4 high-protein vegan dinners I make on repeat when I'm trying to stay consistent

There's a particular kind of exhaustion that hits around 6 PM on a Wednesday. You know the one. You've been running all day, your brain is fried, and the last thing you want to do is figure out what to eat. This is exactly when consistency falls apart for most of us.

I've been vegan for about eight years now, and I've learned that staying consistent has nothing to do with willpower. It has everything to do with having a handful of meals you can make almost on autopilot.

These four dinners are my anchors. They're high in protein, genuinely satisfying, and simple enough that I can pull them together even when I'm depleted from a long trail run or a deadline-heavy week. Maybe one of them will become your anchor too.

1) Crispy tofu bowls with peanut sauce and whatever vegetables are in the fridge

I probably make some version of this meal twice a week. The beauty is in its flexibility. Press your tofu (I keep a tofu press on the counter like some people keep a fruit bowl), cube it, and get it crispy in a hot pan with a little avocado oil. That's your protein base, and a single block gives you around 40 grams.

While the tofu crisps, I roast or sauté whatever vegetables need to be used up. Broccoli, bell peppers, snap peas, cabbage. It all works. The peanut sauce is just peanut butter, soy sauce, rice vinegar, a little maple syrup, and sriracha, whisked together with warm water until it's pourable.

Serve it over rice or quinoa, drizzle the sauce generously, and you have a meal that feels indulgent but is actually just whole foods doing their job. What vegetables do you always have lingering in your crisper drawer?

2) Red lentil dal with spinach and a pile of warm naan

Dal is the meal I turn to when I need comfort. There's something about the warmth and the spices that feels like a hug from the inside out. Red lentils cook in about 20 minutes and practically dissolve into a creamy, golden stew. One cup of dried lentils delivers roughly 50 grams of protein, which means this pot feeds Marcus and me for two dinners.

I sauté onion, garlic, ginger, and a generous spoonful of curry powder or garam masala. Add the lentils, a can of diced tomatoes, vegetable broth, and let it simmer. In the last few minutes, I stir in a few handfuls of spinach until it wilts.

We eat this with store-bought naan (no shame) and sometimes a dollop of coconut yogurt on top. It's the kind of meal that makes you slow down and actually sit at the table. When was the last time you let a meal be an act of rest rather than just fuel?

3) Black bean tacos with quick-pickled onions and avocado crema

Taco night happens in our house almost every Friday. It's become a small ritual, a way to mark the transition from work week to weekend. Black beans are the star here, and they're nutritional workhorses. One cup of cooked black beans provides about 15 grams of protein plus fiber that keeps you full for hours.

I season the beans simply: cumin, smoked paprika, a pinch of cayenne, lime juice, and salt. The quick-pickled onions take five minutes (thinly sliced red onion in rice vinegar with a little sugar and salt), and the avocado crema is just avocado blended with lime juice, garlic, and a splash of water.

Warm corn tortillas, pile on the beans, top with pickled onions, crema, cilantro, and whatever salsa you have. The whole spread comes together in under 30 minutes, and there's something about assembling your own tacos that makes the meal feel more intentional. More present.

4) Chickpea and vegetable sheet pan dinner with tahini drizzle

When I truly cannot be bothered to stand at the stove, sheet pan dinners save me. This one is almost embarrassingly simple. Toss canned chickpeas (drained and patted dry) with olive oil, salt, cumin, and smoked paprika. Spread them on a sheet pan with chunks of sweet potato, cauliflower, or whatever sturdy vegetables you have.

Roast at 425°F for about 30 minutes, stirring halfway through. The chickpeas get crispy on the outside, the vegetables caramelize, and your kitchen smells incredible. One can of chickpeas has around 15 grams of protein, and I usually use two cans for a full dinner.

The tahini drizzle is non-negotiable. Tahini, lemon juice, garlic, water to thin it out. Pour it over everything. Sometimes I add fresh herbs or a handful of pomegranate seeds if I'm feeling fancy. Mostly I just eat it straight off the pan while standing in the kitchen, which is its own kind of self-care.

Final thoughts

Consistency isn't about perfection. It's about having a few reliable paths you can walk even when you're tired, distracted, or overwhelmed. These four meals have carried me through busy seasons, through weeks when motivation was low, through the ordinary Wednesdays that make up most of our lives.

The protein keeps me energized for my runs and my work. But more than that, these meals remind me that taking care of myself doesn't have to be complicated. It can be a pot of dal simmering on the stove.

It can be crispy chickpeas on a sheet pan. What meals do you return to when you need to feel grounded? Maybe it's time to lean into them more intentionally.