7-Day Plant-Based Diet Meal Plan for Beginners, Created by a Dietitian

This plant-based meal plan for beginners makes it easy to eat meatless, with plenty of simple recipes that satisfy.

Emily Lachtrupp is a registered dietitian experienced in nutritional counseling, recipe analysis and meal plans. She's worked with clients who struggle with diabetes, weight loss, digestive issues and more. In her spare time, you can find her enjoying all that Vermont has to offer with her family and her dog, Winston.

Christa Brown is a registered dietitian and business owner with a practice focus on diabetes management and content development for brands and fitness influencers. She is a licensed dietitian with a Master of Science in Nutrition Education and a certification in gut health by the Institute of Integrative Nutrition.

This seven-day vegetarian meal plan is packed with delicious plant-based recipes and tailored for beginners. We repeat several breakfasts and lunches and try to keep dinner fairly simple. The goal is to enjoy cooking more plant-based meals at home and reap the health benefits without feeling like you're spending too much time in the kitchen.

How We Create Meal Plans

Registered dietitians thoughtfully create EatingWell’s meal plans to be easy-to-follow and delicious. Each meal plan meets specific parameters depending on the health condition and/or lifestyle goal it is targeting and is analyzed for accuracy using the nutrition database, ESHA Food Processor. As nutritional needs differ from person to person, we encourage you to use these plans as inspiration and adjust as you see fit.

Why This Meal Plan Is Great for You

This 1,500-calorie meal plan has modifications for 2,000 calories to support those with different calorie needs. While we previously included meal plans and modifications for 1,200 calories, we no longer do. The 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans suggests that limiting your calories to 1,200 per day is too low for most people to meet their nutritional needs, plus it’s unsustainable for long-term health and well-being.

Frequently Asked Questions

We no longer provide modifications for 1,200-calorie days in our meal plans. The 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans suggests that limiting calories to 1,200 per day is too low for most people to meet their nutritional needs, plus it’s unsustainable for long-term health and well-being.

What Is a Plant-Based Diet?

The definition of a plant-based diet is a bit vague because there's no agreed-upon official definition. For the purpose of this plan, plant-based means vegetarian, so we didn't include meat but included dairy and eggs.

For others, plant-based might mean a completely vegan diet or it might simply mean that you focus primarily on plant-based proteins and try to eat meat sparingly. Whatever it means to you, it's always a good idea to increase your consumption of vegetables, fruits, whole grains and legumes because they are high in fiber, an important nutrient that 95% of us don't get enough of.

Plant-Based Diet Benefits

• More fiber: Fiber plays an important role in disease prevention and regulating our digestive system. Studies indicate that increasing fiber intake offers numerous health advantages, including maintaining a healthier body weight and lowering the risk of developing type 2 diabetes and heart disease, as highlighted in a 2020 study published in the Journal of Diabetes Investigation.
• Weight loss: Research, like the 2021 study in Clinical Nutrition ESPEN, shows that people who follow a plant-based diet tend to have lower body fat percentage and a smaller waist circumference. Plus, this high-fiber diet will help keep you full so you can lose weight while still feeling satisfied.
• Quick-cooking and no-cook protein sources: The plant-based diet incorporates tons of healthy no-cook and easy protein sources. Dried and canned beans and lentils are healthy, shelf-stable protein options. Plus, canned beans are convenient—just drain and rinse and they're ready to go. Edamame, which is a young soybean, is a healthy protein source found in the freezer section of most grocery stores. Nuts, seeds and nut butters, as well as whole grains like brown rice and quinoa, are healthy and easy options as well.

How to Shop for a Plant-Based Diet

You may have heard the advice to shop around the perimeter of the grocery store to avoid eating processed foods. While it's true that the outside aisles are where you'll find produce, yogurt and tofu, there's a lot of nutritious foods to be found in the inner aisles of the grocery store. There you'll find whole grains, like quinoa, brown rice and oats, as well as dried and canned beans, nuts and seeds, and frozen fruit and vegetables. It's a good idea to stock up on canned and dried beans and lentils—they're shelf-stable and a handy pantry item to have on hand.

For protein, focus on minimally processed sources like beans, lentils, nuts and whole grains and try to limit heavily processed vegetarian proteins like soy "hot dogs" or imitation meats. They tend to be very high in sodium and don't pack the nutritional benefits compared to their less-processed plant-based options.

Plant-Based Diet Foods List

• Legumes: Canned or dried, beans and lentils are an excellent source of protein and fiber.
• Nuts and seeds: Think nut butters, almonds, walnuts, flax, chia seeds and any other variety you like. When looking at nut butters, choose a natural variety to skip any additives.
• Whole grains: Higher in protein and fiber, whole grains like quinoa, oatmeal, brown rice and whole-wheat pasta are great options.
• Fruits and vegetables: Whether you buy fresh or frozen, filling up on fruits and vegetables is a great idea. Storing fruit and vegetables correctly can make them last longer.
• Soy: Tofu and edamame are both great high-protein soy options.

How to Meal-Prep Your Week of Meals

1. Prepare Cinnamon Roll Overnight Oats to have for breakfast on Days 2 through 6.
2. Make Chopped Salad with Sriracha Tofu & Peanut Dressing to have for lunch on Days 2 through 5.
3. Whip up Citrus Vinaigrette to have throughout the week.

Day 1

Cooking Tip: Making homemade salad dressing is super easy and really ups the flavor of any salad. Bonus—homemade salad dressings are a lot less expensive than their store-bought counterparts.

Breakfast (304 calories)

• 1 serving Berry-Kefir Smoothie

A.M. Snack (95 calories)

• 1 medium apple

Lunch (374 calories)

• 1 serving Green Salad with Pita Bread & Hummus

P.M. Snack (206 calories)

• 1/4 cup dry-roasted unsalted almonds

Dinner (509 calories)

• 1 serving Beefless Vegan Tacos
• 2 cups mixed greens
• 1 serving Citrus Vinaigrette

Daily Totals: 1,488 calories, 55 g protein, 178 g carbohydrates, 38 g fiber, 76 g fat, 1,587 mg sodium

To make it 2,000 calories: Add 1 whole-wheat English muffin with 2 Tbsp. natural peanut butter to breakfast and 1/4 cup dried walnut halves at A.M. snack.

Day 2

Cooking Tip: Overnight oats are the perfect breakfast for busy mornings. The basic recipe is a simple formula of 1/2 cup oats, 1/2 cup water, milk or non-dairy milk alternative and a pinch of salt. The flavor combinations are up to you.

Breakfast (258 calories)

• 1 serving Cinnamon-Roll Overnight Oats
• 1 medium orange

A.M. Snack (341 calories)

• 1 cup low-fat plain Greek yogurt
• 1 medium peach
• 3 Tbsp. slivered almonds

Lunch (332 calories)

• 1 serving Chopped Salad with Sriracha Tofu & Peanut Dressing