50 Vegan Meal Ideas for the Beginner

Alright! I just want to preface this by saying two things: 1) you do not have to be a beginner to gain inspiration and ideas from this and 2) I am not a cook - I'm a baker! So for lots of these meal ideas, I can't provide very detailed descriptions. Pinterest is your best friend for finding specific step-by-step plant based recipes.

When I first decided to go vegan, I watched TONS of YouTube videos, took notes, and was constantly on Pinterest (find my account here). It's normal to not know where to start. And if you've been vegan for a while, it's normal to want to try something new. Once you get into the plant based lifestyle, you won't even think twice about it. When people ask what you eat, you'll think I don't know, just food? But either way, I've created this to help out anyone who is giving veganism a try.


Breakfast

[Oatmeal topped with peaches and blueberries cooked with brown sugar, sprinkled with cinnamon]

1. Smoothies and Smoothie Bowls - this is such a vegan cliche, but I still love it. I have a post here with three different smoothie ideas, but nowadays I just like to blend together frozen and fresh fruit with water/almond milk, sometimes adding seeds and nut butter. Some people use protein powder, though that's not something that I've personally gotten into. Pinterest, YouTube videos, and Instagram will be your best inspiration here.

2. Non-dairy Yogurt Bowls - I've tried my share of vegan yogurts, and So Delicious coconut milk is definitely my favorite. Feel free to try any that look appealing to you! I very rarely have yogurt for breakfast, but when I do I like to top it with granola (or raw granola) and fruit. This idea is great if you like light breakfasts!

3. Oatmeal - duh! Oats are so easy and so versatile. I prefer to make mine on the stove, but they can easily be made in the microwave or in the fridge overnight as well. I have SO many oatmeal posts on my Instagram, so you can grab some specific recipes there. :)

4. Avocado Toast - another stereotypical vegan move! This is one of the easiest vegan meals out there. All you need is some toast, avocado, and spices. You can also top it with tomatoes, greens, hummus, vegan cheese, anything you like!

5. Tofu Scramble - this one may require a little more effort, but it is perfect if you like savory breakfasts. You'll just need a block of tofu to crumble into a pan and cook like scrambled eggs, with some spices and some veggies (if you want). This one can be tricky to get the hang of at first, so you'll probably want to follow a specific recipe or tutorial.

6. JUST Egg - I JUST tried this for the first time very recently. This batter is made of mung beans and it cooks just like scrambled eggs. Most recently, I had it with some melted vegan cheese and everything bagel seasoning. I totally recommend!

7. Cereal - this one is as simple as it comes. Most cereals are plant based, but be sure to check the ingredients for things like milk, gelatin, or honey. The only change here is to use a non-dairy milk. Almond milk is what we always have at my house, which took me a little while to get used to. Now I don't even notice! But if you want a more neutral-tasting one, I suggest oat milk.

8. Crepes - this one is also a recent discovery! I found an amazing recipe, and the only ingredients are flour, cornstarch, sugar, salt, oil, water, and milk. If you like crepes, I highly recommend making these ASAP. I like to top them with fruit and coconut whipped cream!

9. French Toast - this is something that we eat all of the time. My mom doesn't use a specific recipe though - she just combines coconut cream with a tiny bit of almond milk and lots of vanilla and cinnamon. Dip your bread in that mixture and then cook it on the stove top.

10. Pancakes, Waffles, Muffins, etc. - at my house, we normally just use a store-bought pancake mix that is "accidentally vegan" to make pancakes, waffles, and biscuits. AKA, just check the ingredients and make sure there's no dehydrated milk or any other animal product. The same goes with muffin mixes. Then replace any milk and eggs required with plant milk and an egg replacer of your choice. Here are my own recipes: Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Waffles, Strawberries & Cream Pancakes, and Pumpkin Spice Pancakes (my fav!)

11. Breakfast Cookies - this is the perfect thing to make ahead of time and just grab in the morning. Here is my recipe! These contain nut butter, fruit, seeds, and oats. Of course, I do recommend my own recipe, but there are plenty online to check out.

12. Rawnola - this is a homemade granola that isn't baked, made of oats and dates. I have multiple of my own recipes - regular raw granola, pumpkin spice, and orange cranberry. This can be great on top of yogurt, a fruit salad, or as it's own cereal if you like.

13. Bagels - this is the vegan safety breakfast. When you're buying bagels at the store, check the ingredient list to make sure that they're vegan. If you're eating out at someplace like Panera, be sure to look up their vegan flavors or ask an employee. My go-to is cinnamon raisin topped with almond butter. Non-dairy cream cheese exists too - I recommend finding a brand that you like, because some of them may taste weird!!

Lunch + Dinner

[Stuffing with Morning Star "chicken" and frozen peas]

14. Tacos - this one is pretty self-explanatory. And of course there are SO many different bases you can use instead of meat. My favorite is refried beans (basically mashed beans). You can also use regular beans, tofu, plant based meat (including Gardein's fishless fish, which I didn't know existed!!), tempeh, sweet potatoes, etc. I love to top mine with salsa, avocado, and lettuce. You could also add vegan mayo, vegan sour cream or plain yogurt, and vegan cheese. 

15. Mac 'n' Cheese - this is a big one! Of course Daiya and Annie's both have vegan boxed mac n cheese, but you can do it homemade too. Most of the time, my mom and I make a nutritional yeast based roux which is poured over the macaroni before baking. Sometimes, we'll simply use store-bought vegan cheese. Another really common method is making sauce by blending cooked potatoes and carrots with milk and spices. I've personally never tried this, but I encourage you to look it up and do so!

16. BBQ Bowls - one of my favorites! This is a super easy meal that is really filling and delicious. Over rice (or mashed potatoes or any grain) add veggies, any plant based protein, vegan cheese, and barbecue sauce. So good!

17. Stuffing - here is another easy and go-to meal. We buy bags of plain bread cubes at the store, but you could use your own bread. All you need to do is mix that with vegetable broth and any veggies or protein that you want and then bake it. Stuffing is honestly one of my favorite foods because it's so easy and comforting.

18. Sandwiches and Wraps - another super versatile one! Of course, there is always the classic peanut butter and jelly. One of my favorite more breakfast-type sandwiches is an English muffin with vegan cheese and slices of cooked tofu (sometimes with vegan mayo). But any time of day, you can just combine any veggies, proteins, cheeses, and sauces that you want to make an awesome sandwich. Plant based deli meat does exist, though I've never personally tried it. Your sandwich could be as simple as hummus, lettuce, and tomato.

19. Rice Dishes - one of the most common vegan meals is just mixing rice in a bowl with a bunch of random ingredients. Think Chipotle burrito bowls. Veggies, salsa, beans, protein, any sauces you like. I know it's super basic, but you can do anything with this concept.

20. Vegetable Chili - my mom is not a very recipe-driven person, so when she makes chili it's just a random combination of broth, veggies, beans, and a whole lot of spices. If you're not someone who is up for experimenting, I suggest looking up vegan chili. But chili is great because it's a comfort food that can produce a lot of leftovers, so I highly recommend.

21. Chickpea Pot Pie - another comfort food! This is also great if you're in a household with meat-eaters, because you can just make two separate pies. You could always use vegan chicken instead of regular chicken, but I actually love the way that chickpeas taste in a potpie. And there are so many recipes on Pinterest!

22. Tofu Lasagna - when we make lasagna, we do use vegan cheese on top. But in place of ricotta, my mom uses tofu! It's perfect. Just find a vegan ricotta cheese recipe that you like and you will be set!

23. Ethnic Food - this one is so broad! There are sooo many vegan options across all ethnic foods. Vegetable lo mein, spring rolls, vegetable sushi, Japanese pan noodles (at Noodles and Co. with tofu), falafel, lots of Indian food - my favorite - and so much more. That honestly shows you just how much the Western/European diet relies on animal products.

Snacks

[Vegan chocolates, marshmallows, and other candies]

24. Hummus - hummus is essentially just a blend of chickpeas and sesame seed butter but it's so lovely! You can pair hummus with crackers, pretzels, pita, toast, peppers, carrots, etc.
25. Nut Butter and Fruit - this one is fun and is a great way to get in protein easily. It could mean either peanut butter or almond butter with any fruit. Banana, apple, whatever you like! 
26. Oreos - of course this one has to be included. If you're craving sugar, this is as easy as it gets. Personally, my favorites are the double chocolate, peanut butter pie, and mint!
27. Chips and Pretzels - unfortunately, lots of flavored chips have some kind of milk in them, but plenty don't. Regular Fritos are vegan, as are plain Sunchips, sweet and spicy chili Doritos, most plain or BBQ chips, regular Chex Mix, and kettle chips. Most pretzels are vegan too, but always check your ingredient lists! 
28. Vegan Candy + Chocolate - chocolate is usually vegan if it is at least 70% cocoa, but of course there are some that are lower. Justin's is my favorite brand for peanut butter and almond butter cups, and they sell lots of nut butter on its own as well. Regular marshmallows contain gelatin, so you'll want to pick up some Dandies to make vegan s'mores. Some candies are accidentally vegan already - Sour Patch Kids and Twizzlers, for example. 
29. Girl Scout Cookies - this is a bit of an odd one, but it's very exciting! I'm not sure of all of the vegan flavors, but in the past I've had: Thin Mints, Peanut Butter Patties, S'mores and Thanks a Lots.
30. Fruit Salad - when I was little, I was the queen of making fruit salad. I had it again just recently, and I forgot how great it was. Personally, I have a really strong sweet tooth, so I definitely recommend having a bowl of fruit salad when you're in the mood for something healthy.

Desserts

[Chocolate layer cake with "accidentally vegan" store-bought chocolate frosting, Enjoy Life chocolate chips, and Sweetapolita vegan sprinkles]

31. Peanut Butter Cookies - this one is my own recipe, and I don't think it could be easier. The only ingredients are peanut butter, brown sugar, maple syrup, vanilla, milk, and flour. But these are so soft and delicious - perfect if you love peanut butter!

32. Oatmeal Cookies - these are my absolute FAV vegan oatmeal cookies, which you can put chocolate chips or raisins in. If you like oatmeal cookies, I recommend trying these ASAP!

33. Brownies - lots of box mix brownies do happen to be vegan, but this is my favorite homemade recipe. I think that brownies are kind of difficult, but these guys almost always turn out great.

34. Chocolate Cake - this is another recipe of my own. I've used this so many times, and it never ceases to bake beautifully and taste divine. There is no vegan butter required for the cake, and you probably have all of the ingredients already!

35. Lemon Bars - this is why Pinterest is a vegan's best friend! I found this recipe before I even went vegan, and I've made it on multiple occasions (including Easter). No weird ingredients needed!

36. Store-Bought Mixes + Frostings - if you're not a homemade kind of person, just check the ingredient lists on whatever you pick up in the baking aisle. Lots of the time, frostings are "accidentally vegan" because they're not made with butter like homemade buttercream is. Cake mixes and brownie mixes are often vegan too, as long as you replace the milk and eggs required.

37. Dump Cake - I'm not sure if other people make this, but it's definitely a thing in my family. Dump cakes are basically lazy crisps! All you need to do is mix together a can of crushed pineapple and a can of whatever pie filling you prefer. Then put that in a pan and top it with a bag of boxed cake mix and a stick (1/2 cup) of vegan butter, cubed. Bake for an hour at 350 and there you go!

38. Nice Cream - if you've ever entered the world of veganism, you probably know what this is! Blending frozen bananas in a food processor or blender creates an ice cream texture! To it, you can add whatever you want to create unique flavors. This is another thing that you can find all over YouTube and Pinterest.

39. Coconut Macaroons - this is another recipe that I found before I even went vegan myself. I put them on top of this cake. To be honest, I never really was a huge fan of coconut, but things like this and the pie down below converted me!

40. Chocolate Chip Cookies - some more self-promo. This is my chocolate chip cookie recipe! You will need vegan butter and some almond butter, but I promise it's worth it. These cookies are so soft and full of flavor, especially right out of the oven. :)

41. Coffee Cupcakes - these cupcakes by Holly Jade are DIVINE (if you're a coffee person, of course). The frosting especially is delicious. Warning: you will need plenty of vegan butter!!

42. Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie - this is another one of my recipes, and if you're someone who loves peanut butter and chocolate, this is for YOU! The base is made out of coconut cream, though I personally could not taste any coconut in the pie itself. The crust is made of Oreos! You just have to try it. ;)

43. Dairy-Free Ice Creams - vegan ice cream is super in right now, so there are plenty of options at the store to try! So Delicious makes them with coconut milk and oat milk, and they are constantly coming out with new flavors. Ben and Jerry's is also on a roll.

44. Coconut Cream Pie - this recipe is from Minimalist Baker. If you like coconut, I could not recommend it more. This pie is so light, creamy, and fluffy. The recipe I've linked has its own crust, though personally I always use a graham cracker crust. I made this for my grandmom's birthday, my own birthday, and again just recently.

Fast Food

[Impossible Whopper from Burger King, with no mayo and a slice of vegan cheese]

45. Impossible Burger - Impossible Foods is another big vegan trend. The burger is the most popular product, and I've had it many times at Burger King. Individual restaurants do also sell them sometimes instead of or along side a veggie burger. It does have a very meat-y texture, so definitely try it out if you want that!

46. Black Bean Crunch-Wrap Supreme - this is my go-to Taco Bell order! If you like tacos and quesadillas, this is perfect for you. Just be sure to get no sour cream and cheese. You can also add guacamole, rice, and other fun stuff.

47. Beyond Sausage - Dunkin' Donuts has a Beyond sausage sandwich and I LOVE it! Just be sure to ask for no cheese and no egg. 

48. Subs - I know that Subway offers Beyond meatballs, though I've never tried them. But subs/hoagies in general are very versatile, so they're easy to vegan-ize. Just ask for no cheese or meat and load up on the veggies!

49. Panera - Panera does offer a few vegan soups, but here is my go-to: the Mediterranean veggie sandwich with no cheese, on sourdough. I also sometimes get the Fuji apple and chicken salad with no chicken and no cheese. The dressing is vegan and delicious!

50. Chipotle + Qdoba - ethnic food! At both of these Mexican restaurants, you can load up on rice, beans, veggies and guac. Chipotle offers "sofritas" which is a spicy tofu mixture, and Qdoba offers Impossible meat beef crumbles. Whether you like burritos, bowls, or tacos, you are set!