23 Vegetarian Meal Prep Recipes (2024)

By: Denise Bustard19 Comments
Posted: 7/23/21Updated: 7/23/21

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These vegetarian meal prep recipes can help you eat healthier and reduce your meal time stress. Browse through the meal prep bowls, jar salads and friendly options.

Making vegetarian meal prep recipes, whether it is breakfast, lunch or dinner, sets you up for healthy eating through the week. Not only that, but you will save yourself time, stress and even save some money!

23 Vegetarian Meal Prep Recipes (1)

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One thing I love about vegetarian meal prep recipes is that the proteins are super easy to work with, often as simple as opening a can of beans! That makes prepping your meals even more efficient.

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Meal Prep FAQ

How many days can I meal prep for at a time?

That depends on whether you choose freezer-friendly meals or not. Most ingredients will keep in the fridge for up to 4 days. Check out theseFreezer-Friendly Lunch Meal Prep Recipesfor recipes that will keep longer!

Is rice really safe to reheat?

Absolutely! The important thing with rice is that you don’t leave it at room temperature for long periods of time. Cool it quickly, refrigerate, and do not reheat more than once.Ref

Which meal prep containers should I use?

Check out this post I wrote about the5 Best Glass Meal Prep Containers!

Which vegetables work best for meal prep?

You will want to check out this post onHow to Meal Prep Vegetables.

Do I really have to eat the same thing four days in a row?

NO! Check out this post on3 Ways to Add Variety to Your Meal Prep. Although I will say that the most efficient way to meal prep is to bulk prep the same meal.

Meal prep & storage tips

How to meal prep– Specific instructions are found on each individual recipe post. Stir fries, burritos, casseroles, pastas (etc) are cooked ahead. Salads- chop, portion out, and keep dressing separate until just before serving (unless otherwise stated). Soup- assemble in mason jars.

How to store– Some options for storing these meal prep recipes include:

  • 2 cup meal prep containers (my personal faves; I own 40 of these!)
  • 2 compartment meal prep containers (great for keeping ingredients separate until just before serving)
  • 3 compartment meal prep containers (great for bento-style lunches)
  • condiment containers (great for salad dressings)
  • 1 pint mason jars (great for salads)

How to serve– rewarm until steaming hot (if recipe calls for it). Toss salad in dressings and enjoy cold. Pour hot water into mason jar soup.

QUESTION? Ask me below!

Meal prep bowls

Cauliflower Cashew Lunch Bowls

Makethese cauliflower cashew lunch bowls ahead of time and have work lunches ready for the week! Roasted cauliflower, toasted cashews, barley and chickpeas are all tossed in a delicious honey-ginger vinaigrette!

Check out this recipe

23 Vegetarian Meal Prep Recipes (2)

Southwestern Sweet Potato & Lentil Jar Salads

These sweet potato & lentil jar salads have the most amazing chili lime vinaigrette! Make them ahead and enjoy throughout the week for an easy, healthy on-the-go lunch.

Check out this recipe

23 Vegetarian Meal Prep Recipes (3)

Vegan Slow Cooker Tikka Masala

This vegan slow cooker tikka masala is PERFECT for meal prep! It makes an easy freezer crockpot meal, and leftovers keep (and can be frozen) for healthy plant-based lunches.

Check out this recipe

23 Vegetarian Meal Prep Recipes (4)

Chickpea, Barley & Butternut Squash Jar Salads

Make ahead chickpea, barley and butternut squash jar salads will have you looking forward to lunch all morning! Vegetarian, ready in under 1 hour, and tastes amazing, even on day 4.

Check out this recipe

23 Vegetarian Meal Prep Recipes (5)

Buddha Bowl Recipe

This Buddha bowl recipe is full of healthy plant-based ingredients and works great for meal prep! Customize it using your favorite veggies and don't forget to drizzle with the delicious tahini sauce.

Check out this recipe

23 Vegetarian Meal Prep Recipes (6)

Perfect Egg Fried Rice (+ Variations)

Showing you how to cook perfect egg fried rice! Made with a simple ingredient list including rice, carrots, beans and eggs tossed in a simple soy and sesame oil sauce. It's kid-friendly, freezer-friendly, and perfect for using up what you have in your fridge and pantry.

Check out this recipe

23 Vegetarian Meal Prep Recipes (7)

Vegan Sushi Meal Prep

This vegan sushi bowl meal prep has all the flavors of sushi without the rolling! Made with cucumber, carrots, radish, edamame, rice and a sriracha mayo dressing.

Check out this recipe

23 Vegetarian Meal Prep Recipes (8)

Farro Arugula Salad (Meal Prep)

This farro arugula salad is a delicious vegetarian meal prep recipe! With snap peas, feta cheese, egg and a tangy vinaigrette, it is filling and delicious!

Check out this recipe

23 Vegetarian Meal Prep Recipes (9)

Moroccan Instant Pot Lentils

Moroccan Instant Pot lentils made with sweet potato, tomatoes, carrots, and warming spices! Vegan comfort food at it's finest, this recipe is gluten-free, freezer-friendly, and delicious.

Check out this recipe

23 Vegetarian Meal Prep Recipes (10)

Cold Sesame Noodles with Spiralized Vegetables

These cold sesame noodle meal prep bowls are the perfect vegan prep ahead lunch: spiralized vegetables tossed with chickpeas and whole wheat spaghetti in a spicy almond butter sauce.

Check out this recipe

23 Vegetarian Meal Prep Recipes (11)

Spicy Tofu Noodles Meal Prep

These spicy tofu noodle meal prep bowls are made with a sweet, savory and spicy sauce, whole-wheat spaghetti, zucchini noodles, and tofu! Make it ahead and enjoy for lunch through the week.

Check out this recipe

23 Vegetarian Meal Prep Recipes (12)

Vegan Roasted Vegetable Meal Prep with Turmeric Tahini Sauce

This vegan meal prep recipe pairs roasted vegetables, chickpeas and quinoa with a deliciously creamy turmeric tahini sauce.

Check out this recipe

23 Vegetarian Meal Prep Recipes (13)

Chickpea Salad Bento Box (Vegan)

Chickpea salad bento box is a vegan no cook lunch option that can be ready in under 25 minutes!

Check out this recipe

23 Vegetarian Meal Prep Recipes (14)

Dinners

Freezer Cauliflower Rice Black Bean Burritos

These freezer cauliflower rice black bean burritos are lighter but just as tasty as the original! Loaded with veggies, salsa, black beans and cheese, and so convenient to have stocked in your freezer.

Check out this recipe

23 Vegetarian Meal Prep Recipes (15)

Sun Dried Tomato One Pot Pasta

This sun dried tomato pasta with chickpeas, mushrooms and spinach cooks up in one pot! Give it a few stirs, and dinner is ready! Easy to assemble ahead and customize with your favorite ingredients.

Check out this recipe

23 Vegetarian Meal Prep Recipes (16)

Slow Cooker Chickpea Tortilla Soup (Freezer to Crock Pot)

Slow cooker chickpea tortilla soup which can be assembled ahead of time and stored in the fridge or freezer! A great way to stay out of the kitchen this summer.

Check out this recipe

23 Vegetarian Meal Prep Recipes (17)

Chopped Chickpea Salad (Make Ahead)

This chopped chickpea salad has bulgur wheat, crunchy veggies, feta cheese, and a delicious honey lemon vinaigrette is a delicious vegetarian salad that tastes even better on day 2!

Check out this recipe

23 Vegetarian Meal Prep Recipes (18)

Lasagna Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms (Make Ahead, Freezer)

Lasagna stuffed portobello mushrooms has everyone's favorite lasagna ingredients (marinara, ricotta, spinach and basil) but served up in a deliciously roasted portobello mushroom! Low carb, freezer-friendly and vegetarian.

Check out this recipe

23 Vegetarian Meal Prep Recipes (19)

Freezer to Oven Enchilada Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

With delicious TexMex flavors, these enchilada stuffed sweet potatoes are great for lunch or dinner. You can prep them ahead and freeze for easy meals during busy weeks.

Check out this recipe

23 Vegetarian Meal Prep Recipes (20)

One Pot Black Bean Fajita Pasta

One pot black bean fajita pasta is creamy and delicious vegetarian pasta recipe. With bell peppers, onions, black beans and fajita seasonings, it's perfect for weeknight dinners or for meal prep.

Check out this recipe

23 Vegetarian Meal Prep Recipes (21)

White Bean & Spinach Quesadillas (Freezer Friendly)

Make these smashed white bean and spinach quesadillas ahead of time and stash them in the freezer for an easy and healthy lunch that actually fills you up!

Check out this recipe

23 Vegetarian Meal Prep Recipes (22)

Chickpea Butternut Squash Fajitas (Freezer-Friendly)

Chickpea butternut squash fajitas are a tasty remix on the classic. With tender roasted butternut squash, bell peppers, red onions and chickpeas tossed in a flavorful homemade fajita seasoning, they're simple to prep and work great as a freezer meal.

Check out this recipe

23 Vegetarian Meal Prep Recipes (23)

Butternut Squash Enchilada Casserole (Prep Ahead)

This butternut squash enchilada casserole bakes up with the bold spices of enchilada sauce, cheese, black beans, butternut squash and tortillas. Simple to assemble, and can be frozen for later!

Check out this recipe

23 Vegetarian Meal Prep Recipes (24)

Meet Denise Bustard

Denise Bustard is the creator of Sweet Peas and Saffron, a meal prep-focussed food blog. With a PhD in biochemistry, Denise takes a scientific approach to perfecting her recipes. You can find Denise's work featured on Huffington Post, MSN, Self and more.

Read more...

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Reader Interactions

Leave a Comment

  1. Sherrie Hartman says

    OMG -- can't wait to try all of these! I think this is going to be my favorite post ever 🙂 Thank you for putting it all together!

    Reply

    • Denise Bustard says

      I'm so happy it was helpful! I hope you can find some winners, Sherrie!

      Reply

  2. Anni says

    Thanks for the variety of recipes Denise. I plan on prepping some of these for our long trip in our trailer this spring. #happycamper

    Reply

  3. Merna says

    Lately, I’ve been craving foods with sauce/gravy (anything saucy really HA!), and wasn’t expecting these mouth watering meals to have it incorporated. I am looking forward to meal prepping for the first time. Thank you for the motivation and inspiration!

    Reply

    • Denise says

      I hope you find some good ones! Thanks, Merna 🙂

      Reply

  4. Vicky says

    Thank you for these wonderful recipes Denise. I'm definitely going to try most of them as they will make a welcome change to my usual meals.

    Reply

    • Denise says

      Hi Vicky! I hope you find some winners!

      Reply

  5. Laura Raymond says

    Hi, Denise! These are gorgeous, healthy, delicious sounding recipes that I would love to share with my vegetarian friends and tell them about Sweet Peas & Saffron. For me, personally, none of them work because I have severe IBS and a slew of allergies, and every single one of the recipes posted relies heavily on ingredients that would have me doubled over in agony in about five to ten minutes. Such a shame, since they look soooooooooooo good!!!!! You are an awesome food designer with a great eye for recipes that work and are both healthful and tasty, even though it won't work for me personally.

    Reply

    • Denise says

      Hi Laura, apologies for my late reply (holidays!). Sorry to hear they won't work for you. I have a friend with IBS and she can't have the most random selection of foods. It must be so hard to find recipes that work for you. Thanks so much for passing on to your friends!

      Reply

  6. Kristen says

    These are awesome! Thank you!

    Reply

  7. Helen says

    23 Vegetarian Meal Prep Recipes (31)
    I normally look at links like this and find half of the recipes include ingredients that are not vegetarian or the recipes are complicated or there is nothing I like the sound of. So congratulations I have just printed off 17 recipes and i will try and make a different one each week. I'm looking forward to new and exciting lunches to replace my usual sandwiches.

    Reply

    • Denise says

      So happy to hear this! Hope you enjoy!

      Reply

  8. Dee says

    23 Vegetarian Meal Prep Recipes (32)
    I can't wait to try those portobellos!!!

    Reply

  9. Bella says

    These are awesome, thank you so much for posting!

    Reply

    • Denise says

      You are very welcome, Bella!

      Reply

  10. Nallely says

    I love this post, I took a picture of a couple recipes I'm so excited to try! You're awesome, I seriously enjoyed reading your posts as well, keep doing what you're doing (:

    Reply

    • Denise says

      Thank you so much, Nallely! I hope you enjoy the recipes 🙂

      Reply

  11. HeatherJeweler says

    These are some amazing sounding recipes. I have not made any yet but plan too. It can be a bit daunting to search online for great, easy, inspiring recipes. You have so many to choose from.
    Thanks

    Reply

    • Denise says

      Hi Heather! I"m glad you like the post. Thanks so much for your comment 🙂

      Reply

23 Vegetarian Meal Prep Recipes (2024)

FAQs

How many meals should you make for meal prep? ›

While you definitely want variety for your meal prep, you should limit your recipes to two or three per week, and for five days ahead of time max. Being prepared is great, but you also want to make sure you're eating meals with fresh ingredients even if prepared ahead of time.

Can you meal prep rice? ›

Rice and grain bowls make great meal preps! They can chill in your fridge for up to four days and are freezer-friendly in most cases. The cool thing about meal prepping rice is that many times, microwaving it can fix any rice issues you had when cooking it.

How do I make a vegetarian meal plan? ›

A vegetarian diet should include a diverse mix of fruits, vegetables, grains, healthy fats, and proteins. To replace the protein provided by meat in your diet, include a variety of protein-rich plant foods like whole grains, legumes, tempeh, tofu, and seitan.

Is it better to meal prep or cook everyday? ›

Meal prepping can be beneficial for a number of reasons, including: It can save time on daily cooking. It gives you access to healthy, homemade meals every day. It allows you to ensure all your meals are nutritious and enables you to monitor your portion control.

How to figure out portions for meal prep? ›

The basic portion sizes that we want to aim for are this: 4 oz of protein, 1/2 cup of grains and 2 cups of veggies per meal. I use containers that hold 3 cups of food. My containers always contain around 2 cups of veggies, 1/2 cup of protein and 1/2 cup of grains — and that's enough for ME, a 5'3” woman.

What is the most common vegetarian diet? ›

Lacto-ovo vegetarian: Probably the most popular form of vegetarianism. Lacto-ovo vegetarians avoid meat, poultry, seafood, and fish. Yet, they still eat some animal products, like dairy and eggs. Diets remain mostly plant-based.

What are 3 vegetarian proteins? ›

If you're considering a vegetarian diet, here are 20 high-quality sources of protein to get you started.
  • Lentils. Lentils may be red, green, black, or brown. ...
  • Edamame. Edamame are soybeans harvested before they mature. ...
  • Beans. Beans are a delicious plant source of protein. ...
  • Split peas. ...
  • Tofu. ...
  • Peanut butter. ...
  • Oats. ...
  • Quinoa.
Mar 14, 2024

What is the healthiest rice for meal prep? ›

She votes for brown rice and wild rice when it comes to the “healthiest” choice because they provide the most fiber and essential nutrients compared to other varieties of rice. For calorie-conscious individuals, wild rice stands out as the lowest-calorie option, followed by black rice and then basmati rice.

Can you meal prep scrambled eggs? ›

A: Eggs are one of the quickest products to meal prep. Find out how many portions you need for the week ahead, cook the eggs (cooking scrambled eggs only takes ca. 15 minutes), and then divide the food into individual portions to store in the fridge.

What are the best carbs for meal prep? ›

Carbs from veggies: All leafy greens, cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, Brussel sprouts, vegetables like artichokes, swiss chard, sweet potato, green banana are all healthy carbs that pack plenty of fiber, vitamins and complex starch that keeps your meal prep nutritious.

What is a typical vegetarian menu like? ›

What to Eat on a Vegetarian Diet
  • Beans and lentils.
  • Nuts, nut butters and seeds (including chia and flax)
  • Whole grains (quinoa, bulgur, freekeh, whole-wheat, oats, brown rice and more)
  • Soy (tofu, edamame, tempeh)
  • Fruits.
  • Vegetables.
  • Dairy (yogurt, kefir, cheese and milk)
  • Eggs.
Apr 16, 2024

How to lose 30 pounds vegetarian? ›

Several strategies can help promote weight loss on a vegetarian diet, including:
  1. Filling half of your plate with non-starchy vegetables. ...
  2. Incorporating protein at every meal and snack. ...
  3. Opting for complex carbs. ...
  4. Watching your portions of high-calorie foods. ...
  5. Eating mostly whole foods. ...
  6. Limiting highly processed foods.
Sep 10, 2019

How much food should I eat for prepping? ›

To prepare, pack at least 2,000 calories of food per adult per day. In addition, pack at least one gallon of water per person per day for drinking and sanitation in clean plastic containers.

What is the ratio for meal prepping? ›

Once you figure out how much food you need, focus on the ratios: 1 part protein, 1 part carb, 4 parts fruits and veggies. You do NOT need to count calories to achieve your health goals with meal prep. Once you get into a rhythm, you should be able to eyeball portion sizes within your containers.

How many meals should be in a meal plan? ›

While dietary guidelines typically recommend that you eat at least three meals and one snack a day, some people are more successful with weight loss if they eat smaller, more frequent meals. A six-meal-a-day plan may help you to better manage hunger and maintain energy levels.

How much food do I need to prep? ›

How Much Food to Stockpile Per Person for Immediate Use: A Week's Worth of Certain Shelf-Stable Items for Each Person. A good rule of thumb when prepping is to always have at least one week's worth of food stored somewhere cool and dry in the home, like a basem*nt or crawlspace.

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