I recently shared my meal prep tips on Instagram to provide insight on how easy (yes, I said easy!) it can be to meal prep with some great plant-based protein options for the week. I mix and match options below and build bowls for lunches and quick dinners. It’s really the best way to go to avoid making poor decisions after a long day and having a healthy lunch you can put together in no time.
In case you missed it, it went a little like this:
- Choose 4-5 plant-based options to prepare in advance: steamed edamame, veggie burgers, cooked quinoa and/or lentils, my faux almond “tuna” salad, and my simple Three Bean Salad (below)
- Roast some veggies – to keep it simple I roasted some sweet potatoes & onions
- Have bitter leafy greens on hand such as chopped dandelion greens or arugula
- Make 1 or 2 dressings for the week
- Keep a selection of fresh veggies to add as you prepare. I always keep cucumber, celery, tomatoes, and avocado stocked up
- Have some nuts and seeds around for additional healthy fat and protein, in particular hemp seeds are a great option.
Now, to share my bean salad & lemon shallot vinaigrette recipe, you can used canned beans for this one to cut time. The Eden Organic brand is soaked and pressure cooked to improve digestibility.
Classic Bean Salad with Lemon Shallot Vinaigrette
Lemon Shallot Vinaigrette
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
1 T. apple cider vinegar
2 T. minced shallot
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
1 small garlic clove, minced
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 pinches sea salt
twist of freshly ground black pepper
In a blender, add the lemon zest and juice, shallots, mustard, apple cider vinegar and garlic and puree until smooth. With the machine on, slowly add the olive oil until emulsified and add sea salt & black pepper. Set aside.
Bean Salad
Makes 4 servings when used in meal prep
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups fresh green beans, trimmed
1 15 ounce can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
1 15 ounce can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1/3 bunch fresh parsley, cleaned and finely chopped
3 stalks celery, finely diced
1/2 cup Lemon Shallot Vinaigrette
Directions:
