What do I eat as a whole food plant-based no oil vegan every day?
What I eat every day is the MOST commonly asked question I get asked by people interested in going vegan (besides where I get my protein - which is also answered in this post.) The basic idea is to eat lots of whole foods such as all those listed on my Naturally Vegan Foods Cheat Sheet and to mix and match them depending on what I have handy in the fridge as well as in batch cooking and using up leftovers. Cooking a couple of big batches of things like a soup, muffins, berry syrup, Rawnola or beans goes a long way toward making meals easy to put together on different days.
Every day I try to eat lots of greens, beans, fruits and grains so I get lots of protein, calcium, fiber and cancer-fighting antioxidants. You'll notice I eat few, if any, processed foods and I also rarely eat and that I repeat many meals because I love them and it keeps things simple. Also, I list 2 snacks every day, which you might think is a lot of food. But the very best thing about a whole food plant-based no oil way of eating is that you eat a lot of nutrient dense food, but very few calories. That's what leads to this magical phenomenon of effortless weight loss. Add to that saving as many animals as possible by not eating them and opting out of the most destructive industry to the planet and you've got a win-win-win.
People who eat the Standard American Diet (the acronym for that is SAD, and for good reason) have trouble visualizing what they could possibly eat if they didn't eat meat, eggs, milk and cheese, so here's 5 complete days of my meals and snacks.
Take a look at the list and at the bottom is a photo gallery of these meals...could you eat this way?
Breakfast: Oatmeal with bananas, raisins, my Berry Syrup or Rawnola Sprinkle (see below) and soy or other nut/oat milk
Lunch: Big Chopped Salad with many veggies and ½ cup grain like quinoa or farro or whatever grains and beans I have in the fridge
Snack: Homemade oil-free hummus and raw veggies (sometimes I add fresh veggies atop the hummus such as chopped tomatoes, olives and cukes and sometimes I also dip toasted fresh pita chips with the veggies or pile it all on top of a bagel
Dinner: My Easy Hot Black Beans and brown rice with corn on the cob, avocado, tomato, onions and lettuce
Snack: Small bowl of cherries or fruit
Breakfast: Fruit smoothie (just frozen fruit, chia seeds and water blended smooth) or fresh fruit juice or fresh fruit
Lunch: Vegan Power Sammie - Avocado, roasted red pepper, cucumber, onions, sprouts, lettuce, tomato in between toasted whole grain slices of bread slathered with homemade hummus or Red Pepper Pesto (linked below)
Snack: Home-made corn chips (cut fresh corn tortillas and bake at 350 F until crispy or air fry at 355 F for a few minutes shaking half way) and fresh guacamole with chopped veggies (onions, tomatoes, peppers) or plain salsa
Dinner: Small chopped salad and a big bowl of my minestrone soup
Breakfast: Vegan Banana Whole Grain Muffin and tea, land ater, a bowl of fruit
Lunch: Small chopped salad and any leftover soup or bean dish heated up
Snack: Hot edamame pods dipped in tamari
Dinner: Black Bean Burgers or other veggie burgers on a bun or in a pita with oil-free Red Pepper Pesto, mustard, avocado and any other veggies and oven fries (or air fries) with ketchup
Snack: Small bowl of cherries or other fruit
Breakfast: Whole grain cereal and plant milk with bananas and I top it with this Raw-nola Sprinkle, I also use for making Plant-Based Pop-ems Snack Balls
Lunch: One-Bowl Cold Rice & Bean Salad in a wrap or in a bowl (with avocado, lettuce, onions and tomatoes)
Snack: Air-fried kale chips or potato chips or leftover baked or air-fried potato fries (all oil-free)
Dinner: Small chopped salad and a Meaty Vegan Bolognese Sauce over grilled veggies and pasta (sometimes I add textured vegetable protein or just pour this sauce over steamed broccoli or cauliflower and pasta) and top with Nut Parm
Snack: small bowl of cherries or an apple
Breakfast: Oatmeal or cereal, as above
Lunch: Big Chopped Salad (like the one pictured above) with leftover Rice & Bean Salad added and some avocado
Snack: Frozen chocolate shake (frozen banana, cacao powder, maple syrup, vanilla, ice cubes)
Dinner: Red Lentil Soup or split pea soup
Snack: Small bowl of fruit
You can take my Naturally Vegan Food Cheat Sheet and create your own whole food vegan menu plan this same way, or at least see where you can substitute a plant-based meal for a meat and animal food meal.
What do you want to learn more about:
Whole Food Plant-Based Oil-Free Recipes?
Vegan Cooking & Adventure Trips & Retreats?
Working with me for serious weight loss & measurable health gains?
The Free Plant-Empowered Woman Facebook Group?
