The reasons people choose a vegetarian lifestyle are varied- from personal health to concerns for animal welfare. Arguably, another big draw could be the convenience, especially if you have a freezer.
Try These 7 Simple Vegetarian Meal Prep Tips:
1) Magical Beans:
Make your own beans/chickpeas/lentils in large batches and freeze in small batches to add to cooked meals or salad bowls later. It’s cheaper than buying canned, and you can control salt and other additives while getting your fix of fiber and protein. Making your own beans is incredibly easy. Follow the basic cooking instructions on the back of the bag- soak beans then boil. For flavor, add a few vegetables or a herb bundle while cooking if desired.
Make your own beans/chickpeas/lentils in large batches and freeze in small batches to add to cooked meals or salad bowls later. It’s cheaper than buying canned, and you can control salt and other additives while getting your fix of fiber and protein. Making your own beans is incredibly easy. Follow the basic cooking instructions on the back of the bag- soak beans then boil. For flavor, add a few vegetables or a herb bundle while cooking if desired.
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2) Flash Freeze Frenzy:
Gone are the days when buying frozen vegetables meant buying a “block” of icy broccoli composed of tough stem scraps. Today’s frozen fruits and veggies are plucked from the stem at the peak of ripeness and often retain more vitamins 
and minerals than their non-frozen counterparts that can be picked days before they fully ripen and spend time in transport, losing nutrients, before they hit the produce section. Fill your freezer with your favorites for quick meal prep.
Gone are the days when buying frozen vegetables meant buying a “block” of icy broccoli composed of tough stem scraps. Today’s frozen fruits and veggies are plucked from the stem at the peak of ripeness and often retain more vitamins and minerals than their non-frozen counterparts that can be picked days before they fully ripen and spend time in transport, losing nutrients, before they hit the produce section. Fill your freezer with your favorites for quick meal prep.
3) Go Bananas for Bananas:
Let some of your bananas go brown * gasp* and toss them in the freezer as a go-to staple for baking and smoothies. Pull them out of the freezer and let thaw a bit to use as a sweetener for bread, muffins, pancakes and more. When ready to use let warm a bit, cut off the end, peel and squeeze!
4) Sweet Potatoes:
Sweet! If you’ve got the oven on, toss in a few yams or sweet potatoes to bake alongside whatever you’re making. Mash them and freeze when done. Thaw and warm as part of a quick meal with whole grains and greens. Or use a portion as a sweetener in pancakes, muffins, cookies and more.
5) EZ Energy Bars:
Make your own energy bars for breakfast or snacks. A 5-minute no-bake/no-cooking option is to mix ½ cup peanut butter (or almond, cashew, etc.), 
1 cup oatmeal, 1 cup coconut flakes, ¼ cup honey and 1 teaspoon vanilla. You can add-in whatever you want! Chocolate chips, carob powder, ground nuts, dried fruit, chia seeds or whatever else excites you! Roll into small balls and refrigerate for a week or freeze for longer.
6) Make Muffins:
Get creative with muffin tins. Muffin tins give you the option of making small portions of quick bread that can be frozen, instead of loaves you feel pressured to eat in a hurry. You can also make tiny quiche-like eggs in muffin tins that can be a quick meal throughout the week.
7) Pesto Cubes:
Make Dairy-free Pesto and freeze small portions in an ice cube tray. Place a cube on a portion of pasta or put one in your pre-prepped jar of salad, beans or rice.
