Vegan Meal Prep for the Week: What I Make

Vegan Meal Prep for the Week: What I Make

Hi friends! I have been wanting to write a post like this for a while but kept forgetting. I took this idea to an Instagram poll and a lot of you were into the idea… so I put my ass into gear and got to work. I am trying to figure out what you guys like to see the most.

This blog continues to evolve… starting as mostly recipes and plant-based tips and moving into more lifestyle… with a dash of motherhood sprinkled in. But my main focus is and always will be a plant-based lifestyle. 

Of course, if you ever have any topic you’d like to see covered on here, do not hesitate to let me know. I am always taking requests and am pretty much open to anything that makes sense for my realm.

So today, I wanted to share my current vegan meal prep, along with some tips. I did a similar post a while back but things have changed. They always do. I hope that you find some inspiration in this routine.


Food I Prep

Slow-cooked beans. This is #1 lately because Willow houses rice and beans like it’s her job. We all do, actually. I love making a huge batch of slow-cooked beans to have for the week. From burritos to quesadillas to bowls and tacos. So versatile and very easy.

I use dried beans because they are SO MUCH BETTER. I can’t even describe how much better they taste than canned. Canned are great for on the fly and I always have them in my house, but there is nothing like preparing your own dried beans. I soak the night before and they are ready for the crockpot the next day. Here’s my favorite recipe for slow-cooked beans.

Plant-Based Life: What I've Been Eating Lately

Grain (usually rice or quinoa). I always have 3-4 cups of a grain prepared. It is just good to have for bowls, sides, etc. I usually opt for rice lately, but I also love quinoa, couscous, and barley. This takes no time to make.

Soup. My go-to lately is chickpea noodle soup, but I also love having lentil stew or green soup. Having a soup ensures lunch for me throughout the week (and Willow) and is an easy way for me to serve her veggies that she may not typically eat.

Plant-Based Life: What I've Been Eating Lately

Pancakes. These are for Willow, mostly. I will quickly whip up a batch of these and freeze them for her breakfast throughout the week. So much easier having this ready to go in a pinch. Plus, they are made with oats so I feel good serving her these 4-5 times a week.

Sweet potato fries. Another go-to for my daughter, sweet potato fries are very easy and take no time to make. The most time-consuming part is peeling and slicing. I usually prepare about 3 or 4 medium-sized potatoes. I toss with a bit of olive oil, smoked paprika, and onion powder. I bake at 400 F for about 30-40 minutes and then stash away for the entire week. She usually has sweet potato fries with her lunch.

Apple sauce. Willow gets a lot of fruit in her diet, mostly in whole form or in a smoothie, but she loves apple sauce for a sweeter treat. I quickly steam 2-3 apples and toss with some cinnamon and maple syrup.

Greens. I like to prepare at least one green for the week, which is usually either kale, escarole, or swiss chard. I simply steam with some garlic or will make something like escarole and beans. So delicious.

What I Eat As A Breastfeeding Vegan Mom

Freeze bananas. I do this probably bi-weekly, but I will buy a ton of bananas, let them ripen and get spotted, and then cut up and freeze for smoothies and nice cream. 

Protein. For a protein, I have a few things that I will prepare ahead of time. It is usually tempeh (it’s my favorite) but I will also make baked tofu or crispy chickpeas every once in a while. Having a protein on hand and ready to go makes it easy to add to salads, sandwiches, etc.

A few of my favorite recipes: tempeh salad, roasted tempeh + veggies, tofu scramble, protein mix

Willow loves tofu scramble (and so do I) but I don’t make it too often. But when I do, we both really enjoy it. I love mine in a burrito.

Whatever you decide to make, it is good to have protein ready to roll.

Pregnant Vegan Meals - Second Trimester

Loaf or muffins. Something sweet! Gotta have something sweet. For me, this usually means some muffins or a sweet loaf. I love this pumpkin loaf (and often times sub the pumpkin for butternut squash puree… the best. I should probably update this recipe soon, to be honest. I use coconut sugar and made a couple other “healthier” modifications for Willow’s sake (and really, mine). Maybe I’ll put that post together soon.

Plant-Based Life: What I've Been Eating Lately

Overnight oats. Put together a couple mason jars of overnight oats and have breakfast ready instantly when you wake up. It’s so easy! Here’s my favorite recipe.

Pregnant Vegan Meals - Second Trimester

Some Tips

Listen to music. I find that listening to music always makes me happier and the whole experience much more enjoyable, especially since I am usually listening to Sesame Street all day. 

Bulk cook on a weekend. I always do my meal prep on a weekend when Joe is home to watch Willow. It keeps me on task without many distractions. And it feels like MY time… and I really appreciate that these days. 

Make a shopping list. Before meal prep day, make sure you have everything you need so you don’t get stalled in the kitchen. I go shopping usually early the morning of or the day before I meal prep. I’ll write out what I want the week to look like for our meals and put my list together from there.


That’s what my bulk cooking/meal prep looks like lately. It almost feels like a formula… soup, grain, protein, fruit, veggies… and while the recipes might change here and there, the above has been pretty consistent for me lately. I think it helps having this system in place when you have little ones, especially. This prep ensures that I have starting points for meals during the week. A crock pot full of beans means we can have burritos, tacos, or quesadillas. Frozen bananas means we can have smoothies for a snack. Having soup in the fridge means there is always a meal in case I run out of time.

What are some of your go-to meal prep tips or dishes? I’d love some inspiration for myself, too.

At any rate, I hope you found this helpful and inspirational. Let me know if you’d like to see more meal prep posts in the future. xx bianca

Recommended Posts

SUBSCRIBE TO THE NEWSLETTER

*We respect your privacy and we won’t share your information. You won’t receive any more than two emails per month. x

Discover more from The Friendly Fig

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading