Our Top Vegan Meal Prep Ideas
Time is precious, and although it can be lovely to spend time cooking exciting, flavoursome, nutritious dishes every dinner time, for many people there simply isn’t enough time in the day! That’s why it’s a canny idea to prepare a big pot of something wonderfully tasty in advance that will sustain you for a few days, freeing up time to spend with family and friends, catching up on your favourite TV shows or just having a long, relaxing soak in the tub.
Eleven per cent of UK employees work over 48 hours per week, according to the Institute for Employment Studies, so with time at a premium for so many people, having some containers in the fridge of lovely food prepared a few days earlier is a blessing indeed. So we’ve compiled a list of ten amazing meals full of good things that will keep well in the fridge and sustain you and your loved ones over the course of several days. Feast your eyes and pick up a few ideas for magnificent meals below….
This slow-cooked dish, resonant with the flavours of the Levant, really couldn’t be easier – simply chop and combine all the ingredients, throw into a big pot and stick it in the oven! The gorgeous harissa spice mix brings the taste of Tunisia to your table, while the apricots act as little oases of sweetness amid the savoury vegetables. The soya chunks really soak up the flavours, while providing a meaty texture and keeping the dish vegan. This is a super-healthy and hugely tasty meal idea with loads of nutrition and no added fat.
This wonderfully filling vegan curry uses some of our favourite ingredients to create something extremely moreish that is bound to be a hit with the whole family. It makes roasted peanuts the star of the dish, combining them with tofu for texture and coconut milk for a fantastic creaminess. The coconut sugar adds an alluring sweetness, while the soy sauce brings a note of umami savouriness. Just make sure there’s enough for the meat-eaters, as they’ll all be wanting some too!
Paella is one of the most truly satisfying dishes there is – rice baked with plenty of vegetables, a hint of luxurious saffron, a scattering of olives and an Aladdin’s cave of piquant, flavoursome spices really does work wonders for body and soul! You can create this magical, colourful Meditteranean one-pot dish without spending hours slaving over a hot stove, and it keeps very well in the fridge or freezer. A bit of brisk work in the kitchen, and that’s a few days’ worth of lip-smacking lunches sorted!
Soup freezes well, and is a lovely, comforting, warming lunch or supper, especially when served with a slice or two of good-quality wholegrain bread. The organic red split lentils in this one are quick to cook, and whizz up into something delectably creamy and smooth which add a whole load of protein and fibre, while the tomato passata adds colour, nutrition and that awesome savoury-sweet tomato flavour. A truly lovely meal idea that’s cheap as chips and easy as pie – but far lower in fat than either of those two!
Brazil Nut, Lentil & Tomato Roast
This dense, ultra-filling, nutrition-packed roast centrepiece is absolutely amazing served with potatoes and gravy. It’s the kind of dish winter was made for! It contains lots of lovely Brazil nuts, which are full of awesome nutition, as well as fibre-packed red lentils, both of which will sustain and strengthen you against the worst ravages of any cold spell. The organic yeast flakes provide a deep savoury note and a whole host of essential B-vitamins, while the sage (an underused and wonderful herb) lends it an appealing taste of the English kitchen garden.
Here’s another substantial meal idea that can be baked in a big dish and then portioned up for subsequent days. Who doesn’t love a good shepherd’s pie? This one uses plenty of healthy veggies and some organic soya pieces which give the filling a meaty texture. Add a lush carpet of mashed potatoes, stick it in the oven and you have a very pleasing meal with no animal element at all, which really hits the spot.
Sometimes you just need a giant burger… that first bite of a great big pattie wedged in a lovely bun, held firmy in both hands, can be a truly transcendental experience! This one dispenses with animal products entirely, and is full of amazing levels of protein, fibre and exquisite taste from the delightful variety of pulses, seeds and whole grains it contains. The organic oregano leaves and the deeply resonant, piquant smoked paprika make these burgers truly special, and once cooked they’ll keep wonderfully in the fridge, ready to be heated through and thrown in a bun.
Nothing warms you up like a good bowl of chilli! This one uses humble haricot beans paired with red kidney beans and nutrition-packed black turtle beans to create a lovely mix of textures. No meat needed! We’ve added a few cheeky glugs of spicy hot pepper sauce for a dash of fire, but you could also add some chillies or simply leave them out if the kids can’t handle them. This is a perfect dish for a slow cooker, and is very easy to prepare. Eat it on its own, or serve with some good rice for a filling, fortifying bowl of loveliness.
There are few things finer than coming home after finishing a hard day’s work to a big plate of piping-hot pasta robed in a delicious, savoury, ultra-satisfying sauce. This wondrous bolognese is flavoured with paprika and organic vegetable bouillon powder, and uses a mix of organic green lentils and walnut pieces to create a hugely nutritious combination which works fantastically with pasta. The organic coconut sugar gives it a hint of caramel sweetness while the chilli powder adds a much-welcome little kick to proceedings!
This is one of the most filling curries we’ve ever tried and uses remarkably healthy, distinctive and appetising black ‘Eclipse’ chickpeas. It’s a perfect dish if you’re vegan and following a gluten-free diet. Add some rice if you like (we’d recommend this organic white Basmati or some nutty, fibre-packed organic brown long grain – but it’s not strictly necessary as the curry alone feels like a very substantial meal on its own!
