7 YUMMY (&Healthy) Make Ahead Meals for Working Parents (Vegan, WFPB Options!)
We are so well intentioned, aren’t we? Next week we will order out less and cook at home more! It will help our budget! We will feel better! This is a winning decision!
Then Monday comes around and, well, it’s Monday. And Monday can bring a whole lot of life.
Wouldn’t it be great if we had stuff already made that we could just pull out of the fridge, heat up, and eat? Stuff that made us feel good? Stuff that made us feel like we are honoring our financial and health goals? Wouldn’t it feel awesome to know we had stuck to our commitment to eat at home more? Wouldn’t it make us feel confident and empowered?
But it is So Haaard!
It is so tricky though! I have tried meal kits. I have tried ordering in on a budget. I have tried ordering pre-made meals. I have tried working dining out into our week and budget. None of them line up with our goals. I want easy, healthy recipes that are delicious- recipes that I can make quickly, stick in the fridge, and have at the ready during the week.
I don’t want batch cooking. I don’t want to spend hours in the kitchen on Sunday. I just want a few quick recipes that will give me a few meals each week. Most importantly, I want simple recipes that taste good and fill me up.
The recipes that follow are great for a bunch of reasons! First, they are easy to make. Second, I’ve already made all of them and deemed them worthy of your time. Third, they can be made ahead. Fourth, leftovers are great for transporting to work!
So, Here are 7 YUMMY and Healthy Make Ahead Meals for Working Parents.
1. Vegan Lasagna (Wait! I Promise!)
Vegan lasagna is an awesome make ahead meal for working parents!
I know what you are thinking. No, really! I do! But even the avid meat eaters in my life LOVE this lasagna recipe. It is healthier than its meat and dairy counterpart and better for animals and the planet. Why not give it a try before you knock it? 😝
This recipe is a staple in my family and a go to for when we have guests. I have been making it for a decade! Want to make it Whole Food Plant Based? Use whole wheat lasagna noodles. Want different veggies? Go for it! Personally, I use Raos Marinara sauce. It is totally worth the few extra bucks it costs to buy it. Click here for the recipe.
2. Chickpea and Dill Salad
Fresh, yummy flavorful ingredients?! Yes, please! What a delicious make ahead meal for working parents!
This is such a fresh, flavorful, and easy meal that gets better the longer it sits in the fridge! Serve this over a bed of spinach, mix it up with rice, or put it on a pita or crackers, and serve. Whichever way you choose to eat this yumminess you will not be disappointed!
3. Vegan Mac and cheese
Killer vegan man and cheese!
Again- I know, I know! But if you are looking for recipes that are healthy, good for the planet, and kind to animals, give this a try! I have made this days in advance which makes it a perfect make ahead meal for working parents! Loaded with good things like cashews and nutritional yeast, I swear this vegan Mac and cheese gets better the more often you heat it up!
4. Vegan 7 Layer Dip
7 layer dips are SO easy! And like the Chickpea and Dill Salad above, they can get more flavorful the longer they stay in the fridge. The trick is to put something on top of the guacamole. Whether it is a squeeze of lemon juice, tomatoes, or salsa, cover that gauc up with something that will help it stay green! Plus, how fun is it to have a meal that involves dipping chips?! Click here for recipe.
5. Lentil Shepherd’s Pie
Vegan pot pies! Serve with mashed potatoes for extra deliciousness!
Oh man this is another one of my favorites! This is super simple to make and tastes soooo good! Personally, I buy dinner rolls and canned cranberry sauce (yep, the kind with the ridges) and this turns into such a scrumptious meal! Click here for recipe.
6. Vegan Guiness Barley Stew
This is so satisfying and now that Guinness is vegan what a fun way to use it! This is a true stew; thick, creamy, fragrant and oh so flavorful. A nice crusty bread pairs well with this stew. And if you happen to make mashed potatoes the same week as this stew you could try using it as a gravy- complete with carrots and everything else in the soup. That may sound weird but I absolutely love it! Click here for recipe.
7. Farmhouse Vegetable Soup
“Vegan for Everybody” is a worthily addition to your collection! Full of make ahead meals for working parents!
Okay, the recipe for this one is not online, but I am telling you; it is worth buying this cookbook even if this were the only good recipe in it! Lucky for us, Vegan for Everybody is loaded with delicious and simple recipes. I make a double batch of this and freeze it for a time when I just don’t have time to pre-cook a meal. This is an absolute favorite of my family. I serve it with a nice fresh bakery bread and have made this up to three days in advance. I just wait to add the barley until right before we are going to eat it.
I hope you have found some make ahead meals for working parents here that you are excited to try! If you do, come back and let us know how you liked it!
