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This vegan meal prep post is sponsored by Thrive Market, my favorite website for purchasing non-perishable groceries. Use my link to get $60 in grocery money from Thrive. Don’t miss my meal prep guide, recipes, and video below!! 
As summer comes to an end I like to create new goals and expectations for myself. My goals usually revolve around my career, and they always include continued healthy eating. My favorite tried and true way to maintain healthy eating is to do vegan meal prep at the beginning of every week. Once I’ve prepared my favorite wholesome ingredients, made a few sauces, stocked up on plenty fresh fruit and vegetables, and made a few healthy snacks, I am ready for the week. Doing meal prep allows me to save money (no need to eat out), save time, and feel my very best.
This meal plan is perfect for back to school lunch ideas. Let me know how you like it! Happy September 🙂
Vegan Meal Prep | Sauces & Base Ingredients
This is a guide for vegan meal prep you can do for 1 person for a week (Mon-Fri). This may be enough for breakfast and dinner, though that certainly depends on the person, and how much you need to eat. Below this section you'll find the combinations that I created. Feel free to swap out any of these ingredients for others that you like. For example, you could use kale instead of spinach, or romaine instead of arugula, etc... I purchased my non-perishable ingredients from Thrive Market. Click here to get $60 off of groceries.
Ingredients
Roast Veggies
- 4 large sweet potatoes, cubed
- 6 medium beets, peeled and cubed
- 2-3 tablespoons grapeseed or coconut oil
Boiled/Steamed
- 2 cups uncooked brown rice
- 2 cups uncooked quinoa
- 1 1/2 cups uncooked black lentils
Raw Veggies & Frozen
- 2 bags washed baby spinach
- 1-2 bags washed arugula
- 1 bag frozen vegetable mix, any kind you like
Tempeh Marinade
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika, optional
- 2 packages of tempeh, cubed
Indian Curry Simmer Sauce
- 1 teaspoon coconut oil or grapeseed oil
- 2 shallots, minced
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
- 3 teaspoons curry powder
- 1 15- oz can of full-fat coconut milk
- 1/2-1 teaspoon salt
Enchilada Sauce
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil or grapeseed oil
- 1/2 red onion, diced
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 tablespoon cumin powder
- 1 15- oz can tomato sauce
- 1-2 teaspoons soy sauce or 1 teaspoon salt
Precooked ingredients
- 1 package of corn tortillas, you'll need at least 6
- 4 cans cooked beans, I used kidney and black beans
- 1 jar salad dressing, or [url href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tFeDy5uIfDM" target="_blank"]make your own[/url]
- 1 container of Korean gochujang red pepper paste, make sure the one you buy is vegan
- 1 jar of harissa
- 1 jar of tahini
Instructions
Roast Veggies
- Preheat oven to 375° and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Toss the sweet potatoes and beets (separately) with oil. Line them evenly onto the baking sheets (keeping them separate).
- Roast for 40 minutes, or until tender.
Boiling/Steaming
- Bring the brown rice and 3 3/4 cups of water to a boil in a pot. Add a pinch of salt. Cook with the lid ajar on medium-low heat for about 30 minutes, until the rice is tender. Fluff with a fork then let it cool before storing.
- Bring the quinoa and 3 cups of water to a boil in a pot. Add a pinch of salt. Cook with the lid ajar on medium-low heat for about 15-20 minutes, until the quinoa is fluffy and tender. Fluff with a fork then let it cool before storing.
- Bring the black lentil and 3 cups of water to a boil in a pot. Add a pinch of salt. Cook with the lid ajar on medium-low heat for about 30 minutes, until the lentils are tender. Let it cool before storing.
Tempeh Marinade
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine the balsamic vinegar, soy sauce, maple syrup, and optional smoked paprika. Stir well.
- Add in the cubed tempeh, and toss it well to coat. Place the bowl in the refrigerator to marinate. If the tempeh isn't being thoroughly covered by the marinade, try placing it into a large ziplock bag along the the marinade, then let it sit in the fridge until you're ready to use it.
Indian Curry Simmer Sauce
- Warm the oil in a skillet on medium heat.
- Add the shallots and ginger, and sauté until the shallots begin to turn translucent (about 1 minute).
- Add the curry powder and stir well. Allow it to toast for about 30 seconds.
- Stir in the coconut milk, and simmer for about 20 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and season it to taste with more curry powder or salt.
Enchilada Sauce
- Warm the oil in a skillet on medium heat.
- Add the onions and garlic, and sauté until onions are translucent, about 30 seconds.
- Add the chili powder and cumin, and toast for 30 seconds.
- Add the tomato sauce and soy sauce, and simmer for about 20 minutes.
- Allow it to cool, then transfer the sauce to a blender. Blend until the onion chunks are gone.
- Season to taste with more soy sauce or salt.
Like this recipe? Rate and comment below!
Vegan Meal Prep | Back to School Lunch Ideas
These recipes are for 1 meal with 1 serving. Simply double them if you want to make enough for lunch and dinner or make more per person. The base ingredient recipes (above) are for 2 servings so you will not have to double them.
Ingredients
MONDAY: Lentil Arugula Salad
- 2 cups arugula
- 1/2 cup cooked quinoa
- 1/2 cup cooked lentils
- 3/4 cup roasted beets
- 2-4 tablespoons salad dressing, I used a red wine vinaigrette from Trader Joe's
TUESDAY: Tempeh Stir-fry
- 1 tablespoon grapeseed or coconut oil
- 1 cup marinated tempeh cubes
- 1 1/2 cups frozen veggies
- 1 tablespoon Korean gochujang red pepper paste
- 1/4-1/2 cups water
- 3/4 cup cooked brown rice
WEDNESDAY: Harissa Tahini Buddha Bowl
- 1/2 cup cooked quinoa
- 1/2 cooked lentils
- 1 cup or handful raw arugula
- 3/4 cup roasted sweet potatoes
- 1 tablespoon spicy harissa
- 1 tablespoon tahini
THURSDAY: Spinach Curry
- 1 cup curry simmer sauce
- 1/2 cup cooked beans
- 1/2 cup roasted sweet potatoes
- 1/2 cup roasted beets
- 1 cup or a large handful of raw spinach
- 1/2 -3/4 cup cooked brown rice
FRIDAY: Enchiladas
- 3 corn tortillas, warmed in the microwave or on the stove
- 3/4 cup cooked brown rice
- 1/2 cup cooked beans
- 1 cup or a large handful of raw spinach
- 1 cup enchilada sauce
Instructions
MONDAY: Lentil Arugula Salad
- Place of the ingredients in a bowl, and toss well. Serve.
TUESDAY: Tempeh Stir-fry
- Heat the oil in a skillet on medium heat.
- Add the tempeh cubes, and sauté until they are slightly brown, about 2 minutes.
- Add the frozen veggies, and continue to sauté until the vegetables are cooked through, about 3 minutes.
- Add the gochujang and water, and stir well. Be sure that the gochujang dissolves into the water to make a sauce.
- Season to taste with more gochujang, salt, or soy sauce.
- Serve over brown rice.
WEDNESDAY: Harissa Tahini Buddha Bowl
- Place the quinoa, lentils, arugula, and sweet potato in a bowl/container.
- Top with harissa, and drizzle the tahini over the top.
THURSDAY: Spinach Curry
- Pour 1 cup of the curry simmer sauce into a skillet or saucepan, and bring it to a simmer.
- Add the beans, sweet potatoes, beets, and spinach. Cook for about 8 minutes, or until the spinach is tender.
- Serve over brown rice.
FRIDAY: Enchiladas
- Fill each warmed corn tortilla with an equal amount of brown rice, beans, and spinach.
- Roll them tightly and place into a rectangle storage container. Cover with the enchilada sauce.
- Before serving microwave the enchiladas for 2 minutes to warm the ingredients. Serve hot.
Like this recipe? Rate and comment below!
Have you tried following one of my meal prep guides? It is really easy! I send out new guides every week with easy-to-follow breakfast, lunch, and dinner recipes. They are great for prepping meals on the go, or just for easy weekday planning!
