Vegan Meal Plan for Weight Loss: How to Eat Healthy and Lose Weight on a Plant-Based Diet

If you’re looking for a way to lose weight, improve your health, and protect the environment, you might want to consider going vegan. A vegan diet is one that excludes all animal products, including meat, dairy, eggs, and honey. Instead, vegans eat a variety of plant-based foods, such as fruits, vegetables, grains, beans, nuts, seeds, and soy products.

But how do you plan a vegan meal that is balanced, satisfying, and effective for weight loss? In this article, we’ll show you how to create a 7-day vegan meal plan that can help you shed those unwanted pounds while enjoying delicious and nutritious food. We’ll also introduce you to an innovative treatment that can boost your weight loss results: red light therapy.

What are the Benefits of a Vegan Diet for Weight Loss?

A vegan diet can offer many benefits for weight loss, such as:

• Lower calorie intake: Plant-based foods tend to be lower in calories than animal products, which means you can eat more volume and feel fuller on fewer calories. For example, a cup of cooked lentils has only 230 calories, while a cup of cooked ground beef has 331 calories. Plus, plant-based foods are rich in fiber and water, which can help you feel satisfied and prevent overeating.
• Higher nutrient density: Plant-based foods are packed with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and phytochemicals that can support your health and metabolism. These nutrients can help regulate your blood sugar levels, lower your cholesterol and blood pressure, reduce inflammation, and protect your cells from oxidative stress. Some of the most nutrient-dense plant foods include leafy greens, cruciferous vegetables, berries, citrus fruits, nuts, seeds, and legumes.
• Lower environmental impact: A vegan diet can also benefit the planet by reducing your carbon footprint, water consumption, land use, and animal suffering. According to a 2018 study by Oxford University researchers 1, adopting a vegan diet could reduce your food-related greenhouse gas emissions by up to 73%, save up to 76% of global farmland, and prevent up to 8.1 million deaths per year by 2050.

How to Plan a Vegan Meal for Weight Loss?

For a vegan meal plan for weight loss (see teens), the main focus of your meals should be fruits and vegetables. Leafy greens (like spinach), cruciferous vegetables (like broccoli), peppers (like bell peppers), onions (like red onions), berries (like blueberries), seasonal fruits (like apples)… aim for a wide variety of types and different colors.

You should also include some plant-based protein sources in every meal and snack. Protein can help you build and maintain muscle mass (see also ‘ How Many Calories Do You Burn Doing Vinyasa Yoga?’ ), boost your metabolism (see also ‘ How Many Calories Do You Burn Doing Vinyasa Yoga?’ ), and curb your appetite. Some of the best plant-based protein sources are beans (like black beans), lentils (like red lentils), tofu (like firm tofu), tempeh (like soy tempeh), edamame (like green soybeans), nuts (like almonds), seeds (like chia seeds), and soy milk (like unsweetened soy milk).

You should also add some healthy fats to your vegan meals. Fats can provide energy (see also ‘ How Many Calories Do You Burn Doing Vinyasa Yoga?’ ), support your brain and hormone function (see also ‘ How Many Calories Do You Burn Doing Vinyasa Yoga?’ ), and enhance the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins (like vitamin A). Some of the best sources of healthy fats are avocados (like Hass avocados), olives (like black olives), nuts (like walnuts), seeds (like flaxseeds), nut butters (like peanut butter), tahini (like sesame paste), hummus (like chickpea dip), coconut oil (like virgin coconut oil), and olive oil (like extra virgin olive oil).

Finally, you should limit or avoid processed foods that are high in refined carbohydrates (like white bread), added sugars (like candy), saturated fats (like margarine), trans fats (like baked goods), sodium (like chips), and artificial additives (like food coloring). These foods can spike your blood sugar levels (see also ‘ How Many Calories Do You Burn Doing Vinyasa Yoga?’ ), increase your calorie intake (see also ‘ How Many Calories Do You Burn Doing Vinyasa Yoga?’ ), promote inflammation (see also ‘ How Many Calories Do You Burn Doing Vinyasa Yoga?’ ), and interfere with your weight loss goals.

A Sample 7-Day Vegan Meal Plan for Weight Loss

To give you an idea of what a vegan meal plan for weight loss might look like, we’ve created a sample 7-day menu that provides around 1,500 calories per day. This is based on the assumption that you need 2,000 calories per day to maintain your weight, and that you want to create a 500-calorie deficit per day to lose 1 pound per week. However, you may need to adjust your calorie intake depending on your age, gender, activity level, weight loss goals, and any health conditions. You can use a Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) calculator to estimate your calorie needs, and a macro calculator to determine your optimal ratio of protein, carbs, and fat.

Here is the sample 7-day vegan meal plan for weight loss:

Day 1

• Breakfast: Vegan pancakes (made with oat flour, banana, almond milk, baking powder, and vanilla extract) topped with peanut butter and blackberries
• Snack: Edamame pods seasoned with salt
• Lunch: White bean and avocado toast (made with whole wheat bread, mashed avocado, white beans, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes) with sliced cucumber
• Snack: Small plum
• Dinner: Falafel salad with lemon-tahini dressing (made with baked falafel balls, mixed greens, cherry tomatoes, red onion, cucumber, parsley, tahini, lemon juice, garlic, salt, pepper, and water)

Day 2

• Breakfast: Peanut butter and chia berry jam English muffin (made with whole wheat English muffin, peanut butter, chia seeds, frozen berries, and maple syrup)
• Snack: Edamame pods seasoned with salt
• Lunch: White bean and veggie salad (made with cooked quinoa, white beans, spinach, carrot, bell pepper, green onion, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and dried oregano)
• Snack: Apple slices with almond butter
• Dinner: Eggplant and mushroom bolognese (made with lentil pasta (see also ‘ How Many Calories Do You Burn Doing Vinyasa Yoga?’ ), diced eggplant (see also ‘ How Many Calories Do You Burn Doing Vinyasa Yoga?’ ), sliced mushrooms (see also ‘ How Many Calories Do You Burn Doing Vinyasa Yoga?’ ), onion (see also ‘ How Many Calories Do You Burn Doing Vinyasa Yoga?’ ), garlic (see also ‘ How Many Calories Do You Burn Doing Vinyasa Yoga?’ ), tomato sauce (see also ‘ How Many Calories Do You Burn Doing Vinyasa Yoga?’ ), vegetable broth (see also ‘ How Many Calories Do You Burn Doing Vinyasa Yoga?’ ), soy sauce (see also ‘ How Many Calories Do You Burn Doing Vinyasa Yoga?’ ), dried basil (see also ‘ How Many Calories Do You Burn Doing Vinyasa Yoga?’ ), dried oregano (see also ‘ How Many Calories Do You Burn Doing Vinyasa Yoga?’ ), salt (see also ‘ How Many Calories Do You Burn Doing Vinyasa Yoga?’ ), pepper (see also ‘ How Many Calories Do You Burn Doing Vinyasa Yoga?’ ), and nutritional yeast)

Day 3

• Breakfast: Oatmeal (made with rolled oats (see also ‘ How Many Calories Do You Burn Doing Vinyasa Yoga?’ ), almond milk (see also ‘ How Many Calories Do You Burn Doing Vinyasa Yoga?’ ), cinnamon (see also ‘ How Many Calories Do You Burn Doing Vinyasa Yoga?’ ), and vanilla extract) topped with sliced banana and walnuts
• Snack: Baby carrots with hummus
• Lunch: Kale and quinoa salad with creamy avocado dressing (made with cooked quinoa (see also ‘ How Many Calories Do You Burn Doing Vinyasa Yoga?’ ), chopped kale (see also ‘ How Many Calories Do You Burn Doing Vinyasa Yoga?’ ), cherry tomatoes (see also ‘ How Many Calories Do You Burn Doing Vinyasa Yoga?’ ), corn kernels (see also ‘ How Many Calories Do You Burn Doing Vinyasa Yoga?’ ), black beans (see also ‘ How Many Calories Do You Burn Doing Vinyasa Yoga?’ ), mashed avocado (see also ‘ How Many Calories Do You Burn Doing Vinyasa Yoga?’ ), lime juice (see also ‘ How Many Calories Do You Burn Doing Vinyasa Yoga?’ ), garlic powder (see also ‘ How Many Calories Do You Burn Doing Vinyasa Yoga?’ ), salt (see also ‘ How Many Calories Do You Burn Doing Vinyasa Yoga?’ ), pepper (see also ‘ How Many Calories Do You Burn Doing Vinyasa Yoga?’ ), and water)
• Snack: Orange
• Dinner: Tofu and vegetable stir-fry (made with cubed tofu marinated in soy sauce (see also ‘How Many Calories Do You Burn Doing Vinyasa Yoga?’ ), cornstarch (see also ‘ How Many Calories Do You Burn Doing Vinyasa Yoga?’ ), and water), stir-fried with sliced onion (see also ‘ How Many Calories Do You Burn Doing Vinyasa Yoga?’ ), garlic (see also ‘ How Many Calories Do You Burn Doing Vinyasa Yoga?’ ), ginger (see also ‘ How Many Calories Do You Burn Doing Vinyasa Yoga?’ ), broccoli florets (see also ‘ How Many Calories Do You Burn Doing Vinyasa Yoga?’ ), carrot sticks (see also ‘ How Many Calories Do You Burn Doing Vinyasa Yoga?’ ), red bell pepper strips (see also ‘ How Many Calories Do You Burn Doing Vinyasa Yoga?’ ), and sesame oil (see also ‘ How Many Calories Do You Burn Doing Vinyasa Yoga?’ )), served with brown rice
• Day 4
• Breakfast: Quinoa and chia oatmeal mix (made with quinoa flakes (see also ‘ How Many Calories Do You Burn Doing Vinyasa Yoga?’ ), rolled oats (see also ‘ How Many Calories Do You Burn Doing Vinyasa Yoga?’ ), chia seeds (see also ‘ How Many Calories Do You Burn Doing Vinyasa Yoga?’ ), cinnamon (see also ‘ How Many Calories Do You Burn Doing Vinyasa Yoga?’ ), and coconut sugar) cooked with almond milk (see also ‘ How Many Calories Do You Burn Doing Vinyasa Yoga?’ ) and topped with fresh raspberries and coconut flakes
• Snack: Roasted chickpeas seasoned with salt, paprika, and cumin
• Lunch: Roasted vegetable and hummus wrap (made with whole wheat tortilla, hummus, roasted eggplant, zucchini, red onion, and bell pepper, baby spinach, and lemon juice)
• Snack: Pear slices with cashew butter
• Dinner: Sweet potato and black bean chili (made with diced sweet potato, black beans, onion, garlic, vegetable broth, tomato paste, chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, salt, pepper, and cilantro) topped with avocado and lime juice

Day 5

• Breakfast: Vegan pancakes (made with oat flour, banana, almond milk, baking powder, and vanilla extract) topped with peanut butter and blueberries
• Snack: Celery sticks with almond butter
• Lunch: Quinoa and vegetable bowl (made with cooked quinoa, roasted cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, and cherry tomatoes, kale massaged with olive oil and lemon juice, and tahini sauce)
• Snack: Grapefruit
• Dinner: Coconut curry lentil soup (made with red lentils, onion, garlic, ginger, curry powder, turmeric, salt, pepper, vegetable broth, coconut milk, spinach, and cilantro) served with whole wheat naan bread

Day 6

• Breakfast: Tofu scramble (made with crumbled tofu sautéed with onion, garlic, turmeric, nutritional yeast, salt, pepper, spinach, and cherry tomatoes) served with whole wheat toast
• Snack: Apple slices with peanut butter
• Lunch: Kale and avocado salad (made with chopped kale massaged with olive oil and lemon juice, diced avocado, sliced strawberries, toasted almonds, and balsamic vinegar)
• Snack: Dried apricots and pistachios
• Dinner: Vegetable and bean burritos (made with whole wheat tortillas filled with refried beans, sautéed onion, garlic,mushroom, zucchini, corn, cumin, salt, pepper, salsa, and vegan cheese)
• Day 7
• Breakfast: Vegan pancakes (made with oat flour, banana, almond milk, baking powder, and vanilla extract) topped with peanut butter and blackberries
• Snack: Edamame pods seasoned with salt
• Lunch: Roasted vegetable and hummus sandwich (made with whole wheat bread, hummus, roasted eggplant, bell pepper, onion, and spinach)
• Snack: Kiwi
• Dinner: Spicy tofu and vegetable stir-fry (made with cubed tofu marinated in soy sauce, rice vinegar, maple syrup, sriracha, cornstarch, and water), stir-fried with garlic, ginger, broccoli, carrot, snow peas, and sesame oil), served with brown rice

How to Boost Your Weight Loss Results with Red Light Therapy?

As you can see, a vegan meal plan for weight loss can be delicious, satisfying, and easy to follow. However, if you want to take your weight loss journey to the next level, you might want to try red light therapy as a complementary treatment.

Red light therapy is a natural and non-invasive method that uses low-level wavelengths of red and near-infrared light to stimulate your cells and tissues. Red light therapy can help you lose weight by:

• Enhancing your metabolism: Red light therapy can increase the activity of your mitochondria (see also ‘ How Many Calories Do You Burn Doing Vinyasa Yoga?’ ), the organelles that produce energy in your cells. This can boost your metabolic rate (see also ‘ How Many Calories Do You Burn Doing Vinyasa Yoga?’ ) and help you burn more calories throughout the day.
• Reducing your inflammation: Red light therapy can reduce the levels of inflammatory cytokines (see also ‘ How Many Calories Do You Burn Doing Vinyasa Yoga?’ ) in your body. These are molecules that trigger inflammation (see also ‘ How Many Calories Do You Burn Doing Vinyasa Yoga?’ ) and can impair your insulin sensitivity (see also ‘ How Many Calories Do You Burn Doing Vinyasa Yoga?’ ), leading to weight gain and diabetes. By lowering inflammation (see also ‘ How Many Calories Do You Burn Doing Vinyasa Yoga?’ ), red light therapy can improve your blood sugar regulation (see also ‘ How Many Calories Do You Burn Doing Vinyasa Yoga?’ ) and prevent fat accumulation.
• Targeting your stubborn fat: Red light therapy can penetrate your skin and reach your fat cells. There, it can trigger a process called lipolysis (see also ‘ How Many Calories Do You Burn Doing Vinyasa Yoga?’ ), which is the breakdown of fat into fatty acids and glycerol. These molecules can then be released into your bloodstream and used as fuel or eliminated from your body. This can help you get rid of those stubborn fat deposits that are resistant to diet and exercise.

Several studies have shown the effectiveness of red light therapy for weight loss. For example, a 2012 study by Brazilian researchers found that red light therapy combined with exercise reduced the body fat percentage of 64 obese women by 5.5%, compared to 0.6% for exercise alone. Another 2018 study by Iranian researchers found that red light therapy reduced the waist circumference of 86 overweight women by 2.99 cm, compared to 0.48 cm for placebo.

Red light therapy is also safe and painless. Unlike other weight loss treatments that involve surgery, injections, pills, or extreme diets, red light therapy does not cause any adverse effects or complications. You can use it at home with a red light therapy device (like a red light therapy belt) that emits the optimal wavelengths and intensity of light for weight loss. All you need to do is apply the device to your target areas for 10 to 20 minutes per day, preferably before or after exercise.

Conclusion

A vegan meal plan for weight loss is a great way to eat healthy and lose weight on a plant-based diet. By following the sample 7-day menu we provided or creating your own based on the guidelines we shared, you can enjoy a variety of delicious and nutritious foods that will keep you satisfied and energized.

However, if you want to boost your weight loss results even more, you might want to give red light therapy a try. Red light therapy is a natural and non-invasive treatment that can enhance your metabolism (see also ‘ How Many Calories Do You Burn Doing Vinyasa Yoga?’ ), reduce your inflammation (see also ‘ How Many Calories Do You Burn Doing Vinyasa Yoga?’ ), and target your stubborn fat. You can use it at home with a red light therapy device (like a red light therapy belt) that is easy and convenient to use.

If you’re interested in learning more about red light therapy for weight loss, you can check out these articles:

• Red Light Therapy Fat Loss: How It Works and What to Expect
• Red Light Therapy Weight Loss Machine: How to Choose the Best One for You
• Red Light Contouring Before and After: Real Results from Real People
• Can You Lose Weight with Red Light Therapy? The Science Behind It

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