35 Vegan Meal Prep Ideas

These vegan meal prep ideas make it easy to fill up on plants! Find our best make-ahead recipes for plant-based breakfasts, lunches, and dinners.

If you want to eat more plants in 2026, these vegan meal prep ideas are for you! They include our best grab-and-go breakfasts, packable lunches, and make-ahead dinners—all healthy, delicious, and entirely plant-based. After weeks of holiday treats, I always start January in the mood for fresh, feel-good food. The easiest way to ensure I actually eat the nourishing meals I’m craving is by meal prepping. That way, when we’re running late for school drop off or I get bogged down with work, I’m not tempted to skip a meal or order takeout. I have a healthy option ready to go!…

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10 Healthy Smoothie Recipes

These healthy smoothie recipes are an easy, delicious way to fill up on fruits and veggies. My family loves them for breakfast or as a snack!

These healthy smoothie recipes are packed with good-for-you ingredients! Think fresh fruit, vegetables, chia seeds, nut butters, and more. They fill these healthy smoothies with nutrients like fiber, protein, vitamins, and minerals…and they taste delicious too. If you’re looking for breakfast or snack ideas for 2026, these healthy smoothie recipes are a great place to start. Ranging from classic fruit smoothies to vibrant green smoothies to tropical and chocolatey blends, they’re satisfying, flavorful, and easy to make in minutes. My whole family loves these recipes (kiddo included!). I hope you will too! Healthy Fruit Smoothie Recipes Strawberry Banana Smoothie This classic…

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Paper Plane Cocktail

This paper plane cocktail is easy to make with equal parts bourbon, Aperol, amaro, and lemon juice. A modern classic, it's boozy, bright, and delicious!

Have you ever tried a paper plane cocktail? Invented in 2008 by New York City bartender Sam Ross, it consists of equal parts of four ingredients: bourbon, Aperol, Amaro Nonino, and fresh lemon juice. Bitter, sour, citrusy, and deliciously complex, this drink has become a modern classic, and I’m here for it. I’m embarrassed to admit that I didn’t actually get on the paper plane bandwagon until last year. Jack and I were snowed in at home for the week after Christmas, and for a fun, festive, and cozy activity, we made a new classic cocktail every night. This paper plane…

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French Toast Casserole

This overnight French toast casserole recipe is the perfect breakfast for a crowd! It's simple and delicious, with a crisp topping and custardy middle.

This French toast casserole recipe is the easiest way to make French toast for a crowd. Instead of standing at the stove, flipping slices to order, you pile cubed bread into a casserole dish, douse it in a rich, cinnamon-spiced custard, and bake it with pecans and brown sugar on top. It’s a breeze to make on the morning you plan to serve it, but you can also assemble it a day ahead and let it sit overnight in the fridge. The next morning, just add the nutty topping, pop it in the oven, and bake! This French toast casserole…

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Classic Martini

Classic and classy, a martini is one of our favorite cocktails to make at home. This 2-ingredient recipe uses gin and dry vermouth. We love it with a twist!

This classic martini recipe was one of the first cocktails Jack learned to make at home. It entered our rotation years ago, back when we had regular poker nights with a group of friends. I would always lose, but I still joined in every time for the company—and the drinks. Jack thinks (and he’s convinced me too) that a martini is a cocktail that’s actually best made at home. You only need 2 ingredients—gin and dry vermouth—and you have complete control over the ratios. We both like ours dry, which is how I’ve written the recipe below, but I’ve also included notes…

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Air Fryer Grilled Cheese

This air fryer grilled cheese is crisp and golden on the outside and melty in the middle. It's the easiest way to make a perfect grilled cheese sandwich!

Did you know that you can make a perfect grilled cheese in the air fryer? This air fryer grilled cheese sandwich is crisp and golden on the outside and gooey in the middle (I mean, look at that cheese pull!). I started making this air fryer grilled cheese recipe last spring for my son Ollie, and it’s since become my favorite way to make a grilled cheese. Sure, it’s pretty simple to cook one on the stovetop, but using the air fryer is even easier. Here’s why: I use sliced, not grated, cheese. Sandwich assembly is quick and easy! Cleanup is a…

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Arrabbiata Sauce

Tired of the same old red sauce? Spice up your next pasta night with this arrabbiata sauce recipe! We love this fiery Italian tomato sauce over penne.

Break out the red pepper flakes—we’re making arrabbiata sauce! This spicy Italian tomato sauce is one of my favorite sauces to serve over pasta. It’s insanely flavorful, with a generous pinch of crushed red pepper giving it a delicious kick of heat. It also happens to be easy to make in 30 minutes with 7 basic ingredients. I love having this arrabbiata sauce recipe in our pasta night rotation—I hope you will too! How to Make Arrabbiata Sauce My arrabbiata sauce recipe has 7 simple ingredients: Canned whole peeled tomatoes – If you can find them, use San Marzano tomatoes for…

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Protein Pancakes

These protein pancakes are easy to make with 10 simple ingredients. They're a delicious, healthy breakfast...that actually keeps me full till lunch!

Protein pancakes! If you love starting your day with a high-protein breakfast, this recipe is for you. Each pancake contains about 8 grams of protein, which comes out to roughly 24 grams per serving! Ever since I shared this fluffy pancake recipe, I’ve been making pancakes on repeat. They’re one of my kiddo’s favorite breakfasts, and they’re something we like to make together. But as much as I love those regular pancakes, sometimes, I want a breakfast that keeps me fuller longer. That’s where these protein pancakes come in. Made in the blender, they contain no flour and no refined sugar.…

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Enchiladas Verdes

These enchiladas verdes have a zesty green tomatillo sauce and a flavorful veggie filling. Topped with gooey, melty cheese, they're a delicious dinner!

Whenever I see enchiladas verdes on a restaurant menu, I’m tempted to order them. I love a bright salsa verde, so green enchiladas always sound so good. But more often than not, they’re filled with shredded chicken. If I want veggie enchiladas verdes (not traditional, but delicious), I’m better off making them at home. These green enchiladas are my go-to recipe. I smother them in a homemade green enchilada sauce that has a tangy tomatillo base and jalapeños for a spicy kick. They’re stuffed with roasted vegetables and creamy pinto beans and topped off with fresh fixings like avocado, radishes, and…

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Green Enchilada Sauce

This green enchilada sauce recipe tastes so much fresher than store-bought! It's bold, tangy, and spicy, made with roasted tomatillos, onions, and chiles.

Are you team green enchilada sauce or red enchilada sauce? I’m team…well…both, but right now, I’m really loving this 8-ingredient green enchilada sauce recipe. It’s adapted from my favorite salsa verde, made with roasted tomatillos, onions, garlic, and jalapeños. The tomatillos give it a super tangy and bright flavor, while the jalapeños add a nice spicy kick (don’t worry—if you don’t love spice, I have a few tips for how you can reduce the heat!). Try it the next time you’re making enchiladas verdes—with all the veggies in this recipe, it tastes so much fresher than green enchilada sauce from…

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Homemade Corn Tortillas

Learn how to make corn tortillas with this easy 3-ingredient recipe! Soft and flavorful, these homemade tortillas are so much better than store-bought.

You can’t fully appreciate corn tortillas until you’ve tried homemade ones. They’re entirely different from the shelf-stable, store-bought kind. Instead of being dry and prone to cracking, they’re soft, bendable, and full of toasty corn flavor. I shared these corn and flour tortillas a few years ago, and ever since then, I’ve gotten tons of requests for a 100% corn tortilla recipe. I’m so excited to finally get this one to you—it’s totally gluten-free and calls for just 3 ingredients. I love making it to use in Mexican dishes like enchiladas and tacos and to pair with refried beans. I…

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A food blog with fresh, zesty recipes.
Photograph of Jeanine Donofrio and Jack Mathews in their kitchen

Hello, we're Jeanine and Jack.

We love to eat, travel, cook, and eat some more! We create & photograph vegetarian recipes from our home in Chicago, while our shiba pups eat the kale stems that fall on the kitchen floor.