In today’s fast-paced society, it’s easy to find yourself strapped for time – particularly when it comes to eating wholesome, quality food. Indeed, one of the biggest drains on your time, besides work, is shopping for, preparing and eating clean. Furthermore, if you’re committed to a healthy vegetarian diet or healthy vegan diet, you may find yourself even more in a time crunch. As a remedy, one of the best ways to save time and money (over eating out) is to invest in premade, quick and healthy meals along with supplementation for your plant-based diet.
Healthy fast food is hard to come by and healthy vegetarian fast food is even more elusive. But what about pre-prepared foods and supplemental vegan or vegetarian protein powders? You can buy them in most health food stores or order them online. Indeed, reputable health food manufacturers typically build their brands on nutritional transparency, so you can also trust them much more than you can trust a typical fast food restaurant chain.
Below is a sample plant-based diet menu, which takes very little time and effort to plan and execute. It is a good reference, and you can customize it to your lifestyle by reducing or increasing the portions or removing a snack or dessert.
» Tropical Mango Protein Smoothie (500 cal., 4.7g fat, 95g carbs, 22g protein)
Superfood Protein from Ground-Based Nutrition (www.ground-based.com)
» Kale and Edamame Bistro Salad (500 cal., 33g fat, 43 carbs, 16g protein)
Freshly prepared salad from Trader Joe’s (www.traderjoes.com)
» Apples n Oats Bar (280 cal., 11g fat, 31g carbs, 15g protein)
Snack bar from FITzeeFoods (www.fitzeefoods.com)
» Mexican Fiesta Vegetarian Lasagna (374 cal., 7g fat, 42g carbs, 19g protein)
Freshly prepared meal from FITzeeFoods (www.fitzeefoods.com)
» Healthy Vegan Chocolate Pudding (270 cal., 9g fat, 45g carbs, 20g protein)
Superfood Protein from Ground-Based Nutrition (www.ground-based.com)
Total: (1924 cal., 64.7g fat, 256g carbs, 92g protein)
When it comes to cost, you are going to spend a little more for the convenience of premade meals compared to cooking from scratch. However, you will spend less than you would when eating out. The menu outlined above would cost about $25, compared to approximately $35 if you were to buy the same food profile in local health food restaurants and juice bars (this doesn’t include tips).
If you invest in premade meals for an entire week, and then shop for fresh fruits and veggies to make easy smoothies, snacks and desserts, you can save even more time and money. Investing in a small cooler will also allow you to take your food on the go, thereby saving you from having to eat out during the day.
Another great option for healthy meals on the go is to whip up a nice protein smoothie. Here are some cool options:
Buying pre-made food and plant-based protein supplements is about gaining control over your time and money, as well as health. Although it takes a little more effort than grabbing something at a restaurant, opting for healthy premade meals and homemade smoothies is the perfect alternative that will allow you to stay true to your plant-based life, as well keep your finances and time management healthy!
Charles Weller
Author