Vegan Meal Prep for Beginners

Even though I'm at home more because of the pandemic, I still like to meal prep because it makes things easier throughout the week. Sometimes by the time I'm hungry, I'm really hungry and don't want to spend a lot of time cooking. If I have food already prepared, I'm less likely to stuff my face with chips or cookies.

These 4 beginner vegan meal prep recipes are easy to:

• customize 
• make in bulk
• store in the fridge and reheat

I've been making these plant-based meals a lot during quarantine because they're easy to customize based on whatever ingredients I have. They're more like non-recipes that are a guide to follow and don't need to be exact. Some can be made entirely with pantry ingredients, which has been handy so I don't have to go to the store as often. 

1. Rice with Beans/Lentils

I usually make some type of beans or lentils and rice every week. It's easy to mix it up by using different types of beans, veggies, and spices. I love that I can usually make this almost entirely with pantry ingredients.

This is also one of my lowest cost meals at around $2 per serving. You could probably make it for less using dried beans. I usually use canned because it's more convenient.

One way I eat beans and rice is this easy Cajun-inspired dish that's sort of like dirty rice:

1. I cook onion, celery, green pepper, and garlic until soft
2. Add salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper, or your favorite spices
3. Add a can of diced tomatoes and and a can of red beans
4. Add rice and water to the same pot and cook until the rice is done (or use pre-cooked rice)

My other go-to combination is black beans with onion, jalapeño, and chili powder. I mix everything together, or you can also serve the beans on top of the rice like in this video.

A similar recipe I like that uses green lentils and caramelized red onion is a Middle Eastern dish called mujaddara.

2. Curry

Curry is super versatile. Between Thai and Indian curries, I could eat a different curry every week and it would take a long time for me to get bored. I'm still learning about the different types of curry as it is one of the most popular dishes throughout the world.

Another reason I like making curry is it's forgiving for beginners. If you don't use the right blend of spices it might not be as authentic, but it should still taste good.

Lately my favorite is aloo gobi (potatoes and cauliflower). I use this recipe and bake the cauliflower and potatoes separately and add them at the end. It takes some of the stress out of coordinating the cook times of the different ingredients, and roasting the cauliflower gives it a better texture.

I eat this with rice and/or naan bread, and store it separately from the rice. I like to leave some room in the container to add the rice later. This also helps keep the lid from staining.

A simple curry recipe you can make entirely with pantry ingredients is chana masala, an Indian curry with chickpeas. I usually use Thai Kitchen red curry paste with potatoes, mushrooms, red bell peppers, green beans, and snap peas.

Thai curry is even easier to make if you buy a jar of curry paste:

1. Combine 2 tablespoons of curry paste, 1 tablespoon of brown sugar, and 1 can of coconut milk in a pan
2. Cook your favorite veggies directly in the sauce

I usually use Thai Kitchen red curry paste with potatoes, mushrooms, red bell peppers, green beans, and snap peas.

3. Pasta with Veggies

Pasta is another non-recipe that you cannot mess up. Take any veggies you like and mix with your favorite pasta shape. I use mushrooms and red bell peppers a lot because I usually have some left over from another recipe.

One combination I like that uses almost all pantry ingredients is bow-tie pasta with artichoke hearts, sun-dried tomatoes, and pesto. I use Trader Joe's vegan pesto or you could also make your own.

4. Soup

When it's not too hot outside I love making soup because it's a great way to use up extra veggies I have in the fridge.

Last winter it rained a lot in San Diego and I made this red lentil soup almost every time. This is another recipe that uses mostly pantry ingredients that have a long shelf life.

Chili is another soup that's easy to make vegan. You can't go wrong with soup!

Review: Ben & Jerry's Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Chunks

I can always count on Ben & Jerry's to indulge my sweet tooth. They've come out with several vegan products over the past few years and now have 15 flavors of non-dairy ice cream. Their newest creation is a line of snackable cookie dough including vegan chocolate chip cookie dough. The cinnamon bun dough is also vegan. 

Whenever I make cookies, I usually end up eating as much of the dough as I bake, so I had to try these. 

You can find them in the freezer section at the store by the ice cream. I found them at Target and the vegan cookie dough was next to the Ben & Jerry's vegan ice cream pints, separate from their non-vegan cookie dough flavors. 

These cookie dough chunks are the same size, taste, and texture as the cookie dough pieces in ice cream. It was hard to eat a lot at once because they're so rich and sweet.

The resealable pouch is great for having a little bit when you want a snack. These would also be perfect to put on top of sundaes. 

Ben & Jerry's Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough ingredients:

Wheat flour, brown sugar, sugar, coconut oil, semisweet chocolate chips (sugar, chocolate liquor, cocoa butter, sunflower lecithin (emulsifier), and vanilla extract), water, expeller pressed soybean oil, tapioca flour, molasses, pure vanilla extract, salt, sunflower lecithin. 

Review: Ben & Jerry's Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough

First impressions: Yum

Taste: Sweet, rich, buttery

Texture: Soft like the cookie dough pieces in ice cream 

Can you tell it's vegan? No
Better than other vegan options? Yes, but the other vegan cookie dough I tried was also gluten free, so it's not a fair comparison

Worth buying again? Yes

Overall: 5/5

5 Vegan Takeout Options in San Diego

Picking a restaurant can be tough when you're trying to eat plant based more often, especially if you have non-vegan friends or family members who don't always want to go to a vegan restaurant. 

This list has something for everyone. Not only do each of these fast-casual chains have multiple vegan items to choose from, they also have gluten free and allergen-friendly options. 

These are my favorite vegan takeout meals I order from popular chains in San Diego. (I decided to focus on non-vegan chains in this post, and cover vegan restaurants in a separate post later.) 

Most of these restaurants are based in Southern California, but I've included other cities and states they're located in as well.

Bonus: all of these restaurants have online ordering and contactless pickup. That's part of why they're my favorite places to get takeout. I appreciated this before the pandemic too because it's faster and more convenient. 

Each of these restaurants has: 

• Meals under $15 (some under $10)
• Vegan and gluten-free options
• Online ordering
• Convenient pickup and/or curbside pickup

1. Luna Grill

Pictured: House Salad with falafel ($10.25)

Locations: Southern California and Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas

Vegan Options at Luna Grill:

• Coastal Med Bowl with Beyond Meat (sub tzatziki for tahini)
• Santorini Veggie Bowl (remove tzatiziki or replace with tahini)
• Beyond Burger (without feta or bun)
• Falafel Wrap or Plate
• Veggie Kabob Plate
• Lentil Soup
• Original and Spicy Hummus
• Stuffed Grape Leaves
• Simply Seasoned Fries
• House Salad  - add falafel ($2.50) or veggie kabob ($4.50) to any salad
• Any Gourmet Salad (without the cheese)

Prices: $9-$14.25

Rewards: After signing up for rewards and placing my first order, I got coupons for a free appetizer and $5 off. 

Luna Grill has put a lot of effort into creating more vegan options over the past couple of years. For example, they switched to vegan pita bread and no longer cook the Beyond Burger in butter. 

When I first googled if the pita bread was vegan at Luna Grill, I found a 2017 allergen menu that said it contained dairy (it did at the time). But I noticed their menu now has marked it as vegan. I contacted Luna Grill to make sure and they responded with a helpful explanation of the changes they've made recently and the vegan options they have now. Here's what I learned:

Is the pita bread at Luna Grill vegan?

Yes, it is now. It used to contain dairy, but they switched about 2 years ago. However, at the beginning of the pandemic there were some supply issues and they had to substitute the non-vegan pita bread temporarily. Now all locations should have the vegan pita bread again. If you have allergies you might want to double check with your location. 

Is the Beyond Burger at Luna Grill vegan?

Not as it is on the menu, but it can be prepared vegan style by ordering without feta or the bun. 
It used to be cooked in butter, but they now use a mixture of rice bran oil and olive oil. You can order extra pita bread from the sides menu to use instead of the bun, this will make it more expensive though. 

2. Rubio's Coastal Grill

Pictured: California Bowl with grilled veggies and no chipotle white sauce ($8.99)

Locations: California, Arizona, and Nevada

Vegan Options at Rubio's:

• California Bowl with Grilled Veggies (without chipotle white sauce)
• Cilantro Lime Quinoa Bowl
• Balsamic and Grilled Veggie Salad
• Mango Avocado Salad
• Burrito Especial with Veggies (without chipotle white sauce)
• Grilled Gourmet Taco with Veggies (without chipotle white sauce or toasted cheese)
• Chips, Guacamole, Salsas

Prices: $8.29-$10.29

Rewards: I order from Rubio's a few times a month and regularly get a reward for a free entree. They also send out coupons randomly, the other day I got a $2 off coupon. 

Rubio's has this cool filtered menu that makes it easy to search for vegan options. You select vegan (or gluten-free or other allergens) and it will tell you what you can order and if you need to customize the ingredients. 

I love the California Bowl from Rubio's. It's the takeout meal I get the most often and has been for a few years. You might think this would be easy enough to make at home. I've tried and can't replicate it because their sauce and seasonings are so good.

It comes with rice, beans, pico de gallo, guacamole, lettuce, grilled cauliflower, corn, and peppers, and the most delicious roasted red salsa.  

This is a good meal if you still eat meat and are trying to eat plant based more often, because you can order it with fish, grilled veggies, or both. I used to get it with fish a lot, so it was a natural transition to get the same thing but with grilled veggies. 

3. Mendocino Farms 

Pictured: 

Half Vegan Banh Mi and individual-size Power Lunch Side Salad ($9.95)

Family-size Spicy Curried Couscous ($7.50)

Locations: Los Angeles, San Diego, Orange County, recently expanded to the Bay Area, Sacramento, Houston, and Dallas

Vegan Options at Mendocino Farms:

• Vegan Banh Mi
• Impossible Burger Queen
• Impossible Taco Salad
• Mama Chen's Chinese Chicken Salad (sub chicken with tofu)
• Spicy Curried Couscous
• Power Lunch Side Salad
• Vegan Potato Salad
• Marinated Red Beet Salad

Prices:

Salads and sandwiches: $10-13, or $9.95 for a half sandwich and individual-size side

Sides: $2.75-$7.50 depending on the size

I don't eat a lot of tofu, but it tastes almost like chicken on this vegan Banh Mi. It's baked and very firm, not wet or squishy. I also love the sauces on this sandwich. The veggies are crispy and add a satisfying crunch. And the bread is firm enough to keep it from getting soggy on the drive home. 

The Power Lunch Side Salad is tangy and slightly sweet. It definitely tastes healthy, but there are enough textures and flavors to keep it interesting. 

The Spicy Curried Couscous is my favorite side. I order it in the largest size and eat is as a snack the next day (if it lasts that long). I also make it at home and it's still really good but not quite the same.

4. Kebab Shop

Pictured: Falafel Wrap with spicy cilantro sauce ($9.50)

Locations: San Diego, Orange County, Bay Area, Austin

Vegan Options at Kebab Shop:

• Falafel wrap or box with no garlic sauce, choose fries or veggies for the box (the rice contains dairy)
• Spicy Chili and Spicy Cilantro sauces
• Hummus and Pita Bread
• Some locations: Tabouli and a Kale and Quinoa Salad (my location use to have these but doesn't  anymore)

Price: $9.50 for a falafel wrap or box

Kebab Shop has a simple menu, so they don't have as many choices compared to the other places on this list. I appreciate when a restaurant has a simple menu though because then they really focus on those few things and perfect them. Besides, their falafel is so good I wouldn't order something else instead anyway. 

Something unique about the falafel at Kebab Shop is they have some whole chickpeas in the batter. It makes the texture more interesting. 

I like to order extra falafel and spicy cilantro sauce to eat the next day with some grilled veggies and rice or salad. 

The Falafel Wrap at Kebab Shop is the most filling vegan meal on this list. Sometimes I have trouble finishing it, and I have a big appetite. 

This wrap and the veggie burrito at Rubio's are the only takeout options on this list that don't have plastic packaging. They both still come in a plastic bag though. Before the pandemic I would ask for no bag. 

5. Panera Bread

Pictured: "You Pick Two" with Ten Vegetable Soup, Greek Salad without feta and added pickled onions, and a French Baguette ($11.08)

Locations: Panera Bread is the largest chain on this list with over 2,000 locations throughout the US and Canada. 

Vegan Options at Panera Bread: 

• Available menu items may vary by store and day of the week
• Ten Vegetable Soup
• Mediterranean Veggie Sandwich (without feta, change bread to one of the below)
• Seasonal Greens Salad - add quinoa or avocado to any salad for $1
• Strawberry Poppyseed Salad
• Fuji Apple Salad (without chicken and gorgonzola)
• Greek Salad (without feta)
• Modern Greek Salad (without feta)
• Asian Sesame Salad (without chicken and wontons)
• Spicy Thai Salad (without chicken and wontons)
• Bread: French Baguette, Black Pepper Focaccia, Sea Salt Focaccia, Country Rustic Sourdough, Whole Grain Sourdough, Artisan Ciabatta, and Classic Sourdough
• Bagels: Plain, Everything, Blueberry, and Sesame Bagels
• Steel Cut Oatmeal with Strawberries & Pecans
• Peach & Blueberry Smoothie with Almond Milk
• Green Passion Smoothie

Prices:

Soups, sandwiches, and salads range from $6.79 - $10.49. "You Pick Two" will cost more, but is less than ordering each item separately.

Rewards: They have a rewards program but I don't seem to eat here often enough to earn anything good. Sometimes I get a $2 off coupon. 

Panera has saved me more than a few times when I was traveling and had a hard time finding restaurants with vegan or vegetarian options. They're also a favorite among my gluten-free friends. 

I know most of the vegan items at Panera require a customization, but it's easy to do that when you order online or through the app. Panera has the best app that I've used in terms of order customization. You can add pretty much any ingredient they have (some are free and some are an additional charge). You could essentially create your own salad or sandwich if you want. 

These are my favorite vegan takeout options in San Diego. I'll update this post if I find more!

Review: JUST Egg

I had been craving an egg sandwich for about 6 years, and finally satisfied that craving when I found JUST Egg.

It's surprisingly made from mung beans (full ingredient list below), and looks and tastes a lot like eggs.

As a liquid, it looks exactly like the scrambled egg liquid my school used that comes in big cartons.

This stuck to the pan A LOT when cooking, more than eggs do. (Although the pan wasn't as hard to clean as I expected.) It didn't brown the same way as eggs when they're cooked well done. Otherwise it looked just like scrambled eggs. You might not be able to tell it's vegan.

UPDATE: I saw some other videos using JUST egg where it did not stick to the pan and browned perfectly (vegan version of viral egg sandwich video and vegan ramen). According to some comments on the egg sandwich video, my pan could be the problem and it helps to use extra vegan butter.

I tried JUST Egg a few different ways: as scrambled eggs by themselves, as a vegan "egg mcmuffin" with Tofurky plant-based deli slices, and in French toast. They all tasted great and had the same texture as the non-vegan version. The French toast was a little messy because it stuck to the pan, so I recommend using extra oil or cooking spray.

I would totally pay to eat these at a restaurant.

JUST Egg ingredients:

Water, mung bean protein isolate, expeller-pressed canola oil, containes less than 2% of dehydrated onion, gellan gum, natural carrot extractives (color), natural flavors, natural turmeric extractives (color), potassium citrate, salt, soy lecithin, sugar, tapioca syrup, tetrasodium pyrophosphate, transglutaminase, nisin (preservative).

Review: JUST Egg

First impressions: Reminded me of the scrambled eggs that came in a carton at my school

Taste: Tastes like eggs but a little plain, doesn't have a strong flavor

Texture: Almost identical to scrambled eggs

Can you tell it's vegan? Maybe

Worth buying again? Yes

Overall: 5/5

Review: Tofurky Hickory Smoked Deli Slices

I was reluctant to try vegan deli meat because it seems so processed. But I thought about how a lot of lunch meat is already heavily processed, like bologna or olive loaf, and then plant-based processed meat didn't seem so bad.

I went with Tofurky for my first try because I think of them as the original for plant-based turkey. Their hickory smoked plant-based deli slices are available at most grocery stores.

If you still eat turkey and love it, this might not be close enough to replace it for you. But if you're already plant based and craving a sandwich, this should do the trick. I think it's definitely better than bologna.

The texture was spot on of how I remember thinly-sliced deli turkey. It doesn't have a strong taste, but tastes savory and a little bit smokey. I think it would work well for most sandwiches.

I quickly fried it in a pan so it didn't have a wet texture. I tried it on a sandwich with mustard and in a vegan egg sandwich with JUST Egg. They were so good I ended up making both again later in the week.

Tofurky Hickory Smoked Plant-Based Deli Slices ingredients:

Water, vital wheat gluten, organic tofu (water, organic soybeans, magnesium chloride, calcium chloride), soy sauce (water, soybeans, wheat, salt), expeller pressed canola oil, natural flavors, sea salt, contains less than 2% of onion, carrot, celery, garlic, leek, lemon juice concentrate, cornstarch, garbanzo bean flour, white bean flour, rosemary extract, natural smoke flavor, calcium lactate, potassium chloride. 

Review: Tofurky Hickory Smoked Plant-Based Deli Slices

First impressions: Better than I expected

Taste: It tastes good and has a savory taste, but it's missing something to taste like turkey

Texture: Very close to traditional sliced deli meats

Can you tell it's vegan? Maybe

Worth buying again? Yes

Overall: 5/5

Review: Sprouts Bite-Sized Chocolate Chip Cookies

Sprouts has a line of bagged cookies in the cookie aisle and they're all vegan! They also have vanilla wafers, animal cookies, ginger snaps, lemon snaps, and sometimes oatmeal.

These bite-sized chocolate chip cookies remind me of Famous Amos cookies. The bite size is fun to snack on. They're crunchy but not too hard.

Another thing I love about these vegan cookies, is that they're also less expensive than a lot of other options (vegan and non-vegan). The regular price is $1.99 and sometimes they go on sale.

If you're looking for bigger and softer vegan chocolate chip cookies, Sprouts has some of those too in the bakery area of the store.

Sprouts Bite-Sized Chocolate Chip Cookies ingredients:

Enriched wheat flour (wheat flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), sugar, palm oil (sustainably sourced), cocoa butter, chocolate liquor, salt, leavening (sodium bicarbonate, ammonium bicarbonate, mono calcium phosphate) natural flavors, and soy lecithin. 

Review: Sprouts Bite-Sized Chocolate Chip Cookies

First impressions: Wow these are vegan? 

Taste: Chocolatey and satisfying

Texture: Light and crunchy

Can you tell it's vegan? No

Worth buying again? Yes

Overall: 5/5

Review: Sprouts Vanilla Wafers

These vegan vanilla wafers are part of a line of vegan cookies from Sprouts in the cookie aisle. They also have chocolate chip, animal cookies, ginger snaps, and lemon snaps.

Sprouts has even more vegan cookies in the bakery section if you want bigger and softer cookies.

I loved Nabisco Nilla Wafers as a kid, and was excited to find a vegan version. These are smaller and less uniform than Nabisco's, but have a similar vanilla flavor and satisfying melt-in-your-mouth texture.

Sprouts Old-Fashioned Vanilla Wafers ingredients:

Enriched wheat flour (wheat flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamine, mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), sugar, palm oil, contains 2% or less of natural flavors, salt, leavening (sodium bicarbonate, ammonium bicarbonate, monocalcium phosphate), and soy lecithin.

Review: Sprouts Old-Fashioned Vanilla Wafers

First impressions: Remind me so much of Nilla Wafers

Taste: Not too sweet vanilla flavor

Texture: Thin and crispy, softer in the middle

Can you tell it's vegan? No

Worth buying again? Yes

Overall: 5/5