Need some more healthy vegan meal prep ideas?

There are a few good reasons to eat vegan. It’s been shown that a vegan diet can help with many medical conditions, like heart disease and high cholesterol. A lot of this is due to eating more fiber, nutrients from fruits and vegetables, and more unsaturated fats.

I’ve eaten a vegan diet for short periods of time and the addition of all those vegetables definitely made me feel better. Plus, the fact that I’m eating mostly whole foods certainly helps me get in the extra nutrition.

If you’re looking for easy vegan recipes and ways to meal prep for the week, scroll down to the bottom to get some ideas!

What can you eat on a vegan diet?

Essentially, on a vegan diet you eat no animal products. This means no meat, cheese, yogurt, etc.

But that doesn’t mean you can’t eat delicious food or healthy meals! Here are foods to focus on when you’re eating a vegan diet:

• Fruits and vegetables, all kinds: fresh, frozen, and canned
• Whole grains: brown rice, quinoa, whole wheat pasta and bread
• Healthy fats: Avocado, nuts, seeds
• Beans and legumes: Including black beans, kidney beans, lentils, chickpeas, etc.

Honey is considered an animal product, but sugar and maple syrup are considered vegan. And just like anything, sugar can be consumed in moderation.

What is vegan meal prep?

Vegan meal prep is essentially the same as any other meal prep. The only difference is you’re using all plant-based ingredients.

This can be done in many different ways:

• Prepping breakfast for the week
• Chopping up fresh vegetables to use for snacks or to cut down cooking time for dinner
• Prepping mix-and-match ingredients for meals: Beans, rice, roasted vegetables, etc.

There’s no one correct way to meal prep. It all depends on what our goals are and what kind of time you have.

How will vegan meal prep help me lose weight?

First, a disclaimer: Eating vegan in and of itself will not make you lose weight. No one food or supplement is the key to weight loss.

In general: If you eat less calories than you burn, you’ll lose weight.

Meal prep can definitely help with weight management, though:

• If you have food already prepared, you’re less likely to go out to eat- which typically is more calories.
• You know exactly what you’ll be eating, so there are no surprises when you wake up and wonder what’s for lunch.
• The act of prepping food can help motivate you! You’re more likely to make healthier choices when you do something good for yourself like this.

How to vegan meal prep

Prepping vegan food is basically the same as prepping any other food. Here are the main steps:

Find your recipes

At the bottom of this post you’ll find plenty of recipe ideas- breakfast, dinner, and more. Choose your favorites and print or save the recipes to your computer.

If you need more ideas, search websites like Pinterest and AllRecipes. They are a goldmine of recipe ideas.

Make your grocery list

Make a shopping list of all the ingredients you need. Sometimes you can save money by buying in bulk. For example: If three of your recipes include sweet potatoes, buying a bag of them would be cheaper than buying individual potatoes.

Schedule your prep session

I found that putting a prep session on my calendar helped me to stick to it. It’s for my health, after all. I wouldn’t schedule a doctor’s appointment and then not show up, so I need to treat this the same way.

It doesn’t have to take forever, either. Maybe set aside an hour on a Sunday afternoon, or another day off. A little bit of time can go a long way.

Shop for all your ingredients

Sometimes shopping at one grocery store is best because it saves time. But shopping at multiple stores can help save money. Do your research and find which stores are best and can give you the best bang for your buck.

Best foods to meal prep

Meal prep can take a little time, but it’s so worth it in the end. Here are some of my favorite foods to prep that will keep well in the fridge:

• Beans (Dried beans are easy to make in the Instant Pot!)
• Rice/quinoa or other grains
• Sliced vegetables like bell peppers, carrots, etc.
• Washed fresh fruit like grapes, strawberries, blueberries
• Soups
• Casseroles

Vegan meal prep recipes

Vegan Breakfast Meal Prep

Vegan Oatmeal Pancakes by Two City Vegans

This easy recipe is also gluten-free! Made with oat flour, this is a great way to get your fiber in the mornings.

Vegan French Toast by Two City Vegans

Yes, you can make french toast without eggs! The best way to do so is with a “flax egg”: Which is basically 1 tablespoon of flax seed mixed with 2-3 tablespoons water.

Use this recipe to make breakfast for the entire week!

Maple Walnut Overnight Oats by The Food Blog

Overnight oats are awesome. Oats in general, really. A half cup of oats has about 5 grams of protein and a good amount of fiber! This recipe adds the sweetness of maple syrup and healthy fats from walnuts.

Overnight Protein Oats by Clean Eating Kitchen

You can make super easy recipes using oats! This overnight oats recipe uses unsweetened protein powder to give you an extra protein kick in the morning.

Breakfast Quinoa by Salt and Baker

Yes, you can make quinoa for breakfast! It can be a lot like oatmeal, but with a different nice texture. This delicious meal uses brown sugar, and you can add fresh berries for more flavor!

Almond Butter Granola from Recipes From a Pantry

Making your own granola is cheap, and easier than you think! You can control the amount of added sweetener and add whatever fillings you want. The almond butter adds plenty of healthy fat!

Instant Pot Oatmeal from Recipes From a Pantry

If you don’t have an Instant Pot, you need one right away. It cooks meals in a fraction of the time, and makes for easy clean-up! Oats have a variety of health benefits and can easily be cooked in a pressure cooker.

Lazy Gingerbread Cookie Overnight Oatmeal by The Lazy Slow Cooker

Steel cut oats are used in this super easy recipe. You put in all the ingredients the night before, and the next day you have a delicious breakfast waiting for you!

Freezer Brownie Larabar Bites by No Getting Off This Train

These are a copycat of those Larabar bites you may have seen in the stores. Much cheaper and freezer friendly, too! These can make a simple portable breakfast or post-workout meal.

Vegan Breakfast Parfait by Plant Well

Using vegan yogurt, you can make a seriously good plant-based breakfast without much time! Feel free to use your favorite fruits to add to this meal.

Vegan Blackberry Muffins by No Sweat Vegan

This whole food plant based recipe uses maple syrup for sweetener, along with fresh blackberries and a yummy streusel topping!

No Bake Energy Bites by On Your Journey

Energy bites are one of those nutritious recipes that you can customize however you like. And these are no exception! These use peanut butter and chocolate chips: My favorite combination.

NOTE: To make this vegan, you can use maple syrup instead of honey.

Vegan Banana Bread Bars by Beaming Baker

The amazing flavors of banana bread in bar form! This can make a healthy addition to your morning meal.

Vegan Carrot Cake Baked Oatmeal by The Roasted Root

I love adding vegetables to baked items! Get the delicious taste of carrot cake with the amazing health benefits of the oats in this easy recipe.

Vegan Lunch/Dinner Meal Prep Recipes

Easy Air Fryer Veggie Fajitas by No Getting Off This Train

One thing to remember on a vegan diet is to get enough protein. Foods like beans and lentils are full of protein AND fiber. This recipe uses an air fryer to make cooking easier!

Roasted Sweet Potato Salad by Beyond the Chicken Coop

Sweet potatoes are full of nutrition! And quinoa is a complete protein source so you get the protein you need in this recipe.

Warm Lentil Salad by Fit Meal Ideas

This high protein salad can be used as a side dish, or even as your main dish! Lentils provide a huge source of protein, and the olive oil is a good source of healthy fat.

Instant Pot Mushroom Risotto by Recipes from a Pantry

Who else uses their Instant Pot regularly? This meal is super easy while looking super fancy!

Vegan Chickpea Curry by Feasting Not Fasting

Curry is one of my FAVORITE meals because it’s so easy to add healthy food in there. The more vegetables, the better! And the spices are INCREDIBLE.

Sweet Potato Black Bean Chili by No Getting Off This Train

This is such an awesome comfort food in the cold months! Better yet, this chili can be frozen for later.

Sweet Potato Lentil Soup by Feasting Not Fasting

Any kind of beans/lentils with sweet potatoes is my favorite combination. The flavors go SO well together. And soup is easy to add extra vegetables!

Vegan Red Lentil Curry by Madhu’s Everyday Indian

Don’t let the huge ingredient list fool you- most of them are delicious spices! Red lentils tend to be a little softer which goes great in this curry.

Mushroom Lentil Ragu by Foxes Love Lemons

Pasta sauce is an AMAZING way to add extra nutrition. The lentils and mushrooms provide extra protein and flavor to this easy dish.

Slow Cooker Red Beans and Rice by No Getting Off This Train

Any time I can use my slow cooker, I’m all over it! Red beans and rice is easy to throw in and have it ready in a couple hours.

Easy Vegetable Stew by Bree’s Vegan Life

This is the perfect recipe for vegetable lovers- seriously, this stew is packed FULL of them. Great for a cold winter evening!

Instant Pot Mushroom Stroganoff by Cooking Carnival

I’m a huge fan of stroganoff. Making it vegan helps add more vegetables, and the Instant Pot makes cooking much faster!

Mexican Stuffed Sweet Potatoes by The Dizzy Cook

There’s something amazing about sweet potatoes and black beans in the same meal! This recipe would be amazing for meal prep.

Pumpkin Sweet Potato Soup by The Aussie Home Cook

Pumpkin is something you can add into a lot of soups and sauces and not really change the flavor! I love how this soup adds in that bit of extra nutrition.

Vegan Pasta Bake by Plant Based Folk

This recipe is both vegan AND gluten free!

Sriracha Baked Tofu Rice Bowls by Running on Real Food

These bowls are FULL of protein from the tofu and edamame. Enjoy all the extra vegetables, too! Think of this as a form of a Buddha bowl.

Chickpea Avocado Sandwich by Be Plant Well

If you like tuna salad, you’ll enjoy this vegan version! This is creamy and full of protein thanks to the chickpeas!

Lentil Cottage Pie by Kind Earth

This is an excellent vegan version of a shepherd’s pie!

Instant Pot Lentil Burrito Bowls by No Getting Off This Train

Lentils are so easy to cook in an Instant Pot. And Mexican-style food is delicious, to boot!