Vegetarian Meal Prep Hacks for Beginners
A vegetarian meal refers to avoiding meat, poultry and seafood in your everyday diet. Adopting a vegetarian meal is becoming increasingly popular due to several reasons such as protecting animal rights, contributing to sustainability and environmental protection as livestock production is believed to increase greenhouse gas emissions, leading to climate change. Whereas, some people who follow a vegetarian meal may or may not include eggs, honey, dairy or other products derived from animals.
Preparing and consuming a vegetarian meal comes along with a lot of benefits such as losing excessive body weight with a lower Body Mass Index (BMI) as compared to omnivores and a lower risk of cancer such as breast cancer, colon and rectum cancer. However, several research studies indicate that a vegetarian meal helps to normalize blood sugar levels especially for people with type 2 diabetes. A vegetarian meal has also shown reduction in total cholesterol levels and bad cholesterol levels (LDL) and lowers blood pressure, all of which reduces the risk for a heart disease.
A vegetarian meal should include a balanced portion of fruits and vegetables, grains, protein-rich plant foods like legumes, tofu and fats to ensure a nutritional and nourishing diet with appropriate vitamins, minerals and trace elements like zinc and potassium. Some important foods to include into a good vegetarian diet include green leafy vegetables, buckwheat, oats, legumes, lentils, citrus fruits, nuts like walnuts and cashews, chia and hemp seeds and tofu, tempeh and dairy products like eggs.
A vegetarian meal is not nutritious for your overall well-being but is also time-saving as you can pre-cook vegetarian meals using the seasons staple foods to reduce stress on weekdays with hectic schedules, they are also budget-friendly as ingredients are used wisely in modest quantities and are also environment-friendly as there is less waste because of the meals being planned and cooked carefully.
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How to Start a Vegetarian Meal Prep
Step 1: Plan Your Meals for the Week
- Select easy to make and store recipes that you would want to try. Remember, a good vegetarian meal prep is the one which contains a sufficient amount of proteins, carbs and healthy fats.
- You can create Themed Days like “Meatless Monday”, “Tofu Tuesday” or maybe “Salad Friday”.
- Ensure you include a variety of flavors and textures to avoid the missing element of meat, poultry or seafood. For example, soups, stir-fried items and salads could work for you, balancing your everyday nutrient need, leaving you refreshing and active throughout the hectic day.
- Decide on the number of portions each day and the portion size to avoid wastage of food.
Step 2: Make a Detailed Grocery List
- Organize your list according to the sections in a supermarket such as grains, veggies, canned goods to save time and money.
- Before heading out for shopping, check your pantry for everyday cooking staples like spices, grains and oils to avoid over-buying.
- Focus on versatility and go for the ingredients that could be used in multiple vegetarian meal preps like bell-peppers, leafy vegetables, legumes, lentils and more.
- Try to buy the local, seasonal and fresh organic produce for better flavor and fewer preservatives.
Step 3: Schedule a Prep Day
- Pick a day that works best for you such as a day off from work or the weekend such as Saturday or Sunday to prepare a healthy vegetarian meal for the hectic week ahead.
- Dedicate 3 to 4 hours of your day to your vegetarian meal prep, depending on the number of meals.
- Begin cooking the items that take the longest to prepare such as whole grains, further moving on to quicker simpler tasks such as preparing sauces or chopping vegetables.
- You can make your vegetarian meal prep interesting and fun by involving family members or any friends or relatives visiting you. Kids can help with simpler tasks like washing fruits or vegetables and tagging your storage boxes.
- While coking, make sure to clean the kitchen side by side to avoid a larger mess at the end.
Step 4: Prep Staples
- Cook batches of grains like brown rice, oats, couscous and quinoa and store them in separate containers for quick use in vegetarian meal prep.
- Roast seasonal vegetables with simple seasonings like salt, pepper and olive oil to make as a base for vegetarian meal prep.
- Ensure that you add the right amount of protein content to your diet such as baked tofu, lentils and chickpeas. Marinated tofu or tempeh can add more flavor to your vegetarian meal prep.
- Prepare flavorful dressings in advance such as tahini sauce, mayonnaise or hummus to enhance the taste of your vegetarian meal.
Step 5: Store Meals Correctly in Tagged Containers
- Using air-tight glass or BPA free plastic containers will ensure freshness maintains well. Go for containers with portions to efficiently store your vegetarian meals.
- Add a tag on the lid of each container, mentioning the name of the dish and its prep and store date to ensure health and hygiene safety.
- Use freezer-friendly and zip-lock bags for soups, stews or marinades so you can lay them flat in the freezer to save space.
- Store cooked grains, veggies and proteins in separate containers for easy mixing later on.
- Arrange prepped vegetarian meals in your fridge with the order of placing older items at the front to ensure they are consumed at priority.
Vegetarian Meal Prep Recipes
Breakfast
RECIPE CARDS
So, as you have come uptil here, thankyou for reading this far! We can see that vegetarian meal prep is not at all a time-consuming or tedious process, yet it can be done in really fun ways, involving your family and friends in the kitchen. By following our guide to planning your meals, prepping staples and storing them appropriately, you can enjoy a variety of dishes throughout the week! From satisfying breakfasts to hearty lunches and comforting dinners, the recipes shared here for a perfect vegetarian meal prep are designed to suit a beginners journey into vegetarian cooking. These vegetarian meals are not only easy to prepare, but also cater to different dietary needs such as gluten-free and vegan options.
Ready to kick-start your vegetarian meal prep in the most satisfying way? Start small – choose two to three recipes to try this week and gradually build your confidence and skills. Don’t forget to experiment with new flavors to keep your vegetarian meals full of flavor and nutrition. Share your exciting cooking experiences in the comments below. Let’s inspire each other to make plant-based eating a delicious and stress-free experience!
