#105b: Easy Plant-Based Lunches to Fuel Your Day
This episode includes a FREE downloadable resource with recipes and helpful links! Get it now at: www.doctoryami.com/lunch
Easy Plant-Based Lunches to Fuel Your Day
Get the episode guide for FREE!
Lunch time can be precarious for many Americans. Because of our fast-paced lifestyles lunch often gets neglected. Many people skip lunch because they don’t want to stop working, and others run through the drive through or hit the vending machine. The problem with all of these approaches is that they don’t support wellbeing. Skipping lunch completely often means that you get home ravenous and eat the entire pantry, but loading up on French fries and potato chips will leave you lethargic and ends up being costly as well.
The other problem is that for those new to a plant-based lifestyle or new to planning and packing a lunch, it can be difficult to design delicious, satisfying meals that don’t take forever to prepare.
However, just like everything else in life, at first it may be daunting, but over time you will get better at preparing a plant-based lunch that will fuel your best self.
Although there are plenty of sit down and fast food restaurant options (check out episode #102b for a guide to eating out plant-based), in this episode, I will focus more on making your own lunch for three reasons: 1. It saves money 2. It saves time 3. It usually leads to a more health-promoting meal. If these are things that you value, then it is worthwhile to find a way to become a person that prepares their own lunch.
I am all about simplicity and efficiency, so I will share some ideas to get you started. As always, feel free to adapt these ideas to YOUR lifestyle and preferences. Think outside the box and have fun experimenting.
Leftovers
Lunch doesn’t have to be a brand new meal! Eating dinner leftovers for lunch is the ultimate hack. When you plan your dinner, plan to double or triple the recipe so that you can immediately pack up leftovers for lunch. Then you are getting double rewards for your effort. Some meals taste even better the next day such as soups and casseroles. You could even freeze some meals to pop into your rotation later. It’s such a great feeling to reach into the fridge or freezer to grab your meal, put it in your lunch bag and go.
Meal Stacking (aka Buddha Bowls)
This is one of my favorite lunches which I eat most weekdays. I first heard the term meal stacking from Dr. Witkowski when he discussed this technique in Episode #32. It is similar to a buddha bowl. The concept is that you cook a grain or another starch such as sweet potatoes, a legume, have veggies or greens available and a sauce and then you can make endless combinations. This works great if you batch cook and then you pull out each ingredient and assemble into your reusable container and go. I find this type of meal so satisfying and you can use the same technique to make amazing salads in the summer when you’d rather eat something cool.
The Famous Wrap or Burrito
Everyone loves burritos! This is a super simple lunch idea that doesn’t even need a recipe. Great ingredients for an amazing wrap or burrito include something spreadable such as hummus, refried beans, black bean dip, pesto, vegan cream cheese or a cashew cheese, then a whole bean such as chickpeas, black beans, pinto beans, etc, cooked or raw veggies and a yummy sauce. Roll up and eat!
The Stingy Vegan: 50+ Veggie Wraps
One Green Planet: 15 Delectable Vegan Wraps
Oh My Veggies: 34 Vegetarian and Vegan Burritos
American Style: The Sandwich
Use the same concept as above but put it between two slices of whole grain bread instead. You can also go super simple and make peanut butter and jelly or use vegan cheese and meat alternatives as you transition.
Brit+Co: 10 Vegan Sandwich Recipes
It Doesn’t Taste Like Chicken: 25 Vegan Sandwich Recipes
Vegan Meal Delivery Service
If you are incredibly pressed for time or don’t want to mess with meal prep yourself and you don’t mind spending a little extra money, there are now many amazing vegan meal services. The way these programs work is that you pick your meals and they deliver them to your door then you put them away in the fridge or freezer until you are ready to prepare them. They usually require minimal prep such as heating or blending. Some popular brands include Splendid Spoon, Daily Harvest, Veestro and Plantable.
I have an affiliate partnership with Splendid Spoon where you can get $25 off your first order if you want to give it a try! Splendid spoon offers pre-made smoothies, juice shots and delicious bowls that require no preparation besides heating up! Click here to get started!
Side Items
Don’t forget to pack fresh fruit, raw veggies, plant-based crackers and other items to supplement and round out your meal. As you get the hang of taking your lunch you will come to understand how much food you need to feel satisfied and energized.
Time and Money Saving Hacks
When you first start to prepare meals for yourself, it will seem to take a lot of time, but there are ways to become more efficient:
Batch Cooking
Batch cooking is when you cook ingredients ahead of time once or twice per week. Pick a day of the week that you can spend a couple of hours washing your produce, cooking your grains and legumes and chopping your fruits and veggies. This is also a great time to make your dressings and sauces that you want to use during the week. You can use these items in any of your meals and snacks so that you always have food ready to go. This also keeps your kitchen clean throughout the week.
Meal Prepping
Meal prepping is when you actually make full recipes ahead of time. Similar to batch cooking, pick at day and set aside a few hours to make a few recipes ahead of time and pack them up into reusable containers. This is like making your own “grab-n-go” market, only better because it’s way cheaper and exactly what you want!
Put Your Appliances to Work for YOU
Don’t feel shy about purchasing appliances that do the heavy lifting for you. I LOVE my rice cooker, instant pot, air fryer and vitamix blender. They save me time and energy and make batch cooking and meal prepping a breeze.
Using Frozen and Shelf-Stable Foods
It is perfectly acceptable to use frozen, canned and shelf-stable foods to help you save time. Look for products that have no added sugar and little to no salt. Canned beans can be rinsed of excess salt. These days there are even frozen cooked grains and legumes. In addition, packaged salad greens and veggies that are pre-washed are a big time and energy saver. Find a combination of techniques that work for you.
Investing in Durable Plastic-Free Containers
Plastic harms the environment and our bodies, so finding plastic-free solutions for packing your lunch is a good idea. I love using glass containers because I can also heat them in the microwave, but there are also stainless steal options and others. Look for items that fit in with your lifestyle and space.
Getting into a routine
If at first you feel awkward and slow at the process hang in there! Keep trying and tweak where you need to make it work for you. Don’t give up and one day you will look back and realize that you are a “lunch taker” and you feel amazing!
You can do it Veggie Lover! Keep on trying and comment below on what techniques have worked for you! Keep up the great work!
Resources:
If you’d like a FREE PDF download with recipes and helpful links,
Download the guide for FREE: doctoryami.com/lunch
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The information on this blog, website and podcast is for informational purposes only. It is not meant to replace careful evaluation and treatment. If you have concerns about your or your child’s eating, nutrition or growth, consult a doctor.
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