The Awesome Vegan Meal Plan

We often get asked about meal plans and recipe ideas for vegans, which is unsurprising considering the rise of vegan and plant-based dieting over the last few years. If you're thinking about this - whether you just like the idea of an exclusive plant-based diet or are living a full vegan lifestyle - you are no doubt someone who cares about their health. But, just with any diet that excludes entire food groups there are risks of nutrient deficiencies. Any seasoned vegan will tell you, however, that these can be avoided with a few key changes or inclusions and a little extra attention.

(If you’re still unsure how to optimise your health on a plant-based diet or why that matters then we strongly advise you to read this blog here.)

What you see below isn't a diet plan or prescription, but rather what we think might be a useful illustration for those who are considering making the switch. It's just here for you to see the variety of foods and recipes that are possible on a vegan diet, and to maybe give you a few extra things to try. Completely excluding a lot of what most would consider staple foods can be difficult, and it may take a long time before your diet looks anything like this (or a version of this adjusted to your preferences of course), and that's OK, but we hope it helps you start to conceptualise what a week's worth of food without meat and dairy might look like! As always, if you are unsure about your Calorie needs then head over & use our Awesome Calorie Calculator.

Vegan Meal Plan

Monday

Breakfast

Protein oats – 50g rolled oats, 30g Awesome vegan protein, 1 tbsp hemp seeds, dairy free milk to desired consistency, 1 tsp cinnamon

Lunch

White bean barley bowl – 60g of barley, stock cube, 60ml of water, 80g sweet corn, 140g white beans, 1tsp olive oil, 1 onion, dill

Dinner

1 oven baked vegan spicy Quorn burger or vegan tofu burger with garlic and ½ fresh lemon, served with medium jacket potato and green salad

Tuesday

Breakfast

Scrambled tofu (see recipe below)

Lunch

Bhaji wrap (see recipe below)

Dinner

Meat free mushroom bolognese with 200g cooked black beans and vegan parmesan

Wednesday

Breakfast

Scrambled Tofu on Wholemeal toast & vegan butter

Lunch

Vegan edamame and quinoa salad - 200g edamame beans (cooked), 60g quinoa (dry weight), mixed crunchy vegetables, handful peanuts/ cashews. For dressing mix 1 tbsp olive oil, 1 tsp soy sauce, crushed garlic, ½ tsp apple cider vinegar, fresh chilli.

Dinner

Mixed bean burrito – lettuce, large tortilla, salsa, 1/2 avocado, 300g of refried beans, vegan sour cream / yogurt

Thursday

Breakfast

Overnight oats: 40g oats, 140ml almond milk, 1 mashed banana, ¼ tsp vanilla extract, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1 tbsp chia seeds.  30g Awesome protein powder. Top with grated apple.

Lunch

Salad: 1/2 Avocado, cherry tomatoes, spinach, 200g chickpeas, dress with 1 tbsp olive oil & balsamic vinegar

Dinner

Tofu walnut burgers – (160g tofu, 30g walnuts, ½ egg sub mix*) served with mixed roasted vegetables well-seasoned (double up for tomorrows lunch)*1 tablespoon flax to 3 tablespoons of almost boiling water, whisked = 1 egg

Friday

Breakfast

Vanilla pancakes (see recipe below)

Lunch

Mexican Hash (see recipe below)

Dinner

Soy mince chilli (100g soy mince, 150g cooked kidney beans), 60g steamed white rice (raw weight), salsa or vegan sour cream / yogurt

Saturday

Breakfast

Peach protein porridge (see recipe below)

Lunch

Black bean burgers – 120g black beans, ¼ onion, ½ egg substitute mix, 130g white potato, 30g carrots. Shred potatoes and mix all ingredients’ together, heat oil and skillet, serve with small salad

Dinner

Spaghetti Bolognese (see recipe below)

Sunday

Breakfast

Raspberry Chia seed pudding; - 1 tbsp. Chia seeds, 200g unsweetened light coconut milk, 30g raspberries, 30g Awesome protein

Lunch

2 BBQ tofu skewers (150g tofu) with homemade zesty coleslaw (vegan mayo) with crushed 20g cashew nuts, fruit made ice lolly

Dinner

Vegan Carbonara (see recipe below)

Recipe examples

Whilst we're not going to share recipes for every meal listed so far, as they can be easy to find with a quick google, here are some ideas for some tasty and nutritionally dense meals for you to at least consider adding into your diet for variety. Even if you aren’t a plant-based dieter you might try these recipes and you could substitute in meats where you feel necessary, but why not try a meat free meal for once? You might find you enjoy it and it helps expand your food horizons

• Awesome Supplements Vegan Vanilla Protein Powder
• 40g Oats
• Water
• Tinned Peach Slices
• Alpro Greek Style Yoghurt 

1. Add all of your oats & a mug of water to a saucepan and cook on a med – low heat
2. Once thickened, remove from the heat and add in one full scoop of protein powder, and stir well to combine
3. Spoon into a breakfast bowl and top with a few peach slices and a spoonful of yoghurt 

Vanilla Protein Pancake

• Awesome Supplements Vegan Vanilla Protein Powder
• Half a measuring cup of Oats
• 1 Medium well ripened banana
• Half a measuring cup of plant milk of choice
• Toppings of choice (eg alpro yoghurt, cinnamon, tinned fruit, dark chocolate, peanut butter etc)

1. Add the protein powder, oats, banana & plant milk to a food processor
2. Blend until smooth (scrape down the inside of the processor intermittently to blend well)
3. Add a tiny bit of oil to a frying pan and over a high heat spoon your batter into a pan, spreading out using the back of the spoon
4. Flip halfway through cooking
5. Stack your pancakes on a plate and top with desired toppings 

Scrambled tofu & avocado on toast

• Brown bread for toasting
• Cauldron tofu block (or any softer tofu)
• Black pepper
• Nutritional yeast
• Turmeric
• Soft avocado

1. Drain your block of tofu and cut into quarters, crumble a quarter of the block into a non stick pan, crack in some black pepper, and add ¼ tsp of turmeric & 1.5 tsp of nutritional yeast, stir well and heat on low heat, stirring regulary
2. Cut your avocado in half, take one half and remove the stone & skin, and slice
3. Toast your bread. Once toasted put on a plate, top with sliced avocado, and  cooked through scrambled tofu
4. Optional – add some sriracha or hot sauce of choice for a bit of zing

Mexican Hash

• 1 x Large Sweet potato
• 1 x Butternut squash
• 1 x Bag of Spinach
• 300g Closed Cup Mushrooms
• 3 x Mixed Peppers
• 1 x Large White Onion
• Jalapeño - fresh if you can, or sliced in a jar
• Cumin (dried, ground)
• Smoked paprika (dried, ground)
• Garlic – Fresh or Jar of Chopped
• 1 x Lime
• Fresh bunch coriander
• Cooking Oil
• Optional - Avocado, Vegan Chorizo, &/ or Eggs

1. Wash all of your veg
2. Cut the ends off the sweet potato off, discard then chop into small bitesize cubes
3. Slice the ends off the butternut squash off, then cut down the middle (it’s easiest to go top to bottom – make sure your knife is sharp!). Scrape out the seeds using a spoon then chop into bite size cubes, same as the sweet potato
4. Chuck both into a large mixing bowl, drizzle with a small amount of oil and coat with a generous amount of smoked paprika and a bit of salt
5. Spread the veg out evenly onto a baking tray and bake on 200 Celsius for 40 mins to an hour, until it’s started to get a bit of colour and crisp up (give each cube some space on the tray and it’ll crisp up nicer)
6. While this veg is roasting, grab a big cast iron or frying pan and prepare the rest of your veg – Slice the end of the peppers off where the stalk is, and pull the seeds out, then halve and cut into smaller pieces, cut the mushrooms into quarters, chop the ends of the onions off, peel, halve and dice.
7. If using fresh Jalapeno, cut the end off, slice in half (scrape the seeds out with a teaspoon if you don’t want the spice) and chop up tiny. If using the slices from a jar take out 5-6 slices and do the same.
8. If using vegan chorizo, chop into cubes here.
9. Add a splash of oil to your pan, then over a high heat fry the onions, mushrooms, peppers & chorizo if using.
10. Once this veg has taken on some colour, add 2 cloves crushed garlic, or 3 tsp if using chopped, & stir in
11. Add the bag of spinach on top, stirring in until it wilts
12. Add the jalapeno, 3 heaped teaspoons of cumin, and a handful of chopped coriander and cook through, then remove from the heat
13. Once the Veg in the oven is roasted, add it all to the cast iron pan, or transfer everything to an oven dish, squeeze in half of the limes juice and stir through
14. If using eggs, make a couple of wells in the veg and crack them in
15. Bake in the oven for 10 – 15 mins further (or until the eggs are desired consistency if using)
16. Spoon into bowls and serve with some fresh coriander on top, a lime wedge & some sliced avocado or guacamole

Guacamole

• 2 x Avocados
• 1 x Lime
• 1 x Red Chilli 

1. Grab some soft avocados, cut in half, remove the stones & peel. Throw in a mixing bowl, and squeeze over lime juice (half a lime to 2 medium size avocados)
2. Cut the end of the red chilli off, slice in half lengthways, scrape the seeds out with a teaspoon. Dice chilli (use half a chilli to 2 medium size avocados) then mash the avocados with a fork, and mix in the lime juice & red chilli
3. Grab a sombrero & some tortilla chips & have a fiesta 

Spaghetti Bolognese (serves two)

• 250g Soy Mince
• 1 Small White Onion
• 1 x Tin Tomatoes
• 1 x Tube Tomato Puree
• 2 Cloves Garlic
• Dried Mixed Herbs
• 150g Dried Spaghetti
• Cooking Oil of Choice
• Nutritional Yeast

1. Put a pan of slightly salted water on to boil
2. Crush the garlic and finely chop the onion, add a splash of oil to a pan and fry on a medium heat
3. Once softened add tin of tomatoes, 2 tbsp tomato puree, 1 tbsp mixed herbs, and stir
4. Add soy mince from frozen to the tomato sauce and raise the heat for a few mins, turning back down once cooked through
5. Add spaghetti to boiling water and cook as per instructions on the packet
6. Drain spaghetti, and serve on a plate with Bolognese & a sprinkle of nutritional yeast

Easy Curried Rice (serves two)

• 1 x Pouch Uncle Bens Pilau Rice
• Frozen Chopped Mixed Veg
• Linda Mccartney Vegetarian Pulled chicken
• Pataks Korma Or Tikka Curry Paste
• Cooking Oil of Choice 

1. Add 160g frozen mixed veg to a microwavable dish, add a splash of water and microwave for 3 mins, drain and keep nearby (or boil and drain)
2. In a frying pan, heat a little oil on a medium heat and add 200g vegetarian chicken, with a splash of water, cook through until starting to crisp
3. Turn heat down to low, and add whole pouch of rice, cooked veg, a spash of water and 1 heaped tbsp of curry paste
4. Stir really well and heat through, and serve

Vegan Carbonara (serves two)

• 80ml Oatly Cream
• 1 heaped tbsp Oatly Crème Fraiche
• 1 x 175g Pack Vivera Bacon Pieces
• 160g Tagliatelle
• 200g Mushrooms
• Nutritional Yeast
• Salt & Pepper
• Cooking oil of choice

Optional –

• Like meat Like chicken pieces or Vivera Chicken Pieces
• Frozen Petits Pois

1. Slice mushrooms and set aside, in a jug mix together the Oatly Cream, a pinch of black pepper, and 1 x tbsp nutritional yeast and set aside
2. Put a large pan slightly salted water on to boil
3. Heat a splash of oil in a frying pan and add mushrooms
4. Once mushrooms are cooked properly, add bacon pieces (and chicken pieces if using)
5. Cook Tagliatelle as per instructions on the packet in previously boiling water, once cooked, drain and set aside
6. Once the chicken and bacon Is cooked through and slightly crisp, lower heat
7. In the pan that you used to cook the pasta, add back the drained pasta, the jug of cream, 1 x tbsp crème fraiche, and cooked bacon & mushrooms and stir well to combine
8. Serve in a pasta dish with petits pois on the side. 

Bhaji, Chutney & Houmous Wrap

• 1 x Tortilla
• 1 Tbsp Mango Chutney
• 2 x Vegan Onion Bhajis (Tesco, Co-op, Sainsburys)
• 1 Tbsp Houmous
• Half a Medium Carrot Grated

1. Cook Onion Bhajis as per instructions
2. Warm tortilla for a few seconds over a dry frying pan or in the microwave
3. Spread Mango Chutney in the middle of the wrap towards the top
4. Spread Houmous on top of mango chutney
5. Add grated carrot on top of sauces
6. Chop onion bhajis in half and place on top of carrot
7. Fold bottom of wrap up into the middle, the fold in sides
8. Serve with an awesome supps protein bar on the side

Final word

During your transition it may be difficult to make sure you stay 100% on top of your micronutrient needs, and even if you're fully settled in our Awesome Daily Dose multi-vitamin is a good addition to any diet and so we would recommend it to anyone (especially if you're putting in a lot of effort with your training! Also, as you can see from some of the recipes, our vegan protein powders are very flexible and are great additions to any plant-based diet or any person’s kitchen cupboards for that matter.

Stay Awesome.