It’s never the wrong time to get your healthy diet started. This 7-day vegan meal plan is so easy, and includes breakfast, lunch and dinner ideas. Plus a shopping list for easy vegan meal prep!
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of WhiteWave Foods. The opinions and text are all mine.
This post was originally published on 1/23/2017
So here you go! This 7-day vegan meal plan has everything you need to kickstart your healthy eating habits! I’m talking BREAKFAST, LUNCH and DINNER!
The best vegan meal plans and why you need them
I have two other meal plans that are big hits with helping you all get your vegan diet plan started, if you haven’t seen them yet you must check out my Weekly Vegan Meal Plan 1 and Weekly Vegan Meal Plan 2. Both also have shopping lists.
I also have a full vegan meal plan with shopping list for Thanksgiving, but probably not what you are looking for right now (however bookmark for later!). And now I even have a list of all my meal plans in one spot here.
How do you start a vegan diet?
In order to be successful, you need to keep things easy and exciting. No one get’s more bored of food than I do. And believe it or not, I also get overwhelmed when things are too hard. So I created this easy vegan meal plan for those overworked, overtired, over life in general peeps out there.
NOTE: This 7-day vegan meal plan is for ONE person. Please adjust the shopping list by however many people you want this for. Some recipes have larger serving sizes so they need to be adjusted as I put in the notes I wrote for each recipe. The shopping list already reflects these adjusted quantities, making this vegan meal prep easy for you.
7 days of easy vegan breakfast ideas
So you’ve all heard that breakfast is the most important meal of the day right? Yeah, me too. Only thing is that it is also my most crazy time of day. And I know some of you are right there with me.
But if I don’t put something healthy, whole food based and actually tasty into my mouth I am…let’s call it…a not so nice person (read raging crazy mama). So how do we fix that?
A few months ago, my favorite plant-based milk brand, Silk, came out with a new high protein nut milk. I have been putting this stuff in everything! I found it at my local Ralphs grocery store.
It’s great because it gives you an extra 10 grams of protein. Pea protein is the main source, which is one of my favorite forms of protein since it’s whole food based and lower in fat and carbs than many out there. I love subbing it into my oatmeal and smoothies for an extra protein boost!
So here we go, some easy vegan breakfast ideas for my 7-day vegan diet meal plan. Feel free to mix it up, but don’t forget to plan for that when printing out the shopping list.
Day 1: Mixed Fruit Smoothie
Put everything into a blender and blend until smooth. Don’t forget to freeze your banana!
- 1 cup Silk Protein Nutmilk
- 1 cup spinach
- 1 frozen banana
- ½ cup frozen strawberries
- ¼ cup frozen blueberries
- pinch sea salt
- 1 Medjool date (if needed for extra sweetness)
Day 2: Peanut butter banana oatmeal
Combine ingredients and heat on stove top or microwave until oats are cooked.
- ½ cup sliced banana
- 2 tablespoons peanut butter
- 1 tablespoon chopped walnuts
- ½ cup rolled oats
- 1 cup Silk milk of choice
Day 3: Easy avocado toast–
Put sliced avocado on toast and sprinkle with the rest of the ingredients.
- 1 slice your favorite bread, toasted
- ½ avocado, sliced
- sprinkle of lemon pepper
- sprinkle of sea salt
- drizzle of hot sauce (optional)
Day 4: Salted Caramel Cashew Cacao Chunk Smoothie (divided by 2 to account for 1 serving, the shopping list accounts for this)
Use any Silk milk or sub in the new high protein milk for an even bigger boost of protein.
For ease of the shopping list, I have subbed raw cashews for the cashew butter.
For the cacao, if you can’t find cacao chunks use powder or dark chocolate but if your chocolate is sweetened you will need to cut out a few, if not all, of the dates.
Don’t forget to freeze your banana!
Day 5: Berry Cobbler Overnight Oats (see the berry cobbler section)
Make them the night before for the fastest breakfast yet!
For ease I have subbed the date paste for maple syrup in the shopping list, but if you use date paste feel free to add it back in, just adjust your list.
You can also leave out the chia seeds and/or hemp seeds but make sure you sub oats for them.
I put frozen berries on the shopping list to make it easy.
Day 6: Avocado pizza toast
Put sliced avocado on bread, drizzle with tomato paste, sprinkle with the rest of the ingredients, and toast in the oven.
- 1 slice your favorite bread
- ½ avocado, sliced
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- pinch of dried oregano
- pinch of dried basil
- pinch of dried thyme
- sprinkle of smoked paprika
- sprinkle of garlic powder
- sea salt
Day 7: Banana Split Overnight Oats
Make them the night before for the fastest breakfast yet!
You can leave out the hemp seeds but make sure you sub oats for them.
I put frozen berries on the shopping list to make it easy.
7 days of easy vegan lunch ideas
The spices and seasonings in these are fully adaptable to your specific tastes. I have included notes on how to make the recipes from my site easier.
Day 1: Hummus wrap
Put everything into tortilla, roll and eat.
- 1/2 cup of your favorite hummus
- 1 large leaf lettuce
- sliced cucumbers
- 1 tablespoon chopped dill
- drizzle of hot sauce (optional)
- your favorite tortilla or wrap (burrito size)
Day 2: Easy portobello tacos
Sauté portobello slices and onion and fill tortillas, top with arugula.
- 1 portobello mushroom sliced (sauté with broth or oil and salt until soft)
- 1/4 cup chopped onion (sauté with mushrooms)
- pinch sea salt
- handful fresh arugula
- 2 corn tortillas
Day 3: Low Fat Creamy Mashed Chickpea and Veggie Sandwich (divided by 2 to account for 1 serving, shopping list reflects this already)
For a really quick version, skip the brine whipping step and follow the notes at the bottom of the recipe on how to make the quick version of this sandwich.
Day 4: Fast black bean burrito
Add ingredients into a bowl and mix well, then fill burritos.
- 1/2 cup cooked black beans
- 1/2 cup chopped avocado
- 1/4 cup defrosted frozen corn
- 1/4 cup of your favorite salsa
- pinch of cumin
- pinch of garlic powder
- sea salt if needed
- your favorite tortilla (burrito size)
Day 5: Balsamic spinach wrap
Mix balsamic, maple syrup, smoked paprika and salt in a small bowl. Fill wraps and drizzle mixture over the spinach and avocado.
- 1/2 cup spinach (measure packed)
- 1/2 avocado, sliced
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- drizzle of maple syrup
- pinch of smoked paprika
- pinch sea salt
- your favorite tortilla or wrap (burrito size)
Day 6: Fast mediterranean wrap
Add ingredients into a bowl and mix well, then fill wraps.
- 1/2 cup cooked white beans
- 1/4 cup chopped cucumber
- 1/4 cup chopped tomato
- 2 tablespoons chopped walnuts
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
- pinch of oregano
- pinch of garlic powder
- sea salt (adjust for your taste)
- your favorite tortilla or wrap (burrito size)
Day 7: Flatbread With White Bean Puree and Asparagus (divided by 2 to account for 1 serving, shopping list reflects this already)
Make this easy by making the white bean puree the day before or simply smashing it with a fork and leave it chunky versus doing it in a processor.
Toast flatbread quickly in a toaster oven.
Remove cheese or use your favorite crumbly vegan cheese (not on shopping list).
To make this cheaper and easier to shop for, I subbed walnuts for the pine nuts in this recipe. You can use pine nuts if desired, just don’t forget to adjust the shopping list.
7 days of easy vegan dinner ideas
No 7-day vegan meal plan is complete without dinner! This is a mix of throw together meals and recipes from the site. Everything is for one person, unless otherwise stated, so make sure to remember that when making each recipe. The shopping list has been adapted to reflect that, so if you change how many you are feeding make sure you change that in your list.
Day 1: Spaghetti with Charred Tomatoes and Shishito Peppers (divided by 4 to account for 1 serving, shopping list reflects this already)
If you don’t like shishito peppers you can sub with another type of pepper, or vegetable, or simply leave it out. Make sure you account for this in the shopping list.
Before you start this recipe, peel a potato and put it on the stove to boil along with 1/4 of an onion, so they are ready when you need to make the creamy sauce below.
While the tomatoes and peppers are roasting make the following quick sauces and store in the refrigerator to use with future dinners. You can freeze extras of both sauces after you are done using what you need:
- Easy Enchilada Sauce (divided by 2 to account for less needed)- start with making this sauce. While this is simmering and reducing, blend the ingredients to make the creamy sauce below. If it still needs to reduce more, let it continue to simmer as you make the parmesan and cook the spaghetti for the main recipe above.
- Creamy sauce from scalloped cauliflower (make full recipe, you will use this on day 2, day 5 and day 6, and freeze leftovers for later use)
Day 2: Pizza Burrito with Easy Pizza Sauce (recipe is already for 1 so no adjustments needed)
You will have extra pizza sauce left over. Keep it for the recipe on day 5.
I include the chickpea “sausage” crumbles on the shopping list, but have cut the recipe in half and also reduced the spices in the recipe by half as is suggested in the notes of the Pizza Burrito recipe. You will also use these crumbles on day 5 so save the extra.
Start by making the crumbles and as they are cooking make the sauce and assemble the burritos.
Day 3: Easy black bean enchilada burgers (these make 2, save 1 for dinner on day 7)
Mix first 6 ingredients in a bowl using your hands, mashing the beans as you mix. Shape into burger patties and grill on stove top for 15 minutes on each side. Since all stoves vary, begin to check at 10 minutes. If you try and flip the burger and it is sticking, then allow it to cook longer. You may also want to prepare your pan with a touch of oil if it is not nonstick. Assemble burger in bun and top with suggested toppings.
- 3/4 cup cooked brown rice (1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons dry, cooked according to package directions, SAVE 1/4 CUP COOKED FOR RECIPE ON DAY 6)
- 1/2 cup cooked black beans, drained and rinsed (a little less than half a can)
- 2 tablespoons cooked potato (cut off approximately what is needed from raw potato and reserve the rest of the potato for recipe on day 4, cook for this recipe in microwave or oven)
- 2 tablespoons enchilada sauce (made on day 1)
- 1 tablespoon cornmeal
- pinch of sea salt (adjust for flavor preference)
- one bun of choice (save a second bun for dinner on day 7)
- Toppings- lettuce, tomato, more enchilada sauce, avocado
Day 4: Low Fat Taco Bowl (divided by 4 to account for 1 serving, except for the beans, shopping list reflects this already)
Start by prepping the potatoes and get them in the oven while you prep everything else. You can also do the potatoes on day 3 and have them ready for today. Note that the potato you are using is the leftover one from the recipe on day 3.
Once the potatoes are in the oven, put the beans on the stove to cook. Make them all and save the rest for day 6.
When done, prep the other toppings. I have frozen corn on the shopping list for this one.
Ingredients:
- 1/2 a medium sized potato, chopped into medium pieces
- veggie broth or oil to roast potatoes
- dash sea salt
- 1/2 a medium sized avocado, chopped
- 1/4 cup corn (frozen or cooked fresh)
- 1 cup chopped lettuce
- Salsa
- Easy Enchilada Sauce (made on day 1)
Easy “Refried” Beans:
- 1 can (15 ounces) black beans
- 1 ½ tablespoons chili powder
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- Sea salt to taste (depending on if your beans are salted, see note)
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 450.
Place potatoes in a bowl and mix with veggie broth or oil (if you use it), and a dash of salt. Then put potatoes on a parchment lined cookie sheet and bake for 35-45 minutes, depending on thickness, until golden brown.
While they are baking, put the can of beans into a medium pot, juice and all. Cook over medium heat until it begins to bubble. Add in chili powder, cumin, garlic powder and salt and mash with a potato masher as it cooks to give them the “refried” consistency. Once mashed, turn heat to low and keep warm.
Once potatoes are done, assemble the bowls. Place 1 cup lettuce at the bottom of a bowl, then top with potatoes, beans, corn and avocado. Place about ¼ cup (or more if desired) salsa in the middle and drizzle with enchilada sauce. Enjoy!
Day 5: Pizza with veggies, chickpea sausage crumbles and creamy drizzle
Assemble pizza by spreading pizza sauce over crust, then topping with veggies, then with chickpea crumbles and finally drizzling with creamy sauce. Bake according to pizza crust directions or if none then bake at 400 for about 10-15 minutes, checking often. If you like your pizza veggies well done, you may want to bake them a bit first, or sauté on the stove.
- 1 personal sized pizza crust (frozen or you can even use pita bread)
- Easy Pizza Sauce (made on day 2)
- favorite veggies to top pizza (you want about a cup or so when chopped)
- Chickpea Sausage Crumbles (made on day 2)
- Creamy sauce (made on day 1)
Day 6: Easy enchilada burrito
Warm up leftover beans and rice. Fill burrito with beans, rice and sliced avocado. Fold burrito (see step by step folding photos here). Grill burrito on each side using a nonstick or oiled pan on the stove top. Once grilled and crisp, drizzle enchilada and creamy sauce over the top.
- leftover beans from day 4
- saved cooked rice from recipe on day 3
- 1/2 an avocado, sliced
- Easy Enchilada Sauce made on day 1
- Creamy sauce made on day 1
- your favorite tortilla (burrito size)
Day 7: Leftover easy black bean enchilada burger– See day 3 above.
Phew! That 7-day vegan meal plan was not easy to write. But I am really hoping it makes your life easier! Getting your diet on track is one of the best things you can do for yourself. If you want more amazing recipes, make sure to check out this post.
Don’t forget to check out my other vegan meal plans and of course I am always here if you need anything! Happy shopping and cooking!
Thinking about more ways to be plant-based? Check out these helpful blog posts!
Easy 7-Day Vegan Meal Plan with Shopping List
Ingredients
Produce
- 4 cups spinach
- 5 bananas
- 3/4 cup shishito peppers
- 4 avocados
- 1 small head lettuce
- 1 handful arugula
- 1 cucumber
- 1 portobello mushroom
- 1/4 cup mushrooms , crimini or white
- 1 onion , sweet or yellow
- 1/4 cup carrots , chopped
- 1/4 cup celery , chopped
- 3 cups tomatoes , cherry or grape
- 3 spears asparagus
- 2 lemons (need about 1/4 cup juice)
- 1/2 cup basil
- 1 1/2 tablespoons dill
- 1 small handful mint leaves (as garnish)
- 5 cloves garlic
- 2 medium red or russet potatoes
- Extra veggies for pizza topping (need about 1 cup chopped)
- 4 pitted Medjool dates
Frozen
- 1 cup strawberries (heaping cup)
- 1/4 cup blueberries
- 1/2 cup corn
- 1 Personal sized pizza crust (or use pita bread)
Canned Goods
- 1/2 cup tomato paste (heaping 1/2 cup)
- 1 1/2 cans (15 ounces) chickpeas
- 2 cans (15 ounces) black beans
- 1 1/4 cans (15 ounces) white beans
- 1 cup tomato sauce (or strained tomatoes)
Condiments
- 1/2 tablespoon molasses
- 3 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1/2 cup hummus
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 cup salsa (plus more for topping)
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 2 1/2 cups low sodium veggie broth (plus extra for roasting if not using oil)
- your favorite hot sauce (if using)
- olive oil (if using)
Pastas and Grains
- 1 3/4 cup rolled oats , gluten free if needed (plus extra if not using chia and hemp seeds)
- 4 ounces spaghetti
- 3/4 cup brown rice (cooked or 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons dry)
Breads and Baked Goods (gluten-free if needed)
- 4 slices your favorite sliced bread
- 6 your favorite tortillas or wraps (burrito size)
- 2 corn tortillas
- 2 flatbreads or pita bread
- 2 your favorite burger buns
Nuts and Seeds
- 2 tablespoons peanut butter
- 6 tablespoons walnuts , chopped (1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons)
- 1 cup raw cashews
- 1 tablespoon chia seeds
- 3/4 cup hemp seeds
- 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
- 1/4 cup almond meal
- 1/2 tablespoon nutrotional yeast (optional)
Baking and Spices
- 1/2 tablespoon oat flour
- 1 1/2 tablespoons brown rice flour
- 1 tablespoon cornmeal
- 2 tablespoons raw cacao chunks (or powder or dark chocolate)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 1 tablespoon lemon pepper
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon dried basil
- 1 tablespoon dried thyme
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 2 tablespoons cumin
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 1 tablespoon fennel seeds
- 2-3 teaspoons sea salt (many recipes are salt to taste)
- pinch ground black pepper
(Non) Dairy
- 1 cup protein infused non-dairy milk of choice (I use Silk brand)
- 5 1/4 cups non-dairy milk of choice (I use Silk brand)
Instructions
- Follow the instructions for each daily recipe, pay close attention to the notes.
Notes
- Time is based on total time for the entire meal plan across the 7 days. The average time per day is 55 minutes.
- Nutrition facts are based on an average for each day. I used My Fitness Pal to find the total amounts for the entire shopping list then divided by 7. These are estimates only.
Recipe by Veggies Don’t Bite, visit our site for more great plant-based recipes.
Nutrition
Nutrition and metric information should be considered an estimate.
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of WhiteWave Foods. The opinions and text are all mine.
Richard Pooldaily says
Hi Sophia, thank you for this comprehensive guide! This is such a valuable resource for anyone transitioning to veganism. I love that these are all easy, simple meals with readily available ingredients. Thanks again for the inspiration!
veggiesdontbite says
Hi Richard! I am so happy you like it! Glad to be of help!
Mag says
Thank u so much for posting this. We r about to go plant based and I am planning on starting with your meal plan.
Do u think it is ok to replace the tortillas with either lettuce or steamed cabbage to reduce the carb or do u find that those r useful in plant based diets to keep your energy up.
veggiesdontbite says
Happy to help Mag! I am an all macros all foods kind of eater, so don’t reduce my carb load. I find for me I need all things fat, carbs and protein to stay satiated and keep my energy going. There are carbs in lots of things, so if you replace the tortillas just make sure you are eating other things with carbs, fat and fiber to stay full and satisfied.
Karens says
Great, I love it. take not much time to prepare. I will make it for many times. Keep sharing!
veggiesdontbite says
Thanks Karen!!
Chelsea says
oh, all cool, thank you, I just first bought your vegetarian book recipe for my friend to try
veggiesdontbite says
You’re welcome! Enjoy!
Elouise P Smith says
Interesting Article!! I am going to go vegan soon and this opinion very helpful.
Thanks for sharing your recourse.
veggiesdontbite says
Thanks Elouise! Hope it’s helpful!
DarleneDMD says
Our family of 3 is trying this. One question: did something get left off the easy balsamic spinach wrap? It has significantly less “stuff” in it. My husband and I have been plant based, but suffering from eating highly processed food that probably isn’t any better than if we just ate fast food to begin with! Then our recent college grad moved back home and it seemed a good time to start to eat better. And what are you recommending for snacks? We are still hungry a lot of the time. We’re trying fruit and celery and salsa, but would appreciate more substantial snacks that don’t add a lot of calories.
veggiesdontbite says
Hi Darlene! Transitioning from a mostly processed diet to that of nutrient dense foods can definitely take some getting used to. I always recommend following your hunger cues and eating more when you need it! This menu is just an example of something we eat, so everyone will be different. The wrap is filling enough for me, but add more of the ingredients if you need it. You can also add whatever else sounds good! I have this post listing loads of snack ideas that I use for my kids, but also eat myself: https://www.veggiesdontbite.com/easy-plant-based-vegan-school-lunch-ideas/ Since I am not a licensed medical professional, I can’t give you direct nutrition advice but snacking on fruit, celery and salsa is great for nutrients but it doesn’t have all the fat, fiber and protein you need to keep you satiated. I don’t really watch calories, I usually go for those foods that give me a well rounded amount of all my macros.
Trish says
Thank you for this awesome vegan meal plan! We are a family of vegetarians who have been vegan in the past and are looking to transition back to veganism and eating healthier in general. Sometimes it is hard to come up with ideas that hit all the nutritional requirements, are easy, and are still tasty. This recipe plan made it so easy to have a whole week’s worth of vegan meals.
When we first started the plan, I was a little unsure going into that first night’s recipe… making the two sauces ahead of time and all. This did make the rest of the week flow really smoothly, though, and everything was very manageable even though I’ve been working 12 hour days as of late. There were a couple of nights when it was like, “This is it?” when looking at the plate, especially for my husband. He once joked that he had to be mindful while he was eating his tiny burrito, because that was all I was giving him. However, even when it didn’t look like much, we were all satisfied and full at the end, and no one was snacking between or after meals. It really is enough. On that note, our burrito size tortillas are on the small side and I think you are using larger ones in your recipes than I did because the amount of filling almost never fit. Even so, it was plenty for us. Our only other speedbump was that my crew of southwesterners was dubious about a tomato-based enchilada sauce. If you remember the old Pace commercials with the tagline, “This stuff’s made in New York City” you can probably imagine. I sold it to them as “spicy tomato sauce” and they ate it up and liked it on everything that it went on, despite the word “ketchup” being thrown around a time or two. Ultimately, I think your recipes are written to appeal to a wide variety of palettes across the country, and, despite our reservations and certain-types-of-food-snobbery, the freshness of the ingredients creates something that is pleasing to everyone. I think that’s worth saying because there are too many poorly done “Mexican style” recipes out there that are inedible for those of us who are fortunate enough to live in areas where the real thing is a staple. (On a side note, I see you’re from San Diego. Maybe tomato-based enchilada sauce is a regional thing?)
Costs: we spent around $200 for the three of us, though I didn’t have to buy spices and had a few other items on hand already. That’s 63 meals, or $3.17 per meal, approximately. We live in a small town where there is not much competition on grocery prices, so it could probably be a lot cheaper if you were able to shop sales.
Ingredients and amounts: Somehow I ended up with a lot of extra bananas– but that’s OK because I’ll just freeze them. I was short a can of chickpeas. I used 2 on the crumbles… Maybe I was only supposed to use 1? And tripling the pizza sauce made WAY more than we needed. I think I could have gotten by with a single recipe of it for 3 people.
Overall, we ended up 100% loving this meal plan, despite any of the reservations we had along the way. I think the BEST thing about it is that it offers some healthy and tasty vegan meals with an intro to ideas like nut-based sauces, but none of it is weird or over-the-top or inaccessible to someone just starting to explore veganism. My other favorite thing is that it’s not just a bunch of carbs–there’s none of that “just replace everything with pasta” thing going on here. I really appreciate that. The lunches and breakfasts are especially good (and easy). At the end of the week, we feel healthy and satisfied, and everyone wants to do it again, which is probably the biggest compliment you can get.
Thank you for all the hard work and planning you put into this meal plan. I wish there were more things like this out there. You can be sure we’ll be following your blog and trying many more of your recipes in the future!
veggiesdontbite says
Wow Trish!! Thank you SO much for your amazing and thoughtful comment! I am thrilled I could help you all with an example of what we eat in a week! My goal is to show people how accessible and easy delicious plant-based food can be. And I am thrilled that you said this helped show that! I am giggling at the enchilada sauce comment. I am from San Diego and we have the most amazing Mexican food! But yes, enchilada sauce can actually come in different ways. Some mostly chiles with a touch of tomato, some all tomato and some no tomato. The ones you buy are varied so I created one that was tomato based mostly to make it super easy!
ANALIA says
AMAZING!!
thank you very much for putting this resource out here! I’m going to go vegan soon and this has been very helpful!
veggiesdontbite says
Thanks Analia!! Glad to help!
Colin Calper says
Good meal plan
veggiesdontbite says
Thanks Colin!
Beryl says
Love it.
veggiesdontbite says
Thanks Beryl!
Jimmy says
They are easy to prepare. Look delicious. thank you for this ideal post!
veggiesdontbite says
I am so happy you like it Jimmy!
Blanca says
This looks so delicious and beautiful! Thank you for sharing!
veggiesdontbite says
Thank you so much Blanca!