Meal Plan: New Year New Flavors

Struggling to plan meals that are quick, high-protein, and vegetarian? These weekly meal plans are designed to save the day (and your dinner table). Each week includes four dinners and one breakfast idea, plus a grocery list you can take to the store with you.

🍽️ On The Menu This Week

This week’s recipes focus on maximizing flavor to really ring in the new year on the right foot! I’ve included a few of my favorites that you may not have tried before.

• Dinner 1: Slow Cooker Marry Me Chickpea Soup pair it with crusty bread or a fresh side salad
• Dinner 2: Veggie Shepherd’s Pie pair it was crusty bread (Irish soda bread would be amazing!)
• Dinner 3: Vegan Corn Chowder pair with sautéed mushrooms or air fried tofu for protein
• Dinner 4: Chickpea Tacos pair them with a corn or bean salad
• Breakfast: Caesar Beans

👉 How To Use This Meal Plan

I’ve included four vegetarian dinners in this meal plan to leave some days for leftovers or eating out. I’ve also included a breakfast idea, which can be enjoyed on any day!

1. Print or save the Meal Plan and Grocery List below.
2. Head to the recipes (the QR codes will take you to them). You can click “jump to recipe” at the top of each post, or read the post to learn about substitutions and variations. You can print these recipes or save them on your phone.
3. Check the grocery list, crossing off any ingredients you already have, or that are for recipes you don’t want to make.
4. Grocery shop. I’ve sorted the list by section in the grocery store to make it quick! I personally prefer scheduling a pickup or delivery for Sunday morning so I can prep my meals for the week on Sunday evening.
5. Cook and eat! Feel free to drop any questions about recipes in the comments section below each recipe (or just to leave a review on how it went – this helps our community tremendously!).

🗓️ Grab The Meal Plan

📝 Grab The Grocery List

💪 Meal Prep Tips

You can prep these things in advance to make cooking throughout the week even easier:

• Slow Cooker Marry Me Soup: On your meal prep day, brown the vegan sausage and chop the potatoes. Store them separately, then toss everything into the slow cooker when you’re ready to cook.
• Shepherd’s Pie: Chop the veggies, cook and mash the potatoes, and prepare the filling. Store everything separately, then assemble and bake when ready to enjoy.
• Vegan Corn Chowder: Dice the onion and bell pepper, chop the cauliflower, and measure out the spices and cashews. Cook everything together for a quick and cozy meal.
• On a budget? Cook a big batch of chickpeas from dried and keep them in your fridge for the week. You’ll need 6 cups of cooked chickpeas (each can = 1½ cups).

🌱 Why Meal Plan?

Meal planning isn’t just about organization…it’s about freeing up your mental space and making cooking more fun! A few reasons we swear by meal planning:

1. Save That Cash
With a plan in place, you’ll skip the temptation of random aisle wandering and stick to a purposeful list.

2. Win Back Your Evenings
Gone are the “What’s for dinner?” debates! Meal planning means less time stressing and more time enjoying. (Bonus points if you prep ingredients ahead!)

3. Get Healthier (Without The Effort)
Not only does meal planning help you avoid the temptation of takeout, but you can sneak in extra veggies and control portion sizes more effortlessly when you have a plan in place.

4. Goodbye Food Waste
You know those sad veggies wilting in the fridge? With meal planning, you’ll actually use everything you buy!