Vegan Meal Planning: A 7-Day Starter Plan

A 7-day vegan meal plan that actually works for most adults — not aspirational ultra-foodie content, but realistic weekday-and-weekend meals that fit a 60-minute total cooking budget on weeknights and a 90-minute meal-prep session on Sunday. The plan below covers approximately 1900–2200 calories per day with adequate protein (90–110g), substantial fibre (45–55g), and built-in iron-vitamin-C pairing. Adjust portions for your own calorie target.

The plan at a glance

Day	Breakfast	Lunch	Dinner	Snacks
Mon	Oatmeal w/ banana	Buddha bowl (Sun prep)	Chickpea curry	Hummus + veg
Tue	Tofu scramble	Lentil soup leftovers	Tofu stir-fry	Apple + nut butter
Wed	Smoothie bowl	Hummus wrap	Pad Thai	Trail mix
Thu	Oatmeal w/ berries	Chickpea curry leftovers	Lentil tacos	Banana + PB
Fri	Tofu scramble	Buddha bowl	Pizza w/ vegan cheese	Dark chocolate
Sat	Pancakes (slow start)	Bean burger	Take-out (curry/Thai)	Snacks
Sun	Breakfast bowl	Lentil soup (made for week)	Spaghetti bolognese (lentil)	Roasted chickpeas

Sunday meal-prep session (90 min)

Three Sunday-prep items support the whole week. Do these in parallel — most of the time is hands-off.

1. Pot of lentil soup (45 min, mostly hands-off)

1 onion + 2 carrots + 2 celery diced
4 cloves garlic minced
1 tbsp olive oil — sauté 5 min
1.5 cups dried green or brown lentils, rinsed
1 can (400g) diced tomatoes
6 cups vegetable broth
1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp paprika, salt, pepper
Bring to boil, simmer 30 min
Yield: 6 servings (Sun dinner + Tue lunch + 1 spare)

See vegan lentil soup recipe.

2. Buddha-bowl base components (30 min, parallel to lentil soup)

Cook 2 cups brown rice (40 min in rice cooker, or 20 min on stove)
Roast 2 cups vegetable mix (sweet potato cubes, broccoli florets, capsicum strips, red onion wedges) — 25 min at 425°F / 220°C
Make 1 cup tahini-lemon dressing (½ cup tahini + ¼ cup lemon juice + ¼ cup water + 1 clove garlic, blended)
Drain 1 can chickpeas, season with paprika, roast on same tray as vegetables for last 15 min

Yield: enough for Mon and Fri Buddha bowls + 2 Wed/Thu lunches if extending.

3. Hummus from scratch (10 min)

1 can chickpeas drained
¼ cup tahini, ¼ cup lemon juice, 2 cloves garlic, ½ tsp salt, 2 tbsp olive oil, 2–4 tbsp water
Blend smooth

Yield: ~2 cups; covers Wed wrap + Mon-Tue snacks.

The daily meals (week template)

Monday

Breakfast: Overnight oats with banana

½ cup oats + 1 cup soy milk + 1 tbsp chia + 1 tbsp peanut butter + ½ banana sliced + cinnamon. Refrigerate Sunday night, eat Monday morning.

Lunch: Buddha bowl

1 cup brown rice + ¾ cup roasted vegetables + ½ cup chickpeas + tahini dressing + handful spinach + pumpkin seeds

Dinner: Vegan chickpea curry

Chickpeas + canned tomato + coconut milk + spinach + Indian spices, served over rice. Cook double batch — Thursday lunch.

Snack: hummus + carrot/celery sticks

Tuesday

Breakfast: Tofu scramble

½ block firm tofu crumbled + nutritional yeast + turmeric + black salt (kala namak) + sautéed onion and capsicum, served with toast and avocado

Lunch: lentil soup leftovers + crusty bread

Dinner: Vegan tofu stir-fry

Pressed firm tofu cubes pan-fried + broccoli + bok choy + carrot + ginger-garlic-soy sauce, over rice

Snack: apple + 2 tbsp peanut butter

Wednesday

Breakfast: Smoothie bowl

1 frozen banana + ½ cup frozen berries + 1 cup soy milk + 1 tbsp chia + 1 scoop pea protein, blended thick. Top with granola, sliced banana, hemp seeds.

Lunch: hummus wrap

Wholegrain wrap + ¼ cup hummus + leafy greens + cucumber + grated carrot + bell pepper + sprouted alfalfa (skip in pregnancy)

Dinner: Vegan pad Thai

Rice noodles + tofu + tamarind-soy-lime sauce + bean sprouts + carrot + peanut topping

Snack: trail mix (almonds + walnuts + raisins + dark chocolate chips, ¼ cup)

Thursday

Breakfast: oatmeal with berries

½ cup oats cooked in 1 cup soy milk + ½ cup frozen berries + 1 tbsp ground flaxseed + maple syrup

Lunch: chickpea curry leftovers + rice

Dinner: Vegan lentil tacos

Lentils with taco seasoning + corn tortillas + lettuce + tomato + avocado + salsa + lime

Snack: banana + peanut butter

Friday

Breakfast: tofu scramble (same as Tuesday)

Lunch: Buddha bowl (using remaining Sunday-prep components)

Dinner: pizza night

Pre-made pizza dough or wholegrain base + tomato sauce + Violife or Miyoko’s vegan mozzarella + roasted vegetables + arugula on top

Snack: dark chocolate (1 oz / 28g)

Saturday

Breakfast: Vegan banana pancakes (slow weekend morning)

Fluffy pancakes with maple syrup, fresh berries, plant butter

Lunch: Black bean burger on a bun + sweet potato fries

Dinner: take-out

Indian (chana masala + naan + rice + spinach saag), Thai (vegetable curry + tofu + rice), or Ethiopian (vegetable platter + injera) all naturally vegan-friendly

Snack: roasted chickpeas (homemade Sunday) + fruit

Sunday

Breakfast: Vegan breakfast bowl

Tofu scramble + roasted potato + sautéed greens + tomato + avocado + toast

Lunch: lentil soup (just made for the week) + sourdough

Dinner: Vegan spaghetti bolognese

Lentil-mushroom sauce over spaghetti, salad, garlic bread

Snack: roasted chickpeas, fresh fruit

Approximate weekly nutrition

Day	Calories	Protein	Carbs	Fat	Fibre
Mon	~2050	95g	305g	65g	50g
Tue	~2100	105g	285g	75g	50g
Wed	~1950	90g	295g	60g	45g
Thu	~2050	100g	295g	70g	50g
Fri	~2150	90g	290g	80g	45g
Sat	~2300	80g	320g	90g	45g
Sun	~2150	100g	310g	75g	55g

Adjust portions based on your specific calorie needs (the plan as written suits a 70–80 kg adult with light-to-moderate activity).

Shopping list for the 7-day plan

Produce (purchased Saturday for the week):

1 bag spinach (250g)
5 bananas
4 apples
1 bag mixed leafy greens
2 cucumbers
4 tomatoes
1 bag carrots (1 kg)
1 stalk celery
1 head broccoli (or 1 bag florets)
1 bok choy
2 capsicum/bell peppers
1 head garlic (or jar minced)
1 small ginger root
2 onions
2 sweet potatoes
1 avocado x 3
1 lemon x 2

Plant milks and refrigerated:

2 L unsweetened soy milk
1 block firm tofu (700g+ for the week)
1 pack tempeh (optional)
Plant butter or olive-oil spread

Pantry:

Rolled oats
Brown rice
Spaghetti or wholewheat pasta
Rice noodles for pad Thai
1 can chickpeas (or use Sunday-roasted)
1 can black beans (for tacos)
1.5 cups dried lentils
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can coconut milk
Tahini
Hummus ingredients (or pre-made)
Peanut butter
Frozen berries (1 bag)
Pre-made pizza dough or base
Vegan mozzarella (Violife or Miyoko’s)
Trail mix ingredients (almonds, walnuts, raisins, dark chocolate)
Corn tortillas
Pancake mix or flour for from-scratch

Snacks:

Roasted chickpeas (homemade)
Dark chocolate (1 bar 100g, 70%+)

Estimated weekly cost: $80–$120 USD for one adult (varies significantly by region, organic vs conventional, and whether buying many staples or already-stocked).

Customising the plan

For weight loss: reduce portions of rice, pasta, and oats by ~25%; increase vegetables proportionally; trim added oils
For muscle gain: add 1 protein shake per day; increase tofu/tempeh portions; add nut butter on bread/toast
For families: scale all ingredients × number of eaters; finger-food versions for kids (e.g. tofu cubes instead of scramble)
For meal-prep enthusiasts: prep additional Sunday components (rice + vegetables for two more bowls; double the lentil soup)

Bottom line

A 7-day vegan meal plan with one Sunday meal-prep session, a 25-item shopping list, and 1–2 different evening cooking dishes per night (the rest leveraging leftovers) is sustainable for most adults. Start with this template; adapt over 4–6 weeks to your own preferences.