How to Eat Plant-Based on a Budget for Just $7 a Day: A 1-Week Vegan Meal Plan

 

A plant-based, whole-food diet is not expensive. In fact, some of the least expensive and healthiest products in the grocery store are plant-based mainstays like brown rice, potatoes, and beans. This one-week vegan meal plan demonstrates how to prepare a week's worth of delectable meals and snacks for one person for about $7 each day, proving that you can eat plant-based while staying within a tight budget. You'll frequently be eating leftovers from the previous night at lunch to make things simple. See our shopping list and step-by-step instructions for meal preparation below.

DAY 0 (ADVANCE PREP FOR DAY 1)

1. First things first: Go shopping. We’ve created a handy shopping list to fill up your fridge so you’ll have everything you need for this week of meals.

2. Cook 1 lb. dry brown lentils according to package directions. Store cooked lentils in the refrigerator so they’re ready to go on Day 1.

3. Soak 1 lb. dry chickpeas overnight so they’re ready to cook on Day 1.

4. Prep Overnight Oats with Apple for your Day 1 breakfast: In a container combine 1 cup rolled oats, 1 cup plant-based milk, 4 chopped pitted dates, 2 tablespoons raisins, and ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

DAY 1

Since day one is when you'll be cooking the most, we advise beginning on a Sunday. Three dishes will be made by you, including a Parsley-Lemon Hummus you can have all week long and a Hearty Lentil Ragu that will also be your lunch tomorrow. As you reheat your breakfast, start the chickpeas.

BREAKFAST: Overnight Oats with Apple 

Heat prepped oats in a pan (or in the microwave) with a splash of plant milk or water. Serve topped with ½ apple, diced. Sprinkle with ground cinnamon.

LUNCH: Chickpea Pasta Salad with Walnut Dressing 

Combine 2 cups of finely chopped romaine lettuce, 1 cup of cooked penne pasta, 1 cup of cooked chickpeas, 12 cup each of diced carrot, celery, tomato, and red bell pepper, along with 2 tablespoons of minced onion, in a bowl. 2 tablespoons of walnuts, 1 12 teaspoons of finely chopped fresh parsley, 1 12 teaspoons of white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar, 14 teaspoon of garlic powder, 18 teaspoon of sea salt, and freshly ground black pepper to taste are combined to make the dressing in a blender. Until smooth, blend. Dress the salad and toss.

SNACK: Parsley-Lemon Hummus 

Combine 3 cups of cooked chickpeas, 1/2 cup of fresh parsley that has been packed in a cup, 3 tablespoons of lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder, and sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste in a blender or food processor. Paste should be well-combined. If more water is required to get the appropriate consistency, add 1 to 2 tablespoons. Add celery sticks to the dish (3 stalks sliced in half). Put any leftover hummus in an airtight jar and refrigerate.

PREP FOR TOMORROW: 

Cook the entire bag of brown rice according to package directions. Soak black beans overnight.

DAY 2

With the toasted homemade muesli you created today, you can use it twice for breakfast and once as a topping. You'll be preparing a hearty dish for dinner using some ingredients from your cupboard.

BREAKFAST: Homemade Muesli 

Toast 3 cups of rolled oats, 1/3 cup of chopped walnuts, and 1/3 cup of chopped raisins for 5 to 7 minutes in a nonstick skillet over low heat. Two pinches of ground cinnamon and 14 teaspoon pure vanilla extract are optional additions. Mix well. Transfer to a cooling tray. Serve with some blueberries, a banana slice, and plant milk. Remaining muesli should be kept in an airtight container.

SNACK: Cinnamon Apple Salad 

Combine one cup of diced apple, four pitted dates, one tablespoon of raisins, one tablespoon of chopped walnuts, one tablespoon of lemon juice, and two pinches of ground cinnamon in a medium bowl. Mix well. Serve immediately or chill first.

PREP FOR TOMORROW: 

Follow the instructions on the package to cook the entire bag of black beans. Refrigerate overnight while keeping in an airtight container.

DAY 3

Potatoes are your best buddy if you want to eat a plant-based diet but are on a tight budget. You'll be preparing an additional Potato Burrito Bowl for tomorrow's simple grab-and-go meal. Additionally, you'll be making extra Oatmeal-Date Pancakes because properly stored pancakes retain their taste and texture for five days.

BREAKFAST: Oatmeal-Date Pancakes 

Mix 11 and a third cups of rolled oats, 12 pitted dates that have been diced, 1 cup plant milk, and 1 teaspoon of cinnamon in a blender or food processor. Mix until a thick batter forms. A nonstick skillet is warm. For each pancake, pour 14 cup batter onto the skillet. Cook the pancakes for 5 minutes, or until they begin to release from the pan. After three minutes, flip the food. Use the leftover batter to repeat. Serve a couple either on its own or alongside sliced banana and fresh blueberries. For usage later this week, let any remaining pancakes cool and then store in the refrigerator in an airtight container.

DAY 4

The middle of the week is here! Thanks to your work earlier in the week, breakfast and lunch are both covered today! Use sweet potato fries as a dinner side or as a snack.

SNACK: Sweet Potato Fries Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Cut 1 large sweet potato into wedges and place them in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until just tender and slightly browned on the edges. Serve warm with ketchup.

DAY 5

On order today is a slew of satisfying meals. You’ll be cooking up a storm, but the payoff will be well worth it. Look forward to enjoying leftover Chickpea Curry Stew with Kale for lunch tomorrow.

BREAKFAST: Savory Polenta Porridge with Broccoli 

In a pan bring 1 cup water to boiling. Add ¼ cup finely chopped onion, ¼ cup diced red bell pepper (save what’s left for Day Seven), and ½ teaspoon each onion powder, garlic powder, and dried oregano. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Roughly chop half of an 18-oz. tube precooked polenta, reserving remaining polenta for tomorrow’s snack. Add chopped polenta to the pan. Cook over low 10 minutes more or until polenta softens. Mash polenta to a porridge using a fork. Add 1 tablespoon each lemon juice and finely chopped fresh cilantro. Add sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Top with 1 cup steamed broccoli.

LUNCH: Tex-Mex Pasta Salad 

Cook 1 cup of dry penne as directed on the box. Add 2 cups of chopped kale to the pasta two minutes prior to completion. Drain the pasta after it has finished cooking, then place it in a big bowl. Add 112 cups of cooked black beans, 1 cup of thawed frozen corn, 1/4 cup of lemon juice, 2 tablespoons of finely minced onion, and 1/2 teaspoon of each of the dried oregano, cumin, and garlic powder. Combine by tossing. Cayenne pepper and sea salt can be added to taste. Add fresh cilantro as a garnish.

SNACK: Oatmeal with Bananas 

In a small saucepan bring 2 cups of water to boiling. Add 1 cup rolled oats. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; let stand for 2 minutes. Serve topped with 1 sliced banana.

DAY 6

Warm up the rest of your Oatmeal-Date Pancakes for breakfast this morning; then heat up the extras from last night’s Chickpea Curry Stew with Kale for a quick and hearty lunch. Shepherd’s Pie will be the final dinner you cook this week, and you’ll be making enough to eat tomorrow night, too.

SNACK: Polenta Bruschetta 

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Slice half of an 18-oz. tube precooked polenta into six ½-inch-thick disks. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes. Slice half a tomato into six wedges (save the rest for later). Top each polenta disk with 1 tablespoon Parsley-Lemon Hummus and a tomato wedge. Serve right away.

DAY 7

Congratulations! For just $49.69, you’ve nourished yourself for seven days. Now that you’ve got down the basic formulas for eating plant-based on a budget, you can get creative with leftovers to come up with nourishing vegan meals on the cheap.

BREAKFAST: Sweet Potato Breakfast Bowl 

Preheat oven to 425°F. Bake a sweet potato 30 to 40 minutes or until tender. Let the potato cool slightly. Remove skin. Mash potato in a bowl with 2 pitted dates, finely chopped. Sprinkle with ¼ cup Homemade Muesli and a handful of fresh blueberries.

LUNCH: Potato Salad 

2 medium Yukon gold potatoes should be scrubbed and sliced into 1-inch pieces. Place potatoes in a large saucepan with a steamer basket. Just below the basket, add some water. Until boiling, bring. Till tender, steam for around 15 minutes with the cover on. Place in a large basin to chill. Add 2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh parsley, 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh onion, 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar, 1 teaspoon yellow mustard, and sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Mix well. Enjoy at room temperature or cooled.