Need some speedy meal ideas? These quick and easy vegan meals pack a healthy punch for those of us on the go.
There’s no doubt about it: when you’re busy with work, maintaining relationships with your family, and juggling life in general, eating healthily can be a real challenge. It takes time to make a meal from scratch and few of us have that luxury each day.
Below, we share some of our favorite ideas for quick, easy, and healthy vegan meals when you’re on the go. They’re fast, full of nutrients, and don’t require that you stand over a stove for an hour! Whether you have a packed work schedule, or kids keeping you busy, you’ll find something on this list that fits with your life.
smoothies
Smoothies loaded with fruit and veggies are not only packed with vitamins but absolutely delicious too! They offer so much nutritional goodness for so little effort. They’re the ideal convenience food as well as being good for you, and there are endless combinations you can try!
Blending up your favorite fruit and veggie mixes takes less than five minutes and helps ensure you’re getting the right amount (see Dr. Greger’s Daily Dozen checklist for more tips on this). Find that smoothies don’t keep you full? That’s because they don’t usually contain a huge amount of calories. Just add a scoop of your favorite natural vegan protein powder, nut butter, or even oats, and you’ll notice the difference!
Try this Green Power Smoothie to set you up for the day.
Healthy sandwiches
Never knock the humble sandwich! There’s a reason sandwiches have been popular for years: they simply take minutes to throw together. They’re not always known for being the healthiest option, but luckily, there are a few tricks and swaps you can make to ensure your sandwich is full of nutrients and good fuel.
Try opting for good quality, wholegrain bread rather than the pre-packaged white stuff, as this contains so much more fiber and vitamins than its white counterpart and has a whole lot more flavor. In addition to adding a range of veggies to your sandwich, try adding in a high-quality source of vegan protein like hummus or homemade paté to keep you full until the next meal. Finally, add some alfalfa sprouts to boost the vitamin content and give your sandwich a satisfying crunch. Read our blog for other vegan sandwich filling ideas!
This Falafel and Hummus Sandwich is a great lunch recipe.
15-minute pasta dishes
Pasta dishes are among our go-to quick and easy vegan meals. These have saved us from keeling over on several occasions because they’re so simple to make but are really filling! Try adding cherry tomatoes, garlic, spinach, olive oil, salt, and pepper to a saucepan of your favorite cooked pasta and heat the mixture gently for 3 minutes on the stove. Pro tip: use chickpea/lentil/bean-based pasta to make any pasta dish extra filling. The high protein content will fill you up and give you energy for the day! Find more easy pasta recipe inspiration in our blog.
Try this Vegan Tuna Pasta Bake for dinner.
Savory oatmeal
Yes, it sounds weird… but it’s really, really good. Oatmeal is such a great, wholesome dish, but it is often neglected and not experimented with in the kitchen nearly enough. By making your usual oatmeal with turmeric, garlic, seasonings, and grilled veggies instead of sweeter toppings and cinnamon, you can give a totally new feel to this quick staple and transform it from a sweet breakfast into a hearty dinner!
If you’re feeling more adventurous, you could flavor your oatmeal with taco spices like cumin, coriander, and chipotle, and top it with peppers, vegan cheese, avocado, black beans, and spring onions for a quick Mexican-inspired meal.
Or, whip up these more traditionally flavored Nutty Bananalicious Overnight Oats the night before to grab-and-go in the morning!
one-pot meals
We’re huge fans of throwing a load of ingredients into a pot and walking away, only returning occasionally to stir the contents. When you’ve got other things taking up your time but need to make a batch of food for dinner or weekday lunches, this is a great option and will yield lots of portions for future Tupperware! Our favorite quick and easy vegan recipes for this include soups, stews, chilies, and curries which take less than 40 minutes to make.
Try this One-Pot Butternut Squash & Chickpea Curry.
Simple Salads
We know salads have a reputation for being boring but hear us out. Not only do they help you cram in lots of nutrients, but they’re also effortless to make. You can throw a salad together using bits and bobs you already have in the house, saving you even more time. We have a whole blog on simple vegan salad recipes to inspire you.
We recommend this Sweet & Sour Wakame and Rice Salad to liven up your lunches.
Healthy eating has never been easier and eating plant-based can help you get there. Try vegan today and see for yourself!
