Free meal plan
7-day plant-based meal plan (with shopping list)
Seven days of breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks — built around lentils, tofu, beans and wholegrains, averaging 75–88 g of protein a day, with planned leftovers so you cook four times, not fourteen.
Short answer
Key takeaways
- 21 meals + 7 snacks, all fully plant-based and supermarket-friendly.
- Roughly 75–88 g protein per day from lentils, tofu, tempeh, beans, soy and seeds.
- Four lunches are planned leftovers — total cooking is about four sessions.
- One grouped shopping list covers the entire week.
- B12 is the only supplement you genuinely need on a plant-based diet.
The 7-day plan
| Day | Breakfast | Lunch | Dinner | Snack | Protein |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | Overnight oats with soy milk, chia, banana and peanut butter | Chickpea and roast pepper wrap with hummus and spinach | Lentil bolognese with wholewheat spaghetti and side salad | Apple + handful of almonds | ~78 g |
| Tuesday | Tofu scramble with kala namak, mushrooms and sourdough | Leftover lentil bolognese baked with breadcrumbs | Black bean tacos with lime slaw and avocado | Soy yogurt with berries | ~82 g |
| Wednesday | Green smoothie: soy milk, spinach, frozen mango, hemp seeds | Quinoa bowl with roast chickpeas, beetroot and tahini | Thai red curry with tofu, green beans and jasmine rice | Edamame with sea salt | ~85 g |
| Thursday | Porridge with fortified oat milk, walnuts and dates | Leftover Thai curry | Sweet potato and butter bean stew with wholegrain flatbread | Wholegrain toast with peanut butter | ~74 g |
| Friday | Wholegrain bagel with cashew cream cheese, tomato and capers | Big salad: lentils, cucumber, olives, pumpkin seeds, lemon dressing | Homemade pizza with vegan mozzarella, rocket and chilli oil | Dark chocolate (70%+) and clementine | ~70 g |
| Saturday | Pancakes with soy buttermilk, maple syrup and blueberries | Miso soup with tofu, soba noodles and greens | Seitan or tempeh stir-fry with broccoli, cashews and brown rice | Hummus with carrot and pepper sticks | ~88 g |
| Sunday | Shakshuka-style chickpea and tomato skillet with crusty bread | Roast vegetable and lentil traybake with herby cashew cream | Mushroom risotto with peas and nutritional yeast | Trail mix (nuts, seeds, raisins) | ~76 g |
Shopping list for the week
Protein
- Firm tofu 2×400 g
- Tempeh or seitan 300 g
- Dried red + green lentils 1 kg
- Chickpeas 3 tins
- Black beans 2 tins
- Butter beans 1 tin
- Frozen edamame 500 g
Grains & carbs
- Rolled oats 1 kg
- Wholewheat spaghetti
- Brown + jasmine rice
- Quinoa 500 g
- Soba noodles
- Wholegrain bread, bagels, tortillas
- Sweet potatoes 1 kg
Produce
- Spinach, rocket, slaw mix
- Broccoli, green beans, peppers, mushrooms
- Carrots, cucumber, tomatoes, beetroot
- Bananas, apples, clementines, frozen berries, frozen mango
- Avocados, lemons, limes, garlic, ginger, onions
Fortified & store cupboard
- Fortified soy milk 4 L (B12 + calcium)
- Soy yogurt 1 kg
- Vegan mozzarella + cashew cream cheese
- Tahini, peanut butter, hummus
- Nutritional yeast
- Walnuts, almonds, cashews, pumpkin + hemp + chia seeds
- Red curry paste, miso, soy sauce, tinned tomatoes, coconut milk
- Kala namak (black salt), maple syrup, dark chocolate
Nutrition notes
Protein
Every meal has a named protein source. Soy foods (tofu, tempeh, soy milk, edamame) supply complete protein; lentils and beans do the rest.
Iron & zinc
Pair lentils, beans and seeds with vitamin C — the lemon dressings, peppers and citrus in this plan are there on purpose.
B12, iodine, D
Use fortified soy milk daily and take a B12 supplement. Add iodine (seaweed or supplement) and vitamin D in winter.
Want this plan personalised?
The free VeggieOS AI meal planner rebuilds this week around your calories, allergies, disliked ingredients and what's already in your pantry — then generates the shopping list for you. No paid plans, no card.
Generate my meal plan free →How to batch cook the week in two sessions
The plan is designed around two cooking sessions — one long one at the weekend and a short mid-week reset. Everything else is assembly, reheating or leftovers, which is why 21 meals only take about two hours of hands-on cooking.
Sunday: cook the two bases 60 min
Simmer a large pot of lentil bolognese and roast two trays of chickpeas and root veg at the same oven temperature. Cool and refrigerate in portions.
Sunday: prep breakfast 10 min
Jar up four overnight-oat portions with soy milk, chia and frozen berries. They keep four days and remove every weekday morning decision.
Wednesday: press and marinate tofu 10 min
Press a block of firm tofu, cube it and marinate in soy sauce, maple and garlic overnight so Thursday's stir-fry takes 15 minutes.
Wednesday: refresh the fresh veg 25 min
Wash and chop salad veg for the last three lunches, and cook a fresh pot of rice or grains for the second half of the week.
Nutrient coverage, line by line
A plant-based week is only as good as its weakest nutrient. This table shows what the plan supplies from food, and the two or three things you should still check on a label or take as a supplement.
| Nutrient | Daily target | Where it comes from | Covered by this plan? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protein | 0.8–1.2 g/kg | Tofu, tempeh, lentils, beans, soy milk, seeds | Yes — 75–88 g/day |
| Iron | 8–18 mg | Lentils, tofu, pumpkin seeds, wholegrains + vitamin C | Yes, with the citrus and peppers in the plan |
| Calcium | ~1000 mg | Fortified soy milk and yogurt, tofu set with calcium, tahini, kale | Yes, if you use fortified milk daily |
| Vitamin B12 | 2.4 µg | Fortified soy milk, nutritional yeast | Partly — take a supplement |
| Omega-3 (ALA) | 1.1–1.6 g | Chia, ground flax, walnuts | Yes — daily seeds; add algae DHA if you can |
| Zinc | 8–11 mg | Beans, tofu, oats, pumpkin seeds | Yes, soaking and fermenting improve absorption |
| Iodine | 150 µg | Iodised salt, fortified milks, nori | Check your milk label or supplement |
| Vitamin D | 10–20 µg | Fortified foods, sunlight | Supplement from autumn to spring |
What the week costs
Typical 2026 supermarket prices for one adult. Store-cupboard items such as nuts, seeds and sauces last three to four weeks, so the real weekly spend is lower than the totals below after your first shop.
| Group | Weekly cost | How to spend less |
|---|---|---|
| Legumes & pulses | £4–6 / €5–7 | Dried red lentils and tinned chickpeas do most of the protein work at pennies per portion. |
| Tofu, tempeh & soy | £7–10 / €8–12 | Plain firm tofu is the cheapest; tempeh is the premium item and can be swapped for extra tofu. |
| Grains & starches | £4–5 / €5–6 | Oats, brown rice, wholewheat pasta and potatoes — buy the largest bag you have room for. |
| Fresh produce | £12–16 / €14–18 | Seasonal veg keeps this line down; frozen spinach, peas and berries are nutritionally equal and cheaper. |
| Fortified milk & yogurt | £5–7 / €6–8 | Fortified soy is the one non-negotiable — it carries B12, calcium, iodine and protein. |
| Nuts, seeds & sauces | £6–9 / €7–10 | Bought once, these last three to four weeks, so the true weekly cost is roughly a third. |
Adapt the plan to your diet
Soy-free
Swap tofu for seitan or butter beans, tempeh for cooked green lentils, and soy milk for fortified pea or oat milk (check the label for added calcium and B12).
Gluten-free
Use brown rice, quinoa, buckwheat and certified gluten-free oats; replace seitan and wholewheat pasta with legume pasta.
Nut-free
Replace nuts with pumpkin, sunflower and hemp seeds; use tahini or sunflower butter instead of peanut and cashew cream.
Higher protein (100 g+)
Add a soy yogurt or protein shake at breakfast, double the tofu portion at dinner and use legume pasta instead of wheat.
Lower calorie
Keep the same meals, halve added oils and nut butters, and fill a third of each plate with non-starchy vegetables.
Family of four
Double everything except snacks, cook one extra tray of roast veg on Sunday, and keep a jar of hummus and pitta for after-school hunger.
What week two looks like
Most people who stick with plant-based eating do not cook 21 different meals a week — they rotate a handful of reliable ones. In week two, keep the same four bases and change only the flavour direction: lentil bolognese becomes a lentil dal, roast chickpeas become a chickpea and harissa traybake, the tofu stir-fry becomes a tofu katsu curry, and the bean stew becomes a chilli. The shopping list barely changes, so your spend and your prep time stay predictable while the food stops feeling repetitive.
- Rotate the spice base, not the recipe.
- Keep one "safe" dinner you can cook without a recipe.
- Freeze one surplus portion each week to build a backup stash.
- Re-check labels on new products — recipes change quietly.
Common mistakes in the first week
Not eating enough
Plant foods are less energy-dense. If you feel tired by day three, add oats, nuts, avocado or an extra slice of bread rather than a supplement.
Skipping the protein anchor
A salad without tofu, beans or lentils is a side dish. Every meal in this plan names its protein — keep it when you improvise.
Forgetting B12
Fortified milk covers part of it, but a weekly or daily B12 supplement is the only reliable route. It is cheap and non-negotiable.
Buying only mock meats
They are useful for transition but expensive and often high in salt. Keep them to a couple of meals and let legumes do the rest.
Frequently asked questions
- Is this 7-day plant-based meal plan suitable for beginners?
- Yes. Every dinner is a one-pan or one-pot recipe, four lunches are planned leftovers, and nothing needs specialist equipment. If you cook three times a week now, this plan fits the same effort.
- How much protein does a 7-day plant-based meal plan give you?
- This plan averages roughly 75–88 g of protein a day from lentils, tofu, tempeh, beans, soy milk, seeds and wholegrains — comfortably above the 0.8 g/kg reference intake for most adults.
- Do I need supplements on a plant-based diet?
- Vitamin B12 is the one supplement every plant-based eater needs (or fortified foods daily). Also check iodine, vitamin D in winter, and consider an algae-based omega-3. Everything else in this plan comes from food.
- How much does the week cost?
- Built around dried lentils, tinned beans, oats, rice and seasonal veg, a typical shop lands well under a comparable omnivore week — the vegan cheese and tempeh are the only premium items, and both are optional.
- Can I lose weight on this meal plan?
- The plan is built for balanced eating rather than a calorie target. To lose weight, keep the structure and reduce portion sizes of oils, nuts and grains rather than cutting the protein sources.
- Can I get a personalised version of this plan?
- Yes — VeggieOS's free AI meal planner rebuilds the week around your calories, allergies, disliked ingredients and what's already in your pantry, then turns it into a shopping list.
- How do I batch cook this plant-based meal plan?
- Two sessions cover the week: on Sunday cook lentil bolognese and roast chickpeas together and jar four overnight oats; on Wednesday marinate tofu and cook fresh grains and salad veg. Total hands-on time is under two hours.
- Can I follow this meal plan if I'm allergic to soy or gluten?
- Yes. For soy-free, use seitan, butter beans and fortified pea or oat milk. For gluten-free, use rice, quinoa, buckwheat, certified gluten-free oats and legume pasta. Protein totals stay within a few grams either way.
- How long do the batch-cooked meals keep?
- Cooked lentils, beans and grains keep three to four days refrigerated and three months frozen. Dressed salads should be assembled the same day; keep the dressing separate if you pack lunches ahead.
- Is this plan suitable for children or pregnancy?
- The food is suitable, but energy, iron, iodine and B12 needs differ in pregnancy and childhood. Increase portions and speak to a dietitian or your doctor about supplement doses before you follow any plan.
- What if I don't like a meal in the plan?
- Swap it for another day's dinner — the plan is intentionally repeatable. Keep the protein source (tofu, lentils, beans or tempeh) and you keep the nutrition profile intact.
- Can I use this plan for meal prep at work?
- Yes. Every lunch is designed to travel: pack the grain and protein together, keep dressings and fresh leaves in a separate pot, and reheat dinners of lentil bolognese or bean stew straight from the fridge.
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