Vegan meal prep tips for Veganuary and beyond

Still need convincing? Find out how to do Veganuary then discover our favourite vegan meal ideas to get those plant-based juices flowing, as well as our quick vegan recipes for when you're short on time. Next discover 10 things I wish I knew before going vegan and 10 storecupboard ingredients every vegan should have in their pantry.

The best meal prep ideas for Veganuary

1. Make a base sauce

One of my favourite ways to get ahead of a busy week is to make a quick sauce at the weekend that can be stirred through pasta, such as this easy vegan pesto. Pesto is particularly great as it's so versatile – it can also be spread into sandwiches or drizzled over roasted veg to give them a little extra pizzazz. The sauce for this gazpacho spaghetti can also be whizzed together and kept in the freezer for when you're short on time.

Try these roasted cauliflower steaks with romesco – simply omit the eggs to make it vegan. By making the romesco sauce ahead, all you have to do on the day is cook your cauliflower steaks – and they're nice enough to serve to guests. In a similar vein, dips like muhammara can be made ahead – in fact, this one tastes even better when it has sat for a day or so. Use it as a base for topping with this herby grain salad – simply leave out the feta or swap for a vegan version.

2. Make a salad dressing

You'll be surprised by how handy it is to have a pre-made salad dressing ready in the fridge, plus it'll help you resist the temptation of a pre-packaged counterpart that isn't anywhere near as flavourful or as good for you. For a great work-from-home lunch, simply throw together some beans, salad leaves, croutons and fresh veg, then drizzle over your prepped dressing to bring it all together.

Try our miso and ginger dressing to add flavour and healthy gut-boosting bacteria to any salad leaves. Discover our vegan salad recipes for more inspiration. The dressing from our vegan caesar salad is another great one to prep ahead, plus pre-cooking your aubergine 'bacon' makes weekday lunches even easier. Remember to keep your dressing separate from your fresh salad greens until you are ready to eat to prevent them from going soggy.

3. Pre-roast veggies

Roasting a selection of Mediterranean veggies is a great way to get ahead of meal prep. Try our grilled vegetable antipasti ready for layering into sandwiches or making your own at-home deli lunch salad.

If you prefer your vegetables freshly cooked, pre-chop a selection of hardy veg such as carrots, sweet potatoes, peppers and cauliflower a few days ahead. Other veggies like leafy greens, starches like potatoes and herbs are best prepared fresh on the day. Labelling them is optional but helpful, and will enable you to live out your fantasy of being a chef on The Bear. If you have clean takeaway containers, these are particularly handy for getting organised.

4. Make tofu 'chicken'

It's hard to ignore the wide range of vegan 'chicken' alternatives available in supermarkets, but I much prefer making my own, as it's easy, cheaper and you have complete control of the seasonings. Take a block of firm tofu, break it into cubes with your hands, then mix with a sprinkling of corn starch for crispiness along with seasonings such as nutritional yeast, salt, pepper, garlic powder and chilli flakes or herbs. Cook until golden in the air fryer, oven or frying pan with a little oil. From there you can add it into salads, curries, pasta bakes and more – switch up the seasonings or swap in tempeh to keep it fresh.

If you're feeling particularly ambitious you can make your own seitan to use in a similar way. If you've got no time to spare you can simply slice smoked tofu to enjoy in a sandwich or salad without any additional preparation or cooking.

5. Roast chickpeas

Not only a great addition for salads and soups, roast chickpeas can also be enjoyed as a healthy snack any time of the day. The key to their success is getting them really crisp, so once drained make sure to pat dry, then sprinkle over your seasonings of choice – I particularly like smoked paprika and cumin. Drizzle with a little oil then roast on one layer on a baking tray in the oven at around 180C fan, or in the air fryer until golden and crispy – don't take them out if they're still soft.

Keep them in the fridge ready for sprinkling and snacking – such as in our fattoush with crisp spiced chickpeas.

6. Pickle some veg

The pickle trend is showing no signs of waning as we head in 2025, and for good reason. Fermented foods such as pickles have been linked to gut health benefits, and their tangy flavours work well in sandwiches, burgers and more.

Don't be daunted by making your own. They're surprisingly easy, plus much more affordable and delicious than the versions you'd find in the supermarket or health food shops. It's also a great way of preventing sad veggies from going to waste – pickle them while they're fresh and they'll stick around much longer than their un-pickled counterparts.

You could even make your own cucumber kimchi – just make sure to leave out the fish sauce. Discover even more pickling recipes and learn everything you need to know about preserving and pickling.

8. Pre-cook grains

Grains such as quinoa count as a complete protein, meaning they contain all of the nine essential amino acids, so they're a great one to have on hand in the fridge. Pre-prepared pouches of grains and rice are convenient but you will pay a premium for them, not to mention more plastic consumption due to their small portion sizes. Get inspired with our quinoa recipes – these vegan burritos are quick to assemble when you have your quinoa pre-cooked.

Pre-cooked rice is always handy to have ready for a quick and easy dinner. One recipe I always return to is kimchi fried rice: crumble tofu into a frying pan with your leftover rice and stir-fry with crunchy green veg and your choice of seasonings – think gochujang, soy sauce, ginger and garlic. Just make sure your rice is reheated to piping hot. Or make our tofu fried rice with any rice leftovers. For a quick lunch or dinner, our vegan sushi bowls are a simply assembly job if you're using your own pre-cooked rice.

9. Batch-prep sandwich fillings

Nobody likes a soggy sandwich at work, and even less so one with a boring filling. Make a batch of sandwich fillings at the weekend to take office lunches off your to-do list. Our coronation chickpea salad is full of flavour; swap the yogurt for a vegan version then keep it in your fridge at work ready for loading into slices of bread, a baguette or lettuce cups.

For another hearty chickpea lunch, meal prep your miso chickpeas ready to spread on avocado toast. Or whizz together avocado, hummus and tahini ahead of time for these easy avocado hummus, falafel and broad bean baguettes, ready to be assembled at work. Similarly, the elements of our banh mi with crispy tofu and pickled vegetables can be prepped ahead for a vibrant lunch to look forward to, or keep a batch of homemade vegan 'bacon' in the fridge ready to make these MBLT sandwiches.

10. Pre-marinate tofu

Any self-respecting vegan knows that this fermented soy protein forms an integral part of a healthy whole-food, plant-based diet. Marinating tofu or tempeh a day or two ahead is a great way to ensure your plant-based protein is full of flavour.

Make the marinade ahead for this kimchi-baked tofu (just make sure your kimchi is vegan) or take it to the next level by pre-cooking the tofu, then you can simply assemble dinners with your pre-cooked rice or grains. Try a similar approach with our marinated tempeh or tempeh stir-fry.

If you're feeling more ambitious, you can try making your own marinated tofu 'feta'. Combine small cubes of firm pressed tofu with a marinade of white miso paste, apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, nutritional yeast, extra virgin olive oil and mixed dried herbs – have a go experimenting until you have the right ratios for your palette. Discover our best tofu recipes for more inspiration.