Although I am of the school of thought that you don’t have to cook everything from scratch to be healthy and convenience foods do have a place – sometimes those convenience foods can add up cost-wise!
Plant-Based Meal Prep on a Budget
One of your top requests were for more budget-friendly meal preps – so here you are!
Super Fast & Budget-Friendly Meal Prep
It’s amazing how much time and money meal prep can save us. However, not all of us engage in meal prep regularly. Why? One big reason is the perceived challenge of time. Yes, meal prep can certainly be time consuming – but it doesn’t have to be, if we are strategic! This week was the most speedy and budget-friendly meal prep that I’ve done in a long time! Some strategies involved in this weeks meal prep to make it super quick:
- The use of sheet pan dinners – literally everything on a baking pan, in the oven…and you’re done!
- Using canned beans – simply drain, rinse and they’re ready to use
- Using easy-to-chop/no-chop fruits and veggies….because chopping is the worst! This week I used peppers (easy to chop), mini potatoes (no chop), boxed salad (no chop) frozen fruit (no chop)
- Used pre-made dressing when needed
Without further ado, check out the recipes below and watch me meal prep in action and grab the recipes below!
Roasted Lentil Potato Salad ($1.15/serving)
Ingredients
– 2 lbs mini potatoes
– 1 tbsp avocado oil
– 2 cup cooked lentils
– 3 cups arugula/mixed greens
– 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
– 1/4 cup finely chopped dill
– 1/4 cup finely chopped chives
– 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
– 11 teaspoon dijon mustard
– 1/2 teaspoon honey or maple syrup
– 1 cup vegan mozzarella cheese
Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 400 F and line a baking tray with parchment paper. Scrub the potatoes and cut any larger ones so that they’re all roughly the same size.
2. Add the avocado oil and use your hands to mix until the potatoes are well coated. Roast for 40-50 minutes, or until very golden.
3. To make the dressing, add the olive oil, dill, chives, vinegar, mustard, maple syrup, salt, and pepper to a jar or small bowl and mix to fully combine. It should be a light golden colour and not separated.
4. To assemble the salad, place the spinach and lentils into a large bowl. Top with the potatoes immediately after coming out of the oven.
5. Pour the dressing over the salad and mix until the potatoes are fully coated with dressing and the spinach is wilted. Serve immediately.
Berry Overnight Oats ($2.24/serving)
Ingredients
– 2 cups rolled oats
– 1/4 cup chia seeds
– 2 cups almond milk
– 2 cups greek yogurt/dairy free yogurt
– 2 cups frozen fruit
–1/2 cup walnuts
Directions
1.Mix the oats, chia seeds, almond milk, greek yogurt together and top with the frozen berries and walnuts. Enjoy!.
Tofu and Brussels Balsamic Pizza ($3.21/serving)
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp avocado oil
- 1 large red onion
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
- 1 cup (8 ounces) brussels sprouts, shaved
- 4 individual naan breads
- 1 14 oz block of tofu, pressed and cubed
- avocado oil spray
- 2 cups vegan cheese
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F and place a pizza stone on the middle rack if you have one. Slice your onions into thin rounds (the thinner you slice them, the faster they will cook).
2. To prepare the red onions, warm 1 tablespoon avocado oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes, or until the onions are nice and soft. Pour in the balsamic vinegar and stir to combine. Continue cooking, uncovered, for a few more minutes, until the balsamic vinegar has condensed and mostly absorbed into the onions. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
3. While the onions are cooking, add the cubed tofu to another frying pan, sprayed with oil and brown each side.
4.Top the naan bread with an even layer of cooked red onions, followed by vegan cheese, followed by the brussels and then the cubes tofu.
5.Transfer one pizza to the oven at a time (if you don’t have a baking stone, bake your pizza on a cookie sheet). Bake until the crust is golden, the cheese is bubbly and the Brussels sprouts are crispy on the edges, about 10 to 14 minutes. Repeat with remaining pizza, if you have one.
Sheet Pan Mexican Rice ($1.89/serving)
Ingredients
– 2 cups cooked brown rice
– 2 cups cooked black beans
– 3 bell peppers, chopped (different colours)
– 1/2 red onion, chopped
– 1 tbsp cumin p
– 1 tbsp chili powder
– 1 tsp garlic powder
– 1/2 cup salsa, divided
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
2.On a parchment-lined sheet pan, add the cooked brown rice, black beans, peppers, onions, chili powder, cumin and garlic. Stir well to combine.
3. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes, flipping halfway, or until the peppers have slightly browned. Add salsa before serving.