Eating vegan can absolutely be easy, affordable, and most definitely delicious. On the gradient between super simple and grandly gourmet, there is a ton of wiggle room to make eating plants an everyday, enjoyable experience for everyone. You definitely aren’t limited to munching on lettuce and carrot sticks all day because there is a universe of possibility out there.
Because there are innumerable benefits (and even more) of a vegan diet for humans, our planet, and the billions of animals that can be saved annually, it is an extraordinary investment to accept the learning curve necessitated by facing up to the process of redefining your plate. Most of us were raised eating a standard western diet. That is how we were taught to prepare food and how we simply look at our food. Thus, taking meat out of the center of the dish and reworking the culinary repertoire (or meal ordering know-how) you have hardwired in your brain from years of experience requires a reset. I liken it to learning a new language. You begin by trying out a few new ingredients such as nutritional yeast or quinoa (as in learning the fist few words on a new language). Then you try some recipes out (like learning some phrases). Then you start connecting those meals and stringing them into days (initiating some conversational sentences). Before you know it, with plenty of practice under your belt, you become fluent in how to eat a plant-based diet.
Flexibility is key in making the transition simple. Allow yourself to experiment with an open mind. Explore and find recipes online, via friends and family, or in books and bookmark the ones you love. I print or write out my favorites and collect them in my cookbook cabinet in my kitchen so they are always there for me to refer to when I need some inspiration.
Aim to follow the Plant-Based Food Guide Pyramid and Plate, emphasizing The 6 Daily 3’s, and pick your preferences. Mix and match any of your favorite foods that fit into your lifestyle.
Here are hundreds of delicious, healthful, simple, creative, and absolutely practical meals you can use to build your repertoire:
Breakfast Options:
- 30 Bountiful Breakfast Recipes Worth Waking Up For
- Grain-Free Breakfast Recipes
- Oatmeal, plain or with optional fruit (e.g. berries, apples, bananas), nuts, and seeds
- Quinoa or other whole grain (e.g. millet, amaranth, rice), plain, served as hot cereal like oatmeal, or savory style
- Fresh fruit bowl with optional sprinkle of nuts, seeds, or whole grain cereal
- Green juice
- Green smoothie – my favorites are the Brain-Boosting Blue Smoothie, Tropical Green Smoothie, It’s Easy Being Green Smoothie, Mint Chocolate Chip Smoothie, or one of these 20 Scrumptiously Salubrious Smoothies
- Chia Pudding
- Overnight Muesli
- Whole grain pancakes or waffles
- Tofu veggie scramble, such as the one in this roundup
- Whole grain (sprouted) toast with mashed avocado, nut butter, apple butter, whole food jam, hummus, (smashed) baked beans
Lunch and Dinner Options:
- One of these 40 Healthy Vegan Comfort Food: Burgers, Burritos, Sandwiches, and Wraps
- Huge (bucket o’) salad including: leafy greens, raw and cooked vegetables, beans, lentils, nuts, seeds, and/or avocado with a delicious oil-free dressing
- One of these 40 ravishing recipes that redefine salad
- Or these 40 Super Simple, Scrumptious Vegan Dishes in 30 Minutes or Less
- Burrito with beans, rice, veggies, salsa, and/or guacamole
- Soup, stew, or chili such as one of these 30 decadent, but easy, options
- Sandwich with whole grain (sprouted) bread, mashed avocado, hummus or other bean spread, veggies (roasted and/or raw), and condiments
- Peanut (or other nut) butter sandwich on whole grain (sprouted) bread or tortilla
- Noritos
- Veggie sushi
- A whole grain salad such as this Quinoa and Chickpea Tabbouleh Salad
- Any of these 60 gluten-free recipes
- Exciting cuisine from around the world with these 50 delicious options
- One of these 27 tantalizing bowls
- Japanoodles
- Fiesta Fantastica
- Mardi Gras Red Beans and Rice
- Herbed Balsamic Pasta
Snack and Dessert Options:
- Hummus with crudite, whole grain crackers, whole grain bread, corn thins, rice cakes, whole grain tortillas, nori paper, rice paper
- Air-popped popcorn with optional spices and nutritional yeast
- Fresh fruit
- Trail mix with your favorite combination of nuts, seeds, and fruits
- Baked potato, sweet potato, or yam
- Seaweed snacks
- Steamed edamame
- 25 Savory Snacks
- 40 Whole Food (Sugar-Free, Oil-Free) Vegan Delicious Desserts
And this is only a small sampling….what is YOUR favorite meal plan or meal planning tip?
The post What Vegans Eat…Sample Meal Plans Made Simple + Hundreds of Recipes appeared first on Plant Based Dietitian.
