Easy and Healthy Vegan Meal Ideas
If you think going
vegan is hard, think again. Vegan meals are easier to make compared to
meat-filled meals that require a lot of other cooking processes. You simply
need to enjoy the art of chopping vegetables and you would already arrive with
a tasty meal in a short amount of time. When
you are vegan or transitioning to a vegan lifestyle, meal preparation is
the key. It saves you a lot of time and keeps you feeling full throughout the
day. Meal preparations would lessen the temptation to consume processed food or
eat in a fast-food chain. Planning and preparing your meals also means that you
want to start having better food choices—leading to a healthier lifestyle.
Moreover, if you
have the assumption that vegans only eat salads, then you may need to re-evaluate
your assumptions. Plenty of vegans do not salads unless they are made with a
full bowl of colorful ingredients and rich dressing. There are also a number of
vegan meat alternatives available in the market such as plant-based burgers,
sausages, ground beef, and more. Popular fast-food chains and local restaurants
are also adding plant-based options to their menu in order to cater to vegans.
This simply indicates that veganism is on the rise. A lifestyle that people
short start incorporating to lead a quality life. For now, let this list of
vegan meal ideas prove you wrong; these are easy to make yet still healthy and
satisfying.
Breakfast
There are days when
you suddenly crave something sweet. You may be tempted to fulfill these
cravings by consuming something processed or unhealthy such as a store-bought
cupcake or brownie. While it is not wrong to treat yourself once in a while,
having a nutritious breakfast is crucial if you want to start your day right.
Bananas are
excellent for breakfast because they are high in carbohydrates and rich in
fiber. Pancakes are also great for breakfast as they are fluffy, tasty, and
filling. When both are combined together, you would arrive with a delicious
breakfast that would keep you asking for more. This is also naturally healthy
considering that it only contains all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, baking
powder, salt, cinnamon, mashed banana, coconut oil, soy milk, and vanilla
extract. You may replace the all-purpose flour with oat flour or whole wheat
flour to make it healthier. You may even replace the granulated sugar with a
sugar-free substitute to make it lower in calories. Indeed, most of these
ingredients may already be available in your pantry. This vegan banana pancake
recipe only takes 30 minutes of your time—it is truly quick and easy to make,
perfect for a lazy morning.
Just top this with
maple syrup and you are ready to tackle the day. If you are feeling creative,
you may top this with peanut butter, chia seeds, cacao nibs, strawberries, or
blueberries. All of these toppings contain health-giving benefits that add to
the richness of the pancakes.
Southwest Vegan Breakfast Skillet
Looking for a
savory yet healthy breakfast? Then this is ideal for you. Macey (2020),
emphasized, “this savory Southwest, easy vegan breakfast skillet features loads
of veggies cooked up with vegan sausage and spices for a filling, high-fiber
meal that’s perfect for energizing your day.” The ingredients include
mushrooms, zucchini, red or white onions, spring onions, cilantro, red pepper,
vegan sausage, garlic powder, chili powder, cumin, paprika, salt, and pepper.
Top this with avocado and salsa to make it even more delicious. Just by reading
the ingredients, it already entails that this dish embodies that Mexican taste.
If you do not have
the vegetables listed, you may simply opt to use any veggies that match the
rest of the ingredients. With only a total of 20 minutes of preparing and
cooking time, you would be able to arrive with a hearty and high-protein dish
bursting with flavor.
Lunch
Everyone loves
pasta. It is a go-to meal for those who prefer a heavy and satisfying dish that
would fill them with energy. Most noodle dishes are relatively easy to make as
they are a mixture of pantry-ready ingredients. Just throw in whatever you have
in your fridge and pantry, you will be able to come up with a filling pasta
dish. Even with the combination of ingredients, they always turn out delicious.
This 30-minute
recipe contains around 9 ingredients—cashews, tomatoes, yellow onions, garlic,
olive oil, pasta noodles, basil, salt, and pepper. If you do not have cashews,
you may use unsweetened soy milk instead; another high protein substitute would
be tofu. You would still end up with a creamy pasta rich in flavor. This is an
immensely healthy dish that you can enjoy alone or with your family and
friends. This is also perfect for when you have guests as it is a no-fail dish
that can impress anyone.
Lunch calls for
something scrumptious yet heavy. This falafel burger will surely captivate your
taste buds with its strong middle-eastern flavors. While not everyone may be a
fan of it, this dish may make them change their mind.
This has only 7
ingredients, namely, garlic, fresh parsley, lemon, chickpeas, ground raw
walnuts, pecans, almonds, or GF oat flour, salt, and pepper. You may combine
these with tomatoes, lettuce, onions, and other leafy greens to make it even
better. For additional flavor, have it with tahini, garlic dill sauce, or
hummus.
With chickpeas
being the main component, it entails that it is a nourishing food high in fiber
and protein. The burger patty itself will already make you full for hours;
consuming it with pitta bread, burger buns, or a salad would leave you even
more full and satisfied without having to feel guilty.
Dinner
The Thai taste of
this dish is as authentic as it can get. Especially if you love Thai food or
want to feel as if you are in Thailand, then this recipe would most likely be
your next favorite. If you are looking for a high-protein meal that is rich in
flavor, then this would fit right in the spot. This is also the perfect dish if
you want to impress your loved ones—something new to the table yet traditional.
It only demands a
total of 30 minutes of preparing and cooking time, this is an easy-to-cook dish
that would satisfy your craving. For the sauce, you would only need these
ingredients: tamarind paste, coconut aminos or soy sauce, coconut sugar, chili
garlic sauce, lime juice, and vegan fish sauce (optional). For the stir fry,
you need sesame oil, extra-firm tofu, Thai red chilies or chili flakes, garlic,
coconut aminos or tamari, bean sprouts, spring onions, and peanuts. For the
noodles, you need rice noodles; if you do not have this, you may use instant
noodles or pasta noodles instead as it would not jeopardize the taste. You may
also use shirataki noodles if you want a low-calorie dish that further suits
your healthy lifestyle.
There are days when
you would prefer something light for dinner. When you’ve eaten too much for the
day or just want something easy to make, rainbow wraps would be a great idea.
It may appear too light for your appetite, but this dish could still leave you
feeling full and satisfied.
A no-cook and
quick-to-assemble meal that only requires 10 minutes of your time, especially
if you already have pre-cut veggies. The ingredients you need are corn
tortillas, carrot, red cabbage, red bell pepper, orange bell pepper, spinach,
chives or lettuce, and hummus. You may add other vegetables to arrive with a
healthier wrap. – Gale Tobin
Originally published at https://galetobin.com on August 26, 2021
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