meal prep can have a big impact! Here’s what I love the most about it!
- Vegan meal prep can help you save money and time
- Eat more nutritious meals
- Find peace of mind, by being able to go about your busy days without having to decide which meals to cook or buy
- Contribute to reducing the extensive suffering of animals and environmental degradation, which is the consequence of the animal agriculture industry!
Other benefits of vegan meal prep:
- Way less kitchen cleaning
- Efficient use of time
What Are The Best Containers For Meal Prep?
Glass Containers
For meals that need to be reheated, I swear by the LOCK & LOCK Purely Better Glass Food Storage Container with Lid. This borosilicate glass container is both microwave and oven-safe, as well as dishwasher and freezer-friendly. It doesn’t stain and has a luxurious feel to it, making it very enjoyable to eat from. It is so versatile that you can bake your meal, store your meal and eat your meal, all from the same bowl!
Related post: What Are The Best Meal Prep Containers?
Why Indian Recipes?
Everyone LOVES Indian food! Right?! It is 100% my favorite cuisine and will choose an Indian restaurant above any other restaurant most times. I find that Indian dishes can be so simple yet incredibly delicious, due to the variety of spices, seasoning, and aromatics used. I thus thought it was a good idea to dedicate an easy meal prep recipe post to them, to bring some Indian-inspired meal prep recipes to your kitchen.
3-Day Easy Vegan Meal Prep [Indian Recipes Edition]
Equipment
- medium mixing bowl
- 2 x baking tray
- 2 x medium heavy-bottomed pan
- small skillet
Ingredients
Oven-Baked Savoury Chickpea Flour Pancakes
- 92 g (1 cup) chickpea flour
- 150 g (1 cup) zucchini grated
- spices and seasoning: 1/4 teaspoon turmeric, 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, 1/4 teaspoon cumin, and 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 250 ml (1 cup) water
- 15 ml (1 tablespoon) neutral vegetable oil I used grapeseed
Roasted Vegetable Biryani with Baked Tofu
For the baked tofu
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1.5 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon neutral vegetable oil I used grapeseed
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- 350 g extra firm tofu drained, pressed, and sliced into 1 cm cubes
For the roasted vegetables
- 1 onion sliced into thin strips
- 2 carrots diced
- 2 teaspoon neutral vegetable oil I used grapeseed
For the rice
- 1 cup basmati rice
- 1 tablespoon vegan butter or margarine
- 1/4 cup raisins
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 teaspoons fresh ginger grated
- 1 red chili deseeded and finely diced
- spices: 1 teaspoon garam masala, and 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
- 300 ml vegetable stock
Red Lentil Dal with Basmati Rice
- 1 cup red lentils sorted and rinsed
- 4 cups water
- 1 tablespoon neutral vegetable oil I used grapeseed
- 1 onion finely diced
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger grated
- 1 red chili deseeded and finely diced
- spices and seasoning: 2 teaspoons Indian curry powder, 1/2 teaspoon black mustard seeds, 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander, 1/4 tsp ground cumin, 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup fresh tomato chopped
- 100 g baby spinach
- 3 cups cooked basmati rice
Instructions
Oven-Baked Savoury Chickpea Flour Pancakes
- Preheat the oven to 200° C!
- Add all the ingredients, except for the water and oil, to a medium mixing bowl. Then, add the water, bit by bit, whilst whisking the batter. This will prevent clumps from forming! Once all the water is incorporated into the batter, add vegetable oil.
- Line 3 oven-safe meal prep containers with baking paper and pour in the batter, so that the "pancake" will be half of a centimeter thick. Bake for 30 minutes until the edges are brown.
- Store in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Roasted Vegetable Biryani with Baked Tofu
- Reduce the oven temperature to 190° C and soak the basmati rice in a bowl of cold water until you need it later in the recipe.
For the baked tofu
- In a medium mixing bowl, stir together the soy sauce, maple syrup, lemon juice, garam masala and, oil. Add the tofu and toss to combine. Transfer the tofu to a baking tray, lined with baking paper.
- Bake the tofu for about 40 minutes, flipping halfway through.
For the roasted vegetables
- While the tofu bakes, prep the vegetables. Place the onion and carrots in a baking tray and drizzle with oil. Toss everything to coat.
- Place the veggies into the oven and bake for about 20 minutes, until tender.
For the rice
- Heat the vegetable oil over medium heat in a heavy-bottomed pan. Add the raisins, garlic, ginger, chili, turmeric, and garam masala. Toast the aromatics and spices for about 1 minute.
- Add the vegetable stock and the soaked rice. Raise the heat and bring the liquid to a boil.
- Lower the heat until the liquid is at a simmer, cover the pot, and cook for 20 minutes.
- Remove the pot from heat and let it sit with the lid on for 5 minutes after cooking. Remove the lid from the pot, fluff the rice, then stir in the baked tofu and roasted veggies.
For storing and serving
- Divide the Biryani amongst 3 meal prep containers. Garnish with some fresh coriander! Store in the fridge for up to four days!
Red Lentil Dal with Basmati Rice
- Combine the lentils and water in a medium pan. Bring to a boil, then turn the heat down to simmer. Skim off any foam that collects on top. Cook, partially covered, until the lentils are tender, for about 15-20 minutes.
- Heat a skillet over medium heat and add the oil, onion, garlic, ginger, chili, and a pinch of salt. Fry until soft, for about 5 minutes.
- Add the spices and seasoning, stir to combine, and cook for about 60 seconds. Then add the tomatoes. Cook until the tomatoes are saucy!
- Add the sauce to the cooked lentils, and simmer over low heat for about 5 minutes to infuse with flavor. Add the baby spinach and stir until wilted.
- Divide the Lentil Dal amongst 3 meal prep containers and serve with basmati rice. Garnish with some fresh coriander!
- Store in the fridge for up to four days in an airtight container!
Nutrition
This post was all about easy vegan meal prep!