Nosh – Vegan Meal Plan Edition

There’s this fun part of my job where I write a special section in Eating Well Magazine, called “Nosh – Just Tell Me What To Eat.” And I love writing it. Each issue the fabulous Breana Lai, sends forth a specific challenge. This month’s challenge? To create a super tasty 1,500 calorie Vegan meal plan. Challenge accepted!

Meal Plan Brain-Storming

Armed with my trusty pen and notebook, I got to work. First, I made a few notes, jotting down the foods that shouldn’t be included in this meal plan – basically any products made from animals. Then, I made a list of all of the foods that are vegan-friendly. And let’s just say, that list was longer! Yahoo! How wonderful that there are so many foods that are vegan and naturally nutritious too. I couldn’t wait to start writing this meal plan.

Vegan Food = Tasty Food

So, I started with breakfast. One of my favorite breakfast foods is granola. Would that be too hard I wondered? No way! I’ll keep it simple and dress it up with some banana and a healthy dose of almond milk. Success!  Now, how about snacks? I needed one for the morning and one for the afternoon. I love a good date, but I love a good date stuffed with an almond too. And then, just to make it feel fancy, how about I add some orange zest? Yum! And how about guacamole? That’s vegan too! (Want a bigger batch of guac, try my No Fail, Winning Guacamole) Paired with fresh veggie sticks and garnished with pepitas, I can’t think of a better afternoon snack. And for lunch? A hearty black bean and mango salad seemed perfect.  And then dinner – Crispy Tofu with Black Rice and Edamame-Mushroom Stir-Fry. Yes, that’s a good day indeed. Oh and wait, there’s dessert too! But you’ll have to read the meal plan to find out what I chose!

The Meal Plan

Whew! Can you believe it? All of that food is only 1500 calories and it’s totally Vegan-friendly! Not only that, it’s loaded with nourishing, good-for-you foods! 

Want the recipes? Don’t worry, I’ve got them for you below! 

Nosh 2016 Vegan