If you’re interested in meal prepping but aren’t quite sure where to begin, we’ve put together some useful tips to help get you started.
Cooking once or twice per week with a set of ingredients instead every day will not only reduce food waste and give you more free time, but it will also help you maintain a healthy diet and save money. Here are our top meal prepping tips for beginners.
Meal prep containers
Before you start meal planning, make sure you have enough containers to store your meals throughout the week – mason jars, glass snapware or metal bento boxes work perfectly. For budget-friendly options that don’t break the bank, check out stores like Poundland or Wilko – who have several products registered with the Vegan Trademark – or your local charity shop. You could also ask friends and family if they have spare containers they no longer use.
Mapping your weekly meal plan
To prep on a budget, it’s worth considering what meals you enjoy most or what meals you are more likely to eat out and spend the most money on, and what day and time of day works best for your schedule. Some people choose to prep all their meals throughout the week, including breakfast, lunch and dinner. However, for others it’s easier to prepare just one or two – it's all about finding out what would work best for you.
Choosing when to prep 
The next most important part of meal planning is to pick a suitable day to prep your meals and set aside an hour or two to prepare them. For example, if you want to prep meals for the week ahead, we suggest preparing them on Sunday. However, if you prefer having a variety of meals, you can choose to prep meals for Monday – Wednesday and then have another prepping session on Wednesday to see you through the rest of the week. The latter may work better for you if you have less space in your fridge to store your meals.
What to include in your meals
When choosing the kinds of dishes you want to prep, try to be strategic by opting for plant-based foods that are budget friendly and great for meal prepping. A healthy and cheap meal prep plan should include proteins like tofu or beans and carbs such as potatoes, brown rice, wholewheat pasta or quinoa. For an affordable breakfast, things like oats and bananas are great options – we recommend trying this simple and delicious banana pancakes recipe. Frozen foods, non-perishable canned produce and dried versions of produce are also cheaper options as you can buy them in bulk. Planning your meals around seasonal ingredients is also a great way to save money since they are cheaper to grow, grow in abundance and have lower transport costs – making them cheaper to buy. You can find out more of these budget-friendly food tips by reading our cheap vegan staples blog. If you are in need of some easy recipes to inspire your meal prep ideas, our Live Vegan for Less Recipe Hub has an abundance of cheap and nutritious dishes, perfect for batch cooking – ranging from these peanut butter stir fry noodles serving six portions, to this Spanish-style chickpea stew, serving up to eight portions.
Making your meals nutritionally balanced
There are an abundance of plant-based foods that are budget friendly and perfect for meal prepping. However, with regards to eating healthily, it’s important to ensure you are getting enough of each food group throughout the week. Our How to Go Vegan page has all the information you need to ensure you are getting enough variety. Once you know exactly what you need and it’s time to write your shopping list, try making a table with three columns: one for carbs, one for protein and one for fruit and/or vegetables. This way, you can ensure that you will have everything you need for each meal, making it easier to keep track and not overspend. If you have any questions regarding nutrition on a vegan diet, The Vegan Society members automatically get access to our in-house dietitians through the member’s portal (you can join The Vegan Society in a few quick and simple steps), alternatively, email nutrition[at]vegansociety[dot]com.
Time to cook!
Preparation is key; make sure to have a system in place for each meal. Wash and chop everything you need before you begin cooking as this will help ensure the process goes as smoothly and quickly as possible. Remember, cooking doesn’t need to be a chore – put on your favourite music, podcast or TV show to make it more enjoyable!
We hope these tips help show you that meal prepping as a vegan can be a great way to maintain a healthy and balanced diet and stretch your budget. To be kept up to date on more helpful information and resources, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram and the hashtag #LiveVeganforLess.
The views expressed by our bloggers are not necessarily the views of The Vegan Society.