Easy Vegan Meal Prep (Budget-Friendly!)

It’s time for another meal prep video! Check out the video below if you want to try some meal prepping yourself, and as always, don’t forget to scroll down for the ingredients and instructions.

Hey guys! It’s been a while since I made a meal prep video, so here it is! If you’re looking for a way to save time, money, stick to your fitness goals, or maybe if you’re trying to go vegan, I truly believe that meal prepping is one of the best ways to do so. 

It will seriously make your life so much easier, especially if you are very busy and you don’t have much time to cook everyday. I used to rely heavily on meal prepping when I used to work at an office because I didn’t want to cook lunch/dinner on a daily basis. It’s so much easier to batch cook!

I made a simple high-protein pasta meal with just the right balance of veggies, healthy carbohydrates, and healthy fats. I talked a little more about how I balance my meals in this video.

For this meal prep, the potatoes would be the healthy carbs, the pasta (I used a high-protein pasta but also a good carb source as well) and the bean balls as my healthy protein source, and the tahini dressing as my healthy fat source. Obviously, the marinara sauce works great for the pasta and the bean balls, but you’ll be surprised at how they taste great with the tahini dressing, too! 

Also do take note that whatever ingredients I used were already sitting in my freezer and pantry (I still try to limit the amount of time I go to the grocery store; we can never be too careful, guys!).

Without further ado, here’s today’s meal prep guide and don’t forget to watch the video for better visuals~

Easy Vegan Meal Prep Recipes (Budget-Friendly!)

INGREDIENTS:

Baked Potatoes:

  • 2 potatoes
  • 1 tsp oil
  • 1/2 tsp garlic salt

Brussels Sprouts:

  • Frozen Brussels sprouts
  • 1 tsp oil
  • 1/2 tsp garlic salt

5-Ingredient Black Bean Balls:

  • 1.5 cups black beans
  • 1/4 cup + 1 tbsp oat flour (or blended up oats)
  • 1/4 cup oats
  • 1/2 cup salsa
  • 2 tbsp nutritional yeast

Leftover Veggie Stir Fry:

  • 1/2 onion, diced
  • 2 cups mushrooms, chopped
  • 1 head broccoli chopped
  • 1 cup cabbage, chopped
  • 3-4 heads baby bok choy
  • Lemon & herb seasoning (or whatever seasoning of your choice)

Quick Marinara Sauce:

  • 1 tsp or spray of oil
  • 1 tbsp garlic, minced
  • 1 small can of tomato paste (5.5 oz)
  • 1.5 cup water
  • 1 tbsp italian seasoning
  • 1 bay leaf (optional)
  • 1 tsp garlic salt
  • A splash of wine
  • 1 tsp sugar

Tahini Dressing:

  • 1/4 cup tahini
  • 1/4 cup tbsp agave nectar or maple syrup
  • 1/4 cup tbsp lemon juice
  • 1/4 cup tbsp soy sauce or substitute
  • 2 tbsp garlic powder 
  • 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
  • 1-3 tbsp water (I added 2 but depends on how thin/thick you want your sauce)

INSTRUCTIONS:

Step 1: Baked Potatoes & Brussels Sprouts Recipe

  1. After peeling and chopping the potatoes, throw them into a mixing bowl and add a small amount of oil. Mix well. 
  2. For seasoning, add in garlic salt and black pepper then mix. After mixing, transfer onto a baking lined baking tray. 
  3. In the same mixing bowl, throw in the Brussels sprouts and mix with a small amount of oil and garlic salt. Transfer onto the same baking tray. 
  4. Pop the baking tray into a preheated oven and bake at 375°F for about 50-60 minutes (mixing halfway) until potatoes are cooked. You can shorten the baking time by baking at 400°F.

Step 2: Black Bean Balls Recipe

  1. Place the beans into a food processor and process until it’s all mashed up (it’s okay if it’s slightly chunky!). Transfer to a mixing bowl. 
  2. Add in oat flour, oats, salsa, and nutritional yeast. Mix well until well-combined. 
  3. Form the mixture into little balls and transfer onto a lined baking tray. Throw them in the oven and bake for 30 minutes (flipping them halfway).

Step 3: Vegetable Stir Fry Recipe

  1. Start chopping the vegetables (I used whatever it’s in my kitchen I needed to use up) and the onions. 
  2. Heat up a large wok with a little bit of oil. Add in the onions and mushrooms. Cook until the mushrooms have started browning.
  3. Add in the rest of the vegetables and some minced garlic. Cover the wok and let it cook. 
  4. Once the veggies are cooked, add in whatever seasoning you like (I used lemon and herb seasoning).

Step 4: Easy Marinara Sauce Recipe

(NOTE: I made these while waiting for the veggies to cook.)

  1. Place some minced garlic on a heated pan with a little bit of oil. (If you haven’t heard of the minced garlic hack yet, you can find it in this video.)
  2. Once the garlic has cooked, add in the tomato paste and some water. Whisk well. Cover the pan and let it simmer for a while. 
  3. Throw in preferred seasonings (I used Italian seasoning and a couple of bay leaves) and mix well. 
  4. To enhance the flavour, add in a splash of red wine (totally optional but mandatory for myself LOL). 
  5. Sprinkle in some garlic salt and sugar. Mix well. Cover the pan and let it simmer on low heat for about 20 minutes or so, stirring once in a while.

(At this point, I took the bean balls out of the oven because they were already cooked).

Step 5: Tahini Dressing Recipe

  1. In a container or mixing bowl, combine tahini, agave nectar, lemon juice, soy sauce, garlic powder, and nutritional yeast. If the mixture is too thick, add 1 tbsp of water (the consistency varies depending on the tahini you used). 
  2. You can keep this one in the fridge to use with different dishes such as buddha bowls, pasta, or with vegetables.

Step 6: Cook pasta 

I used a high-protein pasta for this one, particularly the Black Bean Fettuccine by The Only Bean. I cooked them so I could eat them throughout the week. You can use whatever pasta of choice! 

Step 7: Assembly time!

Don’t forget to check out the video above to see the final step!

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