263: MAYA'S TIP: Simplify Cooking Plant-Based at Home

The key to a successful plant-based lifestyle is to plan your meals ahead of time. My Whole Food Plant-Based Guide gives you ideas on discovering nine meals you can regularly prepare. 

Keep a variety of non-perishable foods in your pantry for those days when you need to make a quick meal.  

Here are some ideas for your pantry: 

Keep canned roasted tomatoes and canned low-sodium beans. Want to find meat replacements? Try canned artichokes, hearts of palm, and jackfruit. These foods are already cooked and ready to use. I also enjoy keeping low-sodium vegetable broth in my pantry.

I keep four kinds of dry beans: black beans, pinto beans, chickpeas, and lentils, which I can quickly cook in my instant pot. Then I make soups and burritos.

I keep rice, oats, barley, polenta, and pasta. Then I make dishes such as lentils with rice and polenta topped with beans. 

I keep a bowl on the counter where I add papaya, mango, pomegranate, and bananas. These are the fruits that I enjoy for breakfast, in my salads, in a smoothie, or as a snack.

Green in my fridge: 

I enjoy arugula, spinach, green onions, Roma tomatoes, and red onion. This way, I always have ingredients for a salad. In my guide, I have a recipe for Mexican corn and black bean salad. All the ingredients can be pre-cut or chopped and stored individually in mason jars. Then toss them together for salad. 

This includes walnuts, berries, and a healthy dressing. I also like firm tofu for a tofu scramble and tortillas for a burrito. 

Did you know frozen foods' nutritional value is equivalent to fresh varieties?  

Here are some ideas for your freezer: 

Grab spinach, carrots, broccoli, garlic, and onions. You can steam some of these vegetables or toss them in a soup. Frozen fruit, including berries, are perfect for smoothies.

My brief guide has a list of these items that you can use for grocery shopping. If you are concerned about whether or not you should purchase organic produce, I also have a list of recommendations.

Here are additional tips:

• Have a grocery list so that you can do groceries more efficiently.  
• Make sure to eat before doing groceries. This way, you will not grab junk foods that you may crave. 
• Only buy what you can eat for the week. 
• Try ordering your groceries online and having them delivered. This way, you plan your meals more carefully while avoiding purchasing foods you want to avoid.  
• Try a meal delivery service that offers plant-based options. All the ingredients are prepped and pre-measured for you.  
• Try a new veggie or fruit.
• Try prepping your meals on the weekends for that entire week. 
• Remember that we are creatures of habit, and we typically like rotating 8-9 meals at a time.
• Be creative with your leftovers, such as using your leftovers in a Buddha bowl. Place over greens with lentils, roasted veggies, fresh tomatoes, and sliced cucumbers.  
• For an easy vegan mayo, marinara sauce, and ranch dressing refer to my guide. https://bit.ly/mayaspracticaltips

For delicious plant-based recipes, check out the following: 

• Daily dozen- use the app. https://nutritionfacts.org/daily-dozen/
• PCRM recipes: https://www.pcrm.org/good-nutrition/plant-based diets/recipes
• Forks over knives website: https://www.forksoverknives.com/recipes/

Replacing egg: 

• Flax seeds: 1 TBSP ground flaxseed + 3 TBSP water  
• Chia seeds: 1 TBSP + 2 TBSP water 
• Aquafaba, which is the liquid found in chickpeas  

Sauces can be made with: 

• Miso 
• Tamari/soy sauce 
• Mustard 
• Maple syrup

Easy replacements: 

1. Spaghetti bolognese; pasta, low sodium marinara sauce, and lentils  
2. Lasagna - soy grounds  
3. Pizza- make your dough or buy cauliflower pizza  
4. Burgers - veggie burgers 
5. 5. Soups and stews such as three-bean chili are easy