How I Prep a Week of Inexpensive Plant-Based Meals

If you’re following a plant-based diet, and regularly loading your grocery cart or farmers market tote with tons of fresh produce, you may have noticed that it can have the potential to make for a pretty pricey shopping trip. But that absolutely doesn’t have to be the case.

Today’s Power Hour guides you through planning and prepping a week of budget-friendly, plant-based meals and it aims to keep your grocery budget in check. This plan leans hard on plant-based pantry staples, like beans, lentils, tofu, and whole grains; relies on workhorse vegetables, like sweet potatoes, carrots, kohlrabi, and cucumbers; and makes some smart swaps for lower-priced ingredients. Ready to get started?

Looking for more plant-based meal plans? Here are eight weeks of plant-based meal plans for every type of eater.

• Breakfast: A fully cooked breakfast that can be eaten chilled or warm (five days).
• Lunch: Make-ahead lunch that requires no additional prep or assembly (five days).
• Dinner: Veggie-heavy dinners that promise to be wholesome and filling (five days).
• Nutritional goals: This week’s plan is focused on a balanced variety of plant-based meals, using a mix of different vegetables and plant-based proteins to keep meals satisfying, colorful, and interesting.

• Feeds: Two people
• Prep Time: About 2 hours
• Meals Covered: About 80% (no weekend meals)
• Weeknight Cooking Required? Minimal. You’ll tackle all the chopping and slicing during meal prep, but expect up to 20 minutes of light, hands-off cooking, reheating or assembly during the week.

• Quinoa-Oatmeal Cereal: Stretch to last the whole week by topping with non-dairy yogurt, nut butter, fruit, nuts, or seeds

• Cold Lentil Salad with Cucumbers and Olives
• Black Bean Veggie Burgers

• Sweet Potato Fajitas  
• Kohlrabi Noodle Bowls: Swap the Broccolini for 1 pound broccoli
• Black Bean Veggie Burgers

This week’s shopping list relies on a mix of produce, dry and refrigerated pantry basics, and store-bought conveniences. Shop your pantry, refrigerator, and freezer before setting foot in the store (or opening your grocery delivery app) to avoid adding items to the cart that you already have on hand. I also used staple ingredients like olive and vegetable oils, kosher salt, and black pepper that are not listed here.

• Produce: 1 pint fresh berries, 2 bananas, 1 head garlic, 2 medium cucumbers, 1 small bunch mint, 1 small bunch fresh basil,  1 large sweet potato, 2 bell peppers, 1 medium onion, 3 limes, 1-inch piece fresh ginger, 2 bunches Broccolini (1 pound), 1 pound carrots (preferably rainbow carrots), 1 small bunch scallions, 1 1/2 pounds kohlrabi noodles (or if unavailable, kohlrabi bulbs)
• Refrigerated: 1 medium container unsweetened non-dairy yogurt, 1 cup ricotta or feta (optional), 1 container guacamole, 1 (14- to 16-ounce) package extra-firm tofu, 1/4 cup white miso paste
• Frozen: 1 cup shelled edamame
• Pantry: 1 cup quinoa, 1 cup steel-cut oats, 3/4 cup old-fashioned rolled oats, 2 teaspoons maple syrup (plus more for serving), nuts and/or seeds (your choice, for serving), 2 cups French lentils, 2 bay leaves, 1/2 tablespoon whole-grain mustard, 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar, 1 cup pitted Kalamata olives, 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin, 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika, 1 tablespoon chili powder, 8 flour or corn tortillas, 1 jar salsa (optional, for serving), 1/2 cup natural peanut butter, 1/4 cup soy sauce or tamari, 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil, 1/4 cup unsalted, roasted peanuts, 1/4 cup unsweetened toasted coconut flakes, 1/2 cup walnuts, 2 cans black beans, 4 hamburger buns

1. Press tofu. Drain 1 package extra-firm tofu, then wrap in a few layers of paper towels and set on a dinner plate. Weigh it down with a heavy object such as a skillet, saucepan, or large can. Heat the oven to 425°F.
2. Cook lentils. Combine the lentils, 2 cloves garlic, and 2 bay leaves in a Dutch oven or large pot and cover with water by 2 inches. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to a simmer and cook until just tender, about 15 minutes. Drain the water and remove; discard the garlic and bay leaves. Refrigerate lentils until cold.
3. Cook quinoa-oatmeal cereal. Combine the quinoa, oats, and salt with 8 cups water, and simmer until soft, about 20 minutes. Cool completely, then store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
4. Prep vegetables. For the Kohlrabi Noodle Bowls, cut 1 pound broccoli into bite-sized pieces, peel 1 pound carrots and slice on a slight diagonal into 1/4-inch-thick pieces, coarsely chop 1/2 cup fresh basil, and thinly slice 2 scallions. If using kohlrabi bulbs, peel and spiralize. Store the basil and scallions in one container and kohlrabi noodles in a separate airtight container in the refrigerator. For the lentil salad, chop the cucumbers, olives, and mint, and add to a large bowl. For the veggie burgers, peel and shred 1 carrot, chop 3 scallions; set aside. For the fajitas, peel 1 large sweet potato and cut lengthwise into 1/2-inch-wide slices, and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Thinly slice 2 medium bell peppers and 1 yellow onion, and store in a separate airtight container in the refrigerator.
5. Roast tofu & vegetables. Tear the tofu into bite-sized pieces. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet and toss with 1 tablespoon soy sauce, salt, and pepper (skip the peanut sauce). Roast the tofu, broccoli, and carrots, according to the recipe instructions. Cool completely and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. 
6. Make peanut sauce. Mix together the peanut sauce according to the recipe instructions. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
7. Prep veggie burgers. Prepare the veggie burger patties according to the recipe instructions. Place on a large plate or small baking sheet, wrap with plastic, and store in the refrigerator.
8. Assemble lentil salad. Whisk together the dressing. Add to the bowl of chopped vegetables, along with the chilled lentils, and stir together. Add to an airtight container or cover the bowl and store in the refrigerator. 

Portion a couple of servings of the cereal into bowls and take your pick between eating it chilled straight from the fridge or heated up. Add some variation to breakfast by topping with different fresh or dried fruit, non-dairy yogurt, nut butter, toasted nuts, or seeds throughout the week.

• Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday, Lentil Salad: Spoon lentil salad between bowls, top with crumbled feta or ricotta if desired, and enjoy chilled.
• Wednesday, Black Bean Burgers: Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add 2 veggie patties and cook until well-browned and crisp, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Serve on buns with your favorite toppings.

• Monday, Kohlrabi Noodle Bowls: Reheat half of the tofu, broccoli, and carrots in a 350°F oven for about 10 minutes and thaw half of the edamame. Add half of the kohlrabi noodles between two bowls; top with the tofu, broccoli, carrots, edamame, half of the basil and scallions; drizzle with some of the peanut sauce; and sprinkle with half of the coconut flakes. Dinner is on the table on less than 20 minutes.
• Tuesday, Sweet Potato Fajitas: Heat the oven to 475°F. Place the sweet potato wedges on a rimmed baking sheet and toss with oil and seasonings. Cook according to the recipe instructions, along with the peppers, onions, and half of the tortillas. Total cook time is about 20 minutes. Use half of the fajita filling tonight and save the remainder for Thursday. Top your fajitas with guacamole, a squeeze of lime, and, if desired, crema.
• Wednesday, Kohlrabi Noodle Bowls: Reheat the remainder of the tofu, broccoli, and carrots in a 350°F oven for about 10 minutes and thaw the remaining edamame. Fill two bowls with the remainder of the kohlrabi noodles; top with the tofu, broccoli, carrots, remaining edamame, basil, and scallions; drizzle with remaining peanut sauce; and sprinkle with coconut flakes. Dinner is on the table on less than 20 minutes.
• Thursday, Sweet Potato Fajitas: Reheat the remainder of the fajita filling on a baking sheet in a 350°F oven for about 10 minutes, and heat the remaining tortillas in the microwave. Top your fajitas with guacamole, a squeeze of lime, and if desired, crema.
• Friday, Black Bean Burgers: Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add 2 veggie patties and cook until well-browned and crisp, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Serve on buns with your favorite toppings.

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Power Hour Meal Prep is the series where we help you put it all together. We show you how to eat well during the week with an hour or two of Power Hour prep over the weekend. Every plan is different; mix and match to find your own personal sweet spot.