**Meal Prep Monday: A Delicious and Satisfying Vegan Meal Plan**

As we start a new week, it's time to kick off our meal prep journey with a delicious and satisfying vegan meal plan. Today, we'll explore three tasty and easy-to-make dishes that will fuel your body for the day ahead.

**Lunch and Dinner: Curry and Quinoa Bowl**

Let's begin by making our lunch and dinner, which are both vegan-friendly and can be prepared in advance. For our curry, we'll start by sautéing some onions with a mixture of Indian spices like curry powder, cumin, turmeric, and a bit of cayenne pepper. We'll add in about 3/4 cup of uncooked quinoa along with the red lentils that we soaked earlier and stir to coat all the spices. Then, we'll add some water along with a large can of crushed tomatoes, which will serve as the liquid that brings this dish together. Seasoned with some salt and pepper, we'll bring the mixture to a gentle simmer and then cover the pan and let it cook for 15 minutes.

While our curry is cooking, let's prepare another component of our meal prep: roasted chickpeas and potatoes. Simply toss some chickpeas and diced potatoes with a bit of oil and roast them in the oven until they're crispy and golden brown. We can also add a final squeeze of lemon juice to bring out their natural sweetness.

Once our curry is done, we'll plate it with the roasted chickpeas and potatoes on top. This meal is perfect for lunch or dinner, and the quinoa provides a nice source of protein and fiber. Feel free to store the individual components separately in the fridge for leftovers or meal prep.

**Breakfast: Chia Pudding with Berry Sauce**

Now, let's move on to our breakfast, which is a delicious and healthy chia pudding topped with berry sauce and a drizzle of nut butter or toasted nuts. To make our chia pudding, we'll need some chia seeds, plant-based milk, and a bit of vanilla extract or warming spices like cinnamon, ginger, or cardamom. Simply whisk everything together, let it sit for five minutes, and then refrigerate it for about an hour or more until it thickens.

For the berry sauce, we can cook down frozen berries with a bit of sweetener and lemon juice to create a delicious and tangy topping. We can also add some nut butter or toasted nuts on top for added crunch and flavor. This breakfast is perfect for a quick pick-me-up in the morning, and the chia pudding provides a boost of omega-3 fatty acids.

**Snack: Chocolate Nut Butter Spread**

For our snack, we'll make a delicious and indulgent chocolate nut butter spread that's perfect for mid-morning munchies. Simply mix together some raw cacao powder, peanut butter or almond butter, maple syrup, and a bit of sea salt to create a rich and creamy paste. We can also pair it with apples or bananas for added natural sweetness.

**Tips and Variations**

One of the best things about meal prep is that you can customize your meals to suit your taste preferences and dietary needs. Feel free to experiment with different spices, herbs, and ingredients to make your dishes even more delicious. For example, if you're looking for a creamier curry, we can add some coconut milk or vegan yogurt.

Additionally, be sure to store your meal prep components separately in the fridge or freezer to maintain their freshness and texture. With these three meals and a few simple tips, you'll be well on your way to creating delicious and satisfying vegan meals that will fuel your body for the day ahead.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enI know it sounds kind of crazy to meal prep right now when you're stuck at home but what we're making today it's gonna be easy it'll take about two hours and you'll have breakfast lunch and dinner four or five days a little snack thrown in there as well so if you're an essential worker and you're super busy or you're working from home and homeschooling at the same time these meals are gonna help power you through your hectic weeks and regardless of what you do they're gonna bring some structure into your meals so you're gonna be able to make healthy choices without relying on willpower which can be really difficult when you're stuck at home with cookies all day long so the first thing I'm gonna do is start by chopping some onions and garlic we're gonna be using those in both the lunch and dinner and one tip for meal prep is using some of the same ingredients across different meals if you're making multiple meals because that will cut down on prep time a little bit I've mentioned this before in other videos but I love starting my meals with onions and garlic they are pantry friendly ingredients they add so much flavor into your food when you saute them it infuses the whole dish so I've got two yellow onions here a little more than half will go towards lunch and the rest will go towards dinner and for the garlic I'm gonna finely chop about seven cloves we'll use four for lunch and three for dinner now that we've got the onions and garlic prepped we're gonna chop up two jalapeno peppers for lunch we're gonna be making a chili and if you like things spicy like I do keep the seeds and membranes which is where most of the heat lives but if you're sensitive to spicy food deceive the peppers and then chop them up finely after you chopped up these peppers make sure you wash your hands really thoroughly if you don't and you touch your eyes or something else it's gonna suck your but what this would be a good time to start soaking the red lentils which we'll be using in an easy Indian inspired dinner you need to soak them for about 30 minutes the final veggies that I'm gonna prep before we start actually cooking we've got some regular golden potatoes this will go in dinner and then we've got sweet potatoes which will go in the chili for lunch the recipe calls for three medium of sweet potatoes but all I have is this a normal one so that's what we're gonna use yeah big boy for the sweet potatoes you want to dice them up pretty finely so that they softened down into the chili otherwise they won't cook all the way through and for the golden potatoes which will be used in you can cut them into 1/2 inch cubes and if you want to leave the peel on you can but be sure to scrub and clean the potatoes really well now that we've got everything prepped for lunch and dinner I'm gonna start by making the chili it's a sweet potato pinto bean chili that's really Hardy once the chili is simmering on the stove I'll turn my attention to dinner which will be curried red lentils and quinoa with roasted potatoes and chickpeas it's kind of a mishmash meal that's a very pantry and budget-friendly and I think you guys will love it before you start the chili go ahead and preheat the oven to 425 degrees and then heat some olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat add the diced onion with a pinch of salt and cook for about 5 minutes until a Brown Fond appears on the bottom of the surface and then start deglazing the pan with a spoon or two of water every few minutes this helps soften and brown the onion without burning it and also infuses a lot of flavor into the chili and once the onions are really well browned you'll add the jalapenos garlic and tomato paste and stir constantly for a few minutes until the tomato paste is a few shades darker if it starts to dry out add a spoon or two of water then out of the spices we've got chili powder cumin oregano and paprika and stir vigorously for 30 seconds until it's very aromatic I just finished deglazing the pan with some broth and then I added my secret ingredient which is cocoa powder I'm adding 3 cans of drained and rinsed pinto beans but this chili is very easy to customize so you can use black beans kidney beans or a mix of any of those it will also add the diced sweet potatoes along with a large can of diced tomatoes salt and pepper to season and finally to chipotle peppers and adobo sauce which is going to bring the smoky spicy flavor so the chili is gonna be on the stove for about 30 minutes at a rapid simmer and in the meantime I'm gonna start on dinner the first part is we're gonna roast some potatoes and chickpeas so I've got my peeled diced potatoes and then I've got one can of drained and rinsed chickpeas roast them in the oven until they get crispy and to season I'm adding some whole cumin seeds and of course some salt and pip spread the chickpeas and potatoes out on a baking sheet and roast for 20 to 25 minutes or until the potatoes are cool Brown and tender and the chickpeas are a bit crunchy while the chickpeas and potatoes are roasting in the oven will make the curried red lentils and quinoa so we'll have this curry dish and then we'll serve roasted chickpeas and potatoes on top to start we'll saute one diced yellow onion for about five minutes until it starts to get soft and in the meantime it will check on the chili see how it's doing give it a stir make sure it's simmering not boiling and once the onion has softened add a few cloves of minced garlic and a mixture of Indian spices curry powder cumin turmeric and a bit of cayenne stir to coat the onions and cook for a minute or until the very fragrance and then I'll add in about 3/4 cup of uncooked quinoa along with the red lentils that we soaked earlier stir to coat all the spices and then add some water along with a large can of crushed tomatoes this is going to be the liquid that brings this dish together seasoned with some salt and pepper and bring to a gentle simmer then cover the pan and simmer for 15 minutes lunch and dinner are cooking on the stove and you don't really need to pay that much attention to them just give them an occasional stir and in the meantime I'll go ahead and prepare breakfast we're gonna be making chia pudding and I'll give you two different options for toppings to make chia pudding you need some chia seeds obviously and some plant-based milk any kind you like and usually my formula is for every 1/4 cup of chia seeds I use 1 cup of milk and I'm just making a big batch today so you can have it throughout the week chia pudding can be a little plain on its own so of a few different flavouring options I've got some vanilla extract and then you can use any kind of warming spices today I've got cinnamon ginger and cardamom and a key for chia pudding is you want to whisk everything together let it sit for five minutes whisk it again and then put it in the fridge for about an hour or more to thicken and the reason I whisk it two times is that Hsieh pudding tends to clump up in the first few minutes so if you whisk it again before you refrigerate it you're less likely to have clumps I'm working one of the topping options for the chia pudding it's totally optional but if you have frozen berries this is a great way to use them I'm just cooking them down until they get mashed with a little bit of sweetener and a little bit of orange or lemon juice and then we'll serve that with the chia pudding or I'll show you a different alternative as well for the snack idea I'm gonna make one of my favourite things it's really simple three ingredients any nut butter or sea butter you like this is peanut butter almond butter cashew butter tahini they all work I mix in some raw cacao powder and maple syrup it's kind of like Nutella but it's a way better for you I'll pair that with apples or bananas throughout the week for a snack but it's also going to be the second topping option for our chia pudding dinner should be done by now the lentils and quinoa should be soft and the liquid should have evaporated and this is a great time to use up some frozen spinach or greens in your freezer just cook them down until they're wilted and finished with a squeeze of lemon juice this is meant to be a lighter curry but if you're looking for something more indulgent add in a half cup or so of coconut milk or serve with some vegan yogurt which is a really nice contrast to the warming spices and tomatoes the roasted chickpeas and potatoes are also done and they're nice and browned and crispy I like to add a final squeeze of lemon juice and toss to combine for dinner I've got the curried red lentils and quinoa and to serve I would serve this with some crispy roasted potatoes and chickpeas on top but if you're storing them in the fridge for leftovers or for meal prep store these components separately so they stay best the nice thing about this meal prep is that the chili should be done around the same time as the curry and the texture should be really thick and velvety the sweet potatoes should be fully tender it's smoky a little spicy from the chipotle peppers and spices and the sweet potatoes really nicely balance out the heat you can stretch this meal out even further by serving it over rice quinoa or my favorite - pasta and as with any chili it tastes better the next day and it's freezer friendly the chia pudding is done setting in the fridge so I'm transferring it into these individual jars and then you can add whichever toppings you like the reason I chose to pudding for breakfast is because it takes five minutes to meal prep and because it's packed with heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids you're gonna get even more of those healthy fats from the chocolate spread so you'll definitely avoid those mid-morning munchies or you can serve the chia pudding with the berry sauce and add a spoon of nut butter or toasted nuts or coconut on top there you have it breakfast lunch and dinner for the week super delicious and satisfying and if you're looking for more vegan meal prep tips I've put together a short playlist for you to watch with some vegan meal prep basicsI know it sounds kind of crazy to meal prep right now when you're stuck at home but what we're making today it's gonna be easy it'll take about two hours and you'll have breakfast lunch and dinner four or five days a little snack thrown in there as well so if you're an essential worker and you're super busy or you're working from home and homeschooling at the same time these meals are gonna help power you through your hectic weeks and regardless of what you do they're gonna bring some structure into your meals so you're gonna be able to make healthy choices without relying on willpower which can be really difficult when you're stuck at home with cookies all day long so the first thing I'm gonna do is start by chopping some onions and garlic we're gonna be using those in both the lunch and dinner and one tip for meal prep is using some of the same ingredients across different meals if you're making multiple meals because that will cut down on prep time a little bit I've mentioned this before in other videos but I love starting my meals with onions and garlic they are pantry friendly ingredients they add so much flavor into your food when you saute them it infuses the whole dish so I've got two yellow onions here a little more than half will go towards lunch and the rest will go towards dinner and for the garlic I'm gonna finely chop about seven cloves we'll use four for lunch and three for dinner now that we've got the onions and garlic prepped we're gonna chop up two jalapeno peppers for lunch we're gonna be making a chili and if you like things spicy like I do keep the seeds and membranes which is where most of the heat lives but if you're sensitive to spicy food deceive the peppers and then chop them up finely after you chopped up these peppers make sure you wash your hands really thoroughly if you don't and you touch your eyes or something else it's gonna suck your but what this would be a good time to start soaking the red lentils which we'll be using in an easy Indian inspired dinner you need to soak them for about 30 minutes the final veggies that I'm gonna prep before we start actually cooking we've got some regular golden potatoes this will go in dinner and then we've got sweet potatoes which will go in the chili for lunch the recipe calls for three medium of sweet potatoes but all I have is this a normal one so that's what we're gonna use yeah big boy for the sweet potatoes you want to dice them up pretty finely so that they softened down into the chili otherwise they won't cook all the way through and for the golden potatoes which will be used in you can cut them into 1/2 inch cubes and if you want to leave the peel on you can but be sure to scrub and clean the potatoes really well now that we've got everything prepped for lunch and dinner I'm gonna start by making the chili it's a sweet potato pinto bean chili that's really Hardy once the chili is simmering on the stove I'll turn my attention to dinner which will be curried red lentils and quinoa with roasted potatoes and chickpeas it's kind of a mishmash meal that's a very pantry and budget-friendly and I think you guys will love it before you start the chili go ahead and preheat the oven to 425 degrees and then heat some olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat add the diced onion with a pinch of salt and cook for about 5 minutes until a Brown Fond appears on the bottom of the surface and then start deglazing the pan with a spoon or two of water every few minutes this helps soften and brown the onion without burning it and also infuses a lot of flavor into the chili and once the onions are really well browned you'll add the jalapenos garlic and tomato paste and stir constantly for a few minutes until the tomato paste is a few shades darker if it starts to dry out add a spoon or two of water then out of the spices we've got chili powder cumin oregano and paprika and stir vigorously for 30 seconds until it's very aromatic I just finished deglazing the pan with some broth and then I added my secret ingredient which is cocoa powder I'm adding 3 cans of drained and rinsed pinto beans but this chili is very easy to customize so you can use black beans kidney beans or a mix of any of those it will also add the diced sweet potatoes along with a large can of diced tomatoes salt and pepper to season and finally to chipotle peppers and adobo sauce which is going to bring the smoky spicy flavor so the chili is gonna be on the stove for about 30 minutes at a rapid simmer and in the meantime I'm gonna start on dinner the first part is we're gonna roast some potatoes and chickpeas so I've got my peeled diced potatoes and then I've got one can of drained and rinsed chickpeas roast them in the oven until they get crispy and to season I'm adding some whole cumin seeds and of course some salt and pip spread the chickpeas and potatoes out on a baking sheet and roast for 20 to 25 minutes or until the potatoes are cool Brown and tender and the chickpeas are a bit crunchy while the chickpeas and potatoes are roasting in the oven will make the curried red lentils and quinoa so we'll have this curry dish and then we'll serve roasted chickpeas and potatoes on top to start we'll saute one diced yellow onion for about five minutes until it starts to get soft and in the meantime it will check on the chili see how it's doing give it a stir make sure it's simmering not boiling and once the onion has softened add a few cloves of minced garlic and a mixture of Indian spices curry powder cumin turmeric and a bit of cayenne stir to coat the onions and cook for a minute or until the very fragrance and then I'll add in about 3/4 cup of uncooked quinoa along with the red lentils that we soaked earlier stir to coat all the spices and then add some water along with a large can of crushed tomatoes this is going to be the liquid that brings this dish together seasoned with some salt and pepper and bring to a gentle simmer then cover the pan and simmer for 15 minutes lunch and dinner are cooking on the stove and you don't really need to pay that much attention to them just give them an occasional stir and in the meantime I'll go ahead and prepare breakfast we're gonna be making chia pudding and I'll give you two different options for toppings to make chia pudding you need some chia seeds obviously and some plant-based milk any kind you like and usually my formula is for every 1/4 cup of chia seeds I use 1 cup of milk and I'm just making a big batch today so you can have it throughout the week chia pudding can be a little plain on its own so of a few different flavouring options I've got some vanilla extract and then you can use any kind of warming spices today I've got cinnamon ginger and cardamom and a key for chia pudding is you want to whisk everything together let it sit for five minutes whisk it again and then put it in the fridge for about an hour or more to thicken and the reason I whisk it two times is that Hsieh pudding tends to clump up in the first few minutes so if you whisk it again before you refrigerate it you're less likely to have clumps I'm working one of the topping options for the chia pudding it's totally optional but if you have frozen berries this is a great way to use them I'm just cooking them down until they get mashed with a little bit of sweetener and a little bit of orange or lemon juice and then we'll serve that with the chia pudding or I'll show you a different alternative as well for the snack idea I'm gonna make one of my favourite things it's really simple three ingredients any nut butter or sea butter you like this is peanut butter almond butter cashew butter tahini they all work I mix in some raw cacao powder and maple syrup it's kind of like Nutella but it's a way better for you I'll pair that with apples or bananas throughout the week for a snack but it's also going to be the second topping option for our chia pudding dinner should be done by now the lentils and quinoa should be soft and the liquid should have evaporated and this is a great time to use up some frozen spinach or greens in your freezer just cook them down until they're wilted and finished with a squeeze of lemon juice this is meant to be a lighter curry but if you're looking for something more indulgent add in a half cup or so of coconut milk or serve with some vegan yogurt which is a really nice contrast to the warming spices and tomatoes the roasted chickpeas and potatoes are also done and they're nice and browned and crispy I like to add a final squeeze of lemon juice and toss to combine for dinner I've got the curried red lentils and quinoa and to serve I would serve this with some crispy roasted potatoes and chickpeas on top but if you're storing them in the fridge for leftovers or for meal prep store these components separately so they stay best the nice thing about this meal prep is that the chili should be done around the same time as the curry and the texture should be really thick and velvety the sweet potatoes should be fully tender it's smoky a little spicy from the chipotle peppers and spices and the sweet potatoes really nicely balance out the heat you can stretch this meal out even further by serving it over rice quinoa or my favorite - pasta and as with any chili it tastes better the next day and it's freezer friendly the chia pudding is done setting in the fridge so I'm transferring it into these individual jars and then you can add whichever toppings you like the reason I chose to pudding for breakfast is because it takes five minutes to meal prep and because it's packed with heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids you're gonna get even more of those healthy fats from the chocolate spread so you'll definitely avoid those mid-morning munchies or you can serve the chia pudding with the berry sauce and add a spoon of nut butter or toasted nuts or coconut on top there you have it breakfast lunch and dinner for the week super delicious and satisfying and if you're looking for more vegan meal prep tips I've put together a short playlist for you to watch with some vegan meal prep basics\n"