I just hit one week plant based. I'm pretty satiated as long as I'm prepared. But the mental vigilance of paying attention to what I eat is exhausting. I just want to open the fridge and put food in my mouth (which is why I'm overweight). I'm the only one pb in the house so I am also cooking a lot of different meals. I feel pretty good but the thought of living like this long term is just…exhausting. Even though I want the long term health benefits. Does this pass as it becomes more normal?
A few of my meals pictured.
by Difficult_Quit_4306
25 Comments
Yes, you’ll adjust. I’ve learned that when it’s meal time I do not like to cook. But I don’t mind cooking to meal prep in advance, it becomes more like any other household task and isn’t as stressful.
I try to always keep prepped ahead some combo of grain, veg, protein, and then I can throw together a salad or bowl quickly when it’s meal time.
TL/DR: Cook ahead, leftovers are your friend.
– meal prep
– everyone can eat plant based meals? So other family members can eat what you make or make themselves a pb and j sandwich
– prep ahead a batch of beans or lentils
– prep an epic batch of roasted veggies
– prep cooked grains like farro or barley or quinoa
Plan meals once a week, prep ahead , anyone old enough to decide they don’t want what is for dinner is old enough to make a sandwich
simplifying meals helped me a lot. i.e. starch, veggie side, maybe a legume dish, fresh fruit. on a good week when i have the energy i’ll meal prep a one-pot meal that combines legumes and veggies (and possibly starch or just make a pan/pot of starch to add to it). for example red lentil and butternut squash chili with a side of cornbread/brown rice/sweet potatoes. or chickpea veggie tagine with a side of rice or couscous. then i just eat that all week long, maybe mix it up with some bagged salad or baked potatoes or mcdougall’s soup so i don’t get bored.
for breakfast/snacks i have chia pudding or baked oatmeal which i can meal prep in advance plus some fruit. or i make a quick smoothie with soy milk, fruit, flaxseed, vegan protein powder. i’ve been meaning to try meal prepping scrambled tofu but haven’t gotten around to it yet.
i live alone but since you live with people who aren’t pb then i’d suggest just making the plant based meal with a side of sheet pan or air fryer meat. every now and then on a week where you have more energy you could make multiple meals (like one lentil and one meat shepherd’s pie) but for the most part meat/dairy functions well as a side.
Yeah it does get easier. Plus if you meal prep a bit more as opposed to cooking something new each meal, you’ll conserve more energy. And easy to go, protein filled snacks or protein shakes make it a lot better when you are just in a quick need of sustenance.
Also, I would honour yourself a little more by only cooking one plant based meal at meal time. Make a bigger batch if you need to share but don’t drain yourself by cooking multiple meals for others who won’t eat plant based. They can either eat what you cook or learn to cook for themselves. I learned this one the hard way, as well by burning myself out.
Beans and rice. I mean any legume with any kind of rice, with any kind of flavorings: curry, chili seasoning, veggies, “no chicken” broth. Fake meat to replace meat in any recipe. Salads with beans, nuts, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, etc. I always make way too much and keep leftovers in the fridge.
I mean, make shittier meals. Can’t begin to tell you how often my meal is roasted sweet potatoes, mashed avocados, and a can of black beans. I roast the sweet potatoes in bulk 2x a week.
Don’t make overly complicated food, meal prep, don’t stress too hard. You don’t need to be perfect.
If you’re doing this for health and weight loss remember that it’s all about calorie density and also your weight is all about what you put in your body 90% of the time, not the other 10%. If you slip up, that’s okay.
What I’ve found critical is to always have a backup ready to go — for me that’s always having a can of beans and some quick cook rice and vegan protein patties ready if I’m feeling too exhausted to cook or don’t want what I have meal-prepped.
Lifestyle changes are hard. Once you build new habits, you’ll be on autopilot. It will just take time, but the better you stick with it the faster you will adjust.
batch cooking and meal prep helps me eat healthily
always keep raw and frozen veg at hand to throw together a salad or side. cooked potatoes and fresh fruit keep for quite awhile in the fridge.
Oatmeal, salads, canned beans
My staples
Can of no salt added kidney beans with a jalapeño sliced atop it dumped into a paper bowl
Oatmeal w cinnamon and raisins for dessert in another paper bowl
Quick easy no dishes
Tofu w Gochujuang sauce and sesame seeds
Get a rice cooker
Rice and tofu cook simultaneously in cooker and oven respectively
Serve in paper bowl
Pasta w peas and cashew Parmesan
Water boils , pasta cooks
Add basil , garlic , oregano to drained pasta
Sprinkle w cashew Parmesan
Stir in peas
Serve in paper bowl
Frozen blister packs of garlic , ginger , turmeric
No muss no fuss
U got this
After a while you’ll figure out what foods you can keep around that make it possible to just open the fridge and eat. It will be your new normal and you’ll wonder how you went so long putting animal products into your mouth.
I buy pre cut frozen veg which makes things quicker and easier including sweet potato, broccoli, okra, ginger and spinach.
An air fryer and rice cooker have also helped massively.
I regularly do one pot dishes in the rice cooker including:
– rice with tofu, broccoli, aubergine and spinach, all cooked together then topped with soy dressing.
– quinoa bowls with lentils, broccoli etc.
– rice and black beans with spices served with avocado
I often make a big batch of quinoa and then top with different things through a few meals.
Other dishes I batch cook include:
– red lentil Dahl
– lentil bolognese
– chickpea curry
I keep bags of salad in the fridge which I serve with basically everything to help get those extra greens in too.
Dont be afraid to keep it simple.
My go to quick (30 min or less) meals:
Microwave baked potato with canned baked beans or if I’m feeling fancy I’ll soak some soy curls while the potato cooks and stuff the potato with those and bbq sauce.
Salad kits
Avocado and tomato sandwich on Dave’s killer bread and everything but the bagel seasoning.
Precooked rice and canned beans.
Precooked rice and frozen veggies pan fried and soy sauce. You can do low oil with a nonstick pan.
Hummus and raw veggies and pita
Super nachos or burritos with canned black beans seasoned with taco seasoning, refried beans, jalapeño slices, guacamole, chopped tomatoes, lettuce, black olives, salsa. Don’t even miss the meat and dairy. This usually lasts 2-3 meals.
Recently I’ve found these premade curry sauces in a jar or Mylar bag that I just chop potatoes carrots onions peppers and whatever other veggies I might have, sometimes add soy curls, sauté and then add the sauce and serve on cooked rice or other grain.
Grab a few frozen purple carrot entrees to have around when you just don’t have it in you to cook.
Also, I second whoever said others in the house can eat plant based.
Meal prep my friend. Always have a few meals prepped and ready.
Yeah it passes. Soy curls are super easy and delicious, great texture. My new favorite. I use a maple mustard tahini sauce with them and make wraps or sandwiches. It’s basically like 30min of prep for 8 meals, and then like two minutes per meal individually.
If I’m out of prepped food and I want something quick, I have tater tots and vegan hot dog, simple pasta with sauce from a jar, vegan sandwich stuff. I also have some frozen soup but that doesn’t come into play too often.
Meal prep will help as if eating fruit and raw veggies with flavorful hummus and dips. When I get the urge to eat something quick, grapes and apple slices are my go-to.
Do you want to be fat or healthy? Your choice. You need to develop some self control and it’s not gonna be easy in the beginning. Give yourself a couple of months.
I make a sheet pan or two of roasted veggies and mushrooms. I make a grain or pasta and a sauce or two. Whatever protein you like. I like to mix and match for Buddha bowls or make wraps. This is a few days worth of lunch or dinner. I also usually make a soup each week. I usually have a smoothie or soy yogurt if I eat breakfast. I will usually cook another dinner sometime during the week too.
*this is the easiest and most ideal way for me to eat right. I’m kind of a mess though, so in reality, I just ate mushroom jerky for dinner.
I’ve been plant based for years. I’m lucky I love to cook and that it’s my outlet.
No sugar-coating it: pb is exhausting. The only way I’ve found to ease the effort is to meal prep, freeze meals, throw them in the microwave. Making burritos and freezing them is a great meal prep. Keep fresh fruit around and pre cut them or just eat them whole. Meal prep a bunch of rice or beans or quinoa works well.
There’s still work to be done even after you’ve meal prepped, but at some point you have to want to be on rather than not and accept for extra work. It’s all for the best.
Falafel. Lots of falafel. And look up lentil pancakes
It does become more normal and automatic. On busy nights, tofu, couple of veggies, rice, sauce, done is on autopilot.
I have chronic fatigue and can’t cook long or complicated meals. So I just cook a little bit every night. Well maybe like five nights a week. I will usually make beans in the instant pot twice a week. And rice or quinoa 2x a week on the stove. And then I roast veggies in bulk. Sweet potatoes and squash are easy because I just throw them in the oven. Then I usually rotate cauliflower and mushrooms and onions or peppers and zucchini or whatever is in season. I will cook one or two veggies at a time and make one or two trays. So enough for a few days. That way I always have multiple containers of roasted veggies and beans in the fridge.