Meal Planning Guide
Practical guidance for planning, scaling, and organizing plant-based meals in your cohousing community.
Start with a Simple Menu Structure
Plan around the formula: protein + grain + vegetables + sauce + dessert. This ensures nutritional balance and simplifies shopping. Choose one hero dish and build around it with sides that complement but don't compete.
Scale with Confidence
When multiplying recipes, remember that spices scale to about 75%, cooking liquids may need less proportional increase, and cooking times often extend. Always prepare a bit extra rather than risk running short. Our recipes include specific scaling notes. Try our Recipe Scaler
Organize Volunteers Effectively
Break the meal into clear tasks: shopping, prep, cooking, serving, and cleanup. Create a simple task sheet with times and assignments. Pair experienced cooks with newcomers. A well-organized team of 3–5 volunteers can comfortably prepare a meal for 24.
Label Everything Clearly
Use table cards that list dish names and common allergens (nuts, soy, gluten, sesame). This respects dietary needs, builds trust, and helps newcomers feel welcome. A small investment in reusable label holders pays off over many meals.
Welcome Mixed-Diet Communities
Not everyone in cohousing is plant-based, and that's fine. Focus on making plant-based meals so delicious that everyone enjoys them. Avoid framing meals as 'missing' meat. Instead, celebrate the abundance of plant foods. Familiar favourites like chili, curry, pasta, and stew translate beautifully.
Keep Costs Reasonable
Plant-based meals are naturally budget-friendly. Buy staples like beans, rice, oats, and lentils in bulk. Use seasonal produce. Build meals around affordable proteins like lentils and chickpeas. Save specialty items like cashew cream or nutritional yeast for finishing touches.
Common Allergy Substitutions
Quick reference for adapting recipes to common dietary needs.
| Allergen | Plant-Based Alternatives |
|---|---|
| Tree Nuts | Seeds (sunflower, pumpkin, hemp), seed butters, coconut |
| Soy | Chickpeas, lentils, hemp seeds, other legumes for protein |
| Gluten | Rice, quinoa, potatoes, corn, oats (certified GF) |
| Sesame | Sunflower seed butter, pumpkin seed dressing |
Ready to Cook?
Browse our tested recipes or learn more about common meals for your community.