| 13g
top fiber |
$1.15
cheapest lunch |
$1.50
max cost |
2-3 days
fridge life |
Meal prepping lunches for one is the highest-leverage 30-minute investment in a solo food strategy. Making three lunches on Sunday means Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday lunch decisions are already made — no last-minute scrambling, no expensive takeout, no low-fiber convenience food filled in as a gap measure. These three lunches each deliver 10–13 grams of fiber, cost between $1.15 and $1.50 per serving, and stay genuinely good for up to three days in the fridge.
Note: Mason Jar Meal and Lentil Bean Salad are fully detailed in Articles 11 and 40. Below is the full Pasta Salad recipe plus the meal-prep system for all three.
Mason Jar Meal — 12.5g protein · 10.9g fiber · $1.50 · 15 min · Articles 11, 13
The layering system in a mason jar — dressing at the bottom, grains in the middle, vegetables on top — is what gives this its 2-day fridge life without the dressing making everything soggy. Full recipe in Article 11. Shake before eating or tip into a bowl.
Lentil Bean Salad — 11.2g protein · 10.4g fiber · $1.15 · 15 min · Articles 7, 40
Lentils, kidney or white beans, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, red onion, parsley, olive oil, and lemon. The cheapest lunch in this batch and the one that improves most over 24 hours. Full recipe in Articles 7 and 40.
Pasta Salad
| 13g
protein |
13g
fiber |
$1.40
cost/serving |
35 min
time |
Ingredients
- 8 oz whole-wheat pasta (or chickpea/lentil pasta for gluten-free — see note)
- 1 cup squash or zucchini, cubed
- 2 cups pumpkin or butternut squash, cubed
- 1 cup broccoli florets
- 2 cups mixed bell pepper, cubed
- 1 medium white or yellow onion, quartered
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1/2 cup tomato sauce
- 1/3 cup vegan feta cheese
- Salt, pepper, and herbs of choice
Instructions
- Cook the pasta according to package instructions in salted water. Drain and set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
- Cube the squash, pumpkin, and bell peppers. Quarter the onion.
- Toss all vegetables in a bowl with olive oil, half the tomato sauce, salt, and pepper.
- Spread the seasoned vegetables in a deep skillet or Dutch oven. Roast for 12–15 minutes until tender and caramelized.
- Add the cooked pasta, vegan feta, and remaining tomato sauce to the roasted vegetables. Stir to combine.
- Return to the oven for 5 more minutes.
- Remove, adjust seasoning, and serve hot or allow to cool before portioning into meal prep containers.
| One thing to know:
Gluten-free note: whole-wheat pasta contains gluten. For a gluten-free version, substitute chickpea pasta, red lentil pasta, or brown rice pasta in equal quantity. These alternatives provide similar or higher protein content and cook in approximately the same time. The fiber count may vary slightly by brand. |
| Tested note:
This pasta salad is genuinely good cold the next day — the roasted vegetables continue to release their juices into the pasta overnight, creating a more flavorful dish at day two than at day one. The vegan feta adds a salty, tangy contrast to the sweetness of the roasted squash and pumpkin. If you cannot find vegan feta, a tablespoon of nutritional yeast and a squeeze of lemon juice achieves a similar flavor balance. |
The Singles Meal Prep Sunday System
All three lunches can be made in one 45-minute session on Sunday:
- Start the pasta water and oven simultaneously. While pasta cooks, prep vegetables for roasting.
- While the pasta salad roasts (12–15 min), assemble the Lentil Bean Salad and portion into two containers.
- While the pasta salad finishes, layer the Mason Jar Meals.
- Allow the pasta salad to cool, then portion. Total: approximately 45 minutes, five lunches ready.
| From the cookbook:
Recipes come from the Healthy Vegan Cookbook in the full cookbook bundle. [Get the cookbook bundle] |