One-Week Vegan Meal Plan (2024)

How This Vegan Meal Plan Works

Below you’ll find a 7-day meal plan that covers plant-based breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks.

Here are a few notes about how this plan works:

• Most days, lunch is going to be leftovers of the previous night’s dinner. This makes things easy, saves time and is great if you need to take lunch to work. Simply pack up the leftovers when you make dinner and you’re all set.
• If you follow the meal prep list below, you should be able to have dinner ready each day in less than 45 minutes.
• This meal plan works well for two people but can be adjusted to suit one or more.
• This meal plan is approximately 2000 calories per day and works well for active individuals. If you need more calories, add one of the recommended extra snacks or increase portion sizes. If you need fewer calories, omit the snacks or reduce portion sizes.
• This meal plan is whole food-based and uses minimal processed vegan alternatives to animal-based foods. There is nothing wrong with enjoying these foods on occasion and they can certainly be helpful when you’re just starting out with a plant-based diet, but for this meal plan, for the most part, we’ll be focusing on simple, whole foods, prepared at home. You will find vegan sausage as part of a breakfast skillet recipe and I also use vegan protein powder in my smoothie recipes but other than that we’ll be sticking to whole foods.
• You’ll find a ton of alternative breakfast, lunch, dinner, snack and dessert ideas listed below the one week meal plan.
• If you’re new to cooking and preparing most meals at home, I recommend starting the meal plan during a week when you don’t have too much else going on. This will allow you time to learn and cook without feeling too overwhelmed.

1. Vitamix. My Vitamix is the most used tool in my kitchen. I use it to make smoothies, flours, batter, coffee drinks, matcha, soups, nut butter, banana ice cream and more. If you’ve been thinking about getting one, it’s so worth it. It’s such as great investment, it will last for years and years and you will love it!
2. Food processor. A food processor isn’t totally necessary if you have a blender but I like having both in my kitchen. I use my food processor for nut and seed butter, hummus and other dips and for making raw energy bars, balls and desserts. I used a food processor to make the no-bake oatmeal bars.
3. Baking trays. A couple of good baking trays are essential. Use them for baking and roasting.
4. Square baking dish. I have one small square baking dish I use for homemade granola bars, snacks and desserts. They’re handy for smaller batches of roasted veggies too. You’ll also need one for the baked oatmeal you’ll be making this week.
5. Silicone baking mat. I love my silicone baking mats and use them for just about everything I cook in the oven. They’re inexpensive, super handy, easy to clean and last forever.
6. Cutting board. Get yourself a cutting board you love. I have one large cutting board and one smaller one. I’d suggest something lightweight and easy to clean.
7. Knives. A good set of knives is key. I have one big knife to do all my main chopping, one paring knife and a few sharp medium sized knives for smaller jobs.
8. Food storage containers. If you plan on doing any meal prep, batch cooking or packing your lunches for work, you’ll need some good food storage containers. I like Glass Lock containers for taking food on-the-go and storing prepared food and I like Weck Jars and mason jars for storing prepared items. I also use a lot of mason jars, Weck jars and other containers for pantry items. An organized kitchen makes cooking so much easier!
9. Spiralizer. I use my spiralizer often to make noodles and ribbons from zucchini, cucumber, carrot, sweet potato, butternut squash and beets. They’re inexpensive and great to have.

How to Prepare for the Week

It’s Sunday and you’re ready to start your a week plant-based eating tomorrow! Who’s excited!! Every Sunday I like to write down my meal plan for the week and make a meal prep to-do list and grocery list. Let’s go over the meal prep options if you’d like to plan ahead and save yourself some time during the week.

Sunday Meal Prep List

Meal prepping is optional but if you’re busy during the week it saves a ton of time. Below I’ve listed my suggested plan for meal prep. I’d prep most of the items on Sunday and if you want, you can do a mid-week prep on Tuesday or Wednesday.

I never do actual meal prep where I portion out the same meal for 5 days in a row but if that’s what you need to do to stay on track, definitely go for it.

If you’re very tight on time or just don’t like spending time in the kitchen, this method might be something to consider, as long as you’re okay eating the same thing every day. In that case, all you need to do is pick a few of the recipes to make, divide them into containers and you’re all set.

Before you start your prep, review the meal plan first and see if there are any alternative recipes you plan to make.

Food Prep Items

1. Cook brown rice for the Vegan BBQ Tofu Bowls and Brown Rice Burrito Bowls.
2. Bake the tofu for the Vegan BBQ Tofu Bowls (I’d suggest having Vegan BBQ Tofu Bowls for dinner Sunday night so you can pack up the leftovers for lunch tomorrow. If not, prep them for tomorrow by making the baked tofu Sunday to speed things up.
3. Wash and chop veggies: lettuce, kale, peppers, broccoli, carrots.
4. Make the No-Bake Oatmeal Bars. Store in the freezer.
5. Make the Baked Oatmeal for breakfast on Tuesday and a snack on Thursday.
6. Make the Coconut Red Lentil Dahl for Monday’s dinner and Tuesday’s lunch.
7. Make a double batch of pickled red onions for dinner on Friday and Sunday.

Mid-Week Prep

• Bake the sweet potatoes for breakfast on Thursday. If desired, make the tofu scramble for Friday in advance, although it’s easy to make in just a few minutes so can be made Friday morning.

Alternative Recipes for Day 1

• Alternative Breakfast Recipes: Healthy Breakfast Smoothie // Banana Blueberry Chia Overnight Oats // GF Buckwheat Pancakes
• Alternative Dinner Recipes:Vegan Sweet Potato Peanut Stew//Lentil Sweet Potato Stew with Kale//Vegan Chickpea Quinoa Stew//Red Lentil Tomato Soup
• Alternatives to the No-Bake Bars:Chocolate Chip Nut-Free No-Bake Granola Bars //Sunflower Sesame Homemade Energy Bars //No-Bake Vegan Hemp Protein Bars
• Optional Extra Snacks or Dessert: Chopped Veggies and Hummus // Piece of Dark Chocolate with Nut Butter // 2 Dates Stuffed with Nut Butter

Alternative Recipes for Day 2

• Alternative Breakfast Recipes: Banana Blueberry Chia Overnight Oats //Sautéed Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal//Peanut Butter Banana Blueberry Oatmeal
• Alternative Dinner Recipes: Mediterranean Farro Salad Bowls//Mediterranean Quinoa Bowls with Tofu Feta //Carrot Beet Kale Salad with Roasted Potatoes
• Optional Snack: Kale Spinach Smoothie

Alternative Recipes for Day 3

• Alternative Breakfast Recipes: Green Monster Smoothie//Vegan Chickpea Flour Pancakes//Vegan Sweet Potato Breakfast Burritos
• Alternative Dinner Recipes:Easy Vegetable Chickpea Curry //Easy Vegetable Green Curry //Easy Vegan Spaghetti Squash Noodles
• Alternative Snack Ideas: Rice cakes with avocado or almond butter with optional toppings like sliced banana, a sprinkle of hemp seeds, chia seed jam or smashed fresh berries, or ahandful of nuts and a piece of fruit or cup of berries.

Alternative Recipes for Day 4

• Alternative Breakfast Recipes: Squash Protein Pudding Breakfast Bowls//Carrot Zucchini Pumpkin Oatmeal//Coconut Yogurt Chia Pudding
• Alternative Dinner Recipes:Vegan Buddha Bowl with Tofu and Edamame//Roasted Potato Avocado Buddha Bowls//Coconut Cauliflower Rice Buddha Bowl //Simple Vegan Fall Harvest Bowl//Roasted Carrot, Kale and Quinoa Bowl

Alternative Recipes for Day 5

• Alternative Dinner Recipes:Vegan BBQ Chickpea Salad //Roasted Vegetable Lentil Salad //Quinoa Beet Burger //Roasted Squash Salad
• Alternative Snack Ideas: 1 sliced apple with nut or seed butter of choice.
• Dessert Idea: Nut Butter Stuffed Dates. Stuff 1-2 tbsp of nut or see butter of choice into a couple dates and enjoy! For a special treat, add a couple dairy-free chocolate chips to each and/or a slice of banana.

Alternative Recipes for Day 6

• Alternative Breakfast Recipes: Strawberry Beet Smoothie Bowl //Matcha Smoothie Bowl
• Alternative Lunch Recipes: Healthy Kale and Cauliflower Soup // Easy Vegan Minestrone Soup //Spicy Vegan Black Bean Soup //Vegan Chickpea Vegetable Chowder
• Alternative Dinner Recipes: Vegan Chili Cheese Fries//Buffalo Chickpea Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
• Alternative Snack Idea: Ants on a Log. Spread nut or seed butter over a couple of stalks of celery and top with goji berries, chopped dates, raisins and/or sunflower, pumpkin or hemp seeds.
• Optional Dessert Idea: Healthy Banana Split: slice a banana in half lengthwise and place in a dish. Top with sliced strawberries, pineapple tidbits, dairy-free yogurt, chopped nuts and a drizzle of melted dark chocolate or dairy-free chocolate chips, or homemade chocolate sauce.
• Alternative Dessert Recipes: Vegan Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups//Salted Caramel Tahini Cups//Tahini Cacao Fudge Balls//Raw Hemp Seed Brownies

Alternative Recipes for Day 7

• Alternative Lunch Recipes: Vegan Tuna Salad Sandwich with Avocado and Chickpea//Avocado Toast with Hummus
• Alternative Snack Recipes: Chocolate Chia Protein Pudding//Sweet and Salty Peanut Butter Chia Seed Pudding
• Optional Dessert: Easy Baked Cinnamon Pears

Breakfasts Recipes

I wanted to keep this meal plan flexible so in the following sections, I’ve provided alternative recipes so you can customize the meal plan based on your preferences. Use the suggested options for each day of the week or switch things up with these other vegan recipes:

1. Easy Healthy Vegan Breakfast Recipes
2. Healthy Vegan Breakfast Burritos
3. Sweet Potato Breakfast Hash
4. Golden Coconut Apple Oatmeal
5. Chocolate Chip Zucchini Overnight Oats
6. Brownie Batter Overnight Protein Oats
7. Vegan Chickpea Flour Pancakes
8. Vegan Chia Seed Pancakes
9. Vegan Sweet Potato Breakfast Burritos
10. Sweet Potato Smoothie
11. Cinnamon Raisin Healthy Homemade Granola

Click here to view all breakfast recipes here.

1. Quick veggie skillets. I make these often. Just add any chopped veggies to a pan with some tempeh, cook for 10 minutes and serve. Sometimes I’ll add salsa for flavor or go with more of a curried flavor. You could also prep my chipotle sauce which is awesome on breakfast skillets.
2. Tofu and veggie scrambles.To make a tofu scramble, add crumbled medium, firm or extra-firm tofu to a pan with a bit of water, turmeric, garlic powder and nutritional yeast and cook until the water is gone. Mix in any chopped veggies you like. This is my go-to breakfast most days. I’ll serve with either half a baked sweet potato or piece of whole grain and nut butter.
3. Avocado toast. Spread avocado on toasted bread of choice and top with things like sprouts, tomato, cucumber, hemp seeds, basil or sauteed mushrooms.
4. Almond butter and jam toast. Spread almond butter and chia seed jam on toasted bread of choice. Top with hemp seeds if desired.
5. Sweet potato or squash bowls. Add cooked, mashed sweet potato or squash to a bowl and top with fruit, nuts, seeds and nut or seed butter or choice.
6. Granola parfaits. Make easy peanut butter granola or sugar-free granola, or use store-bought granola of choice, top with dairy-free yogurt of choice and fresh fruit.
7. Breakfast Plates. Load up a plate with 2-3 types of fresh chopped veggies, 1-2 kinds of fruit, some beans, lentils, chickpeas or hummus, tempeh or tofu and some avocado.
8. Breakfast tacos. Make tofu scramble, then serve with tortillas, grated carrot, greens, avocado and salsa.
9. Savory breakfast bowls. I love a big breakfast bowl with steamed or baked sweet potato, avocado, cilantro, tempeh and green onion. You can throw in some tempeh, chickpeas or lentils to make it more substantial.
10. Breakfast tacos.Breakfast tacos are easy to make, flexible and tasty. Fill small corn tortillas with tofu or chickpea scramble, avocado and salsa for a quick healthy meal.

Healthy Snack Options

1. Easy Vegan Snack Ideas
2. No-Bake Superfood Cookies
3. Carrot Cake Energy Balls
4. Beet Orange Smoothie
5. Low-Fat Cinnamon Energy Balls
6. Lime Coconut Energy Bites
7. Peanut Butter Chocolate Chia Pudding
8. 2-Ingredient Vegan Protein Cookie Dough
9. Vegan Chocolate Baked Oatmeal Bars
10. Vegan Carrot Cake Smoothie
11. Kale Spinach Smoothie

Click here to view all snack recipes.

Snack Ideas

1. Sweet toast or rice cakes. Top nut or seed butter, chia jam, smashed berries, banana, hemp seeds, sunflower seeds etc.
2. Savory toast or rice cakes. Top with avocado, hummus, hemp seeds, sprouts, tomato, cucumber, tofu ricotta etc.
3. Fruit and protein smoothies. Blend 1 cup almond milk or water with 1 cup frozen fruit of choice and 1 serving vegan protein powder of choice.
4. Homemade trail mix.Mix a small number of nuts, dried fruit, raisins or dates, dairy-free chocolate chips and flaked coconut.
5. Cereal bowls. In a small bowl, add a few berries and/or some sliced banana, some flaked coconut, a few nuts and a few seeds. Add a splash of almond milk and enjoy as a grain-free homemade cereal.
6. Cucumber and tomato with salt and pepper. Slice fresh tomato and cucumber and lay on a plate. Sprinkle with sea salt and black pepper, and a little splash of vinegar if desired, and enjoy.
7. Roll-ups. Spread your favorite nut or seed butter in a whole wheat banana, add some banana or berries, roll it up and enjoy.
8. Ants on a Log. Spread your favorite nut or seed butter on celery stalks, sprinkle with raisins, goji berries or chopped dates and if desired, hemp or sunflower seeds.
9. Edamame.Cooked edamame makes a great protein-rich snack.
10. Veggies and hummus. Try making a batch of my hummus as part of your weekly food prep to enjoy for snacks throughout the week. Try my kale hummus, beet hummus or roasted red pepper hummus.
11. Fruit and nuts. Any fruit and nut or seed makes a great snacking combo. Try raspberries and walnuts, banana and almonds, oranges and pistachios or blueberries and pumpkin seeds.

Dessert Options

1. Vegan Desserts with 6-Ingredients or Less
2. Flourless Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Cookies
3. 5-Ingredient Fudgy Flourless Protein Brownies
4. No-Bake Peanut Butter Blondies
5. No-Bake Cashew Tahini Bars
6. 5-Ingredient Vegan Pumpkin Pie Fudge
7. Tahini Cacao Fudge Balls
8. Raw Hemp Seed Brownies
9. Healthy Vegan Chocolate Coconut Brownies
10. Vegan Chocolate Covered Peanut Butter Balls
11. Vegan Tahini Date Cookies
12. Vegan Turmeric Carrot Oatmeal Cookies
13. Vegan Chocolate Tahini Energy Bars
14. 2-Ingredient Vegan Chocolate Caramel Cups
15. Vegan Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups
16. Raw Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Cups
17. Healthy Baked Pears with Cinnamon
18. Easy Vegan 3-Ingredient Oatmeal Cookies

Click here to view all dessert recipes.

Dessert Ideas

There’s nothing wrong with having a little something sweet to end your day. When it comes to healthy vegan desserts, stick to homemade, whole food options.

• A couple of pieces of dark chocolate with a handful of berries.Good quality dark chocolate should be vegan. There are many wonderful brands such as Alter Eco, Green & Black’s.
• Peanut butter banana bites. Slice banana into discs and make little banana bites by adding a dollop of peanut butter between each.
• Baked apples with cinnamon. Add whole apples, half apples or chopped apples to an oven-safe dish, sprinkle with and bake at 350 until soft and tender. Option to serve topped with dairy-free yogurt and a sprinkle of granola. Recipe to try:Healthy Baked Pears with Cinnamon.
• Coconut chia bowls. Mix up 1-2 tbsp of chia seed with 1-2 tbsp shredded coconut, add water to create a pudding consistency, let it sit for 15 minutes then top with berries, nut butter, cacao nibs etc.
• Quick no-bake cookie dough. In a blender, pulse together a few dates with a few nuts and/or oats, a pinch of sea salt and some cinnamon.
• Banana nice cream.Blend frozen bananas to create soft serve ice-cream. Switch up the flavour by adding things like matcha, cocoa powder, chocolate chips, frozen berries, mango or peanut butter. Try it topped with crumbled cookie dough balls to create a healthy blizzard.
• Pumpkin pie protein bowls.Mix pumpkin puree with vanilla protein powder to create a pudding, top with nut butter, nuts, seeds, chocolate, cacao nibs, dairy-free yogurt or fruit.
• Stuffed dates.Take a couple dates, remove the pits, stuff ’em with nut butter of choice and enjoy. Add a few dairy-free chocolate chips for a treat.

Should I Snack?

Whether or not to snack throughout the day is personal preference. Some people prefer bigger meals eaten two or three times a day, some prefer smaller meals plus snacks. Depending on your activity level, caloric needs and the size of your meals, snacks may be anywhere from 200-400 calories.

I’ve provided a list of healthy vegan snacks to choose from as well as included a snack idea for each day. Feel free to mix and match from the snack idea list depending on what you feel like each day.

How Often Should I Eat?

I eat 6 times a day on a training day and 5 times on a rest day just like snacking, it’s really personal preference and there’s no right or wrong answer. I workout early in the morning, so I have a pre-workout snack before that then breakfast, lunch, dinner and two snacks at some point during the day.

On a rest day, I don’t have the need for a pre-workout meal, so it’s usually breakfast, lunch, dinner and two snacks. You can read more about this in myNutrition Tips for Vegan Athletes post.

Listen to your body and hunger cues. If you’re hungry, go ahead and eat but try to eat slowly so you can recognize when you’re full. If you’re not hungry in the morning, don’t feel like you have to eat either. It’s perfectly fine to eat your first meal a bit later in the day. If you tend to get really hungry between meals, I’d suggest having small snacks so you’re not ravenous by the time your next meal rolls around.

Do I need to count calories on this meal plan?

There’s no need to count calories while using this meal plan. Instead, focus on the nutrient-density of foods rather than how many calories they contain. Calories are good for us, they provide energy, allow our bodies to function and help us recover and repair from everyday life, workouts, stress, whatever it may be.

As you embark on this meal plan, I encourage you to really focus on high-quality food choices rather than worry about calories.You may find my vegan macro cheat sheet helpful for more information on creating a balanced vegan diet.

Do I need to take supplements?

Since you’re only doing this meal plan for one week to start, there’s no need to worry about supplements. If you plan to continue, I’d suggest reading my vegan nutrition guide for everything you’ll need to know about supplementation.

Personally, I supplement B12, vitamin D3, iron and omega 3 with DHA and EPA. If anything, you’ll just need to take a B12 supplement.

As always, consult a medical or nutrition professional before making any changes to your diet.

What can I drink?

Coffee, tea, water, almond milk or another plant-based milk, kombucha, matcha or sparkling water. Aim to drink half your body weight in ounces of pure water each day then enjoy additional beverages as you see fit.