It’s always good to know what people find challenging. I love it when people ask me questions about their journey eating a plant-based diet. And these make for great blog post. Today, I received a question on my Facebook page about plant-based on-the-go meal ideas,
“My husband and I just started this way of life yesterday and are having trouble coming up with some easy take to work or on the go foods. Can you please give us some ideas for on the go meals as my husband is driving for work all day?”
Wow, Lindsay and her husband are REALLY newcomers! Good for her for reaching out and making it happen.
Here’s what I came up with and I’m sure there are more ideas. Some are easier than others… Truth is, it can take a little more work when you are making your own food. Once you have a full pantry and a repertoire of ideas, it’ll be a breeze.
Plant-based on-the-go meals ideas
Since you’re new to eating a plant-based diet, you should think about what you would have typically eaten and remove the meat and dairy. Not everything works, but often it does.
Tempeh Salad Sandwich
- Leftovers are great to have for a meal the next day so think about that when you make dinner. Invest in some containers and/or a thermos for hot food. Lasagna, quinoa bowls, spaghetti, beefless stew, soups or chili would all be yummy. If you need a way to heat it up, the folks over at plantpurenation.com have a personal portable warming oven that might help.
- Salad jars are another easy, on-the-go meal that can be prepared the night before. Dressing and heavy items go on the bottom, leave room to shake when ready to eat. Here’s a how-to on making salad jars.
- If you’re just starting on a plant-based diet are you eating meat alternatives like deli slices? You can use these to make sandwiches or, instead, make your own chickpea salad or veggie sandwich. Jarred roasted peppers, cucumbers and hummus make a great one.
See other sandwich options on my site here: https://www.plantbasedcooking.com/recipes/sandwiches/Hummus is a winner
Low-Fat Hummus
- Hummus with veggies and crackers can make an easy on-the-go meal. My hummus formula will give you lots of variations. Purchase tahini and use it along with chickpeas in many different versions of this yummy dish.
- Hummus is also good in a tortilla or lettuce wrap along with deli meat or slivered veggies plus avocado and sprouts.
- Keep baked potatoes or baked potato wedges on hand and eat with catsup or homemade tofu cashew sour cream. It’s better than you might think. I also like salad dressing on my potatoes.
Heat oven to 425° and lay your cut potato wedges on their sides. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and a little nutritional yeast, if you like. Bake for 15 minutes and check, turning over any that are browned on one side.
- Pasta salad: Macaroni Salad, Pasta with Spinach Pesto
- Veggie pizza…. yum. It’s even good cold.
- Of course, don’t forget fresh fruit and slices veggies. A great dip to go with them helps!
- A handful of nuts has protein and fat which helps fill you up. An ounce or two per day is very good for you!
I hope this gives you a few ideas for eating on the go.
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What brand of bread is pictured with the tempeh salad sandwich?
Thank you!
Hey Melissa, this was a whole-grain raisin bread, but I can’t remember the brand. Looks like maybe it was from a bakery and hand sliced because it looks rather thick. We often enjoy the Food for Life brand, http://www.foodforlife.com/products?tid_1=8&tid=All, and they do have a raisin version.
Hey! Soooo I’m in a position where I can’t cook and I have no where to prepare food except for my bed. I can refrigerate but I have a very limited section of the fridge I can use. Do you have any ideas for me because I really want to be 100% plant based.
Hi Tai, thanks for your question. I have a couple of ideas for you and congrats on wanting to eat plant-based. Of course, eating fresh fruit and raw veggies is a great option. I find that eating more fruit can help us feel satisfied and resist sugary foods. And, it really shouldn’t affect blood sugar. I hope you have a good cutting board and some knives… Having raw veggies with a dip can help make them more interesting and there are many you can purchase, although most have added oil so that would depend on if that’s something you’re willing to eat. Hummus, made with chickpeas, is a great option or try mashing up an avocado. Tofu also makes a great dip. Then, there’s peanut or almond butter which goes well with celery and apple.
I was also thinking that overnight oats would be a good choice for breakfast. Here’s my recipe. If you have a microwave you can heat them in the morning or eat them cold. Either way, it’s great with some fresh berries and banana, some flaxseeds and walnuts and even some plant-based yogurt, such as cashew or almond. If you had a blender you could make smoothies with fruits and greens. These are good choices for breakfast.
As for lunch, if you’re willing to try some of the plant meats, you can have sandwiches topped with greens or sprouts, tomato, and avocado on whole-grain bread. Have you tried tempeh which is fermented soybeans? That can be made into a tempeh salad much like a tuna salad. Chickpeas work for this, as well.
Then for dinner, it gets a little trickier, but do include fresh salads that can be bought at the salad bar if you have limited space. Include all the crunchy toppings. Finally, I would also suggest some store-bought soups or pre-made items, but unless you have a way to heat them, that’s tricky unless you have a microwave. That would really help. You could make regular and sweet potatoes topped with plant yogurt and heat up other store-bought items.
Another option is to order from a delivery service with pre-made plant-based meals. I know of two that are specifically whole food and plant-based meaning that they are low in added oils, salt, and sugar. Those are Leafside and PlantPure but there are many others that you could find with a search for “plant-based meal delivery.” I hope this helps and good luck! If I think of anything else, I’ll add it to this comment. Let me know how it’s going.