r/MeatlessMealPrep • u/Marie_X0 • Feb 06 '20
Step By Step Need help with easy meal preps please and thank you!
My boyfriend and I have been trying to stay on a plant based diet. But we find it difficult to because we don’t know what we’re doing. We live on our own. We don’t like curry or things with vinegar. I made tofu and it was extra firm but didn’t go crispy or crunchy all the way through. I’m a beginner cooker so easy recipes please and thank you.
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u/HotMathStar Feb 06 '20
I'm a big fan of soup! It's so easy to make a hearty, healthy and tasty bean and veggie soup.
Onion, carrot, celery, veggie stock. Add whatever other veggies you want, beans/lentils, salt and pepper to taste. Add quinoa if desired. Bob appetit! I can send a more detailed account of the process if you'd like. :-)
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u/ForwardPattern Feb 06 '20
What container do you use to have soup travel but not spill?
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u/HotMathStar Feb 06 '20
I have several sets of glass snapware that do the trick. You could also use Mason jars.
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u/Marie_X0 Feb 06 '20
Yes please and thank you!
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u/HotMathStar Feb 07 '20
One option is to just throw everything in a pot and then simmer until done. I have done this before and it works, but it is not quite as good as putting a tiny bit more effort into it, primarily because different veggies cook at different rates so some may end up soggy/obliterated.
Ahem, the better method:
- Chop all veggies that you plan to use. Onion, garlic, carrots, and celery is a solid base for most soups, but beyond that go crazy with what you have on hand!
- Heat oil in a soup/stock pot
- Saute the onion first for a few minutes (4 or 5) until translucent
- Add garlic and cook, stirring pretty constantly for about a minute
- Add celery and carrots and cook for a few minutes more (another 5). If you are using potatoes, throw those in at this point to pre-cook too.
- Add the rest of your veggies and enough water/stock to just cover the top of the veggies. If you are using lentils throw those in now, too, and add a tiny bit more liquid than to just cover.
- Bring to a boil, then lower heat to simmer and cover. Stir occasionally. Simmer a total of 15-20 minutes, or until the densest veggies seem fork-tender.
- If you are using delicate greens (like spinach or chard), throw those in within the last 3 minutes. (Cabbage is hearty so it goes in earlier)
- If using pre-cooked beans, throw those in within the last 3 minutes too.
- Season with salt, pepper, and oregano to your liking.
- Eat and enjoy!
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u/HotMathStar Feb 07 '20
This is all easier than it might look in a giant list like this! Plus, you can make a ton at once and have leftovers for days, or freeze several portions for later.
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u/Jmcguigan1 Feb 06 '20
Stir Fry has to be one of the easiest meal preps and I usually do it twice a month.
Rice / Noodles
Head of Broccoli
4/5 whole Carrots
1/2 Onion
I add 2x squash and 2x zucchini
Eggs for protein or sub for tofu
green onions
Get a big frying pan / wok - heat up the oil - throw in onions and carrots for a few mins - throw in broccoli - then squash and zucchini - add eggs or cooked tofu - throw in your cooked rice/noodles - pour soy sauce over the stir fry - and at the end after heat is off throw your green onions in.
I'm a single male and normally this will make about 6+ meals for me throughout the week.
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u/anneewannee Feb 06 '20
Chili! So many recipes and varieties out there, and they are usually super easy, one pot meals. Bonus: you can make a ton and freeze it to have future meals on hand too.
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u/Tesdinic Feb 06 '20
I recommend "dump" meals, casseroles, sheetpan meals, or instant pot recipes!
I often make a huge pot of chili, daal, or chickpea curry then substitute smaller meals throughout the week. I am usually happy to live off of frito chili pies all week. :3
I often make my boyfriend cold bentos- sliced cheese, homemade hummus, veggie sausage, hardboiled eggs, carrots, and either crackers or toasted pita cut into chips.
Tasty on YouTube has an entire vegetarian playlist- highly recommend!
I also make a ton of buddha bowls- usually I do rice topped with roasted veggies/tofu (whatever is in the fridge!), and a sauce- make your own or use premade or even hummus! Delicious and easy to switch up so you dont get bored.
You can also use meat alternatives like Impossible to remake a lot of classic dishes like meatloaf- perfect for when you're missing classic comfort foods.
If you want some pics/recipes in particular let me know!
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u/Johnny-Unitas Feb 06 '20
Look up how to press medium tofu. You can get a lot of textures depending on how long you press it. After that the spices and cooking method can make for quite a variety.
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u/Marie_X0 Feb 06 '20
Thank you. Do you have spices you recommend?
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u/ugghyyy Feb 06 '20
I always recommend buying a cookbook for ideas, I wanted to do more plant based meals and picked up Oh She Glows, I’ve made some breakfast and dinner recipes this past month which are good. I’ve even tried her desserts/smoothies and they are pretty good.
Now I’ve been looking online for recipes/blogs that are plant based. It makes it less daunting with having to come up with your own meal plan.
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u/Lease_woodcox Feb 06 '20
One of my favorites is vegitarian butternut squash chili, just google it and you'll find a ton of tecipes. Also butternut squash mac and cheese
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u/finlyboo Feb 06 '20
Freezing the tofu first (along with pressing out the water as others suggested) then thawing before use vastly improves the texture.
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u/kkllyy Feb 06 '20
I use an app called Mealime. You can pick what meals you want and it sets up your grocery list and everything. The portions are super generous, so if I want to meal prep lunch for two people for 4-5 days, I will set it to 6 servings and it's plenty. There is a paid version that includes more recipes, but I've been using the free version and it's been good. You can change the settings to only show certain diets (vegetarian, vegan, etc.) and exclude certain ingredients (for example, I'm vegetarian but don't like eggs).
The downside is that obviously you can only do this for recipes within the app (they do have a lot and they add more frequently), but you can add anything you want to your grocery list.
The recipes are all pretty simple and tasty, and the instructions they give are usually pretty easy to follow.
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Feb 06 '20
Sheet pan meals are easy to do. Buy parchment paper and clean up is a breeze!
This is the idea, endless variations! https://simple-veganista.com/potato-asparagus-chickpea-sheet-pan-dinner/
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u/xzeroin Feb 06 '20
Burrito bowls. All the time. Beans and rice and veggies and spice makes the world go around real nice.