Beginner’s Guide to Easy Plant-Based Vegan Meal Planning

Plant-Based Meal Planning in 10 Easy Steps

Before I was eating a plant-based diet I would organize my meal plans by types of food. For example, I would have chicken one day of the week, fish on another, and so on, and it’s the same with plant-based meal planning.

I would suggest starting out with a 1 or 2-week template, and then adjusting your meal planning interval according to your specific needs – maybe you only want to plan a few days at a time, or maybe a whole month’s worth of meals works best for you. And you don’t need to be rigid about it, just remember that what once worked can shift over time. Go with the flow and make it as easy as possible for yourself and your family. 

1. SEARCH FOR RECIPES

This is where you get to have fun! My Plant-Based Cooking website is an ideal site to launch your exploration. You can search by type of meal, for instance, desserts, soups, or breakfasts. Go straight to the Recipe Categories.

Once you click into a category you'll see all of the recipes available on the website.

But you don’t have to stop there. As plant-based eating continues to grow in popularity it seems there are more and more resources for plant-based recipes with each passing day. Some of my favorite recipe sites include Pinterest, the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, Dr. Joel Fuhrman’s, and Naked Food Magazine. Of course, you’ll soon find your own favorite go-to plant-based recipe sites as well.

2. GATHER YOUR RECIPES

Pick out the plant-based recipes you think you’ll enjoy. While it’s fun to experiment and get fancy after you get a bit familiar with plant-based cooking, I would suggest starting out with meals that are as similar as possible to what you’ve been eating, perhaps things like burgers, pasta, chili, burritos, tacos, stews, and soups, or whatever you typically eat. This will help to ease the transition.

3. WHOLE GRAINS AND LEGUMES

Make whole grains, such as rice, barley, or quinoa, and/or legumes (beans), such as lentils, black beans, or kidney beans, or split peas, the centerpiece of your dishes.

4. WEEKLY TEMPLATE

To keep it simple, one way to start is by creating a template for just one week in which every night has its own theme, as you’ll see below. You can mix up the days on which your “themed” meals are served, but you’ll set up your week by types of daily meals. For example:

• Monday: soups
• Tuesday: tacos or burritos
• Wednesday: pasta
• Thursday: pizza
• Friday: stir-fries
• Saturday: stews
• Sunday: sandwiches

Other possible themes could include raw foods, locally-grown foods, high protein foods, low-fat foods, burgers, your favorite comfort foods, or specific regional cuisines. The menu options are truly endless, so be creative – what would make you feel happy and satisfied?

What have you always wanted to make but never got around to? It’s not just about health, you know – it’s about enjoying what you eat as well – always keep that in mind, because joy is part of health. And as you’ll soon discover, there truly is no more delicious cuisine than fresh, wholesome, and plant-based.

5. SALAD AS THE MAIN DISH

As great as it is to be creative and try new things, sometimes we just need easy and familiar. One surefire way to kickstart your diet and health, and save time on your meal planning, is by having a salad once a day as a main dish, as recommended by Dr. Joel Fuhrman.

That takes care of lunch or dinner and leaves you only two other meals to plan. Be sure to check out the “Salads & Dressings” section of my website, under the “Recipes” heading at the top for inspiration and ideas.

6. DR. MICHAEL GREGER’S "DAILY DOZEN"

Include in your meal planning the items that Dr. Michael Greger recommends in his “Daily Dozen” checklist, primarily plant foods supercharged with nutrition that he himself works into his daily routine.

Dr. Greger’s “Daily Dozen” video is an excellent and informative educational resource. In it, he goes into detail explaining why each item is included on the checklist and what the serving sizes are for each. I highly recommend that you watch this essential video!

“All plant foods are not created equal,” Dr. Greger says at the beginning of his “Daily Dozen” video.

“The more I’ve researched over the years, the more I’ve come to realize that healthy foods are not necessarily interchangeable. Some foods and food groups have special nutrients not found in abundance elsewhere,” he continues.

For instance, sulphoraphane, a liver-detox boosting compound, and antioxidant, is obtained almost exclusively from cruciferous vegetables. Likewise, mushrooms, which are actually fungi, may contain nutrients like ergothioneine not found anywhere in the plant kingdom.

Dr. Greger's List:

1. Beans (3 servings)
2. Berries (1 serving)
3. Other Fruits (3 servings)
4. Cruciferous Vegetables (1 serving)
5. Leafy Greens (2 servings)
6. Other Vegetables (2 servings)
7. Flaxseeds (1 serving)
8. Nuts and Seeds (1 serving)
9. Herbs and Spice (1 serving)
10. Wholes Grains (3 servings)
11. Beverages (5 servings)
12. Exercise (so important!)

7. USE YOUR PANTRY and FRIDGE

Be sure to take stock of what you and your family tend to have on hand in the pantry and fridge, and build your meal plans, at least in part, around those foods. Remember that it’s ok to use plant-based approved canned and packaged items.

Plant-based approved items have very little to no added salt, sugar, or oil, and are only minimally processed. If you’d like some guidance on identifying plant-based approved brands, Dr. John McDougall's Health & Medical Center and the plant-based website Forks Over Knives both offer their own recommendations.

Also, be sure to check out my handy list of 49 recipes that you can make with these convenient healthy canned, and packaged ingredients.

 8. PLAN FOR LEFTOVERS

Make good use of leftovers! There’s no sense in wasting perfectly good food, and no reason not to intentionally incorporate leftovers into your meal planning – leftovers are economical, environmentally friendly, and just make meal planning easier. Learn to cook in bulk so that you’ll have ample leftovers, and then incorporate them into your menu a few days later, or freeze and serve at your convenience.

 9. PLAN YOUR WEEKS and REPEAT with a Weekly Meal Planner

Now that you have a basic understanding of plant-based meal planning, go ahead and give it a try. First, download my Weekly Meal Planner and either print it out or save it on your computer. Next, take a deep breath and relax, and then start planning your first week with as little fuss and strain as possible. You don’t have to do it all at once.

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