Make sure you get yourself on track each day with a good, solid meal plan. These sample meal plans for breakfast, lunch, and dinner can help you get started as a new plant-based eater.
Breakfast ideas
Add these ideas to your list to start your day off right:
One or two slices of sprouted-grain toast with your nut butter of choice and sliced banana, along with a glass of rice milk (with or without a scoop of protein powder).
Half a cup of cooked whole-grain porridge (oats, quinoa, spelt, or buckwheat) cooked with almond or rice milk. Add in dried fruits, such as cranberries, apricots, or raisins; fresh fruits, such as blueberries; nuts, such as almonds, walnuts, or pecans; or seeds, such as pumpkin, sunflower, flax, hemp, or chia.
Fresh fruit or green smoothie made of one to two cups of rice, almond, hemp, or coconut milk. Add in banana, berries, ground chia or flaxseeds, a scoop of plant-based protein powder, and a handful of spinach or kale.
Lunch and dinner options
Keep your menu (and belly) full with these meal ideas:
Power-packed salad with a base of romaine, leaf lettuce, or arugula. Add in:
Veggie protein: 1/4 to 1/2 cup chickpeas, kidney beans, black beans, lima beans, or marinated tempeh or tofu
Raw or steamed veggies: Carrots, bell peppers, celery, beets, cucumbers, tomatoes, onions, spinach, or sprouts
Healthy fat: Avocados, olives, olive oil, hempseed oil, nuts, and seeds
Soaked or toasted sea vegetables: Arame, wakame, dulse, or nori (for a refresher on these)
Fresh or dried fruit: Apple, pear, strawberries, raspberries, dried cranberries, raisins, or currants
Extras: 1/2 cup cooked whole grain or beans, quinoa, brown rice, barley, millet, or lentils
Sandwich with whole-grain, sprouted-grain, or gluten-free bread or a wrap loaded with hummus, avocados, sprouts, veggies, and lettuce.
Soup with chunky veggies or a pureed vegetable soup.
Base: Water and dried herbs, miso paste, or homemade vegetable broth
Veggies: Celery, carrots, onions, broccoli, kale, spinach, bok choy, cauliflower, asparagus, or zucchini
Beans: Chickpeas, black beans, white beans, lentils, or split peas
Starchy veggies: Sweet potatoes or squash
Whole grains: Barley, brown rice, or quinoa
Sea veggies: Dulse, arame, wakame, or nori
