So I get a lot of requests to do the "what I eat in a day" videos, but to be
honest, I'm usually eating on the go or at my desk working, which isn't exactly
interesting. So today I'm going to share with you "what I eat in a week."
So today I'm showing you the five healthy vegan meals I eat every single week or at
least some variation of them because they're easy to customize. They're
delicious, they're vegan, and they're gluten free or they have a gluten free
friendly option. And you can find all of the recipes I mentioned in this video in
the description box below. And if you didn't already know, my debut cookbook
The Vegan Instant Pot Cookbook will be published on June 11th. It's available
for pre-order now and you can find a link in the description box below to
reserve your copy today - for yourself or for your family and friends. I'm super
excited about this book. It has over 90 delicious vegan recipes that are
indulgent but wholesome and there are lots of gluten-free, nut-free, soy free options,
and there's a whole section in the beginning of the book with tips on vegan
cooking and using your Instant Pot. Finally this is the first video I've
done that's been inspired by another youtuber.
This one's inspired by my dear friend Sadia of the Pick Up Limes channel. she
has the most incredible YouTube channel. you're probably familiar with her
already but in case you're not I've included her video on five meals she
eats every week as well as her YouTube channel in the description box below.
alright here is my video for what in a week.
The first meal I eat on a
regular basis are stuffed sweet potatoes. you can use a baked sweet potato as the
base for almost any meal and I usually make them for an easy, hearty dinner but
it's also great for a post-workout meal because it has both protein and complex
carbs to fuel your body. I usually add some sort of bean or lentil for protein
and then a combination of veggies and condiments.
One of my favorite combinations are these Za'atar flavored chickpeas. I pan fry some cooked
chickpeas - you can use canned ones or I usually make them in my Instant Pot and
then I toss the chickpeas in a homemade Za'atar seasoning, which is a Middle Eastern
spice mixture made of fresh thyme, sumac, and sesame seeds.
The chickpeas get crispy and a little blistered when they're pan-fried which
makes the texture amazing you'll never want to go back to plain old canned beans.
Then I top the potatoes with some pickled cabbage and a drizzle of tahini.
One of the condiments you can always find in my fridge if you visit my fridge
is cashew cream. t's like vegan liquid gold - it's so rich and adds a little
indulgence to every meal but it's made mostly with just cashews and a few other
ingredients so it's 100% wholesome.
I toss it with hot pasta or noodles and depending on how I'm feeling and what's in my
pantry, I might use plain fettuccine or linguine or if I want something a little
healthier, I'll use whole wheat pasta or a lentil or bean based pasta. When I'm done
cooking the pasta I reserve just a little bit of the cooking water and then
I toss the hot pasta with the cashew cream and if it's too thick I add a
little bit of that cooking water to thin it out. I usually add some sort of
protein. For something easy that doesn't require extra cooking, I use shelled
organic edamame. Then I top it with some final flavoring agents like juicy cherry
tomatoes, fragrant basil, and crunchy walnuts and hemp seeds.
The next meal I make almost every single week at least in the colder months is a
lentil or chickpea based curry. I almost always use my instant pot to make these
because it makes it easier and more hands-off. I usually rotate between
Indian and Thai curries because they're so flavorful and I always have the
spices for those on hand. I've included a few of my favorite curry recipes in the
description box below including a few recipes that don't require an Instant Pot.
The key to a good curry is to be generous with the spices and to use a
combination of whole and ground spices. I've made a few of my Indian curry
recipes for my mom and she has approved, so I think that's a good sign.
Another meal I make every single week is a big ol' grain bowl. for this bowl I
used farro but to keep it gluten free you can use brown rice, quinoa, millet,
barley or wild rice. And this is where meal prep comes in super handy. I almost
always have some sort of cooked grain in my fridge that I can use because I just
toss my grains with some water in the Instant Pot and when I come back, the
grains are already cooked. And I almost always have some sort of cooked
vegetable in my fridge as well. in the colder months, it might be roasted root
vegetables, and in the warmer months some raw or lightly steamed vegetables. today
I'm using spiralized butternut squash noodles that have been lightly cooked.
for a little sweetness and chewiness I add a handful of dried fruit like apricot, and
to add more flavor and freshness, I always add a handful of chopped herbs
such as parsley and basil or cilantro and dill.
And for a nice texture contrast and healthy fats, I had some raw or toasted
nuts and seeds. Finally for the dressing sometimes I just use extra virgin olive
oil and balsamic vinegar, but if you want to keep it oil free, I make a tahini
dressing using tahini, apple cider vinegar, salt, pepper and warm water to
thin it out.
This last meal is a breakfast recipe and it's one that both I and my partner eat
every single week. I make creamy fruit- sweetened oats both on the stovetop and in
the Instant Pot. Both versions are easy but with the Instant Pot, you don't even
have to know how to cook because you just toss all of the ingredients in
there and let the Instant Pot do its magic. I also make oatmeal on the stove
especially if I'm using rolled oats. And while plain oatmeal can be really boring,
this recipe is far from it. For one thing my oatmeal is super creamy because I
always cook it in plant-based milk instead of water - it makes it taste
really indulgent instead of just like a health food. I also sweeten my oats
naturally with fruit so it satisfies my sweet tooth without added sugar.
My favorite fruit sweeteners are dates and bananas. The topping options are
endless but I usually add some sort of berry sauce or berry jam that I keep in
the fridge. I simply heat frozen berries on the stove until they get nice and
saucy, and you can add a little sweetener or lemon juice if you like. And if you
want to turn it into a chia jam, you can add some chia seeds at the end to
thicken it up. Some of the other toppings I like to add to my oats are nuts and
toasted coconut - they have healthy fats and they also add a nice crunchy
contrasting texture to the smooth creamy oatmeal. And for a little bit of a treat
I sometimes add a little chopped dark chocolate on top.
Alright, now I have a question for you: what are some vegan meals you make every single week? Let me
know in the comments below, and I hope you enjoyed this video for five healthy
vegan meal I eat every week. If you did, you know what to do - give it a thumbs up,
and I'll see you guys in the next video. Bye!