Vegan menu for the week: vegan recipes for every day

International Vegan Month is the perfect time to embrace the vegan lifestyle.

If you're new to a plant-based lifestyle, it's normal to be concerned about whether you'll be able to get all the nutrients you previously got from animal products.

If you're new to veganism and want to know where to start, here's a list of foods to help you get started. So here's our list, from baking ingredients to snacks.

How to change your diet forever

Having become a vegan, you will have to change your life: you will no longer be able to quickly grab a bite to eat in the first cafe you come across, because you will have to be more selective with your nutrition.

If you are reading this article, then all the pros and cons of a vegan diet have already been found, and the issue of switching to a balanced diet has already been resolved or is close to being resolved. Now you are faced with the task of learning as much as possible about the new diet. And rightly so, because good preparation is the key to a successful transition to veganism, so a couple of useful tips will not hurt you. These recommendations will be enough to ease the period of adaptation, and the likelihood of a breakdown at the sight of a juicy steak will become zero.

The transition should be gradual. Of course, you can cherish the hopes that you will change your diet in one day and never return to animal food, but as practice shows, no one succeeds in such a maneuver. There is no need to rush right off the bat - change your diet gradually. It is impossible to get rid of the habit of eating junk food with the snap of a finger. If you want to switch to a new diet without unnecessary problems, then the right decision would be to gradually change the menu, adding vegan dishes and removing animal foods.

Animal products need to be replaced. By listening to this advice, you will avoid the mistake of most new vegans.
Let's not forget that we are all human, and drastic changes in diet will greatly affect our health. A sudden change in diet will not lead to anything good: at best you will lose your temper, and at worst you will lead your body to vitamin deficiency. Therefore, do not test your body’s strength and gradually replace your usual animal products with vegan alternatives.

How to switch to a vegan menu

Have you decided to become a vegan? You can’t immediately limit yourself to food. The most important thing is a smooth transition, gradualness. If up to this point you have been a vegetarian, then switching to veganism will not be difficult. If the diet contained meat, dairy products, fish, the transition will take quite a long time. Here are a few points to pay special attention to:

To begin with, three or four meals a week that contain a meat component should be replaced with plant foods. After a couple of weeks, we will reshuffle a few more meals. Over time, animal products will be completely excluded from the menu.
Next, remove the fish and eggs. In this case, the main guideline is personal feelings and well-being. If you can give up eggs quickly, then it may take more than one year to completely eliminate seafood.
We introduce herbal products smoothly, gently, so as not to harm your body and emotional background. A sharp restriction leads not only to quick breakdowns, but also to the fact that veganism will be discredited in the eyes of a person.

Changing eating habits in modern times is very useful. An abundance of harmful foods is a huge stress for the body and the development of many unpleasant diseases. Veganism is an excellent way to maintain your health for many years.

Breakfast

Any doctor will tell you that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. In many ways, your mood during the day will depend on the start of the day, so it is important to prepare something nutritious and tasty for breakfast.

You can start the day with light porridge cooked in water. Add nuts or dried fruits to this dish and every evening you will fall asleep thinking about the delicious porridge that awaits you in the morning.

Another dish that will pleasantly surprise you with its satiety and taste is a smoothie or cocktail. You can feel like a chef at an expensive restaurant, adding various ingredients to the drink and experimenting with taste. The choice of ingredients depends only on your imagination - various fruits and vegetables, berries, nuts, cereals. In general, everything that comes to your mind.

Be sure to try starting your day with a tofu omelette. Don't be surprised, this cheese is a universal product, and an omelette is not the strangest dish that can be prepared from it. You will often encounter it in various vegetarian recipes, so don’t be afraid to experiment with it and add it to your dishes.

The favorite recipe for most vegetarians is fruit salad. The abundance of fruits will allow you to come up with something new every day. Experiments are welcome - add berries or nuts to the salad, and find your favorite recipe with which you will surprise your guests.

Vegetarian masters even came up with their own recipe for pancakes. All you need is 2 cups of water, 1.5 cups of flour, 1 tablespoon of sugar and half a teaspoon of soda. Mix it all in one bowl until smooth, and the dough is ready, all you have to do is fry it.

Principles of a healthy vegan diet

Vegan food is not always good for the body. In order for this course to bring benefits to the body, you must follow several simple principles:

We carefully monitor the composition of products. Every day a person should receive the full amount of useful nutrients. We make sure that the diet contains all the necessary components: vitamins, minerals, macro- and microelements, essential amino acids. An imbalance can lead to negative consequences.
Refusal of soybeans grown from GMO seeds. You should not overuse “healthy” soy, as in excess it can cause hormonal imbalances.
It is best to replace baked goods with yeast with yeast-free products prepared with natural leaven. Consumption of yeast leads to the maintenance and development of putrefactive processes in the gastrointestinal tract.
Even if there are no plans to switch to a raw food diet, it is still advisable to give up fried foods, which negatively affect the functioning of important organs.
We reduce the consumption of sweets - they contribute to the formation of harmful microflora in the body.
We buy products only from trusted places. A person must be completely sure that the products purchased are environmentally friendly and safe for health.
When transitioning and further following the principles of a vegan diet, it is recommended to periodically perform fasting to cleanse the intestines and the entire gastrointestinal tract.

By following these simple points, you will not only easily switch to a new lifestyle for you, but you will also comfortably stick to it in the future.

Vegan menu for the week

The vegan menu is compiled individually. Despite the limited list, you can create hundreds of different options for all occasions and any taste preferences. We present to your attention an approximate diet (breakfast, lunch, afternoon snack and dinner).

Monday:

Herbal infusion and toast with avocado paste.
A small amount of nuts.
Zucchini soup, brown rice with vegetables and soy asparagus.
Lobio in tomato sauce.

Tuesday:

Boiled buckwheat with the addition of pieces of apples and bananas.
Tomato soup with lentils and cabbage-tomato salad, seasoned with lemon juice and vegetable oil.
Rye bread with tofu.
Millet on water with soy texture and vegetable garnish.

Wednesday:

Steamed oatmeal with raspberries and blackberries, vitamin tea with herbs.
Green borscht.
Dried fruits.
Mushroom risotto and beet salad.

Thursday:

Banana-berry smoothie.
Bean casserole with broccoli.
Fruits to choose from.
Zucchini gratin with tomatoes.

Friday:

Barley with apples and coconut milk.
Rice soup.
A handful of dried fruits.
Carrot cutlets and cabbage salad.

Saturday:

Whole grain toast with vegetables and tofu cheese, green tea.
Banana oatmeal pancake and fruit smoothie.
Berry smoothie.
Vegetable stew with herbs and garlic, a couple of avocado slices.

Sunday:

Delicate casserole of cottage cheese with raisins.
Cabbage cutlets and mashed potatoes.
Banana smoothie.
Watercress salad with croutons, tomatoes and tofu.

Recipes for Vegan Days

What to add to your weekly menu for variety? Vegan products make it possible to create a varied diet every day, which is unlikely to bore you and will give you a lot of positive feelings. Among the most original and delicious recipes, we offer the following options.

Black rice with vegetables

Compound:

Black rice cereal - 1 cup.
Tomatoes.
Bell pepper - 1 piece.
Canned peas - 1 can.
Olives - 4 tablespoons.
Cold-pressed vegetable oil - to taste, for dressing.
Arugula leaves.

Cooking:

Boil the rice in boiling water for about 40 minutes until fully cooked. Next, rinse the cereal under running hot water.
We clean, chop and add all fresh vegetables to the rice.
Add the remaining ingredients to the dish.
Mix everything thoroughly and season with oil.

Chickpea hummus

Compound:

Chickpeas – 450 grams.
Sesame paste – 4 tablespoons.
Water – ½ cup.
Lemon juice – 1-2 teaspoons.
Paprika – 2 teaspoons.
Cumin – 1 teaspoon.
Coriander – 4-5 tablespoons.
Olive oil.

Cooking:

Place the boiled chickpeas in a deep bowl and grind with a blender to a paste.
Add sesame paste to the mixture and mix thoroughly.
Pour in vegetable oil, a little lemon juice, water and add all the previously prepared spices and herbs.
Once again we pass everything through the blender until smooth.
Delicate, aromatic hummus is ready. Bon appetit.

Cake "Bounty"

For the base:

Peeled almonds - 200 grams.
Agave syrup – 1-2 tablespoons.

For filling:

Coconut shavings - 2 cups.
Agave syrup - 1/3 cup.
Coconut milk - 5 tablespoons.

For chocolate:

Coconut milk – 3 tablespoons.
Carob – 2-3 tablespoons.
Chicory – 1 tablespoon.

Cooking:

To prepare the base, pass the almonds through a blender until it becomes flour, add the syrup and mix thoroughly. Place the finished dough into a prepared pan, forming a crust with sides. We level everything thoroughly.
For the filling, mix all the ingredients and process in a separate bowl with an immersion blender to form a homogeneous mass. Divide the filling into two parts. We lay one of them in an even layer on the prepared base. The second part is mixed with liquid chocolate and placed on top.
Prepare the chocolate for coating: heat the milk slightly and stir in the chicory and carob. Pour the prepared chocolate mixture over the cake and place it in the refrigerator to soak and infuse.
Before serving it, you can sprinkle the Bounty with coconut flakes.

Dinner

A hearty breakfast should be continued with something equally healthy, for example, soup. There are many recipes, but the essence is approximately the same - cook vegetable, mushroom or any other broth, and then add the rest of the ingredients. Don’t forget to add various spices and seasonings to the soup; they will only improve the taste of the dish and give it an unforgettable aroma.

Vegan cutlets with a delicious side dish will perfectly satisfy your hunger. As ingredients for cutlets, you can take anything from beets to oatmeal. Let your imagination run wild and find your favorite recipe. No one limits you in the side dish either; pasta, rice, potatoes or a mixture of vegetables are suitable.

Experiment and make vegan burgers. To do this, you will need to buy or make vegetarian buns, and between them put whatever your heart desires. Don't forget the tofu and vegan patties, they make a delicious addition to your burgers. This dish will diversify your menu for the week, while replacing harmful public catering with a healthy alternative.

No one forbids using cereals from breakfast recipes for lunch; they are perfect for a lunch break and will fill your body with energy.

Benefits of a vegetarian diet

According to scientific research, a vegetarian diet has several undeniable advantages:

Followers of this diet are practically not susceptible to diseases such as diabetes, appendicitis, diverticulosis, and most cardiovascular pathologies. They also rarely suffer from excess weight, high blood pressure, gallstones and kidney stones, atherosclerosis of blood vessels and high blood cholesterol.
According to a report from the World Health Organization, increasing the amount of fruits and vegetables consumed reduces the risk of cancer of the mouth, esophagus, stomach, colon and rectum.
Vegetarian nutrition is rich in carbohydrates, omega-6 fatty acids, dietary fiber, carotene, vitamins B9, C and E, potassium and magnesium.
A meat-free diet contains moderate amounts of fatty acids, cholesterol and animal protein.
Low-calorie carbohydrate foods normalize blood sugar levels, so a vegetarian diet is recommended for people predisposed to developing diabetes.

A plant-based diet normalizes the functioning of the intestines and gastrointestinal tract and regulates the body’s water balance. The low calorie content of fruits and vegetables does not allow your figure to become fat.

Briefly about sweets

Many vegans avoid sweets, claiming that they are unhealthy. This is fundamentally wrong. Sweets do not have to be harmful, the main thing is to monitor the composition and avoid sweets with milk, eggs and other animal products. But don’t be alarmed ahead of time, not all sweets contain animal products.

Peanut butter, cookies, cakes, maple syrup, dark chocolate, ice cream - you can buy all this without unwanted elements in the composition, or you can make them yourself at home.

Vegan food

Veganism involves strictly avoiding the consumption of animal products. And this applies not only to meat, fish, but also to many other items. The “allowed” food list is as follows:

Fruits/vegetables, berries. This is the basis of the modern vegan diet. Let’s add a variety of greens to the fruit and vegetable component and a complete, balanced diet for the whole day is ready. There is no need to invent anything. You can eat them both raw and thermally processed. There are no specific dishes based on these products. Fantasy is not limited by anything.
Cereals. Vegans can eat absolutely any grain. Buckwheat is especially valued and can be eaten both boiled and sprouted. They also don’t forget about oats, wheat, amaranth, couscous, etc. All types of cereals are nutritious and healthy.
Dried fruits. This is a must-have component of a vegan menu. Dried apricots, apricots, prunes, dates, figs, apples - all this and much more can be eaten, both independently and as additives to porridge and many other dishes.
Nuts/seeds. We can talk endlessly about the benefits and unique composition of nuts, grains and seeds. You will not find such a quantity of nutrients and amino acids in any other product. Modern manufacturers constantly delight followers of proper nutrition with original products based on nuts, seeds and grains. For example, stores offer a huge selection of cereals and muesli bars.
Soy. This is another essential component of a vegan diet. Soy meat and milk greatly diversify the diet and make the absence of animal products on the menu almost invisible.

Of course, the list of restrictions on the foods consumed is very long, but what we have is enough to always come up with something tasty and unusual for yourself and your family.

Beverages

Unfortunately, you will have to give up milk, coffee and store-bought tea, because vegan nutrition excludes them. Don't despair, because you have alternatives. Milk is replaced with vegetable milk, sometimes you can find it in the store, but cooking at home does not require much hassle. You will forget about store-bought tea as soon as you try herbal tea. It is not just tasty, but also healthy. Also don’t forget about smoothies, which will be an excellent alternative to store-bought yogurts. Juices that you can make from apples, oranges and any other products that you find in your refrigerator are great thirst quenchers.

Cheese substitutes

You may not consider cheese a necessary part of your diet, but when you realize that you can no longer eat it, it becomes a little unsettling. Plus, cheese is an excellent source of calcium and other nutrients that you'll miss if you cut it out entirely.

What to do? The vegan world has its share of cheeses, and here are just a few dairy alternatives you should consider:

Nut cheese

An excellent option is cheese made from nuts. It is prepared in almost the same way as regular milk cheese. The most popular are cheeses made from nuts such as almonds, cashews, macadamia nuts and others, which contain healthy fats, fiber and protein.

Soy cheese

Soy cheese is also a great vegan product. Many agree that its taste and texture are reminiscent of dairy products that may have once been your favorite.

Negative aspects of a vegetarian diet

An unbalanced plant-based diet can lead to the following complications:

bloating and increased gas formation;
gastritis;
deficiency of vitamins, minerals and trace elements;
protein deficiency;
disruptions in the hormonal system.

Scientists from one of the institutes in Australia, after a study, found that there are fewer optimists among vegetarians than among meat eaters. Fans of plant-based nutrition are 15–18% more likely to become depressed and 1.3–2 times more likely to suffer from panic attacks and anxiety.

Vegan diet for weight loss: losing weight correctly

First, you should always have a list of vegan products and options for their combinations in front of you. A blender will be a useful acquisition, allowing you to get creative with delicious and simple cocktails. It's safe to say that after some time, many of you will forget about meat food, considering it too heavy.

Secondly, there is no need to torture yourself with hunger, otherwise the body, exhausted by hunger strike, will put aside each new gram “in reserve.” Dosed intake of light meals every 2.5-3 hours will create a real miracle. The skin will clear, the stomach will work like a clock, and the sides and waist will shrink before our eyes.

If you are striving for active weight loss, it is better to start the day with a decoction of chamomile, rose hips, and echinacea, and then do a set of morning exercises. Then you can have breakfast and continue the vegan diet without any snacks.

Important Nutrients: List

With a properly planned vegetarian diet, nutrient intake levels are close to optimal. If you simply exclude meat, fish and poultry from your diet, over time you will begin to feel a shortage of many nutritional components, vitamins and minerals.

Calcium and vitamin D

While the calcium that meat eaters get from dairy products, plant-based dieters can get from green vegetables, tofu, juices, cow's milk, soy milk, sesame seeds, almonds, figs, red beans, white beans, and soybeans.

With vitamin D it is more difficult, because... it is almost absent from vegetation. Only a small portion is found in milk, dairy products and eggs. However, under the influence of the sun, this vitamin is synthesized in the body. 15 minutes of exposure to daylight provides a person’s daily need for vitamin D. It can also be obtained from vitamin-mineral complexes.

Vitamin B12

The average person gets vitamin B12 from animal products. For vegetarians, its sources can be breakfast cereals, soy milk, fermented foods, yeast, edible seaweed, sea buckthorn and vitamin complexes.

Soy milk can be a source of vitamin B12.

Protein

Despite the fact that the public is accustomed to satisfying its protein needs through meat and fish, plant-based nutrition can provide sufficient amounts of complete protein, incl. for athletes.

Protein is found in abundance:

in milk, eggs and dairy products (for non-strict vegetarians);
in soybeans and its products;
in legumes, grains, nuts.

The combination of oat and pea proteins can satisfy the human need for amino acids and allows the production of products with high taste and nutritional qualities that can be used in the nutrition of athletes, children, the elderly and obese people.

Omega-3 fatty acids

A vegetarian diet contains small amounts of omega-3 fatty acids. Non-strict vegetarians can meet their needs for these acids through fish and eggs.

Non-strict vegetarians can eat fish.

Strict followers of a plant-based diet should include in their diet:

algae rich in these acids and extracts from them;
flax and hemp oils and seeds;
rapeseed and soybean oils;
walnuts.

Adequate intake of omega-3 fatty acids minimizes the risk of cardiovascular and atherosclerotic diseases, normalizes blood pressure and pulse, and promotes healthy development of the brain, eyes and nervous system.

Iron and zinc

The iron content in buckwheat and green peas is comparable to the level of iron in meat, and in beans and soybeans it is several times higher than in meat products. Using iron or cast iron cookware increases the concentration of this component in food by 1.2–2.1 times. The metal content increases greatly in sauces and dishes with sauce.

Iron and zinc are found in beans and soybeans.

Vegetarians are thought to have lower absorption of zinc, although various studies have not found zinc deficiency.

However, the degree of absorption of this microelement can be increased by soaking and sprouting legumes, grains and seeds, and fermenting bread.

Iodine

Sources of iodine for vegetarians can be iodized and sea salt, seaweed, dairy products, apple seeds (10 pieces per day).