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I recently got a blog comment from a reader who works long hours and has a significant commute. With endless hours on the job and in the car, she was struggling to make a vegan diet work with her strict schedule. She wondered if I had any advice for easy vegan lunches.
The key to fast, no fuss lunches includes a combination of planning, a well-stocked kitchen, and some convenience foods. When time is at a premium, here are the things I do to make easy vegan lunches – painlessly and quickly.
Easy vegan lunches
Plan ahead. At dinnertime, make a bit more than you need.
It doesn’t take much extra time to chop 2 carrots instead of one or a whole onion instead of a half. So when I make dinner, I cook for four instead of two.
If you have a larger family, try making a couple of extra portions.
By padding out our dinners, easy vegan lunches are set with leftovers. It’s one of my favorite and easiest lunches to simply reheat and eat. Plus, so often foods are better the second day after flavors have had time to meld.
I also make more rice, barley, or grains than I need and then freeze them for later use. It takes the same amount of time to make 3 cups of rice as it does to make 1. And it’s so handy to have for meals later.
It fills out a meal of baked tofu, beans, vegetables, stir-fry, and/or curry.
Keep a well-stocked pantry, refrigerator & freezer
I like to keep some staples and convenience foods on hand for padding out lunches. It’s nice to know there’s something in the freezer or pantry when there’s not a lot of time for cooking.
Some of my favorite staples include:
Fixings for sandwiches
When many people think of easy vegan lunches, the first thing that comes to mind is a sandwich.
Field Roast makes some tasty deli slices for an old school-style sandwich with mustard and pickles. I also like their apple sage sausages, which can be browned at home and reheated later.
BLT’s with Upton’s Naturals or Herbivorous Butcher seitan bacon are a classic and easy option. (Bring along an avocado for the ideal sandwich.)
Make a bagel sandwich with hummus and plenty of sliced vegetables.
Jalapeño cashew cheese spread is wonderful on a picnic sandwich loaded up with spinach, onions, and red bell pepper.
Chickpea salad sandwiches are the vegan’s answer to tuna salad. Or opt for a vegan egg salad sandwich. They’re so easy to make.
And of course, I’d be remiss not to mention peanut butter and jelly.
Baked tofu
Baked tofu is equally easy to make in large batches as it is in small. So I make a big batch, and then pull from it all week.
My favorite easy baked tofu recipe uses just tamari, lemon juice, a bit of oil, and if desired, dried rosemary and pepper. I use it in wraps, bowls, or even straight out of the refrigerator as an easy, high-protein snack.
In a rush? There are also several packaged brands of baked tofu that are quite enjoyable. I feature a couple of them in my favorite vegan Trader Joe’s products list.
Russet potatoes or sweet potatoes
When I’m making baked potatoes or sweet potatoes for dinner, I’ll often throw in an extra one or two.
The oven is already hot. And having a baked potato at the ready makes for a simple lunch option on its own, with a salad, or with vegan three bean chili.
An air fryer baked potato is even faster!
Frozen rice
In addition to freezing my own homemade rice, I occasionally buy the packaged kind from Trader Joe’s that comes three bags to a pack.
Take it out of the freezer before work. And it will be thawed by lunchtime. It also heats straight from frozen in a pan or microwave very quickly.
(By the way, it’s great for making fried rice in a hurry too!)
Hummus
I’ll make a big batch of homemade hummus for snacks or buy prepared hummus and baba ganoush.
Hummus is a full-service spread that I use on vegan bagel sandwiches, toasted tortillas, as a dip with pita or crudités, or in a bowl with rice and vegetables.
Bagged spring mix and spinach
A bag of spinach is an easy side when sautéed with a bit of garlic in a pan. It’s great for adding by the handful into a wrap or sandwich, or of course, as a base for salad.
Bagged chopped vegetables are also handy for simplifying the lunch prep process.
Tortillas
My kitchen would be incomplete without tortillas. Whether I’m making tacos, burritos, wraps, or quesadillas, I reach for them several times a week.
I stuff tortillas with:
- Bagged spinach, sliced peppers, and a slathering of hummus
- Baked tofu with peanut sauce
- Refried beans
- Curried tofu salad
- Spicy chickpeas or black beans, rice, and lettuce
Shelf-stable & frozen pasta and jarred sauce
Frozen vegan ravioli, gnocchi, or bagged pasta are good quick options.
After boiling for about 10 minutes, I pour on a few dollops of jarred pasta sauce or pesto from the freezer. (Rising Moon Organics in the frozen section makes a vegan butternut squash ravioli and gnocchi.)
If I have more time, I’ll add sautéed mushrooms, tomatoes, bell peppers, onions, tomatoes, or seitan sausage.
For a lunch that doesn’t have to be reheated, I like the ease of pasta salad.
Soup
When I make soup for dinner, I usually make enough for 6-8 servings. We can eat the soup later as leftovers. And then many soups can be frozen for future use.
Split pea soup, creamy vegan tomato soup, curried lentil soup, and chili are particularly good at freezing, thawing, and reheating.
Don’t have time to cook? There are plenty of ready made vegan soups out there. You’ll just need to read the ingredients.
Keep a can at the office for an emergency lunch.
Kale Salad
Kale salad is my go-to for making ahead of time, because it is a sturdy green that doesn’t wilt like its lighter brethren.
I can make a big salad with creamy cashew dressing at the beginning of the week. And then just pull a portion from it day after day.
I notice I eat a lot more salad this way too, because if that’s the easiest thing to eat and already prepared, I’m more apt to just have that instead of making something new.
To keep it interesting, I’ll add different salad toppings such as peanuts, Marcona almonds, stuffed grape leaves, sauerkraut, baked tofu, coconut bacon, turnip pickles, pepperoncinis, black beans, and/or roasted chickpeas.
Keep a stash of snacks at work and in the car
When I had extra long commutes, I’d often bring a little cooler and pack it with packaged hummus, fruit, baked tofu, and nuts.
David has a mini fridge at work. He keeps several containers of coconut milk yogurt in it as an easy and filling snack, along with a jar of trail mix on his desk.
Jenn says
Great post! I always make more dinner than we will eat. Leftovers are my favorite thing ever! Makes lunchtime so easy the next day!
Cadry says
Yes, aren’t they the best? I love being able to pull something delicious out of the refrigerator that’s already made. Plus, it usually seems like it tastes even better the next day.
Bianca says
All excellent tips! 90% of the time, I have leftovers for lunch since I’m cooking for one (Paul doesn’t eat the same stuff I do). I can get 3 lunches out of one weeknight dinner. But for days when I don’t have leftovers, I keep Amy’s or Sweet Earth frozen burritos on-hand to eat with a simple side salads.
Bianca says
Also, I can’t believe I just started a sentence with a number. The shame!! The editor in me is embarrassed.
Cadry says
Ha! I didn’t even notice! 🙂
I still haven’t tried the Sweet Earth burritos, but I need to pick some up sometime. I’ve heard a lot of good things about them!
cookeasyvegan says
There are lots of great suggestions here. I’m with you on the extra dinner theme — I feel really disappointed if there aren’t any leftovers for lunch. And just the other night I was lamenting that we didn’t have any frozen rice on hand — that comes in handy for last minute dinners as well as lunch. And a box of salad mix is so great — I like to make a dressing out of hummus and add some olives and sunflower seeds.
Cadry says
Yes, I feel disappointed too when there aren’t leftovers or if there are only enough leftovers for one of us (especially when it’s something really delicious). That’s a good idea using hummus for dressing!
Sophia @veggiesdontbite says
I did a kids lunch post not that long ago and so many appreciated it! This is such a great resource for people and everything sounds awesome!
Cadry says
Thanks, Sophia! That’s nice to hear. 🙂
Susan says
Great post. I work long hours most of my days at work, and although there are some tasty vegan options around the clinic there is no guarantee that I can get out to get lunch. I am a big fan of the leftovers for lunch most days, though sometimes I like to make a big pasta or grain salad for the week as well.
Cadry says
Oh, I didn’t think about adding a grain salad to the mix. Good thinking! Is there a particular recipe or combination of ingredients that you like?
EC says
Theses are great tips! I’m a fan of making extra dinner for the next day’s lunch. It saves so much time!
Cadry says
Agreed! When you’re already cooking and chopping, one more dinner isn’t even noticeable, but it sure is handy the next day.
Shell says
I’ve never been a huge leftover fan, but this post has me rethinking that. I’m okay with leftovers, but never excited about them. I think I should change my mindset and appreciate how much time and effort I save when I have leftovers!
Cadry says
I used to be the same way about leftovers. As a kid, I hated them. Then later when I was an adult, they felt like an obligation. (I had to eat them, because they were there.) But now, I’m so happy for leftovers. It’s less work, and many foods actually taste better the next day. I wonder if there could be any correlation in the kinds of foods I’m eating now versus what I was eating when I didn’t like leftovers. Maybe the foods I’m eating now make more enticing leftovers. 🙂
Veganopoulous says
lots of great tips. I love tortillas, though I keep meaning to make my own but forget. I have all the ingredients and tortilla press but just never get around to it. Hummus is always a winner and I’m with you on preparing extra rice etc– so handy!
Cadry says
Thanks, Faye! I bought a tortilla press too about 6 years ago. I made corn tortillas once, and it was a total flop. Since then I’ve used it a few times when making puffy tacos, but for regular, day to day tacos and burritos, I use store-bought. The brand I buy is from a local company that uses the same ingredients I would use making them from scratch, and so it feels like a good time saver!
Dianne says
There are so many great suggestions here! I have health coaching clients who sometimes skip lunch because they don’t think they have time to make anything, so I’ll definitely be sharing this with them.
Cadry says
Thanks, Dianne! That’s nice to hear.
JL Fields says
Great suggestions! I too cook in batches – makes it so easy to mix and match veggies, grains, and proteins for quick salads or bowls to reheat at the office!
Cadry says
Absolutely! It doesn’t take any longer to cook more beans and grains, and it’s such a great time saver later.
Krystal says
Hi Cadry! I’m in the contemplating phase of transitioning to a vegan diet. I’ve been vegetarian before but it seemed so difficult to do when I have a meat eating hubby/family and I started eating meat again after 2 years. This post is giving me the inspiration to do it!! Not only am I an animal lover, but I know it’s a much healthier way to eat. Thank you for the post!
Cadry says
Hi, Krystal! Thanks for your lovely comment. It can be challenging at first to break habits and do something different, especially when your family isn’t joining along, but it does get easier with time. If there’s any way that I can help or any kind of post that would be useful for you, please let me know! Best of luck!