Let’s face it, there’s not enough hours in the day for any of us.
Whether it’s work, studies, childcare, or other commitments, we all have things to get on with. And food is our fuel! On a busy day, how many of us resort to an easy meal that’s not very nutritious? When we think of easy meals, we often think of a ready meal, or something we can bung in the oven. Maybe even something basic and not flavoursome. But easy recipes can be so simple and delicious too!
So whether you’re really busy, struggling to find food everybody will eat, or just bored of your go-to dishes, this post is for you! These dishes are full of flavour and nutrients, but without the long list of ingredients. Plus, most of them can be made in bulk for added ease!
Enjoy these easy vegan family meals. I just know there will be something here for everyone!
Considering Nutrition – Easy Vegan Family Meals
When putting an easy meal together, don’t forget nutrition. You want something that is simple, delicious AND healthy. If we miss out key components of a dish, it can cause us to feel hungry afterwards, or even deficient in the long term. We all need our precious energy! Consider the following when creating your own meals:
- Does it contain a protein? This could be tofu, tempeh, lentils, chickpeas or a good quality fake meat substitute.
- Is there a filling carb? By this I mean sweet potato, pasta, rice, quinoa or other grains. These fill us up and provide slow-releasing energy.
- Are there veggies in there? The more colours the better for a wide range of nutrients.
- Can you sneak a healthy fat in? Consider avocado, extra virgin olive oil / coconut oil, olives or nuts.
Hearty Dinners 
Healthy Pasta Salad – who wants to make a beautiful, nutritious and filling lunch that’s perfect for work or on the go? Give this pasta salad a go! It’s quick to make, delicious warm or cold, and you can even add leftovers to it.
Shepherd’s Pie – surely everybody loves this dish? When made vegan it’s even more nutritious, packed with protein and veggies. The best bit is the beautiful mashed potato topping. If you’re feeling extravagant you could even sprinkle a little vegan cheese on top. This dish is best served with thick gravy – gorgeous! The most perfect easy vegan family meal.
Vegan Lasagne – it’s the most filling comfort food. Make a big dish full for some handy extra portions.
Lentil Ragu – spaghetti is a firm favourite with everybody, and lentils are packed with protein, so the perfect pair for a family! With a recipe like this, you can simply throw in any veggies or herbs you have to hand and experiment.
Chkn Risotto – we love risotto, it’s really filling and comforting! The best thing is, you throw everything into one pan so hardly any washing up.
Thai Tofu Curry – this recipe has so few ingredients, but a gorgeous taste! You can add less Thai paste too, if you have people in the family who only like mild spice.
Vegan Paella – ever since we visited Barcelona, there’s been a Learner Vegan obsession with paella. Now trust me, the paella we make back at home in the UK is NEVER going to match up with the amazing dish you can get over in Spain (do go and visit!). But it’s a very tasty and easy recipe nevertheless. The joy is you can throw in any veggies you have that go well with a tomato-based sauce.
Black Bean Burgers – these hold together well, and you can even swap out some of the herbs, to save buying them especially.
Tofu and Vegetable Quiche – a good vegan quiche is light yet filling, and can be paired with salad, new potatoes or couscous for a delicious meal.
BBQ Tofu and Squash Skewers – kids and visitors will love the novelty of these. No barbecue needed if it’s winter!
Macaroni Cheese – this recipe is simple to grasp and takes less than 30 minutes to create. We’re sure the whole family will love it, and you can even sneak hidden veggies in there if you have kids.
Masala Dal with Sweet Potato – this recipe really ticks all of the health and nutrition boxes. It’s a fantastic introduction to herbs and spices for younger kids, with the sweet flavour of mash underneath.
Spicy Coconut Noodles – noodles are definitely one of our go-to meals – they’re so versatile. This recipe is a little different, but so easy too. Leave the chilli out if you have sensitive children!
Sweet Potato Tacos – fresh and healthy. You can mix and match toppings to suit.
Delicious Lunches and Sides
Butternut Squash Soup – soup is perfect heading into this cooler weather – it’s warm, comforting and so simple even for the most amateur cook. You can also add a little chilli for a kick! I love this recipe so much, I even incorporated it into my free ‘Easy Being Vegan’ pack.
Chickpea Tuna – this is a filling I discovered a few months ago, and now I have it at least once per week. Taken from the lovely Tiny Vegan Tummies Instagram page, it’s really simple to make in bulk and use throughout the week. It goes great in a sandwich, wrap or on a hot jacket potato to make the perfect healthy lunch. To make it quicker, use nori sprinkles rather than chopping your own (the Clearspring brand is great).
Smoky Beans on Garlic Toast – it’s ready in less than 20 minutes, and less than 500 calories too! A fab twist on your average beans on toast.
Chickpea Nuggets – these look indulgent but are actually healthy. They’re a firm favourite with children and so easy to make! You can pair them with veggies and potato for a simple dinner, or keep them around for a snack.
Deconstructed Samosas – all the taste, but not deep fried and unhealthy! A lovely snack or side dish.
Crispy Baked Tofu – we make this ALL the time. It’s great in a salad, stir fry or curry. You can also keep it in the fridge and use it as a snack dipped in houmous.
One Pot Mexican Soup – such a great dish to use up leftovers. It serves really well with nachos to dip.
Beautiful Desserts
Strawberry Scones – these are the easiest vegan scones ever! You can add coconut, berries, raisins, or anything else you like. Delicious with jam and vegan double cream.
Vegan Pancakes – a lovely pudding option that is so fluffy! Ready in less than 30 minutes, these pancakes would also make a nice brunch.
Lemon Drizzle Cake – vegan lemon drizzle cake is refreshing and light – perfect for these hot summer days!
Strawberry Ice Cream – you don’t even need an oven or ice-cream maker for this one! It has just 4 ingredients, so get whisking now.
Chocolate Banana Cake – moist, soft but a little crumbly. We love to drizzle a little icing on top!
Easy Vegan Family Meals – Bonus Tips!
- Make extra if possible. You can then freeze in portions, and pull it out to defrost when you’re busy or feeling lazy. That way you have your very own homemade ready meal! This is also useful if you have teens at home who often make their own meals, as you know they’re getting nutrition.
- Check out Pinterest for unlimited meal ideas. It’s like your very own search engine – simply type in ‘Easy Vegan Family Meals’ and hit enter. I also have a great board full of thousands of easy vegan recipes for beginners. Follow it to be inspired!
- Buy staples such as pasta and rice in big bags. That way, you always know it’s there and don’t have to keep nipping out to the shops. Plus, it’s usually cheaper!
- Be creative in re-purposing leftovers. That chilli and rice you made? It’ll keep for a few days! Pop it in tacos with avocado or mayo. You have a whole new meal. What else could you reuse? Think sandwich fillings and jacket potato toppings.
What’s your favourite family meal? We’ll see if we can veganize it for you!
P.S. My FREE ‘Easy Being Vegan’ pack includes a shopping list and an easy meal plan, giving you even more fantastic meal ideas. There’s also a personal action points for staying vegan, and my BONUS favourite egg and dairy substitutes. Grab it now!
And if you need a little extra ongoing support, join our free community! We have a private Facebook group designed to help the vegan-curious, transitioning and new vegan on their journey. It’s a positive, non-judgmental safe space where all questions are welcome! We have plenty of meal ideas and brainstorming, too!
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There are 67 comments on this post
I've been trying to get my dad, who loves to cook, to be more open to plant-based options since I'm a vegan! I'll definitely save this article and show it to him soon!
Oooh yes definitely do, and let me know if there are any dishes he likes!
All great ideas! I am vegetarian, but eat fish. I would love to learn how to make things like mock salmon and such.
Will find you on Pinterest and start following you there, I love the recipes I have seen!
Carpe Diem | https://OurCarpeDiem.com
Brill! There are some great vegan fish recipes out there. Have you tried chickpea tuna? I love that!
Yum, all of these sound delicious. And, I can see this coming in handy on those days I need some meal planning inspirations. Thanks for sharing, I'll be pinning this for future reference.
Brilliant! I hope you find some tasty meals for your plan.
So many ideas you gave me for easy healthy recipes!
I'm so pleased - I hope you enjoy them!
So much great inspo here! I've been vegan since January & I absolutely love it! I've had so much fun creating new vegan meals...I definitely want to attempt those sweet potato tacos! They look amazing!
-madi xo | http://www.everydaywithmadirae.com
Brill - how have you found the journey? I really love tacos too!
This is the perfect little collection of vegan meal ideas. I'm also a huge pasta salad fan so big points for that!
Thank you! I know, I love pasta salad too. Filling and easy!
ahh this is such a great list of recipes! They all sound amazing. I'm gonna have to check them out and try to make 😊 Especially that pasta salad. I LOVE pasta 😍🤗
Me too. Probably a little too much! Glad you like it.
Wow! I'm really impressed by how detailed this post and all of your associated recipes are. Learner Vegan is a fantastic resource! I would never have thought to look up vegan mac n cheese.
Thanks so much for your feedback. It's great to have nice comforting food sometimes, and mac n cheese certainly ticks the boxes!!
OMG these all look so incredible! I definitely want to try those sweet potato tacos
Thank you! The tacos are so good. They make a really nice change.
I'm not vegan but love having vegan and/or vegetarian meals to fall back on several times a week. Sometimes, they just are not that filling however and I find myself grazing later in the day or evening. These ideas however seem to be perfect....thank you for sharing!
Laura
Black Coffee Beautiful
Yes! So glad you incorporate vegan into your diet. There are so many great filling meals, you just need the right components and protein source :)
I love this post! I'm currently trying to eat healthier and at the same time, I'm looking for easier meals to make because some vegan meals can take a little more time than I can spare, Especially with my current schedule. I think I'll try the smoky beans on garlic toast, sounds savory and tasty!
Fantastic! That one is a great healthier twist on canned beans on toast for sure. I hope you like it! Do you ever do meal planning/prep? It's a huge time saver too.
Wow - I'm impressed by this list. Everything you listed looks delicious.... especially the Thai Tofu Curry. I'm not vegan, but I'll definitely try that recipe out.
Yes, definitely do! Curries without meat can be so filling and tasty.
Sweet Potato Tacos sounds delish! I eat sweet potatoes at least twice a week. This will have to be on my list of foods to try!
Brill! They make a lovely taco filling.
I'm not a vegan but will happily make vegan meals. These look delicious and I can't wait to try out some of these recipes - especially the desserts!
Can't beat a good dessert! Hope you enjoy.
I should not have looked at this post while I'm hungry! I need black bean burgers, shepherd's pie and macaroni cheese right now!!! Saving this page for sure 👌
Haha there are definitely some goodies on here!
I am vegan and this post has my stomach rumbling. Thanks so much for sharing. It sounds so delicious
Brill! Glad it provided some inspiration.
These all sound so yummy! Can’t wait to try them. ☺️
Great, I hope you enjoy!
Great ideas! Shepherds pie made with veggies will be delish!
Yes! And with lentils you get the protein too. Perfect.
I'm always looking for yummy vegan meals. Thank you for sharing these meal ideas! My favorite is potato tacos (:
Erika Marie | https://imerikamarie.com
You're so welcome! The tacos do seem to be a firm favourite.
yum! we are trying to incorporate vegan recipes into our weekly dinners, so this is very useful!
Brill! Do let me know if you give any of them a try.
Totally stealing the idea of using leftover chili in tacos with mayo! I always feel like chili is best leftover anyways!
I know right!? Some food is amazing as leftovers, so funny.
I've never heard of chickpea tuna but it sounds right up my alley! I use chickpeas in just about everything!
Me too! This is such a great jacket potato topping and sometimes I add paprika or chilli too.
Omg all of this sounds amazing! I have recently turned vegan and have only really been having black bean burger and vegan nachos up to this point so thank you for the inspiration!
Both of those are pretty tasty though! :) Glad you found some inspiration, let me know if you try them out and what you think.
All of these meals look super tasty and some I haven't got around to trying before! Thanks for the mega ideas :)
I'm not vegan but I'm trying to eat more plant-based meals. Thanks for these!
great vegan meals!
Love all these ideas! I'm probably 80% vegan and I'm always looking for new recipes. The chickpea nuggets and strawberry scones sound so good!
They are - definitely give them a go!!
I'm not vegan but some of these look amazing!!!!!
Ooooh, this is super helpful! We're so busy and we often don't eat as well as we should. Thanks!
You have so many great recipes, can't wait to try some!
Vegan food really is the best!
Couldn't agree more!
Love your ideas! Sometimes it is so hard to come up with dinner and lunch ideas and posts like yours really help me think outside the box. Vegan shepards pie sounds so yummy. Will definitely need to try it.
Sometimes we all need a bit of inspiration, so thank you!
All of these sound delicious. I am sure I can get my meat-loving family on board for a few of these.
Brilliant, I hope you can! They are so delicious.
Thanks for so many options. I’m not vegan but love to eat great food. I’ll be applying several recipes to my weekly meal prep on Sunday.
Hooray! Let me know how you get on with them and enjoy.
These recipes are amazing. I want to try the black bean burger right now :)
Thank you! You so should try it.
That's a huge list! And everything sounds tasty, hearty, and delicious! I have a hard time getting my husband to eat vegetarian, but a lot of these recipes sound like things he would eat without thinking about the missing animal products! Thanks!
I'm so glad you like it! Let me know what you try first and if your hubby approves.
I'm always looking for new inspiration. I'll certainly be trying some from the list.