How to Meal Prep and Plan

If you don’t have a solid plan to use up produce or know how to properly store it, your vibrant, nutritious, and flavorful fruits and veggies can quickly transform into mush. And wasted food is wasted time, money, and resources. It can also put a wrench in your meal plans. And it has a detrimental impact on the planet. This article and video provide tips on how to extend the shelf life of, and use up, fruits, veggies, and herbs in a variety of culinary applications to avoid waste and get the most out of your food.

Reading a recipe may seem pretty straightforward. However, there can be foreign ingredients (looking at you kala namak), unfamiliar measurements (how much is a pinch, exactly?), and prep instructions (don’t forget to soak the cashews!) that you’ll want to know before starting a recipe. And understanding how to read a recipe can set you up for success in the kitchen. In this article, you learn how to follow recipes from start to finish and create knockout dishes every time.

Have you been curious about plant-based eating but unsure where to start? Or perhaps you have successfully made some plant-based meals, but haven’t yet ventured beyond what you know. In this How to Cook series article, we review our top ten tips (plus a bonus tip!) to getting started — or progressing — in a plant-based kitchen.

Beans are one of those foods that you either love or loathe. If you’re in the latter camp it’s probably because you had an experience where you tried to love them, but they didn’t love you back. In this article, we will make our best attempt to show you that beans are a food to love due to their nutritional value, culinary versatility, and economic benefit. And, of course, we will also discuss the various ways of preparing beans so that they love you back by being kind to your belly.

While processed grains like those made from white flour can lead to health problems, many whole grains might actually be good for you. So what makes something a whole grain? What kinds are available beyond wheat, rice, and corn? And how can you safely incorporate them into a healthy, convenient, and economical lifestyle?

Winter is the season when many of us crave hearty, dense meals to provide our bodies (and spirits) with warmth and comfort. Instead of relying on animal products to satisfy your appetite for a hearty meal, choose local or seasonal produce such as squash and root vegetables. When paired with whole grains and legumes (both excellent sources of fiber and protein), they make for nourishing meals that can be enjoyed at family gatherings or as leftovers to satisfy and nourish you throughout the week. This article will give you helpful tips for creating healthy, whole food plant-based winter dinners, along with seven recipes to keep you cozy and cared for all winter long.

While food writers and chefs have snubbed the humble casserole for years, ordinary folks rely on it for easy and inexpensive dinners, potluck offerings, and crowd-pleasing comfort food. In this article, we explore the history, benefits, and drawbacks of traditional casserole recipes, and share seven healthy, plant-based versions of this ultimate “down-home” dish.

Industrialized society moves material on a one-way trip — we buy it new, replace it soon, and throw it “away” when we don’t want it anymore. On a finite planet groaning under the weight of all our waste, this way of living isn’t sustainable. One model seeking to replace it is called Zero Waste. And we don’t have to wait for the whole world to embrace it — we can do our part to take care of the earth by implementing Zero Waste strategies in our homes and kitchens.

You may have heard fiber is important, or that you need to eat more fiber. But why is fiber good for you? And how can you get enough fiber in your diet? Discover the health benefits of this essential nutrient. Plus, find out what the top fiber-rich foods are and get a sample meal plan to easily meet your optimal daily fiber intake.

Online recipes are often designed for families or groups of four or more people. But what about couples or singles who don’t want to cook large quantities of food or scale ingredient amounts for every meal? In this article, we provide seven delicious and nutrient-dense meals designed for couples, along with tips for grocery shopping and scaling recipes for two people.

If you want to make a healthy, hearty, and hot plant-based dish from scratch in less than 30 minutes, one of your best options is to cook some lentils. Whether you’re a gourmet cook circumnavigating the world in your kitchen, or a back-to-basics master throwing together a classic lentil soup, these tiny pulses can add body and taste to your cooking. Plus, eating more lentils is a great way to contribute to slowing climate change. If you’re looking for ideas or recipes to get more lentils into your life, read on!

If you’re looking for the healthiest foods to include in your diet on a regular basis, memorize one acronym — GBOMBS. When you stack up all the foods you could eat by how many nutrients they provide per calorie, greens, beans, onions, mushrooms, berries, and seeds top the charts. But how do you get them onto your plate and into your belly on a regular basis? This article shares tips and a GBOMBS meal plan that includes yummy recipes and a shopping list.