Why eat vegan? Because it’s an easy way to lose weight, feel great, and look better. And, if you’re not into being vegan all the time, do what best-selling cookbook author Mark Bittman does and go vegan before 6 p.m. It’s easy. I’m an omnivore, probably like most of you, but I find if I can stick with a mostly plant-based diet, I’ll feel much better.
When it comes to cooking your lunches, or really any meal, it’s usually easier when there are only plants involved. A lot of vegan meals—grain bowls, fruit salad, chopped salads, for example—take 10 minutes. Use this meal plan as a guide to set yourself up for success.
A tasty, simple, healthy meal to make for lunch, dinner, or whenever you want. It’s filling, stops midday snacking, and keeps you lean. Raw, vegan, paleo and primal friendly, gluten-free, and 100% ageless, they’re delicious, and easy to make!
Arrange the nori sheet on a cutting board or bamboo sushi mat with the long edge close to you.
Spread the tahini in a thin layer over the nori sheet.
Sprinkle the nutritional yeast flakes over the tahini.
Layer the shredded carrots, cucumber sticks, bean sprouts, avocado, and kaiware sprouts on top of the bottom one-third of the nori sheet.
Spritz with lime juice and season with sea salt to taste.
Gently but firmly, roll the edge closest to you – filled with veggies – toward the center of the nori wrap, carefully rolling a sushi-like roll, using a napkin or bamboo mat to help with rolling.
With a sharp (serrated) knife, carefully slice the roll, serve immediately, and enjoy!
Notes
Nutritional yeast is very easy to find these days, available online or at any natural foods store. It’s really addictively delicious. Umami flavor plus, plus if you know what I mean. If you don’t care for carrots or cucumber, use fresh bell peppers, lettuce, cabbage or whatever veggies you love best. And, the rolling takes practice, but you can eat your mistakes. Because I love eating these rolls, I’ve invested in a bamboo sushi mat – it was about 5 bucks – and it does make the rolling easier.
Prep Time:5
Cook Time:3
Nutrition
Serving Size:1
My go-to’s on busy weekdays and nights are endless variations of these three meals: tacos (or wraps), what I call bistro salads (loaded with plenty of good stuff), and grain bowls. This black bean taco recipe fits in beautifully with this easy sort of meal planning. The tacos are filling, soul-satisfying and a snap to cook. Full of protein, fiber, and phytonutrients, I promise you’ll love these tacos as much as I do.
Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a cast-iron skillet on medium high, add the diced onion, sauté for 5 minutes, until softened, add the garlic and jalapeño, cook another minute, until garlic is golden, season with the spices, salt, pepper, and then add the black beans. Cook for a few minutes. Add a splash of apple cider vinegar. Cook for 3-5 more minutes. Adjust seasoning as needed. Cover until ready to use.
While the black beans cook, preheat oven to 400 degrees F and then put 8 corn tortillas in the oven for about 5-8 minutes.
Dress the sprouts with a teaspoon of olive oil, a squeeze of lime juice, and a pinch of sea salt.
On each plate put 2 tortillas, spoon the black bean mixture, top with sprouts, avocado, a lime wedge. Serve with hot sauce.
Prep Time:5
Cook Time:10
Nutrition
Serving Size:4
The perfect recipe for lunch, breakfast, or dinner. I could eat this for breakfast everyday!
1 big stalk broccoli (use the stem and the crown in this dish), blanched, chopped
Fresh cilantro, leaves and tender stems, chopped
1 red bell pepper, finely diced
1 small cucumber, peeled and finely diced
4 tablespoons of toasted sesame oil (or olive oil)
2 tablespoons of soy sauce or tamari, plus more to taste
Sea salt
Big splash of apple cider vinegar in each bowl (about 2 tablespoons for each bowl), more to taste
Sriracha, to taste
Lime wedges
Instructions
Put 2 cups of water with a small pinch of teaspoon of sea salt in a pot, bring to a simmer, add 1 cup of oats, reduce heat to a very low flame. Cook for about 15-20 minutes. Cover and remove the pot from the heat once done.
While the porridge cooks, blanch the broccoli. Allow to cool and then chop the stalk and crown into bite-sized pieces.
Chop the cilantro, bell pepper, and cucumber, or whatever variation of vegetables you’re using.
Spoon the porridge into two bowls, drizzle each with 2 tablespoons of sesame oil, a splash of apple cider vinegar, and 1 of soy sauce, or to taste. Top with the broccoli and cilantro (and other veggies, if you’re adding more).
Serve with a lime wedge and Sriracha, or preferred hot sauce
Prep Time:5
Cook Time:20
Nutrition
Serving Size:2
These grain bowls are adaptable, insanely flavorful, and easy to put together. Cook up the ingredients for your veggie/whole grain bowls at the beginning of the week, and mix and match ingredients as the week goes. Try quinoa, black or brown rice, buckwheat, freekeh, or even grits (as a Southerner I can be partial to stone ground grits). Put your grains in a large bowl, then arrange small piles of vegetables, protein (tofu or eggs) and something pickled and spicy (use naturally fermented pickles, sauerkraut or kimchi) over the grains. Don’t skimp on the fermented, pickled veggies.
Scallions (about 4), green and white parts, diced on the bias
Sesame seeds, for serving
Dried toasted nori sheets (about ½ sheet for each person), crumbled or cut in strips, for serving
Instructions
Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil and add quinoa (for ⅔ to 1 cup of quinoa, add 2 cups of water). Cover pot and let simmer over low heat for 15-20 minutes. Turn off the heat and let rest, covered, for 5 minutes longer. Fluff the quinoa with a fork.
Do the same with the brown, wild or black rice, cooked in well-salted water for about 25-30 minutes (for ⅔ to 1 cup rice, add 2 cups of water).
In a small bowl, whisk together soy sauce, freshly grated ginger, vinegar and salt to taste. Whisk in the neutral oil and sesame oil.
Place a steamer basket in a large pot filled with an inch or two of water. Place broccoli in basket. Cover pot and cook over medium heat until broccoli is tender, about 5-7 minutes. You can also use kale instead of broccoli, simply cook the same way as the broccoli.
Meanwhile, bring a medium pot filled with water to a boil. Using a slotted spoon, carefully lower eggs into water; boil 6 minutes. Transfer eggs immediately to a bowl of ice water to cool. If vegan, blanch edamame.
Put a cup of quinoa/brown or black rice in each of the 4 bowls. Divide the broccoli among the bowls, mounding it on top of the rice. Peel eggs and cut in half; place two halves on top of each bowl. Sprinkle each bowl with fermented kimchi or, my favorite, chopped Bubbie’s pickles, sliced radishes, scallions, sesame seeds and seaweed. Spoon soy-ginger dressing over bowls. (Or make enough for 4, and eat the rest later in the week for lunch or a quick dinner.)
Notes
Cook the grains in advance for quick assembling. Nori, dried seaweed, is a great thing to have around – makes for an easy version of tacos – and it works well, broken up into bite-sized squares, or cut into long strips, in this grain bowl. Cooked eggs are also good to have around. Make them when you cook the grains.
Prep Time:10
Cook Time:40
Nutrition
Serving Size:4
A super tasty, filling salad. Make the butternut squash in advance and you’ll have lunch or dinner ready in minutes.
1 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1½-inch pieces
1 pound Brussels sprouts, cored and halved
1 yellow or orange bell pepper, diced
1 bunch of wild or baby arugula, torn into pieces
Goat or sheep milk feta, optional
Sea salt and fresh pepper, to taste
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 425°F. On a baking sheet toss the butternut squash with tablespoon of olive oil and a pinch of salt. Roast for 25 minutes, or until soft. Remove from the oven and cool. Squeeze juice from half the lemon over squash, toss to coat, and season with salt.
Once the squash is done turn the oven down to 350°F. Place Brussels sprouts in a cast iron frying pan (or a roasting pan). Toss with tablespoon oil so that the sprouts are well coated. Sprinkle generously with salt (at least a half teaspoon). Cook for about 20-25 minutes.
In a large bowl, whisk together juice from half the lemon and the rest of the olive oil. Season with about ½ teaspoon of salt.
Add the chickpeas, squash, Brussels sprouts, and bell pepper. Toss until coated with the dressing. Add half the arugula and all the mint. Toss the salad until everything is coated. Top with crumbled feta, if you want. Serve salad over the rest of the arugula, drizzle a little more olive oil and season, to taste, with salt and pepper.
Prep Time:15
Cook Time:55
Nutrition
Serving Size:4
Chia seed pudding is super simple to make; there’s no cooking required. Mix one part chia seeds with two parts liquid (almond milk is probably the easiest choice), stir, and wait. I like to jazz it up with raspberries, nuts, cacao nibs,goji berries, raisins, pomegranate seeds, cinnamon, and anything else I can think of for extra flavor. A breakfast made with chia seeds, fresh fruits, nuts, and cacao nibs is an antioxidant powerhouse of a breakfast.
2 cups unsweetened, organic nut or seed milk + more as needed
1 teaspoon sea salt
⅔ cup cacao nibs
1 cup raw walnuts
2 cups fresh raspberries
3 tablespoons hemp seeds
Instructions
In a bowl mix the chia seeds, sea salt, and nut milk together, and let the mixture rest for about 10 minutes. Stir again until the consistency is smooth and pudding like, let rest another 5 minutes. Add more liquid if you want a looser consistency. Serve in bowls. Top each chia pudding bowl with fresh raspberries, walnuts, hemp seeds, and cacao nibs. Enjoy!
