With school starting back and work returning to the office, you may find yourself once again faced with the perpetual challenge of knowing the right thing to eat every day. When you’re vegan, you also have certain restrictions that can limit your daily choices, especially if you don’t bring your own meals.

That’s why meal prep can be one of the most beneficial parts of your routine. We are here to offer five healthy vegan meal prep ideas that will make you look forward to lunch.

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Why Meal Prep?

When you’re following a vegan diet and lifestyle, planning and preparing your meals in advance comes down to more than just making day-to-day meals easier: it can also help you meet your required nutrients.

Veganism introduces an elevated risk for malnutrition in regard to certain vitamins and minerals, Planning your next meals in advance will help to ensure you reach your daily nutritional needs. Meal prep makes this easier by allowing you to plan and prepare several days’ worth of meals at once – saving you time in the kitchen throughout the week.

5 Healthy Vegan Meal Prep Ideas and Recipes

Quinoa with Roasted Vegetables

Topping quinoa with your choice of roasted vegetables is a great choice if you’re looking for something lighter without sacrificing texture, flavor, or nutrients. This can be a quick meal that is easily prepared in advance and packaged to eat later in the week.

In fact, by cooking a larger serving of quinoa and vegetables, you can store several meals out of this recipe.

It’s also versatile. Top with your favorite vegetables roasted in your oil and herbs of choice and serve on a bed of quinoa. You can even swap quinoa for rice if you prefer. 

By getting creative with the vegetables you choose to incorporate, and shopping for local in-season produce, you’ll be able to create a healthy meal that stores easily and tastes just as good on day two. 

Prepare Grains in Advance

We understand that sometimes certain foods just aren’t as good when prepared in advance. Certain vegetables or fruits can brown faster once they’re prepared, such as apples or avocados, and it can make a meal you spent time planning and preparing unpleasant.

However, even if you decide to wait until the day before or the day of to prepare parts of your meal, cooking your grains in advance can be a quick and easy way to succeed at meal prep. 

Some grains, such as rice, can even be better after a few days stored. In fact, certain recipes call for day-old rice, allowing you to experiment with your meals and explore your nutrition by incorporating new recipes into your weekly vegan meal prep. 

Vegetarian Chili

This family-favorite comfort food goes beyond weekly meal prep by being freezer friendly, allowing you to stretch out a single meal for weeks, if not months. This is also a high-volume meal, meaning it will fill you up with smaller portions.

And the best part? You can make it with nearly any vegetable.

The base is founded on beans, diced tomatoes, and tomato paste with your common kitchen seasoning (salt, pepper, paprika, cayenne pepper, and, of course, chili powder). From there, you can also add in zucchini, bell pepper, celery, corn, or any other vegetables you’d like.

After allowing it to cook on the stove until the beans are tender, you can serve it with your choice of toppings, from vegan cheese and sour cream to crushed crackers. 

Utilize Leftovers

Whether you cooked the night before or treated yourself to vegan takeout, storing and preparing your leftovers can be one of the best ways to fill a gap in your weekly menu. It also helps reduce waste while while also saving money. 

If you don’t have access to an area to cook your meal during the day, there are also of plenty options, such as salads or certain vegan pastas, that taste just as well cold. 

Heat-Free “Raw” Tacos

This meal is just one example of the variety of dishes you can serve cold. 

The basis for this recipe is cooked lentils topped with seasoning as your taco “meat”. While this step involves cooking, the rest is served raw, and even this is designed to be served cold or at room temperature, making it the perfect meal prep meal. 

While you can wrap this in tortillas, you can also utilize vegetables for a healthier meal. Our top choices are lettuce wraps or stuffed bell peppers.

Lastly, you can either go ahead and top your tacos with your choice of vegan cheeses and sour cream, salsa, or avocado. Another idea is to package them on the side to add on top whenever it is time for you eat. 

Make Healthy Vegan Meal Prep Easy with Willow Bistro

Willow is a vegan restaurant giving classic bistro comfort food an upscale twist while using 100% vegan ingredients. You can enjoy a great vegan lunch at our restaurant or enjoy lunch in your office or home with our pickup and delivery services. Wherever you decide to spend your lunch break, we look forward to serving you high-quality vegan cuisine. 

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Eating a vegan diet has its challenges, and knowing where you can eat is one of them. Now that plant-based eating is becoming more mainstream, vegan restaurants are starting to pop up all over the United States. But if you’re new to eating a vegan diet, locating those vegan hotspots can be difficult or overwhelming, especially when you’re traveling in a city that’s not familiar to you. From apps to social media, here’s how to find vegan restaurants near you.

Willow Vegan Bistro serves delicious vegan dishes with innovative preparations. Visit us today for dine-in, delivery, or takeout!

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HappyCow

HappyCow is by far the most popular and comprehensive vegan restaurant locator. What started out as a resource for travelers has turned into a must-have mobile app for every vegan and vegetarian.

The HappyCow app, which costs $4, makes it easy to find vegan restaurants near you thanks to an interactive map based on your location. You can also filter results based on the type of restaurant (vegan or vegetarian friendly) as well as a variety of other categories to find just what you’re looking for.

Similar to Yelp, users can leave reviews and post photos of their meals. Plus, HappyCow isn’t just for US restaurants, either—you can also use it in over 180 countries. If you don’t want to pay for the app, you can also access the same features on the HappyCow.net website, which is free and offers a variety of other vegan resources as well.

VegOut Magazine

VegOut is a premier vegan food and lifestyle magazine. The publication is very dialed in to the local vegan dining scene in the following locations:

• Atlanta
• Chicago
• Detroit
• Los Angeles
• Portland
• New York
• San Francisco
• Seattle

Each city has its own Instagram account where they promote local vegan eateries by sharing drool-worthy photos of must-order dishes. Even if you don’t live in one of the main cities they cover, VegOut constantly publishes vegan restaurant news and dining tips for other U.S. cities, such as Baltimore, Boston, Washington DC, and more. They also like to share nationwide vegan dining news and tips, such as how to order a vegan-friendly Beyond Meat burger at Burger King or how Fatburger is adding vegan milkshakes to their menu.

Instagram

Instagram is more than just a social media network that allows you to share photos and stories with your friends and followers. It’s also a way to discover other people and brands—and that includes restaurants. There’s a very large vegan community on Instagram, and they love to share photos of their meat-free meals to exemplify how delicious plant-based food can be.

If you’ve ever posted a photo on Instagram, it gives you an option to add a location, which is usually populated with places that are nearby. These locations are also searchable! If you want to find a vegan restaurant near you on Instagram, use the search feature and go to “Places.” Once there, type in the word “vegan” and it will show you results of vegan restaurants that are close by in your city. You can also click on the results to check out the photos diners have posted of their delicious vegan eats.

Another way to use Instagram to find vegan restaurants near you is by searching hashtags. Many cities have hashtags like #veganlosangeles or #vegannyc that will pull up posts from users.

Google

When in doubt, just Google it! A simple search of “Vegan restaurants near me” or “vegan restaurants in [city name]” on your phone or computer should pull up results of vegan-friendly restaurants nearby.

What About Fast-Food & Restaurant Chains?

Depending on where you live or where you’re visiting, it may not be possible to dine at an all-vegan restaurant. Here’s the good news: non-vegan restaurants, including many popular fast-food restaurants and large restaurant chains, are starting to offer more options for their herbivore customers. While you may need to ask a few questions about how the food is prepared or make small modifications, this is especially helpful in cities where the vegan population hasn’t taken root—yet.

So how do you order a vegan meal at one of these non-vegan fast-food restaurants or restaurant chains? Most of the larger companies will have allergen information posted on their websites, but that can also get exhausting and overwhelming. Luckily, PETA has put together a comprehensive guide on how to order vegan meals at fast-food restaurants and chain restaurants, such as Del Taco, Denny’s, Cheesecake Factory, and more.

Visit Willow in NYC!

We hope you now know how to find vegan restaurants near you. If you’d like to try some delicious vegan cuisine in NYC, stop by Willow today! Our restaurant at 199 8th Avenue serves vegan comfort food with innovative preparations. You can also place pickup or delivery orders online. We look forward to serving you an outstanding meal!

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Are you ready to transition to a plant-based diet but have no idea where to start? Don’t worry, it’s easier than you think. Read on for a step-by-step guide on how to start a plant-based diet.

Willow serves delicious vegan dishes with innovative preparations. Visit us today for dine-in, delivery, or takeout!

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What is a Plant-Based Diet?

There’s a lot of confusion regarding the difference between a vegan and plant-based diet. The official definition of a plant-based diet is a diet that consists of whole, unrefined, and/or minimally processed plant foods. These include whole grains, fruits, vegetables, legumes, seeds, and nuts. 

Those who eat a plant-based diet usually avoid highly refined foods like bleached flour, refined sugar, and oils. When it comes to eating meat, it all depends on your interpretation. Many of those who follow a plant-based diet don’t eat meat, but others may eat it in small amounts. For vegans, it’s important to be aware of this and check labels and ingredients.

A Step-by-Step Guide to Starting a Plant-Based Diet

Now that you know what you’ll be eating, here’s how to start a plant-based diet and ensure you stick with it:

Find Your “Why”

Before you begin a plant-based diet, take a minute and remind yourself why you want to start eating this way in the first place. Did you read about the benefits of eliminating animal products from your diet and hope to improve your health? Perhaps you want to lose weight, reduce your environmental footprint, or prevent the suffering of animals. Whatever your motivation may be, write it down and put it on your fridge or bathroom mirror as a daily reminder. This will help you stay committed on those days when you want to go back to your old way of eating.

Prepare Your Kitchen

Out of sight, out of mind! If you’re serious about your new plant-based diet, the best way to show your commitment is to get rid of any foods that aren’t plant-based. That doesn’t mean you have to throw them away! If the food is still good, consider donating it to your local food bank, ask a neighbor if they’d like it, or take it to work and offer it to your co-workers.

If you’re the only one in your house that’s eating a plant-based diet, create dedicated space for your plant-based items in your pantry and fridge, whether it’s a designated drawer or shelf.

Stock Up on Plant-Based Foods

Now that you’ve made room in your pantry and refrigerator, it’s time to go grocery shopping! The easiest way to support your new, plant-powered lifestyle is to make sure your kitchen is always stocked with healthy, whole plant foods. 

Fill your cart with fruits and vegetables to snack on, as well as hummus, canned beans, and whole grains like oats, quinoa, and rice. Don’t forget to stock your freezer with frozen fruits and vegetables as well. They’ll come in handy on those days when you need to throw a meal together fast!

Want more vegan grocery tips? Check out our vegan grocery list for beginners!

Get Enough Calories

One of the biggest adjustments for anyone transitioning to a plant-based diet is eating enough calories. Compared to the Standard American Diet, which is loaded with processed foods that are high in fat, a plant-based diet is made up of foods that have a lower caloric density. They’re also high in fiber and water, which means they’ll make you feel full without eating a lot of calories. While your body is getting used to your new way of eating, don’t worry about portion sizes—even if you’re trying to lose weight. If you’re hungry, eat! Also, don’t forget to eat the rainbow so your body gets the proper nutrients.

Take it One Day at a Time

Starting any new diet can be hard. But beginning a plant-based diet, which is probably the complete opposite of the way you’ve been eating your entire life, comes with its own set of challenges. Rather than worrying about what you’re going to eat at Thanksgiving or how you’ll have to turn down your grandma’s cake when you visit her, take it one meal at a time. If you accidentally eat something that isn’t plant-based, that’s ok! Be kind to yourself and simply try to do the best you can.

Keep Educating Yourself

If you find yourself having trouble sticking to your new plant-based diet, come back to your “why” from step one and educate yourself more. Here are some resources you can utilize based on your “why”:

• If you’re eating a plant-based diet for health reasons, watch a documentary like “What the Health” or “Forks Over Knives.” 
• If you’re trying to lose weight, find some success stories online or join an online community to help you stay motivated and accountable. 
• If you’re an eco-warrior, track how much your plant-based diet is reducing your environmental footprint. 
• If you’re protecting animals, visit a local animal sanctuary or watch a documentary like “Earthlings” or “Cowspiracy.” 

Visit Willow in NYC!

If you’d like to try some delicious vegan cuisine in NYC, stop by Willow today! Our restaurant at 199 8th Avenue serves vegan comfort food with upscale plating. You can also place pickup or delivery orders online. We look forward to serving you an outstanding meal!

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More and more people are turning to a vegan diet because it’s generally accepted as healthy. But is it really? Keep reading to find out the benefits of a vegan diet and how it can impact your health.

Willow serves vegan dishes with innovative preparations. Learn more below, and visit us today for dine-in, delivery, or takeout!

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Health Benefits of a Vegan Diet

Here are five ways a vegan diet can benefit your health:

Rich in Nutrients

Many people have a hard time believing that you can get all the nutrients you need from eating fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and other plants. But the truth is, plants are great sources of protein, calcium, iron, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.

May Decrease Risk of Cancer

According to the National Center for Biotechnology Information, one in three cancers are linked to diet. But their research also shows that a vegan diet can lower your risk of developing cancer by 15%.

May Decrease Risk of Type 2 Diabetes

More than 100 million people in the United States have diabetes or are likely to develop it at some point in their life. Luckily, research from PLOS Medicine shows that following a vegan diet can lower the risk of type 2 diabetes by more than 33%.

May Decrease Risk of Heart Disease

A vegan diet is the definition of heart-healthy. According to a 2014 study by the National Center for Biotechnology Information, vegans have a 42% lower risk of dying from heart disease. Vegans also lower their risk of high blood pressure by up to 75%!

May Decrease Risk of Obesity

Compared to other diets, people who eat a vegan diet have a lower body mass index or BMI. Of course, if you eat a lot of highly-processed vegan foods, it can lead to weight gain.

Are Supplements Necessary on a Vegan Diet?

No matter how you choose to eat, most diets lack some nutritional element. While a vegan diet can be healthy and rich in many vitamins and minerals, vegans may need to supplement with certain nutrients to avoid deficiencies:

• Vitamin B12 prevents nerve damage and protects the heart. It’s naturally found in dirt, and because animals eat dirt, it’s also found in animal products. Some vegan products are fortified with B12, but supplementation may be needed due to the body’s ability to absorb it.

• Vitamin K2 regulates calcium deposition. It ultimately reduces bone loss and the rate of osteoporosis. It’s only found in a few plant-based foods, specifically fermented foods like sauerkraut, kombucha, and kimchi.

• Iodine is important for healthy thyroid function. The only plant foods with high iodine levels are iodized salt and seaweed.

• Omega-3 Fatty Acids can be broken down into three different types: ALA, EPA, and DHA. All three are critical to your health, but DHA is particularly important for your brain. Flax seeds and chia seeds are good sources of omega-3 fatty acids.

• Zinc is necessary for immune function and repairing cells. This mineral is present in beans, legumes, nuts, and seeds, but it may be difficult to absorb due to their phytate content.

A Word on Vegan Junk Food

Just because a food is vegan doesn’t automatically make it a healthy option. In fact, if you eat a lot of overly-processed vegan foods, it’s almost as bad as the Standard American Diet.

For example, let’s compare a regular hamburger with an Impossible Burger. The hamburger is full of cholesterol, saturated fat, heme iron, and other ingredients that may be harmful to your health. So in this case, the Impossible Burger is better for you. But if you compare it to a vegan bean burger made from whole foods, the Impossible Burger wouldn’t be the healthier option because it contains high amounts of salt, sugar, saturated fat, and other additives. 

Although meat alternatives of your favorite junk foods are helpful when transitioning to a vegan diet or even for an occasional treat, a vegan diet that consists of mostly whole, plant foods is better for your long-term health.

Visit Willow in NYC!

A vegan diet is healthy when you make the right food choices. If you’d like to try some delicious vegan cuisine in NYC, stop by Willow today! Our restaurant at 199 8th Avenue serves vegan comfort food with upscale plating. You can also place pickup or delivery orders online! We look forward to serving you an outstanding meal.

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If you’re confused by the different types of plant-based diets, you’re not alone! Even though they’re built on the same foundation of eating fruits and vegetables, there are a few variations to each. Here, we’ll break down the difference between vegetarian, vegan, and plant-based diets to help you better understand their nuances.

Willow serves vegan comfort food with upscale plating. Visit us today for dine-in, delivery, or takeout!

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Vegetarian

Nearly 20% of the world’s population is vegetarian. Many people choose to follow a vegetarian diet for ethical, health, environmental, or religious reasons. Out of the three diets, most people seem to understand that vegetarian means meatless.

People who follow a vegetarian diet do not eat the following: 

• Red meat
• White meat
• Poultry
• Seafood
• Shellfish
• By-products from animal slaughter (e.g. gelatin and animal stock)

A vegetarian diet, however, isn’t a one-size-fits-all diet. There are actually several variations of vegetarianism.

These are some of the most common types of vegetarianism:

• Lacto-ovo-vegetarian diet. A vegetarian with this diet won’t eat meat, fish, or poultry, but they will eat eggs and dairy products. “Lacto” comes from the Latin word for “milk” while “ovo” comes from the Latin word for “egg.”
• Ovo-vegetarian diet. This variation of a vegetarian diet excludes meat, poultry, and fish, as well as dairy products due to the dairy industry’s cruel practices. Ovo-vegetarians still eat eggs and foods that contain eggs.
• Lacto-vegetarian diet. Lacto-vegetarians don’t eat meat, poultry, fish, or eggs. They do, however, eat dairy products.
• Pescatarian. People who follow a pescatarian diet don’t eat meat or poultry, but they do eat fish. They may or may not eat dairy products or eggs.

Vegan

A vegan diet completely eliminates all meat and animal-derived products. This includes red and white meat, poultry, fish, shellfish, dairy products, eggs, honey, gelatin, and other additives. Unlike a plant-based diet, a vegan diet doesn’t exclude processed foods or oils.

Raw Veganism

A popular variation of veganism is raw veganism or raw foodism. A raw vegan diet consists of eating foods like fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds that aren’t cooked or processed. A food is considered raw if it’s never been heated over 104–118°F (40–48°C). Since you can’t cook your food, alternative food preparations like juicing, dehydrating, soaking, and sprouting are popular. People who follow this type of vegan diet usually do so for health purposes, because they believe that cooking foods destroys the natural enzymes and reduces their nutrient content.

Veganism as a Lifestyle

For many vegans, their eating habits are more than just a diet—it’s a lifestyle rooted in compassion. The Vegan Society defines veganism as, “a philosophy and way of living which seeks to exclude—as far as is possible and practicable—all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals for food, clothing, or any other purpose.”

Someone who follows a vegan lifestyle usually avoids the following: 

• Buying leather or fur
• Supporting businesses that exploit animals (e.g. zoos and circuses)
• Supporting hunting and killing animals for sport
• Purchasing products that were tested on animals, like makeup

Plant-Based

A whole-food, plant-based diet consists of whole, unrefined, and/or minimally processed plant foods. This includes whole grains, fruits, vegetables, legumes, seeds, and nuts. Those who follow a plant-based diet typically avoid highly-refined and processed foods like bleached flour (e.g., all-purpose flour), refined sugar, and oils.

Now to address the elephant in the room: What about meat? A majority of plant-based doctors promote plant-based diets that are free of meat and animal products because of the growing body of research that shows how they can negatively impact your health. However, a plant-based diet doesn’t necessarily mean meat-free. Someone who follows a plant-based diet may still eat meat, fish, eggs, or dairy products, but in smaller amounts.

Also, while veganism is more of a lifestyle, people who label themselves as plant-based are usually just referring to their diet. It’s not uncommon for those who follow a plant-based diet to become more aware of their choices and eventually follow certain vegan practices.

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We hope you better understand the difference between vegetarian, vegan, and plant-based diets. If you’d like to try some of the best vegan food in NYC, stop by Willow today! Our restaurant at 199 8th Avenue serves vegan comfort food with upscale plating. You can also place pickup or delivery orders online! We look forward to serving you an outstanding vegan meal.

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