A Vegan Meal Plan You Can Follow for the Entire Week

• Time Commitment: 25 minutes
• Why I Love It: one pot
• Serves: 2

Sure, making oatmeal from scratch requires more effort than nuking a packet in the microwave, but the results are so worth it. This version is infused with cardamom and chai spices for a warming flavor, while dates provide a touch of sweetness.

• Time Commitment: 35 minutes + soaking time
• Why I Love It: vegan, gluten free
• Serves: 4

The creamy, cashew-based dressing is ideal for balancing out the bitterness of the radicchio. According to cookbook author and recipe developer Aran Goyoaga, “It’s great in many recipes where you would use ricotta, like on toast with jam, or even tossed with al dente pasta for a sauce.”

• Time Commitment: 50 minutes
• Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, one pan, gluten free
• Serves: 4

Chickpeas aren’t just for hummus. Here, they’re cooked low and slow with rich tomato sauce for a dish that’s both comforting and light. If you can find the jarred kind (often sold in specialty Italian grocery stores), it’s worth using in place of canned.

• Time Commitment: 15 minutes
• Why I Love It: no cook, <30 minutes, <10 ingredients
• Serves: 1

Ginger is anti-inflammatory (and it might also be immunity-boosting), but I love the flavor of the spicy root regardless of its health benefits. After a spin in the blender with blueberries, coconut milk and coconut yogurt, it mellows out and balances the sweetness of the fruit. (Use the optional agave for a vegan sweetener.)

• Time Commitment: 50 minutes
• Why I Love It: make ahead, high protein
• Serves: 4

These are not your typical boring salad bowls. Here, the carrots are seasoned with za’atar, a popular Middle Eastern spice blend that’s a mix of sesame seeds, sumac, oregano and thyme. Stored separately, the freshly made components of these vegan bowls will keep in the fridge for up to four days.

• Time Commitment: 1 hour, 10 minutes
• Why I Love It: <500 calories, beginner-friendly
• Serves: 6

You don’t need seafood to make this classic Spanish dish—just a bunch of seasonal produce and a short-grain rice (like Calasparra or bomba). Asparagus and artichokes are great for spring, but any in-season veggie is fair game, so feel free to switch it up.

• Time Commitment: 5 minutes + overnight chilling
• Why I Love It: make ahead, <10 ingredients
• Serves: 4

Imagine waking up and breakfast is already ready and waiting for you. It’s not a dream, if you make these overnight oats. Combining full-fat coconut milk and almond milk ensures it’s rich and creamy without any dairy.

• Time Commitment: 40 minutes
• Why I Love It: make ahead, high protein, beginner-friendly
• Serves: 6

Don’t let the word “stew” fool you. This surprisingly quick meal is prepared in a skillet, not a Dutch oven or stockpot, with canned crushed tomatoes and white beans to thank for the 40-minute cooking time.

• Time Commitment: 45 minutes
• Why I Love It: Instant Pot recipe, high protein
• Serves: 4

This vegan riff on risotto uses whole-grain farro instead of white rice and gets its creaminess from a ‘cheesy’ white bean puree instead of butter and Parm. Plus, the Instant Pot takes care of the cooking, so you don’t have to stand over the stove stirring for 20 minutes.

• Time Commitment: 30 minutes
• Why I Love It: <500 calories, gluten free
• Serves: 2

How can an omelet cook, look and taste like eggs, with no actual eggs involved? The secret is chickpea flour, apple cider vinegar and turmeric, which make a batter that serves as the omelet base.

• Time Commitment: 1 hour, 50 minutes
• Why I Love It: make ahead, gluten free
• Serves: 4

Don’t be put off by the long ingredient list here: The dressing, squash and beets can all be made days in advance and kept in the fridge until assembly. Or you could swap in whatever leftover vegetables you have on hand to eliminate some of the prep.

• Time Commitment: 20 minutes
• Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, <30 minutes
• Serves: 4

Save yourself some time and effort by not peeling the sweet potatoes. Just give them a good scrub under running water and enjoy the five minutes you’ve saved. (You can grate them with a food processor to shortcut this vegan recipe even further.)

• Time Commitment: 15 minutes
• Why I Love It: <30 minutes, <10 ingredients
• Serves: 1

Filling, nourishing and ready in just 15 minutes, this tea infused porridge offers the same soothing qualities of chamomile in breakfast form. The recipe calls for cashew milk, but you can use any vegan milk you like.

• Time Commitment: 30 minutes
• Why I Love It: make ahead, gluten free
• Serves: 4

You can make these wraps ahead of time (up to two days in advance) and they won’t get soggy in the fridge, so consider lunch already served. The five-ingredient dipping sauce starts with store-bought peanut butter, so it could be easy to mix up.

• Time Commitment: 50 minutes
• Why I Love It: Instant Pot recipe, high protein
• Serves: 4

My favorite trick for making a creamy soup without any actual cream? It has to be cashews, which can transform a brothy pot into a silky, luscious puree like nobody’s business. This vegan dish can be made in an Instant Pot if you want to save time, but you can also cook it on the stove.

• Time Commitment: 1 hour, 10 minutes
• Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, gluten free
• Serves: 10

Cake for breakfast is totally acceptable when it’s packed with blueberries and spelt flour (made from a high-protein grain for extra nutrition). Banana bread has officially met its match.

• Time Commitment: 1 hour, 45 minutes
• Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, high protein
• Serves: 6

Did you know that the sweet, salty, buttery flavor of roasted, pureed butternut squash lends itself perfectly to a silky vegan “cheese” sauce? Find out for yourself by making this plant-based mac and cheese.

• Time Commitment: 55 minutes
• Why I Love It: gluten free, <10 ingredients
• Serves: 4

I’ll be the first to admit that while spaghetti squash is a common “healthy” substitute for pasta, it’s nothing like the real deal. But that doesn’t mean it should pale in comparison, either. Doctoring up tomato sauce and sautéed mushrooms with nutritional yeast will do the trick.

• Time Commitment: 30 minutes
• Why I Love It: high protein, kid-friendly
• Serves: 4

Sure, these vegan waffles are tasty and downright gorgeous, but they also happen to be gluten-free, since buckwheat flour isn’t *technically* a grain, unlike traditional wheat flour. Waffles for everyone!

• Time Commitment: 30 minutes
• Why I Love It: high protein, kid-friendly
• Serves: 4

FYI, a vegan salad doesn’t have to mean a sad pile of lettuce. This one has just the right balance of crunchy raw veggies, hearty toppings and creamy dressing. Psst:  You can prep all the ingredients ahead of time and enjoy the loaded bowls with minimal effort whenever you’re hungry.

• Time Commitment: 30 minutes
• Why I Love It: high protein, kid-friendly
• Serves: 4

It’s every vegan’s BFF, the cashew, that’s responsible for adding richness to this dairy-free pasta sauce. With fresh, sweet corn in every bite, you’re going to want seconds (and maybe even thirds).