Life gets busy and making food and meals can feel like an extra chore. However, it doesn’t have to be! Making your meals ahead of time or knowing how to make a meal perfect for on the go is both a skill and can be a creative process. Preparing your meals ahead of time is great for when you’ve got an early morning or are out all day. And, if you’re at home, having something in the fridge to grab for you or your little one can take the pressure off of having to cook or make food decisions during the day. This is for all parents and guardians who want to be able to find a few filling snacks and meals that keep on the go. Check out the tips below!

Pack Dressings and Toppings Separately:

A few ways to hack your meals into being perfect for on-the-go is to have any sauce, dressing, or toppings packed separately. This makes them easy to pour or add in when it’s time to eat. This keeps the meal from getting soggy and allows for more of a fresh texture in your meal. For instance, for salads or even oatmeal, packing the dressing or toppings such as granola or dried fruit, on the side is perfect. Even if you’re at home, you can use a small dressing container for easy access during your day.

Use the Right Containers, but Get Creative:

Find containers that you have that are spill-proof. This doesn’t mean you need to go buy a whole new set of containers; just look around your space to see if there are ways to get creative. For instance, if you make your overnight oats in an extra coffee cup or sippy cup you might have since those are also no-spill! For salads, you can bring them in a reusable silicone bag, which makes a perfect container to shake up your salads and dressing before digging in. It might seem odd, but it works!

This also applies to how you carry your packed food. If your food needs to stay cold, make sure you have a reusable, insulated lunch box to pack your containers into. You can also use reusable ice packs in the lunch box you have, as well. Use your best judgment about what foods you pack based on where you’ll be. Offices, daycares, and other indoor places are a bit more common, but if you’re heading outdoors into intense or inclement weather, make sure you’re packing food that will hold up.

Keep Fruits and Veggies Whole:

Keep fruit and veggies whole to carry them easier. This may seem obvious, but keeping fruit and veggies whole is the best way for them to travel. If you’re a big fan of having them cut into slices for easier eating, plan to see if your workplace or school might have a way to chop them. If this isn’t something that works for you, add a bit of lemon juice on apples or pears to keep them from browning. If you’re a banana lover, make sure you pack your banana in a way that it won’t get squished during travel, so use an outside pocket or carry it in your hand.

We also highly recommend downloading the Food Monster App  — with over 15,000 delicious recipes it is the largest meatless, vegan, plant-based, and allergy-friendly recipe resource to help you get healthy! And, don’t forget to check out our Weekly Meal Plan Archives!

This week, we’re bringing delicious, fully vegan, and plant-based ways to enjoy creative ways to eat veggies in these spring dishes!

On-The-Go Breakfasts:

Vegan French Toast Sticks

Source: French Toast Sticks

The trick to making food easy on the go is to be smart about the way you pack your food. Putting it in a mason jar or even a to-go cup is a great way to be able to eat your breakfast as you’re traveling. For pancakes, waffles, and french toast, you can cut them into sticks or make them mini, and then pack the maple syrup on the side for easy dipping! For those, you can also freeze extras to save for another time.

As you’re eating, do your best to take a few bites mindfully and take in the moments to yourself. Those few sips of coffee, tea, or juice, or even the last bite of breakfast is a wonderful time to take a few seconds to focus on your breathing and ready yourself for the day and week!

High Protein Snacks For On-The-Go

Vegan Chickpea Flour Muffins

Source: Chickpea Flour Muffins

These snacks will keep you on your feet and are perfect for any time you’re needing a bit of a pick-me-up. Whether you’re looking for something simple like a granola bar, or something a bit more filling, like spring rolls, we’ve included some options below!

Make-Ahead Desserts for On-The-Go

Vegan Apple Pie

Source: Easy Mini Apple Pie

These desserts are great to make any time you’re looking for something sweet to make. These desserts are mini, for your convenience. That way, you can make them and eat them one at a time, or take a few on the go with you! For an easier option, you can make your favorite dessert and simply cut it into pieces (think brownies bites) or cook it smaller (think mini cookies), so you can take it with you.

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Learn How to Cook Plant-Based Meals at Home

Reducing your meat intake and eating more plant-based foods is known to help with chronic inflammation, heart health, mental wellbeing, fitness goals, nutritional needs, allergies, gut health, and more! Unfortunately, dairy consumption also has been linked to many health problems, including acne, hormonal imbalance, cancer, prostate cancer, and has many side effects. 

For those interested in eating more plant-based, we highly recommend purchasing one of our many plant-based cookbooks or downloading the Food Monster App which has thousands of delicious recipes making it the largest vegan recipe resource to help reduce your environmental footprint, save animals and get healthy! And, while you are at it, we encourage you to also learn about the environmental and health benefits of a plant-based diet.

Here are some resources to get you started:

For more Animal, Earth, Life, Vegan Food, Health, and Recipe content published daily, subscribe to the One Green Planet Newsletter! Lastly, being publicly-funded gives us a greater chance to continue providing you with high-quality content. Please consider supporting us by donating!