5 Quick Vegan Recipes

How many times have you heard someone complain that being vegan just seems like too much work? Article Source

Of course, it will require some work—all cooking does! But vegan cooking doesn’t always have to be an hour-long process. In fact, most vegan recipes are easy to prepare since they often don’t need much cooking or difficult prep.

If you are an on-the-go type of person, you might be looking for some vegan recipes that you can take with you when you’re in a hurry or don’t have time to seek out a vegan-friendly restaurant.

If that sounds like you, check out 5 vegan recipes below for when you’re on the go!

1. An Avocado Sandwich: The King of Vegan Recipes

The beauty of an avocado sandwich is that you can modify it and change it up as much as you’d like, whenever you’d like! Of course, some methods are more tried and true than others, but you can always experiment on your own as well.

If you’re in a rush, an avocado sandwich is an easy fix to bring with you on your long commute. It also breaks the stereotype that vegans are only obsessed with avocado toast (but, yes, of course, we’re obsessed with it).

Below is a pretty basic avocado sandwich to get you through the day!

Ingredients:

• 2 slices of whole wheat bread
• 1/2 of an avocado
• 1 small tomato
• 4-5 red onion slices
• 1 handful of your green of choice

Instructions:

1. First, you’re going to want to toast your bread. If you like your sandwich cold, just skip this step, baby!

2. Slice that tomato up into fine discs. If you’re feeling saucy, fry them up in a pan with a smidge of oil on medium heat. Otherwise, set them off to the side.

3. Slice up your onion. You only want about 4 or 5 thin slices to give your sandwich some crunch, so wrap the rest of the onion up for future cooking.

4. It’s time to cut up your avocado. It’s up to you whether you’d prefer to slice up your avocado and mash it into a spread, or simply leave it in slivers.

5. Take a small handful of your green of choice (spinach is always an excellent option, but arugula will give you some powerful flavor too) and set it aside with your other toppings.

6. Assemble! If you’ve crushed up your avocado into a spread, smear it onto your bread. If not, put your greens down first and then add your tomatoes, avocado, and red onions on top.

7. Enjoy!

2. Black Bean Burrito Bowl

If you want a Chipotle-inspired dish without having to make a stop during your lunch break, prep this black bean burrito bowl quickly in the morning and bring it with you.

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup (or less, depending on preference) chopped cilantro
• 1 cup of uncooked rice
• 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup of diced cherry tomatoes
• 1/2 diced red onion
• 1 cup of chipotle garlic black beans
• 1/2 cup guacamole

Instructions:

1. Boil water and then add your rice. Stir occasionally until it’s the consistency and tenderness you prefer.

2. When your rice is done, pop your beans in a new pot and heat them on low to medium heat for about 5 minutes.

3. Slice your bell peppers up, and dice those tomatoes and red onions.

4. Mix your veggies, rice, and beans together into a bowl.

5. Top with cilantro and a whack of guac.

6. Enjoy!

3. Popcorn: With a Twist

This snack will have you missing your middle school years when you stayed up watching scary movies with your friends and shoveling popcorn into your mouth. But you don’t have to be at the movies to enjoy this crunchy snack!

Sometimes you’re looking for a quick snack on the go, but you’re not ready for a full meal. Popcorn is so simple to make, and you can make a huge batch to last you through the week. This recipe provides a twist on traditional popcorn with a bit of a kick!

Ingredients:

• 1/2 popcorn kernels
• 2-3 tablespoons of oil
• 1/4 chili powder
• 1½ tablespoons of unsweetened shredded coconut

Instructions:

1. Heat oil in a large pot or saucepan at medium heat. If you’re going for a larger batch, opt for the pot.

2. When you think the oil is hot enough, add two or three kernels. Cover with a lid and wait for them to pop.

3. When the kernels have popped, remove the lid and add the rest of the kernels. Cover with the lid again and give the pot/pan a shake back and forth every ten seconds to prevent any burning.

4. Take your popcorn off once it has all popped. If you made your popcorn in a pan, move it to a large bowl. If it’s in a large pot, it can stay in the pot.

5. You may need to give your popcorn a spritz with oil before you add your seasoning in order for the flavoring to stick!

6. Sprinkle the chili powder and coconut over the popcorn evenly and shake the bowl or pot until all of the popcorn is coated in the flavoring.

5. Enjoy!

4. Must-Have Almond Raspberry Salad

This is my personal go-to salad when I need something quick and tasty and a little bit sweet. If you aren’t into sweet salads, this one just might change your mind! Slap it together and throw it in a resealable container, and you’ve got a quick and easy meal to take with you when you’re on the run.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup red raspberries
• 1 cup diced pineapple
• 1/4 cup slivered almonds (use whole, if you prefer)
• 1-2 cups spinach

Instructions:

1. You can buy pre-diced pineapple, but if not, dice up that pineapple.

2. Put your spinach in the bottom of your bowl or container.

3. Top it with the almonds, raspberries, and pineapple.

4. Yes, it’s literally that easy. Enjoy!

5. Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

I know every year as a child, we would carve pumpkins around Halloween and then roast all the seeds that we’d pulled out. I prefer mine with salt alone, but you can add loads of other flavorings to them! They’re the perfect snack to take with you on a long drive or to a meeting.

Ingredients:

• 4 cups of pumpkin seeds
• 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons chili powder (optional)

Instructions:

1. Preheat your oven to 380°F.

2. Rinse your pumpkin seeds with hot water in a colander. Blot with paper towels.

3. Spread your seeds out evenly on a baking tray. Add your olive oil and shake the pan side to side until they’re evenly coated.

4. Toss those babies in the oven for 25 minutes. Mix them around a bit every 5-10 minutes.

5. Take them out and let them cool for 10 minutes.

6. Dust them in salt, or chili powder if you want a bit of a kick.

7. Enjoy!

Live Healthy On the Go

There’s no reason to put your vegan lifestyle on hold just because you don’t always have time to meal-prep. As you can see, there are plenty of delicious vegan recipes that don’t take a ton of time to make and can keep you full and happy during a busy day!

For more vegan recipes and articles, check out the rest of our blog!

About the Vegan Diet and Its Health Benefits

Few Americans understand what a vegan diet is, or what it can mean for their health. Instead of a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, the typical American diet is heavy in animal meats, fats, and dairy. This way of eating has been getting worse with each generation. As this increases, so do many people's waistlines. Eating a vegan diet instead is a healthy alternative. Whether you eat a vegan diet for a short while, or continue on for a lifetime, veganism can be a rewarding lifestyle change.

Lose weight, enjoy more energy, and feel great by making the change to veganism.

What is veganism?

Veganism is a type of vegetarianism that is slightly more limited. While a vegetarian will not eat meat, some still enjoy milk, eggs, honey, and other animal products. Vegans, on the other hand, avoid all animal products possible. Many even avoid wearing leather and wool because these are animal products. Vegans have to constantly be on the look out for animal-based food additives. One common example is red food dye, which is made from a type of beetles.

Is Veganism Difficult To Follow At first glance, it seems very difficult to follow a vegan diet. Animal products are everywhere, from the gelatin to chocolate. Many foods you would not expect to have animal products, do. In some parts of the world, choosing to eat a vegan diet could be extremely difficult to do. However, for most people in the U.S. there is an abundance of food options if you know where to look. Health food stores and specialty shops are more likely to carry vegan food that typical grocery chains. However some larger chains, such as WalMart, are beginning to carry vegetarian and vegan options.

Small, local grocery stores often have a good selection of quick food items that are vegan friendly. If not, they may be more friendly towards making these options available to meet local needs. When going out to eat, some cuisines are better suited towards offering vegan options. Spanish, South and Central American, and some Asian foods have great vegan options. And thankfully, more vegan friendly restaurants are opening up across the country each day.

If need be, you can always ask the chef to hold the animal products for your dish. Vegan snacks are easy to find. Fresh fruits and vegetables, along with nuts and seeds, are healthy snacks that contain absolutely no animal products.

Try a handful of cashews, a fresh fruit salad, or a square of dark chocolate for a simple vegan snack.

Is It Delicious?

There are vegan dishes all around the world, dishes that most people do not even realize are vegan. Hummus, fried okra, salads, dark chocolate. Lots of things that people enjoy on a daily basis have no animal products at all.

Where the typical American diet focuses mainly on meat and animal fats, looking outside oour culture we can find a wide assortment of delicious foods to enjoy. As the demand grows, many food companies are now offering vegan alternatives that are just as tasty as the foods they replace. From vegan versions of bacon, sausage, burgers, and ground beef, there are great options for people interested in a vegan diet but not yet ready to say goodbye to meat.

Vegans do not need to give up their dessert options either. Cakes, cookies, ice creams, and more can all be made without milk and eggs, and they are just as delicious as the typical versions. Try a slice of vegan apple pie, topped with vegan ice cream made from coconut milk. Many people find that as they adjust to a vegan diet, their sense of taste no longer requires heavily flavored foods. Things can taste sweet with less sugar that before, making even desserts a little better.

As their systems clean out the junk built up, they can become more sensitive to what they eat.

Is Veganism Safe?

A balanced vegan diet can be incredible for your health. Of course, the secret is keeping it balanced. A diet of nothing but vegan cookies, while vegan, would not be healthy at all. Sticking to a balanced diet and remembering to eat foods in moderation will help you to be healthier and lose weight. Even people who are already at a healthy weight range will feel better when their body flushes the animal products out.

Want to know more?

Eating raw foods is a great weight loss plan, but sometimes hard to follow. For more information visit [http://newrawfooddetox.info/] and learn how you can eat raw for your health.

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