4 Simple Tips for Vegetarian Cooking

A common misconception is that eating vegetarian means that you need to create a complex meal plan that takes a lot of time to prepare. This is far from the truth. Of course, you can branch out and create elaborate vegetable meals. However as a rule, vegetarian cooking should be simple, easy and fun. Whether cooking meals for yourself or the whole household, below are some simple steps to help you cook some tasty vegetable meals.

Tip One: Plan Your Vegetarian Meals

Plan ahead with a simple variety of meals that you know will be easy to prepare. These meals should also be easy to store (either in fridge or freezer) so that you can cook in bulk and save for later. This will save you a lot of time and energy, particularly through the week when life can get hectic. It’s always a good feeling to know that when you come home you have a nutritious and hearty vegetable meal waiting for you.

Keep a note of your favorite recipes so that they are always on hand for easy reference. We personally collate all our favorite recipes into a scrapbook so we can refer to them when needed.

Tip Two: Simple Veggie Grocery Shopping

Source the best local grocery store that has nice fresh vegetable produce. Your local farmers market is also a good place to find fresh, in-season produce. Make a list of places that stock your favorite vegetables, fruit, nuts, seeds, condiments etc. This will make each shopping trip quick and easy as you know exactly where to source each element you need.

Always keep basics on hand in the pantry, fridge and freezer so that you can whip up quick meals when needed.

Tip Three: Raw Vegetables and Salads

The great thing about vegetarian cooking is that unlike meat which must be cooked, most vegetables can be consumed raw if you wish. Not needing to cook your food can save a great deal of time in the kitchen.

Salad is a great raw meal which is quick and easy to prepare. A great tip is to keep basic essentials in the fridge and pantry so you can quickly whip up a salad when needed. Good essentials can include dressings, lettuce/spinach, tomatoes, carrots etc. Basically anything that you know you will eat and enjoy in a salad.

Another great raw meal includes green smoothies/juices. Combine your favorite fruits and vegetables with some water, and blend!

Tip Four: Appropriate Kitchen Appliances for Prepping Vegetarian Food

Having the right kitchen appliances on hand will also create ease of preparing your vegetarian meals. These do not have to be expensive, and there are a range of appliances that suits different budgets.

A great appliance to have on hand is a blender. You can use this to create juices and smoothies, as well as dressings, pastes, soups and spreads. It is always nice to make these condiments yourself as you can control how much salt and sugar is added, so that you are getting a truly nutritious experience.

Another great appliance to have in your vegetarian kitchen is a crock pot. With this, you can make hearty vegetable soups, stews and stock.  With some good stock, seasoning or herbs – this is a great way to use up all the vegetables you have left over towards the end of the week.  Another bonus is that you generally tend to make larger quantities so you can put some in the freezer for those days you don’t have time to make a fresh meal.

These simple vegetarian cooking tips should help set the basis for a lifestyle that is not only easy to follow, but healthy and nutritious for the whole family too. There are many great vegetarian recipes available, and we have included some of our favorites here.