Vegan Weight Loss Diet Meal Plan
1 August 2024
When you hear ‘’Vegan Weight Loss Diet Meal Plan’’ does it sound too restrictive or too complex to follow? Rest assured, we’re here to cheer you on every step of the way!
Our goal isn’t to pressure you into losing weight but to show you what a 1400 kcal/day vegan meal plan can look like. It’s important to understand that BMI or weight alone doesn’t tell the full story of your health, in fact, that number on your scale might fluctuate hour to hour due to food, salt intake, exercise, and even the weather! Therefore, daily habits like getting quality sleep, staying physically active, and eating nutritious food are far more significant factors that contribute to your well-being.
The important thing to remember is that maintaining healthy lifestyle habits is the key, and weight loss will naturally follow. The first step, before starting on any meal plan, is to determine your energy needs and protein requirements. Here are some useful calculators to help you with this:
- Energy expenditure calculator
- Protein needs ( Protein needs for Vegans are 0.9g per Kg of body weight, for example, if your ideal body weight is 62 kg your protein needs will be: 0.9×62= 56g/day)
A fixed-calorie diet doesn’t have to be boring, tasteless, or leave you feeling hungry for the rest of the day! Check these recipes below, they were carefully chosen to keep you energized and satisfied while meeting all your nutritional needs.
For a personalized diet plan and better guidance, consider consulting a Vegan registered dietitian.
This meal plan is for an individual with an estimated energy needs around 1400 Kcal and 56g of protein per day.
It consists of 3 meals ( around 400Kcal each and 1 snack of around 200 kcal )
Day 1:
Breakfast :
- 1/4 tsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- ⅛ Yellow Onion (medium, chopped)
- 1/8 tsp of any spices you like ( ex: Turmeric & Cumin)
- Sea Salt & Black Pepper (to taste)
- 100 grams Tofu (extra firm, pressed, crumbled)
- 1 Whole Wheat Tortilla (large)
- Preparation instructions: Heat the olive oil in a pan over medium heat and sauté the chopped onion until soft. Add your favorite spices, salt, and pepper, then mix in the crumbled tofu and cook until warmed through. Spoon the tofu mixture onto a whole wheat tortilla, wrap it up, and enjoy!
Macronutrients: 401 calories, 34g carbs, 16g protein, and 23g fat.
Lunch:
- 1 cup Water
- 1/2 cup Oats (rolled)
- 1 tsp Curry Powder
- 1/2 cup Frozen Edamame
- 1/2 tsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Sea Salt & Black Pepper (to taste)
- Preparation instructions: Bring 1 cup of water to a boil in a small saucepan. Add 1/2 cup of rolled oats and reduce the heat to a simmer. Stir in 1 teaspoon of curry powder, cooking for about 5 minutes until the oats are tender. Meanwhile, steam 1/2 cup of frozen edamame according to the package instructions. Once the oats are cooked, stir in the steamed edamame and 1/2 teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil. Season with sea salt and black pepper to taste. Serve warm.
Macronutrients: 275 calories, 35g carbs, 15g protein, and 9g fat.
Dinner :
2/3 cup chickpeas Penne (dry)
- 3 tbsps Dry Red Lentils
- 1/2 cup Water
- ⅔ Garlic (clove, small, chopped)
- 1 tbsp Nutritional Yeast
- Sea Salt to taste
- 3 tbsps Marinara Sauce
Preparation instructions: Cook the chickpeas penne in boiling water until tender. Separately, cook the red lentils until soft. Then, mix well with the pasta, lentils, chopped garlic, nutritional yeast, sea salt, and marinara sauce.
Macronutrients: 390 calories, 72g carbs, 19g protein, and 2g fat.
Snack
- 1/3 cup canned Chickpeas (drained)
- 2 tbsps Guacamole
- Sea Salt & Black Pepper
- 1 Whole Wheat Tortilla (small)
Macronutrients:262 calories, 36g carbs, 9g protein, and 10g fat.
Day 2:
Breakfast :
- 1 cup Unsweetened Coconut Yogurt
- 3 tbsps Granola
- ½ Mango (small, diced)
Macronutrients: 401 calories, 49g carbs, 5g protein, and 13g fat.
Lunch:
- 1/2 cup Quinoa (dry, rinsed)
- 1 cup Vegetable Broth
- 1/4 tsp Sea Salt
- 1/2 cup Frozen Vegetable Mix
- 1/2 tsp Turmeric
- 1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
- 1/4 tsp Paprika
- Preparation instruction: Start by rinsing the quinoa under cold water, then cook it in vegetable broth with sea salt until all the liquid is absorbed. Add the frozen vegetable mix and spices, cook until the vegetables are tender, and fluff the quinoa with a fork before serving.
Macronutrients: 394 calories, 71g carbs, 16g protein, and 6g fat.
Dinner :
- 1/3 cup Dry Green Lentils (rinsed)
- 1 cup Vegetable Broth (plus more as needed)
- 1/2 tsp Herbes De Provence
- 1 1/2 tsps Extra Virgin Olive Oil (divided)
- ¼ Yellow Onion (large, sliced)
- 120 grams Tofu (cut into cubes)
- 3/4 tsp Tamari
- Preparation instruction: Start by cooking the rinsed green lentils in vegetable broth with Herbes de Provence until tender, adding more broth if needed. Sauté the sliced onion and tofu cubes in olive oil, combine with the lentils, and season with tamari before serving.
Macronutrients: 389 calories, 44g carbs, 27g protein, and 13g fat.
Snack :
- 2/3 cup Lima Beans (cooked)
- 1 tsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1/4 tsp Garlic Powder
- 1/4 tsp Smoked Paprika
- Sea Salt & Black Pepper (to taste)
Macronutrients:163 calories, 23g carbs, 8g protein, and 5g fat.
Day 3:
Breakfast :
1 banana
1/2 cup mixed berries
1 tbsp almond butter
1/2 cup spinach
Macronutrients:350 calories, 60g carbs, 10g protein, and 10g fat.
Lunch:
- 1/2 cup Couscous (uncooked)
- ½ Red Bell Pepper (medium, diced)
- 1/4 cup Red Onion (diced)
- ½ Lemon (juiced)
- Preparation instruction: Cook the couscous according to package instructions, then fluff with a fork. Combine the cooked couscous with diced red bell pepper, red onion, and lemon juice, mixing well before serving.
Macronutrients: 362 calories, 76g carbs, 12 g protein, and 0g fat.
Dinner :
- 50 grams Tempeh (cut into thin slices)
- 1/4 tsp Sea Salt
- 1 1/2 tsps Tamari
- 3/4 tsp Balsamic Vinegar
- 1/4 tsp Chili Powder
- 1/8 tsp Smoked Paprika
- Sea Salt & Black Pepper (to taste)
- 1 tsp Dijon Mustard
- 2 slices Whole Grain Bread (toasted)
- 1/3 cup Mixed Greens
- ½ Tomato (small, sliced)
Preparation instruction: Marinate the thinly sliced tempeh in a mixture of tamari, balsamic vinegar, chili powder, smoked paprika, sea salt, and black pepper. Sauté the marinated tempeh until golden brown, then assemble the sandwich with Dijon mustard, mixed greens, tomato slices, and the cooked tempeh between toasted whole grain bread.
Macronutrients: 343 calories, 43g carbs, 23g protein, and 9g fat.
Snack
- 100g Hummus
Celery (cut into sticks)
Macronutrients:166 calories, 16g carbs, 8g protein, and 10g fat.
Day 4:
Breakfast :
- 1 Nectarine (pitted, chopped)
- 1/2 cup Strawberries
- 1 tbsp Chia Seeds
- 1 cup Plain Coconut Milk (from the carton)
- 1/4 cup Vanilla Protein Powder
Macronutrients: 307 calories, 34g carbs, 23g protein, and 10g fat.
Lunch :
- 2 slices Whole Grain Bread
- 1/2 Avocado (mashed)
- 1 medium Tomato (sliced)
- 1 tbsp Fresh Basil (chopped)
- 1 tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
- 1/4 tsp Sea Salt
- 1/4 tsp Black Pepper
Macronutrients: 357 calories, 48g carbs, 9g protein, 15g fat.
Dinner:
- 1 cup Chickpeas (cooked)
- 1 cup Spinach (fresh)
- 1/2 cup Tomatoes (diced)
- 1/4 cup Coconut Milk
- 1 tbsp Olive Oil
- 1 clove Garlic (minced)
- 1 tsp Curry Powder
- 1/4 tsp Sea Salt
Macronutrients: 400 calories, 60g carbs, 10g protein, and 15g fat.
Snack
- 2 tbsps Guacamole
- 57 grams Whole Grain Crackers
Macronutrients:200 calories, 41g carbs, 5g protein, and 16g fat.
Day 5:
Breakfast :
- 1 cup Water
- 1/2 cup Oats
- 1/4 cup Vanilla Protein Powder
- 1 tbsp Ground Flax Seed
- 1/8 tsp Cinnamon
- 1 Apple (diced)
Macronutrients: 370 calories, 56g carbs, 26g protein, and 6g fat.
Lunch:
- 1/2 cup cooked quinoa
- 1/4 cup black beans, rinsed
- 1/4 cup corn kernels
- 1/4 cup diced tomatoes
- 1/4 cup diced avocado
- 1 tbsp lime juice
- 1 tbsp chopped cilantro
- Salt and pepper to taste
Macronutrients: 55g carbs, 14g protein, and 12g fat.
Dinner :
- 1/4 cup Brown Rice
- 85 grams Tofu (extra-firm, pressed then crumbled into pieces)
- 1 tbsp Tamari (divided)
- 1 1/2 tsps Rice Vinegar
- 3/4 tsp Sesame Oil
- ½ Carrot (medium, peeled and chopped)
- 1/4 cup Frozen Edamame (thawed)
- 2 2/3 tbsps Water
- 1 Garlic (clove, minced)
- 1 1/2 stalks Green Onion (chopped, divided)
- 3/4 tsp Sriracha
- 1/2 cup Cauliflower Rice
Preparation instruction: Cook the brown rice separately until tender. Meanwhile, cook the tofu with half of the tamari until golden. In a separate pan, sauté the carrot, edamame, garlic, and green onion until tender, then mix in the cauliflower rice, remaining tamari, rice vinegar, sesame oil, and sriracha. Combine everything and serve hot.
Macronutrients: 371 calories, 49g carbs, 20g protein, and 12g fat.
Snack
- 2 tbsps Raisins
- 1/4 cup Raw Peanuts
Macronutrients:269 calories, 22g carbs, 10g protein, and 18g fat.
Day 6:
Breakfast :
- ½ Pear (sliced)
- 1/8 tsp Cinnamon
- 1/2 cup Oats (rolled)
- 1 cup Water
- 2 tbsps Pecans (roughly chopped, optional)
- 1 tbsp Almond Butter (optional)
Macronutrients: 390 calories, 46g carbs, 10g protein, and 20g fat.
Lunch:
- 2 slices Whole Grain Bread
- 3 tbsp Hummus
- 1/4 cup Cucumber (sliced)
- 1/4 cup Red Bell Pepper (sliced)
- 1/4 cup Carrots (shredded)
- 1/4 cup Spinach
Macronutrients: 325 calories, 50g carbs, 11g protein, 11g fat.
Dinner :
- 1/2 cup Green Lentils (dry)
- 1 cup Bell Peppers (mixed colors, chopped)
- 1 cup Zucchini (sliced)
- 1 tbsp Olive Oil
- 1/2 cup Red Onion (sliced)
- 1 clove Garlic (minced)
- 1 tbsp Soy Sauce
- 1/4 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
Macronutrients:400 calories, 53g carbs, 17g protein, 13g fat.
Snack
2/3 cup Lima Beans (cooked)
1 tsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/4 tsp Garlic Powder
1/4 tsp Smoked Paprika
Sea Salt & Black Pepper (to taste)
Macronutrients:163 calories, 23g carbs, 8g protein, and 5g fat.
Day 7:
Breakfast :
- 1 Banana (sliced in half lengthwise)
- 1/2 cup Unsweetened Coconut Yogurt
- 2 tbsps Sunflower Seed Butter
- 1 tsp Ground Flax Seed
- 1/4 tsp Cinnamon
Macronutrients: 371 calories, 42g carbs, 8g protein, and 22g fat.
Lunch:
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup canned chickpeas, rinsed and mashed
- 1 tbsp vegan mayo
- 1/4 cup diced cucumber
- 1/4 cup diced bell pepper
- 1 tbsp chopped red onion
- 1 whole wheat tortilla
- Lettuce leaves
Macronutrients: 400 calories, 60g carbs, 15g protein, and 10g fat.
Dinner :
- 1 1/3 tbsps Vegetable Broth
- 1 1/3 tbsps Balsamic Vinegar
- 1/3 tsp Italian Seasoning
- 1/8 tsp Sea Salt
- ⅔ Garlic (clove, minced)
- 85 grams Tempeh (cut into thin pieces)
- 1/4 cup Quinoa (uncooked)
- 1 cup Broccoli (cut into florets)
Macronutrients: 373 calories, 44g carbs, 26g protein, and 12g fat.
Snack
- 2 tbsps Unsweetened Shredded Coconut
- 1 tbsp Pistachios (chopped)
- 2/3 cup Pitted Dates (sliced open)
Macronutrients:200 calories, 39g carbs, 2g protein, and 5g fat.
Vegan Snack list to choose from (200 Kcal each) :
Mini Fruit and Nut Salad
1/2 cup diced apple
1 tablespoon walnuts
1 tablespoon raisins
Trail Mix
1/4 cup homemade trail mix (dried fruit, nuts, seeds)
Cucumber Sandwiches
1 small cucumber, sliced
2 tablespoons hummus
Sandwich cucumber slices with hummus in between
Roasted Chickpeas
1/2 cup roasted chickpeas
Seasoned with paprika and sea salt
Guacamole with Crackers
2 tablespoons guacamole
6 whole-grain crackers
Rice Cakes with Avocado
2 rice cakes
1/4 avocado, mashed and spread
Apple with Almond Butter
1 medium apple
1 tablespoon almond butter
Hummus and Veggie Sticks
1/4 cup hummus
Carrot and celery sticks
Popcorn
3 cups air-popped popcorn
Lightly seasoned with salt and nutritional yeast
Tips for Optimizing Your Vegan Meal Plan for Weight Loss from a Vegan Dietitian
- Prioritize Whole Foods Emphasize whole, unprocessed foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds. They are nutrient-dense and high in fiber, which will help you feel satisfied while consuming fewer calories.
- Balance Your Macronutrients A balanced mix of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats is essential. Focus on Incorporating plant-based proteins like beans, lentils, tofu, tempeh, and quinoa, and consume healthy fats from sources like avocados, nuts, seeds, and olive oil in moderation.
- Control Portion Sizes Even healthy foods can lead to weight gain if eaten in large amounts. Measuring cups and food scales will help you keep portions in check, particularly with calorie-dense foods like nuts, seeds, and dried fruits.
- Stay Hydrated: Drinking daily water can help control hunger and prevent overeating. Aim for at least 8 cups of water daily, and drink a glass of water before each meal.
- Plan Your Meals and Snacks Planning helps you avoid unhealthy choices. Prepare meals and snacks in advance to ensure you have healthy options readily available. Include a variety of fresh and easy-to-grab items like cut vegetables, fruits, and whole-grain crackers.
- Watch Your Sugar Intake Limit added sugars, which can contribute to weight gain and other health issues. Opt for natural sweeteners like fruit and use them sparingly.
- Get Enough Protein Adequate protein intake is crucial for maintaining muscle mass during weight loss. Include protein-rich foods in every meal to help support muscle maintenance and satiety.
- Be Mindful of Liquid Calories Beverages like sugary drinks, juices, and alcohol can add significant calories without filling you up. Choose water, herbal teas, or black coffee to minimize calorie intake from drinks.
- Practice Mindful Eating Eat slowly and pay attention to your hunger and fullness cues. Avoid distractions like TV or smartphones while eating and focus on enjoying your food.
- Include Variety Eating a variety of foods ensures you get a wide range of nutrients and prevents meal boredom. Experiment with new recipes and include different fruits, vegetables, grains, and proteins in your diet.
- Monitor Your Progress Track your food intake and progress. Use a food diary or an app to log your meals, which can help you stay accountable and make necessary adjustments.
- Stay Active Combine your vegan meal plan with regular physical activity. Exercise helps burn calories, boost metabolism, and support overall health. Aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise each week.
- Be Patient and Consistent Weight loss takes time, so be patient and consistent with your healthy eating and exercise habits. Focus on making sustainable lifestyle changes rather than quick fixes.
- Get Professional Guidance Consult with a vegan dietitian who can provide personalized advice and meal plans tailored to your specific needs and goals. They can help ensure you’re getting all the necessary nutrients while losing weight.
Based on my experience working with clients, the most sustainable results come from developing healthy habits and a positive relationship with food. Intuitive eating will help you make peace with food and break free from the cycle of diets it is a wonderful way to help you maintain a healthy weight by listening to your body’s natural signals of hunger and fullness. Consult with a registered dietitian to help you enjoy the benefits of intuitive eating!
It’s not about hitting a specific number on the scale but finding that stable weight where your body feels its best through balanced, mindful eating and a healthy lifestyle. Remember, your best weight is where you feel healthy and happy, and that’s the most important goal of all.
Would you like some assistance with your weight loss journey? Contact us to discover how our registered dietitians can support you in meeting your nutrition goals.
