Meal planning is an excellent way to help save time and money when it comes to eating a Plant-based diet. If you’re new to cooking plant-based, it can be overwhelming trying to sort through recipes and figure out what to make each week. That is why I thought it would be helpful to share some of my weekly Plant-based Meal Plans. There are so many wonderful benefits to eating a Whole Foods, Plant-Based Diet, and science continues to point to plants as the way to go for disease prevention.
All of the recipes I share are things I feed my own family. These are either my own recipes, or recipes I have found online (links will be included). I choose to eat whole foods as much as possible; however, I do use some minimally processed food as well (certified organic, when possible).
Many of the recipes will have “olive oil” or other types of oil in the ingredients list. You can definitely leave out the oil or consider reducing the amount you use. If you are on an oil-free diet, just simply leave out the oil. For more information on the reasons to go oil-free and how to cook without using oil, click the link here. I personally choose to cook mostly oil-free meals, but will occasionally make an exception for certain recipes. If I do add oil, I only measure out a teaspoon or two for an entire recipe.
What’s Included in the Plan
This is a 7-day meal plan covering breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Breakfasts are usually a couple meals repeated to save time and money. Lunches are often leftovers from dinner, grain bowls, potatoes, or plant-based soups or sandwiches. These will change from week to week for variety.
Snack ideas on a plant-based:
- Fresh fruit (bananas, apples, berries, plums, oranges, melon, mangoes, grapes)
- Frozen fruit (berries, mangoes, peaches, grapes)
- Smoothies
- Hummus with fresh vegetables and whole grain pita bread or crackers
- Homemade french fries or tortilla chips
- Air-popped popcorn
- Homemade granola bars
- Non-dairy yogurt
While this meal plan covers 7 days, I leave one day open for eating out for dinner. This is what my family typically does on a weekly basis to give us a night off of cooking and try some of the (new to us) restaurants in our area. Another alternative is to make homemade pizza (recipe included). This is a fun option to do for a weekend meal if you plan to eat in.
A note about servings: All dinner recipes serve a family of four, breakfasts typically serve one, and lunches will vary. The recipes I included for lunch this week serve four, but can be modified to make less servings. “Leftover” lunch days will vary depending on how much of the dinner recipe is leftover. The grocery list will include all ingredients for the recipes as they are written. It will be up to you to adjust ingredient quantity for more or less servings depending on your needs.
Included in this Meal Plan:
- 7-day Meal Plan with links (plus Printable PDF version)
- Recipe List with links
- Meal Prep List for the week
- Grocery List (plus Printable PDF version).
Meal Plan Week 1
Day 1
B: Mixed Berry Smoothie
L: Mexican Fiesta Baked Potato; side salad
D: Potato, White Bean & Kale Vegan Soup
Day 2
B: Maple Oatmeal with Banana, and Pumpkin Seed and Flax Granola
L: LEFTOVER Potato, White Bean & Kale Vegan Soup
D: Shredded Tofu Tacos; side salad
Day 3
B: Maple Oatmeal with Banana, and Pumpkin Seed and Flax Granola
L: Smashed Potatoes (leave out oil) with salsa and avocado; side of roasted green beans
D: 1-Pot Golden Curry Lentil Soup; side of Artisan No Knead Crusty Bread
Day 4
B: Strawberry Banana Smoothie
L: LEFTOVER Golden Lentil Curry
D: Crispy Broccoli Sweet and Spicy Sesame Tahini Noodles; side of asparagus
Day 5
B: Strawberry Banana Smoothie
L: Amy’s Organic Southwestern Vegetable soup; large handful of Triscuit crackers
D: Crispy Curried Chickpeas, Quinoa, and Kale Salad with Lemon Tahini Dressing
Day 6
B: Maple Oatmeal with Banana, and Pumpkin Seed and Flax Granola
L: LEFTOVER Crispy Curried Chickpeas, Quinoa, and Kale Salad with Lemon Tahini Dressing
D: Black Bean and Corn Vegan Tacos with Taco Slaw and Habanero Pineapple Salsa
Day 7
B: Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Protein Bar; large bowl of fruit
L: LEFTOVER Black Bean and Corn Vegan Tacos
D: Out to Eat (or make Homemade Pizza)
Download or print this week’s Plant-Based Meal Plan by clicking on the image below.
Recipe List
Breakfast
- Mixed Berry Smoothie
- Note: Make Strawberry Banana Smoothie as directed, but sub frozen mixed berries for the strawberries
- Maple Oatmeal with Banana, and Pumpkin Seed and Flax Granola
- Prepare oatmeal according to package or your favorite method (I like to microwave 1/2 cup oats with 1 cup water for 2 minutes
- Mix in flavorings: 1 tbsp maple syrup, sprinkle of cinnamon and nutmeg, and a splash of vanilla
- Add toppings: sliced banana, granola (Nature’s Path Pumpkin Seed and Flax Granola has been a favorite lately, but any will do)
Lunches
- Smashed Potatoes (leave out oil for oil free)
- Tip: Cook potatoes ahead and store in the refrigerator until ready to roast.
- Mexican Fiesta Baked Potato
- Tip: Cook potatoes ahead and store in the refrigerator for quick lunch assembly.
Dinners
- Potato, White Bean & Kale Vegan Soup
- Shredded Tofu Tacos
- 1-Pot Golden Curry Lentil Soup
- Artisan No Knead Crusty Bread
- Crispy Broccoli Sweet and Spicy Sesame Tahini Noodles
- Crispy Curried Chickpeas, Quinoa, and Kale Salad with Lemon Tahini Dressing
- Prepare chickpeas according to recipe
- Prepare quinoa according to package instructions
- Mix ingredients for dressing according to recipe
- Wash kale and tear into salad size pieces (discard stems)
- Serve quinoa and chickpeas over kale and drizzle with dressing
- Black Bean and Corn Vegan Tacos with Taco Slaw and Habanero Pineapple Salsa
- Note: I made this recipe for Taco Slaw (using vegan mayonnaise) instead of the cabbage slaw in the original recipe.
- Quick Pizza Crust
- Note: Pizza crust is vegan and oil-free. Add your favorite plant-based toppings and plant-based cheese, if desired. Try this Vegan Parmesan.
Meal Prep Tips
Meal prep can help you stick with a plan when it comes to eating plant-based. It makes cooking go smoother with less stress in the kitchen. Having your lunches prepped and ready will mean you aren’t scrambling to put together a meal, or grabbing something quick when you are hungry and just don’t have time. Pick a day of the week that works for you and try to do as many of these tips as possible. A couple hours of meal prep one day a week can help you feel at ease and successful the rest of the week.
- Prep snacks
- Wash and cut all fruits and vegetables you intend to use for snacks.
- Batch cook starches
- Bake or air fry potatoes until tender
- Make a batch of rice and/or pasta for the week
- Make ahead dressings/dips
- Wash and prep salad greens
- Make ahead home-baked goods (breads, rolls, tortillas, etc)
- Note: Baked goods may be stored in the freezer until ready to use.
Week 1 Meal Prep List
- Starches:
- Precook potatoes (for lunches)
- Precook linguine or rice noodles (dinner day 4)
- Dressings/Dips:
- Make Salsa Verde (dinner day 2)
- Make Lemon Tahini Dressing (dinner day 5)
- Salads/Greens:
- Wash Kale and tear into pieces (dinner day 1 & 5)
- Make Taco Slaw (1 to 2 days ahead) (dinner day 6)
- Wash cilantro for topping (if using)
- Baked Goods:
- Make Artisan No Knead Bread (needs 2+ hrs to rest/rise) (dinner day 3)
- Make Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Protein Bars (no bake; store in freezer) (breakfast day 7 and for snacks)
Week 1 Grocery List
This grocery list is a checklist of all of the ingredients needed to make all the meals on this meal list. Most items will be things you already have on hand (such as seasonings, or flour). To make it more convenient, a printable version with check boxes is available below.
A note about servings: All dinner recipes serve a family of four, breakfasts typically serve one, and lunches will vary. The recipes I included for lunch this week serve four, but can be modified to make less servings. “Leftover” lunch days will vary depending on how much of the dinner recipe is leftover. The grocery list will include all ingredients for the recipes as they are written. It will be up to you to adjust ingredient quantity for more or less servings depending on your needs.
For a Printable PDF version of this Grocery List, click the button below. This will allow you to check off the items you already have on hand.
(**Snacks not included.)
Grocery List Week 1
Bakery
- Tortillas (corn or flour; enough for two dinners)
- Sourdough bread baguette
Beverages
- Pineapple Juice
Breakfast & Cereal
- Crispy rice cereal (for protein bars)
- Quick oats
- Granola (any kind)
- Organic Rolled Oats
Canned Goods & Soups
- 1 (15-oz) can chickpeas
- 1 (15-oz) can light coconut milk
- 1 (6 oz) can Tomato Paste
- 2 (15-oz) cans cannellini beans
- 1 (15-oz) cans diced tomatoes
- 3 (15-oz) cans black beans
Condiments, Sauces & Spices
- Vegan Mayonnaise
- Salsa
- Sesame oil (if using)
- Olive Oil (if using)
- Hot chili paste (such as Sambal Oelek)
- Rice Vinegar
- Tahini
- Natural peanut butter
- Coconut aminos
- Soy Sauce
- Kosher or sea salt
- Curry powder
- Garlic Powder
- Chili Powder
- Paprika
- Cumin
- Salt & pepper
- Taco seasoning
- Cinnamon
Cookies, Snacks & Candy
- Triscuit crackers (optional)
Cooking & Baking
- Dairy free mini chocolate chips
- Flax seed
- Granulated Sugar
- Lime juice (fresh or bottled)
- Brown sugar (or coconut sugar)
- Instant yeast
- Organic all-purpose or bread flour
- Agave (or other sweetener)
- Vanilla Extract
- 3 (32-oz) containers Vegetable Stock
- Maple Syrup
Dairy
- Vegan yogurt (single serving – need 4 tbsp)
- 1/2 gallon (or more) Non-dairy milk
Frozen Food
- Frozen strawberry and banana mix
- 3 1/2 cups Frozen Corn
- Frozen mixed berries
Grains, Pasta & Rice
- Quinoa
- Linguine or rice noodles
- Red or golden lentils
Produce
- 1 (16-oz) cole slaw mix
- Organic salad greens (for a side salad)
- Scallions
- 1 Red Onion
- Shallots (or onion; 1/2 cup)
- 3 Yellow Onions
- Fresh asparagus
- Large head of broccoli
- Carrots (2 cups sliced)
- small Serrano pepper (or sub jalapeño)
- Fresh Ginger
- 1 lb small potatoes
- 1 to 4 med/large Russet Potatoes (depending on how many you make)
- 2 lbs Yukon gold potatoes
- 2 Lemons (or use lemon juice)
- Cilantro
- Bananas
- 3 cups Kale
- 3 tbsp Fresh Rosemary
- 2-3 Garlic Bulbs (depending on how much you use)
Other
- Pizza toppings (pizza sauce, vegan cheese, vegetables) (optional for day 7)
- Extra Firm Tofu
- Plant-based Vanilla Protein powder
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