7 Day Vegan Meal Plan
Published by
Earth to Salad
Creator
Sable
Publish date
14/09/2020
Introduction
I could just be another blogger telling the world that the vegan diet is the way to go, claiming I am perfect and everyone is inferior for their decisions. Or, I could be a blogger that stands out, informs my audience about how to find their own way, embraces my flaws, and puts myself at the same level on Earth as my audience.
Having a degree and diploma specializing in ecological restoration yet not having a job is difficult, but having a passion for healthy living and helping others makes me happy. This blog has given me purpose and allowed me to express myself on many levels.
As I tag along with my fiance who travels around the Southeastern US for work, I have plenty of time to work on my blog, make good food, as well as expose myself to another part of the world beyond my little Southern Ontario home land.
I have always enjoyed researching healthy living. It started with a roommate in College who was vegan, now it is my outlook on life and food. Even when I am eating something I start wondering what is really in this, beyond the nutrition label.
Oftentimes, you can learn so much more and have a better understanding of where the nutrition label gets its information. For example, walnuts are naturally high in fat. The disclaimer, this is good fat when eaten in moderation.
A simple Google search (or Ecosia) of “health benefits of…” you can learn any potential health benefits out there whether proven by science or not. The internet is a great tool when you are looking for specific benefits in foods. Be careful with this, because you can find anything you want on the internet proving one way or the other.
I offer this meal plan in the hopes to help everyone be healthier and smarter about food choices. I believe there is always room for improvement in every area of one's life. I know that I have lots of room to learn about my health and the dynamics of eating well and caring for my body.
I am not a nutritionist or dietitian, I am only speaking from my experience on the topic. I have been vegan, or rather, on and off vegan for the past 4 years. Not that long, but it already feels like I have been vegan for my whole life. I never was much of a fan of meat in the first place anyways.
Animal products have a way in deceiving people through no nutrition labels being required, minimal regulations and warning about medications, living conditions, antibiotics, or chemicals that the animal was exposed to before being slaughtered.
When someone eats meat or meat byproducts it is their duty to become aware of this. Sadly, the vast majority of people aren’t concerned about this, and that is concerning!
Part of this meal plan includes tracking your nutrition and grocery shopping tips. Those sections will guide you through making decisions beyond what you are eating for dinner that night, and making the right, clean, ethical decision without second guessing.
Tracking Nutrition
Maintaining a vegan diet long term is one of the hardest things that people go through when changing their dietary choices. Many of us are roped into generational curses of ways of eating, based mainly on convenience.
We MUST eat to be healed, not eat to be temporarily satiated. When one eats to be healed they will feel long term satisfaction because eating for convenience will do harm.
Common things I hear from people who used to be vegan or tried it for a few days include; I lost too much weight, I felt sick, I had headaches, I had too many cravings, My family pressured me, it was too expensive, it was too time consuming, etc…
Oftentimes when people start a vegan diet they will lose weight because all of the meat protein that has been blocking their systems is being cleared out, people who eat a lot of meat protein can have up to 30 lbs of waste sitting in their colon! If more weight is lost than one can afford to lose, then proper nutrition was not cared for.
If someone says they felt sick or had headaches, that is also due to improper nutrition. Proper research and awareness of what someone is eating day to day or week by week is essential when becoming vegan. This ensures that all food groups, minerals, vitamins, and complexes are being adequately and regularly supplied for.
When someone claims that their cravings got the best of them it can be for a few reasons including; inadequately watching nutrition which causes your body to crave the protein or salt that wasn't being supplied, they were not committed for the right reasons in the first place, or they need to get past their addiction to meat proteins.
Addiction to meat proteins is a real thing, and should be treated as an addiction. Gradual break off from meat proteins may be best for some people in order to maintain the vegan diet long term.
If your friends or family are pressuring you into eating meat or teasing you about your dietary choices, contemplate why that is. Is it because you are losing weight, or don’t want to go out and eat at the same places anymore? Maybe because they are self conscious of their own poor life decisions. No matter the case, unless you aren’t maintaining healthy nutrition tracking, then they should not be pressuring you to do something that you have chosen not to do.
I dealt with a significant amount of pressure from family, some of it I have learned to deal with because they may never understand, others I have informed. It is all about your happiness, and you should surround yourself with people who support you. Don’t let them tell you that veganism is just a choice, it belittles your decisions.
Veganism is more cost effective than expensive, and if one is spending more on groceries from a vegan diet they may not be choosing the right options. Beans, lentils, tofu, tempeh, nuts, and seeds are all cheaper than animal proteins. Alternatives such as vegan chicken and vegan pepperoni are more expensive than meat. These alternatives should be avoided at all costs. They are high in sodium, processed, and bad fats.
Veganism can take more prep time from chopping vegetables and fruits. More often than not, however, cook time is significantly shorter. It should take about the same amount of time to make a vegan meal as it does to make a meat protein meal, if not less, depending on the meal.
Now onto tracking your nutrition in a healthy and time effective manner.
First step is making a weekly goal. Whether that be to lose and keep off a couple lbs, feel more energized, gain a couple lbs, etc…
Second step, focus on how you are planning on achieving that goal. Whether it means working out more or longer, eating an extra snack or higher protein snack during the day, making protein more of a priority in your meal plan, etc…
Third step, make your meal plan for the week according to your goals. Also, if you grocery shop once per week and stick to your list you are less likely to make impulse purchases.
Fourth step, even though you have a meal plan, it is very important to maintain a food diary as well to track how closely you are following your meal plan. In this food diary include every meal you make with every ingredient included in it, every drink of water or any drinks at all, every snack, leave nothing out.
Last step, review how you did at the end of your goal period, and keep track of how you feel. Keeping a record of every step of the way can act as a reminder why you are doing this for yourself. If your goals were not met, review your diary and figure out why that is.
I personally use myfitnesspal app about twice per week just to ensure that I am staying on track (my food diary). Once you are in the habit and flow of making a diary, following a meal plan, and ensuring that adequate nutrition is being accounted for, you can cut back on how often you write in your diary, for the first few months it is best to use a consistent method of tracking.
I have been doing food diaries since I was very young. I had a lot of stomach pain and cramping at the age of 8 and it was not easily explained. I did a food diary for a couple weeks tracking everything I ate, how I felt, and how I slept. Once the doctor saw that I was eating processed meat at least once a day, if not more, and missing out on the majority of food groups, my diagnosis was simple.
Food diaries are more than just a method to track nutrition, but a way to observe any food sensitivities or allergies as well.
Many parents are told to watch their babies nutrition for the week rather than daily because babies have one day they may not eat much, but the next day have a bottomless pit for a stomach. This is also very applicable for adult nutrition.
Tracking nutrition on a weekly basis rather than a daily basis is more effective in assessing overall health. One day you may be low in protein, the next day you may be high. One’s nutrition over a week span is more relevant than on a daily basis.
7 Day Meal Plan
First thing in the morning, when breaking fast (breakfast), it is important to first eat fruits that are lower in sugar and less acidic, then citrus fruits, then whole grains. It is best not to mix these together in something like a fruit and oatmeal bowl.
This allows our bodies to begin working the digestive system gently and make our bodies most efficient. Eating less acidic fruit first will avoid any acid reflux or heartburn.
Drinking water upon awakening is also recommended to soothe the digestive tract. Things like coffee (diuretic), tea, and juices are not useful to the body and will run through the body before it is able to be absorbed.
If eating a snack between breakfast and lunch then it is best to eat as much fruit as possible. Once you eat veggies, you should no longer be eating fruit for the rest of the day. This is based on the idea of food pairing, which is another great way to make one's body more efficient through digestion.
Lunch is okay to begin mixing because your digestive system is primed and ready to go. It is best to maximize your veggie intake at this time. Things like salads, burrito bowls, and lettuce wraps are excellent.
If having a pump up snack between lunch and dinner to get you through the day, focus on a high protein/fat snack such as nuts or almond milk to boost energy. Fruit is not advised to be eaten for the rest of the day once veggies are eaten.
Dinner time is your big meal. Keep in mind that it is best, if possible, to eat dinner approximately 3 or 4 hours before laying down and getting ready for bed. This allows digestion to take place quicker and aid in sleeping.
For dinner the focus should be protein and veggies. A meal such as lentil meatballs, brussel sprouts, and sweet potato casserole are great because the focus is on protein and veggies.
Fillers such as potatoes, bread, rice, and pasta are okay in smaller amounts. These do not supply a significant portion of nutrition to the body. When pasta is eaten, the body extracts any fortified nutrients and the rest of the carbs are stored as sugar, when these are not used they are used as fat storage with the idea to be used later (and very rarely are).
The amount of water someone requires to stay hydrated varies, it is best to look up an online water requirement calculator or chart to know how much you need to drink to stay hydrated and digest your food efficiently. Drinking 1.5 litres per day is a general recommendation.
Supplements
It is always a good idea to gauge how you feel, as well as consider any pre-existing health conditions before choosing what supplements your body requires. I find that my body thrives best when I take B-complex, vegan omega supplements, and chlorophyll. I have never found that I need any other supplements but everyone's food availability and conditions vary.
When choosing supplements, I find it is best to look up how you are feeling or what you want to improve on. For example if you find you are very tired and lazy, or lack energy, it could be lack of protein or it could mean iron, b12, or omegas are needed. Knowing what you have been eating can help you determine what you may be missing.
I always research before going to a drug store or ordering supplements online to know how much I need, how much I am getting, and to see what vegan supplements there are. For example, vegan omega supplements exist and are equally if not more effective than fish oil. I use Nature’s Way Nutravege EPA + DHA which is made mainly of flax seeds.
If you are eating lots of sea vegetables and other leafy greens, it is likely that you do not need to supplement for iron or B12, despite what your doctor may say. You do not need meat to get these vitamins, they are naturally occurring and your body absorbs plant sources of these vitamins when eaten in conjunction with the correct paired foods.
Grocery Shopping Tips
The biggest pet peeve of mine is when an item has the big Vegan approved symbol on it, then you read the ingredients and it says “contains eggs” or “contains whey”. These are not vegan! Even when something says it is vegan always make sure in the ingredients list.
Chocolate is not vegan, make sure to get chocolate that specifically says vegan and has no milk or whey in the ingredients list. Even dark chocolate has some butter or milk ingredients in it that will be hidden to trick you.
If you want to save money and don’t care too much about the look of your produce, sometimes you can save money by buying deformed or nearly expired foods. I have found many good deals usually in the back of the produce section that is like a clearance section. You can also do this at farmers markets, or by calling a grocery store and asking them about what they don’t have on display.
Bring the reusable bags if you can, it will make it easier for you to control how your bags are packed and it may save you some money where grocers charge for bags. Not to mention eco-friendlier.
I cannot express this enough, please do not replace meat products with vegan meat products. These soy protein based high sodium highly processed “foods” are the worst thing that you can eat when becoming vegan. They are expensive and so bad for you.
Adaptable Recipe Ideas
One of my go to recipes is some sort of pasta.
One of the best things about pasta is that it can be broken down into a formula.
Noodles, sauce, veggies, and protein.
When choosing your noodles at the store it is best to choose almost anything that doesn't have processed, bleached, white flour. As well as avoiding high sugar content.
Some pasta has egg in it or even whey, so keep this in mind when buying pasta, there are lots of brands that don’t add these unnecessary ingredients.
There are also so many easy recipes out there for making your own pasta, I have made my own vegan pasta before and it was well worth it!
My favourite go to pasta recipe:
Ingredients;
Cooked green lentils
Onion finely diced
Pepper finely diced
Garlic minced or I use my micro plane
Raw whole baby spinach
Zucchini diced chunky
Mushrooms diced chunky
Diced tomatoes canned or fresh
Whole wheat pasta bow ties
Avocado oil
Italian style spices and chili powder
Nutritional yeast flakes
Directions;
Cook green lentils as advised on packaging
Prep and lightly sautee all vegetables in a little bit of olive oil in this order; onions, mushrooms, zucchini, pepper, garlic, then spinach. Once the spinach is added it is done being sauteed.
Add diced tomatoes to veggie mixture, simmer for 15 minutes
Add lentils and spices to mixture
Let sit on low while cooking pasta in another pot
Either mix everything or leave separate depending on personal preferences
Top with some nutritional yeast flakes for added flavour and nutrition
This recipe is one of my favourites because you can use any veggies that you have on hand in your fridge as long as you have the basics of tomatoes, pasta, and lentils which I almost always have on hand for chili night.
Another go to recipe for me is stir fry. This is because it is easy and quick to make, and is solely based on your own preferences. If you like your veggies well cooked that will work, if you like them still crunchy then that's great.
Stir fry can be served on rice, quinoa, couscous, noodles, or any other grain you enjoy.
The secret to stir fry is the sauce! Having a good base sauce will get you where you want to be to make this nutritious and delicious.
My favourite go to stir fry recipe;
Ingredients;
Peppers
Onions
Water chestnuts
Carrots
Mini/baby corn
Mushrooms
Soy sauce (vegan)
Worcestershire sauce (vegan)
Maple or agave syrup
Tamarind paste
Toasted sesame oil
Tahini or peanut butter
Cayenne pepper powder
Black pepper
Sweet basil
Lime juice
Sesame seeds
Long grain wild rice
Chickpeas or any kind of beans with the liquid if canned
Directions;
Cook rice as instructed on package
Chop and prep all veggies as desired (chunky or small)
Sautee all prepped veggies and beans in sesame oil in wok.
Mix together soy sauce, worcestershire sauce, maple syrup, tamarind paste, tahini, lime juice, spices in a bowl.
Add sauce to sauteed veggies simmering on low for approximately 3-5 minutes.
Serve in bowl rice, veggie mixture on top, with a sprinkle of sesame seeds.
This dinner is one of the fastest dinners and you can use any spices, veggies, and proteins that you have on hand. It is highly adaptable to food allergies and preferences.
My favourite breakfast smoothie recipe;
Ingredients;
Coconut water or filtered water
Lime juice
Chlorophyll
Banana
Mixed berries (frozen or fresh)
Apple
Ginger
Hemp or chia seeds
Directions;
Blend all ingredients, portion fillings as desired
Having a smoothie for breakfast, then making some avocado toast shortly after is a great way to respect pairing and getting the nutrients needed. Otherwise, have the avocado toast as well as a smoothie for breakfast which allows you to get plenty of servings of fruit in more than one form and adding some whole grain into your morning.
My favourite lettuce chickpea wrap recipe;
Ingredients;
Romaine lettuce (hearts)
Chickpeas mashed with tahini and pinch of salt
Diced jalapeno pepper
Diced tomato
Diced red onion
Hemp hearts
Lemon juice
Black pepper
Directions;
Chop and prep all veggies accordingly
Layer toppings on lettuce in a way that allows you to wrap it
Chickpea mix, pepper, tomato, onion, hemp hearts sprinkled, and lemon juice, black pepper optional
This recipe is great, and easy to take to work. Best to assemble at work and pack lettuce, chopped veggies, and toppings separately to avoid it turning into a mess.
This is high in protein and lots of veggies. It will fill you up and keep you full much longer than a sandwich or high carb lunch like fries.
All of the above recipes are completely adaptable to what is in your fridge and cupboard, what is affordable and accessible to you in your area, and adaptable to be very different simply based on the spices chosen.
These recipes can be made your own easily, and all of these recipes take very little time. With veganism it is all about the spices, don’t worry about over spicing meals, it is always better than under spicing and everything tasting bland. This goes for all my recipes that I share, spices are key to good tasting food.
Coming Soon
I am so excited to share some more ideas and helpful tips with everyone. I hope that so far it has been enjoyable and you have learned something new that will benefit yours or someone else's health.
My next goal will be to work on a monthly meal plan. Sharing tips on what to look for in how you feel, what to expect, substitutions and how to use them, and give out a full grocery list for each week. There will be more details as it is created and the ideas are flowing.
Another item I would love to create is cooking guides both general and specific of different varieties of cooking, desserts, entrees, snacks, dips, etc…
If there is drive and demand for it, I would love to share something of a lifestyle guide including tips on maintaining the vegan diet long term, finding your reason for veganism, exercise and yoga inspiration, how to make the transition, etc… This would be something I would love to get out into the world with my ideologies and research.
Down the road, I look forward to offering one on one or group session online coaching. This would be great to help people who are really eager to get on the vegan train but unsure where to start or need guidance and support.
My goal is to help those who want it. I use my own experiences and research to provide helpful healthy living ideas that have worked for me.
Lastly, thank you so much for reading this and making a difference in the world through veganism. I hope that I have helped you, and hope that you know that you have helped me by showing interest in what I am doing.
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