Meal Prep Made Easy With Cheap Lazy Vegan

Meal Prep Made Easy With Cheap Lazy Vegan

You don’t need a lot of money or time to vegan meal prep. 

In this video, Cheap Lazy Vegan shows us how to make a handful of easy, plant-based recipes: rice, bean chili, roasted potatoes and vegetables, roasted chickpeas, scrambled tofu, and a savory peanut sauce.

Here’s how to vegan meal prep on a budget.

Rice

Ingredients:

3 cups rice (white or brown, depending on preference)

Preparation:

Cook rice according to instructions on packaging or use a rice cooker. 

Price list:

IngredientPrice
3 cups rice$0.75

Easy Bean Chili

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/2 onion diced
1 tablespoon minced garlic 
1 diced bell pepper 
2 diced medium carrots
1 cup frozen mixed vegetables
1 15 oz can black beans
1 15 oz can kidney beans 
1 large can diced tomatoes 
1 large can tomato sauce
2 tablespoons chili powder 
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 tablespoon garlic powder
1/2 tablespoon cumin
1 vegetable bouillon cube

Preparation: 

  1. Heat oil in a large pot on medium-high heat and add onions. Sauté for a minute. 
  2. Add minced garlic and sauté for another minute. Then add the bell pepper, carrots, mixed vegetables, black beans, kidney beans, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, chili powder, paprika, garlic powder, cumin, and vegetable bouillon.  (Crumble up the vegetable bouillon cube with your fingers before adding it into the pot). 
  3. Mix well and bring the mixture to a boil on high heat. 
  4. Turn heat down to a low and simmer for around 20 to 30 minutes before serving. 

Price list:

IngredientPrice
1 tbsp vegetable oil$0.03
1/2 onion, diced$0.40
1 tbsp minced garlic$0.04
1 bell pepper, diced$1.58
2 medium carrots, diced$0.24
1 cup frozen mixed vegetables$0.36
1 can black beans$0.79
1 can kidney beans$0.79
1 large can diced tomatoes$0.79
1 large can tomato sauce$0.79
2 tbsp chili powder$0.17
1 tsp paprika$0.03
1/2 tbsp garlic powder$0.05
1/2 tbsp cumin$0.13
1 vegetable bouillon cube$0.26
TOTAL$6.45

Roasted Potatoes and Vegetables

Ingredients:

1 large potato, peeled & chopped into bite-sized chunks
1 large sweet potato, peeled & chopped into bite-sized chunks
1 broccoli crown, chopped into bite sized pieces
1/2 bell pepper, chopped into bite-sized pieces
1 large carrot, chopped into bite sized pieces
3 tablespoons olive or avocado oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1-2 tablespoons Italian seasoning, to taste
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder 
Black pepper, to taste 

Preparation: 

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. 
  2. Lay out the potatoes and sweet potatoes on a lined baking sheet. Place broccoli, bell pepper, and carrots on another baking sheet. 
  3. Evenly distribute the oil, salt, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, and black pepper. Make sure everything is nicely coated. 
  4. Roast in the oven at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 minutes then flip & toss and bake for another 20-30 minutes until potatoes and sweet potatoes are nicely cooked, and a fork goes in smoothly. 

Price list:

IngredientPrice
1 large potato, peeled & chopped into bite sized chunks$1.19
1 large sweet potato, peeled & chopped into bite sized chunks$1.58
1 broccoli crown, chopped into bite sized pieces$1.38
1/2 bell pepper, chopped into bite sized pieces$0.79
1 large carrot, chopped into bite sized pieces$0.12
2-3 tbsp olive or avocado oil$0.03
1/2 tsp salt$0.01
1-2 tbsp Italian seasoning$0.26
1/2 tsp garlic powder$0.02
Black pepper to taste$0.01
TOTAL$5.39

Roasted Chickpeas

Ingredients:

1 15 oz can chickpeas, rinsed & drained
1 tablespoon oil 
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon paprika or smoked paprika 
1/4 teaspoon salt 
Black pepper, to taste 

Preparation:

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. 
  2. Lay chickpeas onto a baking sheet or pan and roll gently with hands to remove the skin as much as possible. Take the skins off and toss them. It’s okay if you don’t get all of them off. 
  3. Add oil and mix well to coat the chickpeas.
  4. Add the rest of the ingredients, the garlic powder, the paprika, salt, and pepper, and mix well. 
  5. Bake in the oven at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 minutes. Give the chickpeas a mix and bake for another 20-30 minutes until desired crispiness & consistency.

Price list:

IngredientPrice
1 can chickpeas, rinsed & drained$0.79
1 tbsp oil$0.03
1/2 tsp garlic powder$0.02
1 tsp paprika or smoked paprika$0.03
1/4 tsp salt$0.01
black pepper to taste$0.01
TOTAL$0.89
Cheap Lazy Vegan makes eating plant-based on a budget easy.

Scrambled Tofu

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon vegetable oil 
1 tablespoon minced garlic 
1 cup frozen mixed vegetables
1/2 diced bell pepper 
1 16 oz block firm or extra firm tofu
2 tablespoon nutritional yeast, or more to taste
1/2 tablespoon garlic powder
1/2 tablespoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt

  1. Heat oil in a large pan or wok on medium-high heat and add minced garlic. Cook for a minute. 
  2. Add frozen mixed vegetables and bell pepper. Sauté for 1-2 minutes. 
  3. Crumble up drained tofu with fingers, and add into the pan. Cook for 2-3 minutes. 
  4. Add the rest of the ingredients, the nutritional yeast, the garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, paprika, turmeric, pepper, and salt. Mix well. Allow to cook for 2 more minutes and add more of the seasonings, to taste, if needed. 

Price List:

IngredientPrice
1 tbsp vegetable oil$0.03
1 tbsp minced garlic$0.04
1 cup frozen mixed vegetables$0.36
1/2 bell pepper, diced$0.79
1 block firm or extra firm tofu$1.58
2-3 tbsp nutritional yeast$0.24
1/2 tbsp garlic powder$0.05
1/2 tbsp onion powder$0.05
1/2 tsp cumin$0.04
1/2 tsp paprika$0.02
1/2 tsp turmeric$0.02
1/2 black pepper$0.01
1/4 tsp salt$0.01
TOTAL$3.24

Peanut Sauce

Ingredients:

1/3 cup peanut butter
1 tablespoon maple syrup
2 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/2 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon water to thin out, more if necessary

Preparation:

  1. Mix the peanut butter, maple syrup, lemon juice, soy sauce, and garlic powder in a bowl until smooth. Don’t add the water yet.
  2. Add 1 tablespoon of water to thin out the mixture and add more water, if needed, for desired consistency. 
  3. Store in a tightly sealed container in the fridge and enjoy as needed. 

Price list:

IngredientPrice
1/3 cup peanut butter$0.32
1 tbsp maple syrup$0.16
2 tbsp lemon juice$0.05
1 tbsp soy sauce$0.05
1/2 tbsp garlic powder$0.05
TOTAL$0.62

Other ingredient prices:

IngredientPrice
Salsa (small jar) $2.00

TOTAL COST OF MEAL PREP = $19.34 USD