Busy Schedules

My health coaching clients often tell me that they don’t have much time or energy to cook dinner once they get home from work in the evenings. I get it – so many of us have super busy schedules. I always suggest meal prepping by cutting vegetables and storing them in containers when they get home from the grocery store, cooking up a batch or two of beans and grains on the weekends, and preparing whatever they can in advance.

Vegan Meal Prep

JL Fields knows a thing or two about meal prep, and she’s sharing her secrets in her newest book Vegan Meal Prep. As you may have guessed from the title, this book is all about preparing foods in advance, so you don’t have to spend a ton of time in the kitchen once your hectic work week starts.

Vegan Meal Prep is divided into two parts: Vegan Made Easy and Recipes. In Vegan Made Easy, JL shares the benefits of meal prepping and meal prep principles. She lists her go-to ingredients as well as her favorite storage containers. She also includes her formula for filling mason jars and reheating tips.

Meal Prepping

There are seven meal preps in the book:

• Grain Goodness – dishes featuring whole grains
• Beat the Heat – summertime no-cooking meals
• Go Green – dishes featuring leafy green veggies
• For the Love of Legumes – dishes featuring beans
• To the East – Asian-inspired dishes
• Fiesta Time – Mexican-inspired meals
• Beautiful Bowls – bowl meals
• Back to Basics – healthier vegan versions of classic favorites

In each meal prep, JL guides you from start to finish, efficiently making the most of your time. Each meal prep has a shopping list, an equipment list, a weekly menu, and step-by-step prep instructions.

The Recipes

Part two of the book contains the recipes. They include:

• Breakfasts
• Lunches and Dinners
• Vegetables
• Grains and Beans
• Sauces, Dressings and Dips
• Snacks and Sweets

There are 70 recipes in Vegan Meal Prep, and they’ll take through breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Snacks, sweets, and sauces are included, too. Recipes include Tofu-Spinach Scramble, Quinoa and Kale Bowl, Miso Spaghetti Squash, Pesto Pearled Barley, Kale Chips, and more!

Each recipe includes storage and reheating instructions. If a recipe can be made in a pressure cooker or air fryer, JL has included instructions for them, as well.

If you’re hoping to save time in the kitchen by preparing foods in advance, Vegan Meal Prep is the book for you!

Mediterranean Beans with Greens

 

Save Print

I first shared this recipe in Vegan for Her and it remains a staple in meal planning work that I do with clients because beans, greens, and grains are the plant-based trifecta. This balanced meal features foods commonly found in the Mediterranean diet, which is widely accepted as one of the healthiest diets in the world.

Author: JL Fields

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes, seasoned with basil, garlic, and oregano
• 2 (15-ounce) cans cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
• ¼ cup diced green olives
• ½ cup vegetable broth
• 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil or 1 tablespoon vegetable broth or water
• 4 teaspoons minced garlic (about 4 cloves)
• 10 ounces arugula
• ½ cup lemon juice (about 4 small lemons)

Instructions

1. In a large saucepan or soup pot, bring the tomatoes and their juices, beans, olives, and broth to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 10 minutes.
2. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil on medium-high. Add the garlic and sauté until it begins to brown. Add the arugula and lemon juice. Stir, cover, and reduce the heat to low. Steam for 3 minutes.
3. Divide the arugula evenly between 4 single-serving containers, and then spoon the beans over the arugula. Let cool before sealing the lids.

Storage: Place the airtight containers in the refrigerator for 5 days or freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight and reheat in the microwave for 2½ to 3 minutes or in a saucepan on medium heat for 10 minutes.

Substitution tip: Switch this recipe up by alternating beans – try Great Northern or navy – and greens (spinach is excellent).

Notes

Excerpt from Vegan Meal Prep: Ready-to-Go Meals and Snacks for Healthy Plant-Based Eating, published by Rockridge Press. Copyright © 2018 by JL Fields.

3.5.3226

The post Mediterranean Beans with Greens from Vegan Meal Prep appeared first on Chic Vegan.

Because they can be stored for long periods of time and offer many health benefits, beans are found in most traditional cultures as a staple food. And they’re inexpensive, so you’re getting a lot of nutrients for little money. I love beans, and always keep several different kinds stocked in my pantry at all times. I like to buy dried beans and cook them myself, either in the slow cooker in the Instant Pot, but I also keep cans of beans on hand for those times when I want something quick. There are many reasons to eat more beans, and I’ve listed just a few of them below.

My Top 10 Reasons to Eat More Beans

1. Beans are loaded with antioxidants, fiber, B vitamins, iron, magnesium, potassium, copper and zinc, making them one of the most nutrient rich foods available.
2. They are also very high in protein, so you don’t have worry about where to get your protein on a vegan diet when you include legumes in your meals on a regular basis. (You probably wouldn’t have to worry about protein anyway!)
3. The soluble fiber in beans can help reduce LDL cholesterol and triglycerides, which helps to reduce the risk of heart disease.
4. The fiber in legumes can also cut the risk of developing high blood pressure, and it can help lower it in those already suffering from hypertension.
5. The balance of complex carbohydrates and protein in beans provides a slow, steady source of glucose. Studies have shown that they can help reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
6. The isoflavones and phytosterols in legumes can help lower the risk of certain types of cancer such as colorectal and breast cancers.
7. They’re high in enzymes that are crucial for making skin pigment and connective tissue.
8. Beans contain both soluble and insoluble fiber, which keeps the digestive system moving smoothly.
9. The high fiber content in legumes can also help you feel fuller longer and can stave off hunger, so it’s a good food to include in your diet if you’re trying to lose weight.
10. They’re inexpensive and delicious!

As for those unpleasant affects on the digestive system, that often happens when beans aren’t prepared properly. To help with digestibility, use dry beans and soak them overnight before cooking them. Legumes can sometimes cause gas when they haven’t been cooked long enough, so increase cooking time. Add a little kombu or kelp seaweed to the water. They will improve the flavor, add minerals to the water, and help with digestion. Adding cumin, fennel, vinegar, miso, soy sauce, or salt towards the end of cooking will help with digestion, too.

Chickpeas, pintos, lentils, kidney beans, cannellinis – there is such a wide variety of legumes to choose from, and they’re extremely versatile. They’re great in tacos, pasta dishes, soups, and salads. They can be mashed up and made into burgers or pureed and turned into dips. There are endless possibilities!

Reprinted with permission from Dianne’s Vegan Kitchen

The post 10 Reasons to Eat More Beans appeared first on Chic Vegan.