Chef Sara’s 5-Day Meal Plan

There’s something so special about the dawn of a bright new year, fresh with possibilities and potential. If you’ve been yearning to get in the kitchen more, whether you’re a longtime vegan or new to the plant-based cooking world, this 5-day dinner meal plan featuring Compassionate Cuisine recipes may be just the encouragement you need to dust off your apron and find joy in your kitchen. If you’re brand-new to meal planning and feeling a bit overwhelmed by the possibilities, here are some surefire tips for success! Start small. You don’t have to follow this entire plan on your first go: this is just a suggestion, so feel free to change it up! Pick a few recipes you’d like to try and pencil them in on your calendar or planner, then commit to making them instead of ordering takeout. If you’re pressed for time but still want homemade meals on the table, seek out pre-cut veggies in the produce section of your local grocery store: they can be wonderful time-savers.   Shop and prep in advance. A day or two before your meal plan begins, write up your shopping list, buy all the ingredients you need, and commit to spending an hour or so in the kitchen, getting everything washed and chopped for your recipes. Put on some music or a podcast and make it fun!  Be a “meal plan detective” and see what you can make in advance to save more time during your busy week. For the recipes you won’t be making in advance, wash and chop all your produce, then store in the refrigerator until needed. With your vegetables ready to go, dinner will come together in a snap! Looking for specific meal-planning pointers? Here are some time- and sanity-saving tips for tackling this particular meal plan:

• Make a batch of Broccoli, Spinach, and Hemp Seed Pesto on Sunday, then refrigerate until needed for Thursday’s dinner.
• Don’t want to use canned beans? No problem! Cook them from scratch on Sunday and refrigerate until needed.
• Assemble the Slow Cooker White Bean Cassoulet on Monday morning before you leave for work or school. When you get home in the evening, dinner will be waiting for you! (And if you don’t have a slow cooker, don’t fret! Just make the cassoulet on the stovetop on Sunday night, then refrigerate and reheat on Monday.)