I am in desperate need for some easy vegan lunch meals that do not require any cooking and dont take much time to prepare.
I am in desperate need for some easy vegan lunch meals that do not require any cooking and dont take much time to prepare.
Toasted Pitta with homous and cucumber.
Cold Tofu sausges.
Fruit.
Sandwich - with herb pate or homous and yeast extract.
Pasties - made the day before with ready to roll pastry.
Where are you, coz depending on where you are you can get good healthy vegan convenience foods - I am in Australia and there is this really great company called vegetable creations - they make all sorts of organic, vegan, low fat wholemeal pies using fresh vegetables. They also make things like samosas, rice balls and potato balls and various condiments. Those things are easy for lunch coz you just pop them in the microwave and they are very delicous. If this sort of a thing is not available to you then I suggest sandwiches with simple but healthy ingredients, like:
- peanut butter or other nut butter (and banana, jam/jelly etc...)
- hummus/avocado with salad
- vegan pate (like olive or mushroom) and marinated veggies
You could also take leftover dinner - pasta is great, as is rice.
Tastybite is a company that make pre-packaged vegetarian (and some vegan) curries and ready meals. They are quite delicious for pre-packaged meals.
Maybe some vegan canned or pre-packaged soup with a bread roll?
That is all I can think of for now
Thanks for the ideas. So far i have been having peanut butter & Jelly (with or without bannana) leftofer rice. Veggie wrapups with or without hummus.
Fruit is food. Preperation time is zero for many fruits, and many more only require peeling or splitting.
Yes, fruit, nuts, seeds, salads, smoothies, sprouted bread with pate' or nut/seed butters, dried olives and dried fruits and so on all make lovely meals...
Hi,
I've been lacto-ovo for a long time, and this year my new years resolution was to move towards a vegan diet. I'm not vegan yet-- I'm eating vegan during the week and vegetarian on weekends. I know this is a cop-out but I think my chances of success are higher if I give myself some time to adjust.
Anyway, for the most part it hasn't been nearly as hard as I thought it would be, and most of the meals I've made have been pretty satisfying. I haven't missed cheese nearly as much as I thought I would, which makes be think I could go 'all the way' soon.
Normally I love to cook, which I think makes things easier for me. But the hardest part so far has been days when I'm tired and busy and just not in the mood to cook. So, all you experienced vegans out there... what is your favorite quick, satisfying recipe? Or where is the best place to find some? I'm thinking on the table in 20-30 minutes.
One word: lentils. Soups, stews, burgers etc. Very versatile and very cheap. I always keep organic onions and carrots on hand so ingredients are on hand.
Stir-fries take not time, just the prep of chopping the veggies.
I agree with feline - LENTILS. I make dhal all the time and have it with rice, but if you cannot be bothered cooking brown rice, white basmati rice cooks very quick, or you could just have it with pita bread - no cooking at all. Best of all it freezes well and lasts a few days, so you can just re-heat it. Maybe you could cook stuff on the weekend and pop them in the freezer.
Another of my favourite CBF meals (can't be f***ed) is:
- baked beans on toast
- spaghetti with sauce from the jar
- plain sandwiches (hummus etc...)
A big salad with nuts and roasted tofu (marinate tofu in soy sauce then bake at high temp until crisp)
Big bowl of fruit salad
And like Banana said, make a huge tray of lasagna or the like on Sunday and just reheat.
Banana, is that Odi's eye?
LOL - that is my eye![]()
Well, it's a nice eye anywayBanana
. I guess Odi has brown eyes. How did you take that photo without getting red eye? All me and the babies photos come out with red eye b/c of the blue/green color.
Hmmm, I don't know - it just didn't go red in that picture. But you can fix red-eye on image mixer.
For a CBF meal (like it, Banana!), I have Jacket Potatoes with salad, or veg, or baked beans, or homous.
Or I just roast lots if Veg and Potatoes together with a bit of stock.
Or I have a Banana!(or two!)
Before I was vegan, I didn't like Pink Fluffy Clouds (marshmallows) so that wouldn't have been an option.
For another CBF bite, I make wedges (look in the recipes section). Then I drown it in tomato ketchup.
Also:
- veggie burgers
- breakfast cereal
- mashed potatoes
- peanut butter roll
- steamed veg with soy sauce
- refried beans on a tortilla
Oh and vegan pizza:
Just get pita bread, smear on tomato paste, throw on any veggie you like and stick it in the oven! If you can be bothered, you can make Artichoke's melty pizza cheese!
Oh, I hadn't thought of me being a Marshmallow before!![]()
I chose my name after The Orb's song, 'Little Fluffy Clouds'.![]()
Slow and steady wins the race - most people need time to adjust or they feel deprived. I think you are being smart. It is a whole lifestyle change so well done Ducky!ducky
Cook enough one night for the next night to, or enough for several meals and freeze em.ducky
![]()
My favourite CBF recipe (look what you started, banana!):
1 can of diced tomatoes in their own juice
cans of whatever beans you want (as many or as few as you'd like, it doesn't matter)
Goodly handful of corn kernals
Goodly handful of chopped onion
1 or 2 cleaned and chopped jalapenos (optional)
Chili spices like cumin, garlic, ceyanne pepper, powdered chilis... whatever you put into chili.
In the bottom of a large saucepan, sautee the jalapenos for a bit, then sautee the onions until they go clear. If you use fresh garlic, add that just as the onions go clear and stir round until it smells a bit (don't let the garlic go deep brown on you). Add the spices. Add the tomatoes, beans and corn then turn the heat down to simmer and let it go until everything's warmed through. Taste and reseason if needed. Serve over brown rice.
That's the basic recipe, but it's also adaptable so you can put mushrooms in it, broccoli, carrots... anything. I haven't met a veggie yet that didn't go well in chili.![]()
That is a great idea Kriz. I seem to complicate everything!
I've found that rice, a couple tablespoons of hummus for consistency, and some curry sauce (if you like it spicey) is a great base that's quick and easy. On top of that if you are feeling more ambitious you can add lemon/lime, tofu, noodles, seitan, fresh (or canned) veggies, chopped herbs, etc.
Pasta salad is really easy too! Just boil some water, throw in some multi-colored pasta, wait until it's soft, add a vinagrette, and/or hemp seed or flax oil (hemp seed has a more nutty and "cannabis" taste)
Sandwhiches: Peanut butter and jelly, Peanut butter and oatmeal, Banana, Pita bread w/hummus
I was in the mood over the weekend for some and created this recipe:
One can of beans (I used pinto)
Bag of organic frozen veggies (I used a combo of green beans, cauliflower, broccoli and carrots)
2 tbsp Vegan worcestershire sauce or to taste
3 tbsp Nutritional yeast
1 tbsp Onion powder
Mashed potatoes (you could use instantbut I made mine using organic russet potatoes steamed then mashed with warm unsweetened soy milk, earth balance (vegan margarine) and salt/pepper
Make the mashed potatoes or use leftover mashed. Steam or quickly blanch the veggies. Make sure they are chopped into little pieces. Toss the veggies into a pie pan, baking dish, whatever. Add the worcestershire, onion powder & nutritional yeast. Stir it together. Top with mashed potatoes. Bake in preheated 350F oven until the mashed is brown and crisp.
mmm this sounds delish. i might make this tonight, but arent you supposed to use a sort of gravy base in the veggies before topping it with potatoes?
"you dont have to be tall to see the moon" - african proverb
I found that the nutritional yeast thickened it up nicely. Didn't need any gravy. And it added the nice, slightly-cheesy flavor. Forget to add, I lightly mashed the beans with a fork.
I use nutritional yeast on top of shepherd's pie, mashed into the top of the potato with margarine, then sprinkle the top with sesame seeds and a pinch of salt and cook it in the oven until the top goes crispy...it's very tasty!
once in a while you can get shown the light
in the strangest of places if you look at it right
My favorite is to make up some garlic mashed potatoes and toss in a bunch of different frozen veggies into my baking pan. Sometimes, I'll put in fresh ones, too. Put potatoes on veggies and wack the whole thing into the oven. Cook until the top is browned and the kitchen smells delicious.![]()
It's vegan, which means it's vegetarian which means there's nothing unheathy in it. -- my guy trying to explain vegan junkfood.
Cheers Feeline thats nice I made it on Sunday, thanks very much![]()
Go confidently in the direction of your dreams
sounds good. when i make shepards pie i use mashed lentils. they add great flavor and help to bind it together. celery and carrots are really good in it too.
i wanted to make shepards pie tonight. i will use peas, carrots, and onions, with my onion gravy and then top it with mashed potatoes. yummmm. shepards pie is such a home type meal. its great for rainy days!
"you dont have to be tall to see the moon" - african proverb
When I'm too lazy or rushed to cook I usually resort to one of these:
Easy Peasy Chinese - stir-fry some cubed tofu, some ready prepared stir-fry vegetables, add a sachet of blue dragon sauce and serve with rice noodles.
.
Easy Peasy Italian - stir a jar of pasta sauce into cooked pasta, top with nutritional yeast flakes and serve with mixed green salad.
Easy Peasy Curry - stir cooked vegetables and/or beans into a jar of curry sauce, serve with rice.
"He who binds himself to a Joy, Does the winged life destroy;
He who kisses the Joy as it flies, Lives in Eternity's sunrise"
William Blake
mini pizzas are great. a piece of whole wheat bread (i use homemade rice toast though), toasted, then topped with tomato sauce and veggies of all kinds, a sprinkle of herbs and nutritional yeast and baked in the oven until crisped. yummm.
"you dont have to be tall to see the moon" - african proverb
When I'm in a rush I eat fruit or salad.
Fruit is great when in a rush, but I can't seem to chop salad fast enough. It also doesn't "keep me going" for very long unless I eat like, 10 servings of salad!phillip888
Mmmm... I just had a yummy simple dinner: steamed kale and carrots, mashed potatoes (with vegetable broth and Earth Balance mixed in) canned organic black bleans with vegetable ground meat. EASY!!Dessert is dried mango strips.
![]()
"Animals are my friends... and I don't eat my friends". ~ George Bernhard Shaw.
Another easy one is spinach salad with walnuts, sliced granny smith apple (green sour). Dressing - balsamic vinegar, olive oil, a pinch of cinnamon and sweetener mixed together. Very fruity juicy taste.![]()
"Animals are my friends... and I don't eat my friends". ~ George Bernhard Shaw.
The japanese eat steamed (but chilled) spinach, topped with a tahini - type sauce. That is tasty.
Banana
If you eat high carb veggies (like spinache, roughly 55% carbs, butter lettuce at 65% carbs, onions are roughly 90% carbs, carrots 80% or so, tomatoes 75% or so, most seaweed is around 70% carbs, sweet peppers are around 80%, and of course you can precook and refrigerate squash, potatoes, and such for more filling high carb addins) in your salads, and you still can't 'keep going' then you might have a serius digestive issue like leaky gut syndrome. Also keep in mind that stuffing a couple pounds of salad down isn't harder than doing the same with other veggies, in fact I find it much easier. I'm not sure what you consider a serving of salad either. I know a lot of people think of salad being a tiny side, but ten servings of the salads I eat simply wouldn't fit in me, not even over the course of a day. Also I can chop my salad in less than a minute in a rush, so maybe you need a bigger wider knife. I use the fat blade knives (about 16cm long and 6cm wide). they're handy for cutting fruit too. Also I have made salads in the past to store in the fridge, and in a sealable container they last about three days. Especially if you rinse them in cold water every time you open the container. That all cuts down prep time considerably.
BTW butter lettuce isn't just high carb, it's really tasty. Kind of like a brussel sprout in lettuce form. It's my favorite. I use about one head per salad.
If you like pasta with creamy sauce, this is my favorite that I've come up with that is creamy and "hard to believe it's vegan":
cook up about 6 oz. bowtie pasta (2 cups or so cooked)
while it's cooking, melt about 2 1/2 tbsp margarine in a small saucepan
add about 1/2 to 3/4 cup vegan cream cheese (made by Tofutti)
stir together until melted
add some creole seasoning, salt and pepper
stir in about 1/3 to 1/2 cup prepared spaghetti sauce or some diced tomatoes
mix the sauce into the hot, drained pasta
would probably be good with some steamed veggies added in, too
takes about 12 minutes and is very indulgent, imo...just as fattening as cheesy pasta, though which is why i don't eat it every dayOh, and sorry that my measurements are not exact, but I've never measured it out. Maybe I will next time and repost.
You can also make a creamy pasta sauce with coconut milk. I saute some shallots, different types of mushrooms, add a little vegetable broth and a can of coconut milk. It's delicious!![]()
"Animals are my friends... and I don't eat my friends". ~ George Bernhard Shaw.
Green apples cut up diipped in the green mix podweer that contains flax seeds,wheatgrass, barley,loads of other vitmains like licorice and yeah.. theres like 100 vitamins.. you usually put like a table spoon in juices .. b ut i actually really like it sprinkled on the apple, or just cut the apple up and dip it into the green powder.. its really refreshing and filling.
Get a toasted sandwhich maker. It takes very little time to cook and preparing is easy if you use left over curry, baked beans, cheasly spread and jam, cheatin meat slices and any chopped up veg you have on hand. That can be easily done if you are chopping up veg for a more ilaberate meal and put some aside for sandwhich fillers. My favorite is beans, cheazly and onions. I also find it easier to use vegitalbe ghee rather then marge.
Another idea is to cook a big pot of pasta/curry and freeze most of them for when you need it. You can also freeze a portion of rice on top so all you would have to do in a hurry would be to pop it in the microwave.
Ok so cooking is not my forte... basically I ever try and actually cook something I usually end up burning myself. My family doesn't really cook either, its basically ordering out or going out every night.
However, I would love to be able to make some quick and easy meals with little or no real preparation except maybe taking a few different ingredients and sticking them together. Any suggestions would be lovely!![]()
"An outside enemy exists only if there is anger inside."
- Lama Zopa Rinpoche
Stirfries! Chop some veggies (cauliflower, bean sprouts, broccoli, bok choy, carrots, onions, green peppers, are good stirfry veggies), cook in a little bit of oil, add some soy sauce, and voila. Use a wok or large frying pan for best results. Eat it with some brown rice or whole wheat pasta for a full meal.
Salads are good. You can buy pre-chopped, pre-washed veggies, throw in some some dressing (bottled or make your own). It might get expensive to buy pre-cut vegetables, but it's quick and easy. Read the labels on the dressings, usually vinegrettes are "vegan safe" but always double check. I make my own dressing with olive oil, lemon juice, dried mint, salt, pepper, and maybe some balsamic vinegar.
pasta and a vegan sauce is always quick and easy. if you have vegan pesto, you don't even have to cook the sauce you can just stir it in at the end.pasta sauces can always be made in large quantities and frozen as well.
curries are pretty easy too, just cook up loads of veggies and spices and serve with rice - there are some recipes for them in the recipe section.
'The word gorilla was derived from the Greek word Gorillai (a "tribe of hairy women")'
Here's a simple way to eat nutritious and get more than a couple meals. Rice, Rice and rice!! Actually any grains will go a long way. Most grains can be cooked by a ratio of 2 to 1. 1 part grain to 2 parts water. My favorite rice is whole grain brown rice (I go to the asian market.) Add 1 cup rice to 2 cups water and bring to a boil. When the water comes to a boil, put a lid on it and turn the heat just above low. Set the timer for 45 minutes (that way you won't always burn it.) When the timer goes off, remove the pot from the heat and let sit for about 10 minutes. Don't take the lid off during cooking. The rice comes out perfect everytime.
For the first meal, open a can of your favorite beans, put them in a small pot on low heat about 5 minutes before the timer on the rice goes off and cover the pot. Your beans should be hot when the rice has been sitting for 10 minutes. Fill a bowl with some rice and put some beans on top. Top it off with diced onions for a tasty meal. Note: your own cooked beans are great too!
Now your going to get more than one meal with all that rice. Store the rest in the frig and the next night, dice up some veggies (zuchini, carrots, shallots, etc) and some baked tofu. Mince up some garlic and ginger. Heat up a wok, add 1-2 TBL of olive oil. Add veggies to wok and saute for about 5 minutes (if your not sure how long error on the undercooked side.) Add the garlic and ginger and saute about 30 seconds longer. Now add some of that rice that you left in the frig. Keep stirring, cuz it may stick to the wok (a nice big pan works well also.) Top it off with diced scallions.
Helpful hint: It is really important when stir frying to have all your ingredients prepared and ready to go.
For an additional meal add some of that rice to a salad.
If you also have some of those beans left over, heat both the rice and beans in the microwave. Heat a tortilla or several in a skillet, then wrap some burritos.
Enjoy! Thanks for the thread.
butter lettuce is my FAVORITE lettuce.phillip888
"you dont have to be tall to see the moon" - african proverb
You could try a salad made from glass (mung bean) noodles (they only take a few minutes in boiling water) mixed with chopped bean curd sticks/skin, spring onion, soy sauce, black vinegar, dried chilli flakes, garlic & a little oil & sugar. Its tasty hot or chilled.
Sausage rolls are a good lunch too - fry or boil your favourite veggies, add nuts (whole or nut butter/puree) and beans and herbs, mash it all together & put it into some ready rolled puff pastry to make a sos roll. Freeze them to cook later, or bake for about 15 mins, at 220deg C & eat hot or cold.
Sushi is another one you can make in advance, and the only cooking is boiling the rice. Dress the cooling rice in a little sweetened cider vinegar, and spread onto a toasted nori sheet. Fill with raw veggies (avocado, carrot, cucumber, spring onion) or pickles and roll up. To save time, make big ones instead of the pretty little ones you get in restaurants - they still taste good!
I'd second the cold pasta salad & stuffed pita/wraps suggested before too.
mmm i made a great shepards pie tonight. i used onions, carrots, peas, tomatoes, mixed with organic tomato soup, nutritional yeast, thyme, marjoram, garlic, sea salt and pepper. i poured the veggies overtop of a bed of cooked red lentils, then topped that with home mashed potatoes and baked it in the oven. yum!
"you dont have to be tall to see the moon" - african proverb
Porridge!!!!! Stick some oats in a bowl with some water or vegan milk of choice, microwave on high power for a minute or so, stir, add more liquid if need, microwave for another minute, stir add a little cold milk and throw on top whatever you like! I love chopped banana, brazil nuts and brown rice syrup. Yummy anytime of the day!
~*wanna disco? wanna see me disco?*~
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