Truthfully, one of the most annoying things I get asked is, “What do you eat besides salad?” I’m pretty sure I get headaches just from rolling my eyes so hard. So for those of you curious what I eat besides lettuce, read on 😊And spoiler alert: vegans eat more than just salads.
Getting started
Ok, maybe I am a little unfairly cheeky with my eye rolls. To be honest, it’s taken me a LOT of time, research, and organization in order for weekly meal planning and prep to become fairly easy.
I cook most nights, and I hate food waste, so I meal plan at the beginning of each week and go to the grocery store once weekly.
When we first started eating a plant based diet, I had to get rid of almost all of my cookbooks and recipes that I had compiled throughout the years. I am most definitely not one of those people that can go to the grocery store, buy a bunch of ingredients, and throw meals together on the fly. If that’s you, more power to ya!
I went to the local library, checked out a bunch of vegan cookbooks and started looking at recipes for inspiration. I then went on Pinterest and searched for all of my favorite foods but with the word vegan in front of it. And since I’m also someone who prefers to have a hard copy piece of paper in front of them, I printed off tons of recipes to start trying.
Another thing you should know about me is that I am extremely organized. Some might say, annoyingly so. Depends on who you ask. Me? I find it perfectly normal. And essential for my sanity.
I then divided all of my recipes into categories and separated them into various binders. Today, meal planning is an absolute breeze. But it took hours and hours and days and days of organization and recipe searching. I also endured countless quizzical looks from my husband wondering “What on earth is she doing now?” 🙈
Weekly Meal Prep
When I meal plan for the coming week, I start by looking in the refrigerator to see what, if any, vegetables or ingredients we have left that need to be used. By carefully planning and shopping, I rarely have to throw food away. This cuts down on waste, and your budget will thank you as well!
At the start of most weeks, I make some sort of breakfast casserole that is easily reheated while the coffee is brewing during those busy, chaotic mornings.
When I cook dinner, I make sure there is enough for my husband and I both to have two meals out of it. That way, our lunches are already sorted for the next day and ready to go. Not a fan of leftovers? No problem! There’s still plenty of options for you on a plant based diet!
As I make my grocery list for the week, I separate my list into what items I can buy at Costco and what items need to be purchased at another grocery store (usually Sprouts and farmers markets in the warmer months!)
Depending on the grocery stores or supermarkets in your area, some ingredients or produce may be more difficult to find in some stores than others. Luckily, we live just outside of a big city, so we have an abundance of options at our fingertips.
If you are more limited in the options available to you, I suggest taking the time on a Saturday afternoon (or whenever you have a several hour time slot), and go explore all of the grocery stores or farmers markets in your area. Look at what’s available at each store, quality of the produce, and what is available in organic (not just fruits and vegetables!) Take notes, take photos, etc. That way you’ll know the best places to get what you’ll need while eating a plant based diet. It will benefit you greatly in the long run and cause a lot less headaches and stress.
Costco
Let’s talk Costco. This is a hot-button topic for many people, especially vegans. I know plenty of people who do not support shopping at Costco because of the amount of plastic packaging and waste Costco produces, and the fact that they own and operate factory farms.
Do I support factory farming? Absolutely not! It’s a despicable and inhumane practice by all operators, not just Costco. I buy no meat or items containing meat products when I shop there, and in doing so, that makes a statement to Costco as well. I buy the majority of my organic produce and bulk organic nuts, seeds and grains, as well as vegan specific items, including organic tofu. It is far less money than if I would buy all of these organic items anywhere else. And would I stop shopping at all stores who sell meat and stock their shelves with cheese? Of course not.
John Mackey, co-founder and CEO of Whole Foods Market, stated in the book The Whole Foods Diet: “People often ask me, how can [you be an animal rights activist and condemn industrial farming] and still sell meat at Whole Foods Market? I don’t have the power to dictate what we sell or what people buy. Like all businesses, Whole Foods Market must respond to the needs and desires of its customers in the marketplace or it will go out of business, as its customers migrate to other stores that will better meet their needs and desires.”
I know vegans who shop at Costco and I know vegans who don’t support it. For me, it’s a great way to buy organic produce, nuts, seeds, and grains at the lowest cost. If you have a different stance, that’s your choice, and I respect that.
As far as the amount of plastic packaging and waste goes, I agree with that. I make conscious efforts to only buy items with as little packaging as possible, avoiding plastic all together when that is an option. For example, Costco carries 5.5 pound containers of organic Fuji apples in large plastic packaging, each apple in its own divider. It’s incredibly wasteful and unnecessary! Instead of buying these apples, I choose to purchase the 3 pound bag of organic gala snack apples. Now, they still come packaged in a small plastic bag, but the waste is much less. And I always, always recycle.
I fully support sustainability and am doing as much as I can for my health, future generations, and our planet 🌎
Breakfast
This may come as a surprise to you, but I have vegan recipes for pancakes, French toast, biscuits and “gravy”, and every baked good you could imagine. These are only special breakfast treats once in a while; for the healthiest options, I pack as many fruits and vegetables into our brekkie that I can (there’s that bit of Aussie coming out!) 😉
Tofu makes a great egg substitute in casseroles and omelets. Once drained and crumbled by hand, tofu has an egg-like texture. Adding kala namak (an Indian black salt) gives the tofu that sulfur-eggy taste. Nutritional yeast can also be added for a cheesy, savory flavor.
JUST is a 5 year old startup company who, among other products, has developed a plant based egg using mung bean protein. It has much the same texture as eggs do, but I find it to be a little more sticky when scrambling. Add a little kala namak and you’ll never know the difference! It’s absolutely delicious and a must try!
Since JUST is still a fairly young company, their prices are a little more on the expensive side, but that should be changing once they have a larger production scale. For an occasional splurge, it’s soooo worth it!
So far, I have only been able to find JUST Egg at Aldi and Sprouts, but I have heard others locally who have found it at Hy-Vee as well. Try it and let me know what you think!
You can read the JUST mission here.
If you’re an oatmeal person, jazz it up by making it with soy or oat milk and topping it with various ingredients like: cinnamon, pumpkin seeds, a scoop of almond butter, pure maple syrup, dried cranberries, or fresh berries (raspberries and blueberries are my favorite). If you’re creative and mix it up, eating breakfast won’t feel so mundane.
Toast is always easy too. Add plant based butter, nut butter, or jam with fresh fruit and nuts for added nutrition. Keep in mind, most jelly contains gelatin (which is not vegan friendly) and added sugar (which may contain animal bones). Try to buy organic no sugar added fruit jam, and always look at the ingredient label.
Costco’s Kirkland Signature brand organic strawberry jam is less sweet, and it is absolutely delicious!
A great way to pack a ton of fruit and vegetables into your morning routine is with smoothies. Berries, bananas, pineapple, spinach, kale, nut butters, plant milks, flax or chia seeds–truly the combinations are endless. I like to buy organic frozen fruits in bulk for this purpose as it’s much more cost effective and you’ll always have them on hand.
Here are some of my favorite smoothie recipes.
If you’re a coffee person 🙋♀️, add any plant-based milk to it with organic brown sugar or pure maple syrup. There are also numerous plant-based creamers available now. Target seems to have the most diverse selection of brands and flavors that I have found; Sprouts and Natural Grocers have a good selection as well. I was beyond excited when I found pumpkin spice and peppermint mocha flavored plant based creamers last fall and winter! If cappuccinos are your thing, make them with any plant-based milk (oat milk is my personal fave) and top with organic raw sugar.
More than Salads for Lunch
As mentioned before, what works best for us is to take last night’s leftovers as lunch. Bonus: it’s more cost effective too, and avoids that panicked “What am I going to eat for lunch?” feeling.
Ok, I’m going to go off on a little “reduce-plastic-waste” tangent for a minute…
In order to reduce waste and avoid plastic, I have an abundance of glass Pyrex containers of varying sizes to store prepared food. I also went to the dollar store and stocked up on reusable spoons and forks. (Bed Bath and Beyond has some options that are cost effective as well). This eliminates the use of plastic cutlery while at work; we can throw the silverware in the dishwasher and reuse it over and over again.
Instead of buying plastic water bottles, we now have reusable glass or stainless steel water containers. They are BPA free and the stainless steel one keeps drinks cold for over 24 hours.
Before I wisened up, I used to send my husband’s lunch in plastic bags (always recycled afterwards of course, but still not good!) I searched and searched for a lunch bag large enough that would fit all sizes of the Pyrex dishes I use. I ended up finding it at Bed Bath & Beyond, and it’s a really great quality for the price.
Any little change you can make to reduce waste and cut down on plastic use is beneficial to your health and the environment.
I’ll get off my soapbox now. Back to discussing plant-based lunches 😊
If you’re not a leftover person, no worries!
Salads with homemade dressing are super easy and a great way to consume lots of veggies. Top with dried cranberries, nuts and seeds for added flavor and crunch. Ok, ok, so the whole point of this article was to prove we don’t just eat salads. So if salads aren’t your thing either, let’s move on.
Sandwiches, pitas, and wraps are another great way to add a ton of different vegetables into one bite. I wouldn’t necessarily recommend all of this on the same sandwich, but here are just a few ideas of sandwich fillings: Cucumbers, tomatoes, avocado, bean sprouts, spinach, red onion, bell pepper, jalapeno, apple, celery, walnuts, slaw, hummus, or fresh herbs.
Don’t forget to make sure the bread and tortillas are vegan friendly. Dave’s Killer Bread is my absolute favorite. All of their products are certified organic and non-GMO. The only non-vegan product they make is their honey oats and flax bread, because it contains honey.
And then there’s the super easy go-to-no-matter-what-your-age: peanut butter and jam (see above for buying fruit jam).
Burrito bowls are one of my absolute favorite things in the world. Prepare everything ahead of time and you’re good to go. My favorites are brown rice with refried beans (make sure they contain no lard–or better yet, make your own!), kidney, garbanzo, or black beans, and tons of veggies: bell pepper, onion, mushroom, corn, etc. Top with tomato and avocado and fresh squeezed lime juice. Easy peasy and soooo delicious!
More than Salads for Dinner
My go-to dinners are at least one Mexican dish per week, one Asian dish, and one night of an Indian dish or some sort of curry. Pasta is a super easy go-to meal as well. Decide what your favorite foods are and go from there.
I always throw in extra veggies with whatever I have on hand in the fridge. Be sure to add a wide variety of vegetables to your diet. I like to sprinkle a little flax, chia, or hemp seeds on top for a little texture and added nutrients.
For quick, easy meals after a long and tiring day, be sure to check out my post coming soon for ideas of what to always have on hand in your pantry.
When it comes to cooking a plant based diet, variety is key to not getting bored. I’m constantly trying new recipes and rotating the variety of fruits, veggies, grains, and seeds we eat.
If you don’t find the ingredients or produce you need at your local markets, I suggest sending an email requesting what you would like to see available. Explain why you, as well as others, would benefit from the store stocking that particular item. As always, be kind and thank them for specific items they do already carry.
I have also sent emails to Costco requesting more vegan items and letting them know that there is a high demand in this area. In addition, I have also suggested they do more to reduce plastic waste. If more and more of us ask for changes, we can start a positive movement. The more that we request things, the more demand we create for it.
Are you convinced yet that vegans are able to eat more than just salads?? When we first told them we had gone vegan, I know our families were imagining us in our backyard foraging for grass and leaves to eat on our new diet. OK, I’m exaggerating here, but it’s only to make the point that we eat what any other person eats; but minus meat and animal products 🤗
Once you get started, I promise it gets easier. As with most things, the beginning is the hardest part.
I will dive deeper into specific ideas and tips for cooking a plant-based diet soon. Until that time, I hope this helped to inspire you!
Are you thinking about following a plant based diet?
Have you already started?
Like your bacon and cheese too much to give it up?
Do you still have reservations about a plant based diet?
Let me know where you are in your journey! I’d love to connect with you!
