I have been vegan for almost 12 years now, and my entire family eats vegan. I am vegan for ethical reasons, but I try to be health conscious too (but our pantry definitely still houses potato chips and Oreos!). We do not eat tofu every night or spend hours cooking weird, exotic meals. Most weeknights I am scrambling to get dinner on the table in 30 minutes or less after coming home from a full day at the office, and I have limited energy.
Here are some of the meals we have in our regular rotation, and I bet they would work well for your family too (vegan or not!). Whether you are vegan curious, looking to reduce your environmental footprint, or trying to up your vegetable consumption, here are a few ideas to try. These all receive a seal of approval from my husband Dan, my 10-year-old and 5-year-old, and me.
1. Pasta with red sauce
We use Banza pasta, which is made from chickpeas and packs a hefty punch of protein. I cannot vouch for any other brands of bean pasta! We have made the switch fully to chickpea pasta, but you could use regular or whole wheat (but the protein count will be less).
You MUST use Rao’s marinara sauce if you do not make homemade sauce (I don’t. My family is sold on Rao’s). It is pricy but it makes the meal. If you have a Costco membership, look for Rao’s—they have the best price I have ever seen and I stock up when I’m there.
You can add plant-based meatballs, but it’s not necessary, especially if you use the chickpea pasta. Impossible Meatballs are family’s favorite (I don’t really care for them).
This comes together so fast, and my family would happily eat it every night.
(Bonus: We also love the vegan pesto from Trader Joe’s. My kids would eat their own arms if we covered them in the pesto sauce.)
2. Lemony lentil soup
This one surprised me (note: explicit language used in this recipe post). Dan cooked it from one of our cookbooks when I was out of town a few years ago, and the kids loved it. It relies on pantry ingredients so I love to make it when we are low on groceries. We don’t make the tahini drizzle, but I’m sure it would be delicious. Don’t skip the fresh lemon. We round the meal out with salad and bread.
3. Roasted sausage and peppers
This is a one pan, hands off meal. I cut up tons of onion and bell peppers and lay them on a sheet pan with Field Roast plant based sausage. I recommend Field Roast for texture and flavor. It is not a 1:1 match for sausage but gives a great umami flavor and satisfying chew. Drizzle with olive, salt, pepper, and desired seasoning (I often go for smoked paprika and a little oregano, but you could do almost anything). Cook at 375 for 20-40 minutes depending on the size you chopped the vegetables. Serve over brown rice.
We rely on Seeds of Change rice packets frequently around here. These are microwavable packages of seasoned whole grains, and the convenience cannot be beat.
4. Stir fry with edamame over rice
Another staple is the stir fry. I stir fry whatever vegetables we have on hand and usually make my own sauce with a combination of condiments like soy sauce and sesame oil. You can thicken the sauce by adding cornstarch or arrowroot powder. I’ll add in shelled edamame for protein or buy frozen edamame in the shell to steam on the side and serve sprinkled with salt. My kids love eating edamame out of the pods. We serve stir fries over jasmine rice and usually heat up frozen pot stickers or egg rolls to offer alongside.
5. Cauliflower walnut tacos
This is the most exotic and time intensive recipe, but I encourage you to give it a chance! Here is the full recipe, but I’ll tell you that it is amazing how roasting transforms ingredients. Grinding up walnuts and cauliflower into crumbles, and then seasoning the mixture well, creates a savory and satisfying taco filling. I saute bell peppers and onions and place salsa, guacamole, refried beans, Kite Hill sour cream, tortillas or taco shells, and cilantro out on the counter and everyone builds their own tacos. Anything customizable is always a hit in our house.
I hope this gives you a few ideas for your own meal rotation. Let me know if you have any questions or share your own ideas in the comments!