3 Cooking Hacks That Help Me Make Vegan Meals Fast
Some of the top cooking hacks that I use to make delicious vegan meals quickly and easily!
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Vegan Cooking Hacks
Good morning friends! Today, I am so excited to share a few cooking hacks that I use to make budget friendly plant based dishes quickly and easily. I always seem to be rushing off to somewhere, whether it’s work, the gym, a workout class, or some other obligation, one fact remains. I like to have meals and snacks prepped and ready to take with me on the go. Through trial and error, I have been able to really perfect my meal prepping strategies to make delicious vegan dishes that I truly look forward to eating. So, I thought it would be fun to share some of my easy cooking hacks that I use to save time and money while prepping my vegan dishes. Here are three of my most useful ones.
Cooking Hacks To Make Vegan Meals Fast – #1
My first cooking hack that I use to save time and money while making plant based dishes is that I cook some meals (and parts of meals) in the microwave. For example, I can make quick oats in the microwave for the base of my breakfast. Once the oats are cooked, I will top my oatmeal with cinnamon, chia seeds, hemp hearts, fruit, nut butter, etc. for a super tasty and quick breakfast.
Or, if I want to have sweet potato salads for lunch throughout the week, I’ll cook a few sweet potatoes in the microwave on the weekend when I’m meal prepping. I’ll cut the baked sweet potatoes into cubes so that I can simply add them to my salad bowls when I’m assembling them for lunch.
These are just a few examples of the ways I use the microwave to prep some of my vegan meals to save time throughout the work week.
Cooking Hacks To Make Vegan Meals Fast – #2
The second method that I use to make vegan meals fast is that I prep a lot of food on the weekend when I have the time. Throughout the work week, I have very little time to cook/bake. I wake up early in the morning, get a workout in, work all day, and by the time the work day is over, I’m usually pretty tired. I like to unwind at the end of the night with a good book or movie, and then go to bed early. While I probably could cook for an hour or two at the end of the night, I usually don’t have the energy and motivation to do so.
Instead, I prefer to meal prep for a few hours on Saturday or Sunday when I have a lot of time. Then, I have vegan meals and snacks ready to eat throughout the week. This strategy allows me to save a ton of time throughout the work week. It also saves me money because I avoid purchasing convenience foods or ordering takeout throughout the week.
Some of my favorite foods to meal prep on the weekend include overnight oats, sweet potatoes, tofu, quinoa, lentils, oatmeal muffins, soup, etc. I also like to switch up what I cook each week so that I never get bored of the vegan meals and snacks that I’m eating.
Cooking Hacks To Make Vegan Meals Fast – #3
My final cooking hack that I use to make plant based dishes more quickly is to buy some produce items that don’t require cooking or baking, such as avocados, bananas, and apples. While I do love veggies like sweet potatoes and spaghetti squash, those items do require a bit more prep time (since I’m not going to eat them raw). So, I like to have a good mix of grab and go produce items as well as produce items that require a bit of prep work.
That way, if I need an easy snack in a pinch, I can quickly chop up an apple and dip it in some peanut butter. Or, I could even take my apple on the go with a bag of nuts. If I want a quick breakfast, I can toast up some bread and add on some mashed avocado. In five minutes, I have a simple and tasty vegan breakfast. The point is, I like to keep easy vegan snack options on hand at all times.
Vegan Cooking Hacks – Final Thoughts
All in all, my vegan cooking hacks are really simple. While they do require a bit of planning and prep work, they help me save time and money throughout the work week. I would call that a double win. Plus, I really enjoy meal prepping when I have the time and energy to do so. I put on some good music and take my time cooking whatever I have planned for the week :). Anyway, that’s it for this post. I hope you all enjoyed it. And as per usual, I will be back with more content very soon. So, make sure to stay tuned.
-Alyssa 🙂
