Switching to a vegan diet can be a great way to lose weight and become healthier. A vegan does not eat foods that contain or are made from animal products of any kind.
This lifestyle can be very restrictive, but many people choose to make this change and it’s no surprise that you can lose a lot of weight in the process.
Whether it’s for religious reasons, health concerns, or animal welfare concerns, a vegan diet can really change the way you feel and look.
If you are thinking about switching to a vegan lifestyle, it might be helpful to create a vegan meal plan. There are so many delicious options for vegan foods.
This meal plan is just a guide. It’s a good idea to buy some vegan cookbooks. It’s also worth reading the thousands of vegan recipes on the internet. Be adventurous and try new things.
Here’s a sample vegan meal plan for weight loss. Vegan recipes for breakfast, lunch, dinner and dessert.
Breakfast
Tofu Scramble
- Tofu Scramble
- 1 ½ tablespoons safflower oil
- 3 tablespoons diced onion
- 1 diced serrano chili
- 1/2 teaspoon of ground cumin seeds
- 3 tablespoons chopped coriander
- 20 ounces tofu
- Salsa of your choice
Heat the oil; add the onion and fry for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the chilies and cumin and fry for a few minutes. Crumble the tofu and cook, stirring frequently. Mix in the cilantro and season with salt. Serve one bagel per person and finish with some freshly ground black pepper.
Lunch
Sweet Corn Soup (serves 4)
Sweet Corn Soup is a delicious, delicately spiced thing, just perfect for the rainy, chilly weather we are having at the moment. This flavourful soup, full of the goodness of sweet corn, is a huge favourite with my family. And it’s not very difficult to put together at home either!
Ingredients
- 1-1/2 cups sweet corn kernels
- 2 tablespoons + 1-1/2 cups + 1-1/2 cups water
- 1 tablespoon cornflour
- Salt to taste
- Freshly cracked black pepper to taste
- 1/2 tablespoon sugar
- Juice of 1/2 lemon or to taste
- A small cube of butter
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped coriander
Directions
1. Wash the sweet corn kernels well under running water. Drain out all the water. Then, place the kernels in a saucepan and add in 1-1/2 cups water. Place on high flame. Let the water come to a boil, then reduce the flame to medium. Cook on medium flame for 5-6 minutes or till the corn kernels are tender. Switch off gas at this stage.
2. Keep the cooked sweet corn kernels aside. Very little water would be remaining at this stage. Let the corn kernels cool down completely. Then, reserve 1/4 of them for later use and transfer 3/4 of them to a mixer jar along with the remaining water from cooking them. Grind the latter to a smooth puree.
3. Take the cornflour in a small cup. Add in 2 tablespoons water and make a smooth, lump-free slurry. Keep aside.
Click here for full Sweet corn soup recipe
Dinner
Easy Vegan Portobello Mushroom Steaks
- 4 large Portobello mushrooms, cleaned and stems removed
- 6 tbsp low sodium gluten-free tamari (or soy sauce if not GF)
- 2 tbsp Balsamic vinegar
- ¾ tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp coconut sugar
Directions
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F (205 degrees C). Place mushrooms upside down on a lined baking dish.
- Mix up the marinade and pour ¼ of the mixture over the mushrooms’ undersides. Use your fingers or a basting brush to rub it in a bit.
- Let the mushrooms sit marinating for 10 -15 minutes. Turn them over (so now they’re right side up), score the top with a knife, and add a little more marinade (about ¼ more of the mixture).
- Put the mushrooms in the oven for 15 minutes. Pull them out, flip them once more, and add the remaining liquid. You can also use a spoon to grab any excess liquid in the pan and baste the mushrooms with it. It’s too delicious to go to waste!
- Cook for 15 more minutes, then remove from oven. Let them rest to soak up the juices for about 10 minutes before slicing.
- Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
Full Portobello Mushrooms steaks recipe can be found here
Dessert
3 Ingredient – Strawberry Ice Cream (serves 4)
Thick, creamy and ridiculously easy no churn vegan strawberry ice cream! This easy dairy free strawberry ice cream recipe uses just 3 ingredients and requires no ice cream maker! Paleo, gluten-free and a keto option!
- 2 cups frozen strawberries
- 14 oz canned coconut milk refrigerated
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon xantham gum optional
Directions
- Place a loaf pan in the freezer.
- In a high speed blender or food processor, add your chilled coconut milk, adding the layer of cream first, followed by the liquid. Add your frozen strawberries and maple syrup and blend until thick and creamy. Do not over blend, or it will become too icy when thawing.
- If you choose to use xantham gum, add it halfway through blending and do not over blend.
- Pour the strawberry ice cream mixture into the frozen loaf tin. To ensure it doesn’t become too icy, lightly mix your ice cream ever 20-30 minutes for the first hour.
- Thaw for 10-15 minutes before eating. Lightly wet an ice cream scoop before scooping the ice cream into a bowl.