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Vegan meal prep without soy or gluten

Cook twice a week and every lunch is already built. These four dishes are vegan, soy-free and gluten-free, they keep in the fridge, and each one puts real protein on the plate.

Four glass containers of lentil chilli, quinoa bowls, lentil curry and chickpea salad on a bench

1. Lentil and bean chilli

Lentils and kidney beans with onion, garlic, tomatoes, cumin and smoked paprika. Serve it with rice or a baked potato. Two cups of chilli puts around twenty-five grams of protein on the plate.

2. Red lentil curry

Red lentils simmered with coconut milk, ginger, garlic and spinach. Use a curry paste or spices labelled gluten-free, because some contain wheat. Serve it over rice.

3. Quinoa and black bean bowls

Quinoa, black beans, roasted peppers, sweetcorn and a squeeze of lime. Add a handful of pumpkin seeds on top for crunch and a few extra grams of protein.

4. Chickpea salad

Chickpeas, cucumber, tomato, red onion, parsley, olive oil and lemon. It needs no reheating, which makes it the easy lunch for days out.

Build the plate

Use the plant-based plate as the guide, with one change: beans and lentils are carbs as well as protein, so when they are the main protein, keep the rice portion modest and add a pea protein drink on the side if you are short for the day.

Everything here is vegan, soy-free and gluten-free. If you have coeliac disease, buy oats and packaged foods labelled certified gluten-free, and always check the label.

Follow along

The other half of the plan.

13 minutes · no equipment

Two easy rounds, start to finish.

Meal prep twice a week, train three times a week. This is one of the three.

  • 01Warm-up march and arm circles
  • 02Six standing moves, 40 seconds on, 20 off
  • 03Round two repeats round one
  • 04Stop if something hurts, not when it gets hard
Watch on YouTube

What this needs

The kit mentioned above.

Links go to Amazon and a purchase through one pays me a small commission at no extra cost to you. It does not change what gets recommended.

Where this shows up

The tests this affects.

Before you ask

Three questions.

How long does it keep?

Three to four days in the fridge in a sealed container. Freeze the chilli and the curry in portions if you cook more than that.

Is coconut milk healthy?

It is high in fat, so use it as the thumb of fat rather than on top of everything else. Light coconut milk works fine in the curry.

Beans give me trouble. What helps?

Start with smaller portions and build up over a few weeks, rinse tinned beans well, and red lentils tend to be the gentlest. If it persists, talk to your doctor.