Simple 7 Day Vegan High Protein Meal Plan

Are you struggling to get enough protein on a vegan diet? Or maybe you are interested in eating more plant-based but don’t know where to start? If so, this vegan high protein meal plan will help you get started. This meal plan is geared for women in perimenopause or post menopause who are looking to meet their protein needs through a vegan or more plant-based diet.

Keep reading to get a sample 7-day meal plan with recipes. All of the recipes are vegan, high protein, and easy to prepare. You will even get guidance on how you can meal prep for a few hours so your meals will be ready to go for the week. Let’s get started!

Benefits of Meal Prepping

So for starters, you definitely do not need to meal prep to follow this guide. It is completely up to you how you prepare these meals. Maybe your mornings are busy, so prepping breakfast may be a good option for you. You can decide how much meal prep you want to do. That being said, I will show you how to meal prep for all of the meals and then you can decide for yourself.

Meal prepping is a great way to set yourself up for success. We tend to make the least healthy decisions when we are stressed or busy. By having meals already prepared and ready to go, you will be less likely to reach for unhealthier options. Eating healthy, especially when you are trying to meet your protein needs is hard for a lot of women to do. This guide will give you a great framework for meeting your nutritional needs and allow for less stress and time in the kitchen during the week.

What is Included in This High Protein Vegan Meal Prep Plan?

Each of these vegan meals has about 400-600 calories and 30-40 grams of protein for a total of about 1800 calories and 90-120 grams of protein per day.  It is important to note that we are all different in our calorie and protein needs so adjust the recipes according to your nutrition needs and fitness goals.   To figure about how many macros you require, I would suggest an online calculator that takes into account your age, gender, height, weight, and activity level.

Energy Expenditure Calculator

If your calorie and protein needs are more, use this as a baseline and add in some snacks or increase your portion sizes to increase the macros.  On the other hand, if your nutritional needs are less, then do the opposite, decrease the portion sizes or eliminate the extras.  

A good rule of thumb for calculating your protein needs is 1.0 grams of protein per day per pound of lean body weight. For example, if you are a 140# woman and that is a good weight for you, then you would need about 140 grams of protein per day. If you want more in-depth information on protein, check out this blog post:

How to Calculate Protein for Women Over 40 Who Strength Train

Weekly Meal Plan

Breakfast Recipes

Tofu Scramble with Veggies & Avocado

• 1 block firm tofu
• 1-15 ounce can black beans (drained and rinsed)
• 1 avocado
• Spinach, bell peppers, onions sautéed (about 3-4 cups)
• Serve with whole grain toast or wrap
• Makes 3 servings, each serving includes the Ezekiel wrap and contains 601 calories, 37 g protein, 44 g carb, 24g fat. To increase your calories and/or protein add a slice of Ezekiel toast with 2 T. powdered peanut butter mixed with water for a total of 130 calories and 11 grams protein.

This makes 3 servings. Sauté your veggies in a small amount of oil or veggie broth for a few minutes. Crumble tofu and mix into the vegetables. Cook for 5-10 minutes until heated through. You can add salt, pepper and nutritional yeast for extra flavor. Mix in the beans and divide into 3 portions for the week. When ready to eat, reheat, add avocado and serve in a wrap or with toast.

Feel free to use any veggies you like in place of the spinach, bell peppers and onions. For an eggy flavor you can season with black salt at the end.

Overnight Oats with Protein Powder

• 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
• 1/2 cup oats
• 1 scoop plant-based protein powder
• 1 tablespoon chia seeds
• 1 cup soy or pea milk
• 1 banana
• Topping ideas – peanut butter, granola, nuts, seeds, fruit
• Makes 1 serving, each serving contains 619 calories, 37 g protein, 77 g carb, 13 g fat

Add all ingredients except banana and topping ideas to a mason jar or bowl. Repeat this process 2 more times for 3 servings. Store in the refrigerator until ready to use. When ready to eat, you can eat cold or reheat and stir in banana and any additional toppings (peanut butter, granola, nuts, seeds, fruit). This recipe is over 600 calories, if that is too much for you, feel free to eliminate the banana (or cut in half), chia seeds, and/or decrease the oats to 1/3 cup.

Protein pancake mix

This is a great recipe for a weekend breakfast. Make the mix ahead of time and when ready to eat, combine with flax seeds, milk and water according to the recipe instructions.

Each serving makes about 5 medium sized pancakes for a total of 561 calories, 35.7 g protein, 63 g carb, 12.8 g fat.

My husband likes to mix in blueberries, bananas, raisins, and/or nuts. They taste great on their own, but you could top with a small amount of maple syrup, nut butter or yogurt.

Lunch Recipes

Chickpea & Tempeh Wrap

• 1-15 ounce can chickpeas (drained and rinsed)
• 1.5 blocks tempeh (diced into small cubes)
• 3 Whole wheat wraps (I like the brand by Ezekiel)
• Add lettuce, cucumber, and hummus
• This makes 3 servings. Each serving contains 556 calories, 40 g protein, 47 g carb, and 16 g fat.

You will likely want to season and/or marinate your tempeh first. I like to do this overnight for the best flavor, but an hour is also fine. You can add whatever spices or sauces you want. I will usually coat with coconut aminos, smoked paprika, onion powder and garlic powder. Let this sit for at least an hour. To cook you can brown it on the stove top in a small amount of oil or use your air-fryer.

Mash your chickpeas in a large bowel with a fork. Then add in the cooked tempeh. Store in the refrigerator until ready to use. When ready to eat, take a wrap and spread with 1-2 T hummus, top with veggies and 1/3 of the bean/tempeh mix. Roll up and serve.

Tempeh Buddha Bowl

• 1.5 blocks tempeh (diced into small cubes)
• 1-1/2 cups cooked quinoa
• 1-15 ounce can chickpeas (drained and rinsed)
• Veggies of choice, tahini dressing
• Makes 3 servings, each serving contains 571 calories, 38 g protein, 40 g carb, and 22 g fat.

Add 3 tablespoons of dressing to the bottom of a meal prep container. Top with 1/3 of each – tempeh, quinoa, and chickpeas. Add desired veggies to the top, cover and store in the refrigerator until ready to eat.

Sweet Potato and White Bean Burrito

• 1 cup white beans (drained and rinsed)
• 1 medium, sweet potato, roasted
• 1 Whole wheat tortilla (I like Ezekiel brand)
• 1/2 Avocado
• 2 T. salsa
• Makes 1 serving. Each serving contains 608 calories, 25 g protein, 74 g carb, 15.3 g fat.

When ready to eat, take a wrap and top with the beans, potato, avocado and salsa. Roll up and brown in a pan or serve cold.

Dinner Recipes

Quinoa Stuffed Peppers

• 1-1/2 cup cooked quinoa
• 1-15 ounce can black beans (drained and rinsed)
• 1 cup pea protein crumbles (dried)
• 1-15 ounce can diced tomatoes
• 3 Bell peppers, tops and seeds removed
• 1 diced onion
• 2 cloves minced garlic
• 1 cup salsa
• Seasonings of choice – salt, pepper, cumin, smoked paprika, etc.
• Makes 3 servings. Each serving contains 400 calories, 30 g protein, 45 g carb, and 4 g fat. To increase calories, top with avocado, vegan yogurt and/or side salad. You could also have a protein bar, vegan high protein yogurt with fruit for dessert to bump up the protein and total calories based on your individual needs.

Sauté the onion in a small amount of oil or veggie broth for 5-10 minutes, add in the garlic and cook for another 1-2 minutes. Next, add the diced tomatoes, pea protein crumbles and seasoning of choice. Bring to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes until crumbles are hydrated. Add in the beans and quinoa. Add broth or water if the mixture is too thick. Taste and adjust seasonings. Spread the salsa on the bottom of a small baking dish and add the peppers. Fill each pepper with the bean mixture and if you are meal prepping, you can store then in the fridge until ready to eat. To cook bake in the oven at 350 F for about 45-60 minutes.

Stir-fried Tofu with Broccoli and Rice

• 1 block firm tofu (marinated and cooked)
• 3 cups cooked broccoli (or other preferred veggies)
• 3 cup cooked brown rice (5g protein)
• Soy sauce, ginger, and garlic for seasoning
• Makes 3 servings, each serving contains 531 calories, 34 g protein, 56 g carb, 14 g fat.

Divide the tofu, broccoli, and rice between 3 meal prep containers. You can add minced ginger and garlic along with the broccoli for added flavor. When ready to eat, reheat and top with soy sauce or coconut aminos.

Vegan Spaghetti with Lentil Bolognese

• 1/2 cup cooked lentils
• 1 serving protein pasta (see package for exact amount, I like this brand)
• 1 cup Tomato sauce
• garlic, basil (optional)
• Makes 1 serving, each serving contains 364 calories, 37 g protein, 32 g carb, and 4.6 g fat. To increase calories, serve with bread, add veggies or a side salad, top with a few tablespoons of nutritional yeast or vegan parmesan.

In a sauce pot, combine the cooked lentils, tomato sauce, and optional garlic and basil. Gently heat on low. While that cooks, make your pasta according to package instructions. Drain the pasta when done and add to the tomato sauce. Serve immediately or store in the fridge until ready to use. Feel free to top with Nutrional yeast or vegan parmesan.

Snack Ideas:

• Edamame
• Hummus and veggie sticks
• Protein smoothie with plant-based protein powder
• Roasted chickpeas
• Almond butter on whole grain crackers, apples or on whole grain toast
• Protein bar
• Vegan Greek Yogurt topped with fruit or cereal. Add in PB powder or protein powder for extra protein.

Total macros for each day (without additions or snacks):

• Monday, Wednesday, and Friday
  • Calories: 1557
  • Protein: 109 g
  • Carbohydrate: 136 g
  • Fat: 44 g
• Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday
  • Calories: 1721
  • Protein: 109 g
  • Carbohydrate: 173 g
  • Fat: 49 g
• Sunday
  • Calories: 1533
  • Protein: 98 g
  • Carbohydrate: 169 g
  • Fat: 32.4 g

Grocery List for the Week

Produce Aisle

• 2-3 Avocados
• 1 container or bag of spinach (for tofu scramble, use extra in other dishes or as a side)
• 4 bell peppers
• 2 onions
• 1 small container of mixed greens (for wraps and to serve with meals)
• 1 cucumber
• Fresh ginger (about 2-3 inches)
• 1 head fresh garlic
• 1 sweet potato
• 3 bananas
• Veggies for Tempeh buddha bowl
• fruit for oats, snacks and with meals if desired
• 1 Lemon

Cooler Section

• 2 blocks Extra Firm Tofu
• 3 blocks Tempeh (8-ounce packages)
• 7 whole grain wraps (I recommend Ezekiel brand)
• 1 container of hummus
• 1 carton of soy or pea milk (unsweetened)

Freezer Aisle

• 1 large bag broccoli (3 cups)
• Frozen blueberries (3 cups)

Pantry items (middle aisles)

• 2 15-ounce can black beans or 1.5 cups homemade black beans
• 2 15 ounce can chickpeas (garbanzo beans) or 1.5 cups homemade beans
• 1 15-ounce can white beans or 1 cup homemade beans
• 1/2 cup canned cooked green lentils
• 1 box high protein pasta
• 1 jar tomato sauce
• 15-ounce can dice tomatoes
• 1 loaf of whole grain bread (if having toast with breakfast on Monday, Wednesday, Friday)
• Brown rice (will need enough to make 3 cups cooked)
• Quinoa (will need enough to make 3 cups cooked)
• Soy sauce (or coconut aminos) 5-6 Tablespoons
• Old fashioned oats (2.5 cups)
• Baking powder
• Protein powder, vanilla flavored
• Sugar
• Salt
• Flax meal
• Chia Seeds
• Tahini
• Maple syrup
• Pea protein crumbles (1 cup)
• Salsa and/or hot sauce
• Salt
• Garlic powder
• Onion powder
• Smoked paprika
• Nutritional yeast

Weekly Meal Prep Plan:

Prep Time: 2 hours

Tips for meal prepping:

• Marinate the tofu and tempeh the day before to enhance the flavor
• Feel free to cook your own beans instead of buying them already cooked and in the can. You can cook a big batch and freeze the leftovers.
• While the quinoa and rice are cooking you can cut veggies, prepare the tahini dressing and make the overnight oats and pancake mix.
• The tahini dressing will be used in the tempeh buddha bowls, feel free to use it as a topping to any of the other recipes for the week.
• Clean up as you go so you are not left with a huge mess at the end
• Make it fun and productive! Listen to a podcast or audiobook, talk with a friend or family member on the phone or get a group of friends together to meal prep together

Meal Prep Day:

• Marinate the tofu and tempeh the day before or for at least an hour before cooking. This will save time and enhance the flavor of the tofu and tempeh.
• Bake or air fry the tofu or tempeh along with the sweet potato
• Make your grains and lentils and beans (if using dried instead of canned)
  • Cook quinoa and brown rice according to package directions
• While the grains, tofu, tempeh and sweet potato are cooking, make your overnight oats, pancake mix and tahini dressing
• Cook your broccoli by steaming it on the stove top or in the microwave.
• Prepare the tofu scramble by sautéing the veggies and cooking the tofu per recipe instructions. Divide the mixture between 3 containers and place in the fridge. At this point you should have all of your breakfasts prepped.
• Prepare your stuffed peppers, while they bake, make the sauce and pasta for the lentil Bolognese.
• While the peppers bake and sauce simmers, chop veggies for your lunches, prepare your lunch recipes and store in the refrigerator.
• Once the stuffed peppers are done, finish preparing the dinner recipes and place them in storage containers in the refrigerator.

Monday – Friday:

• Each morning, grab a container of the breakfast option for the day. You can gently heat the tofu scramble in a pan on the stove and serve with avocado, hot sauce, toast or serve in a wrap. The overnight oats can be eaten warm or cold.
• Breakfast additions to increase the protein: Vegan Greek Yogurt, protein shake or smoothie, peanut butter powder mixed with water or regular peanut butter
• Breakfast additions to add additional calories: Fresh fruit or a smoothie, protein options as discussed above, you can also top the oats with some nut butter, fruit, nuts, hemp seeds or granola 
• Lunch recipes can be served hot or cold.

Tips for Variety:

• Switch up the veggies in your wraps and bowls to keep things interesting.
• Experiment with different marinades and seasonings for the tofu and tempeh.
• Add variety to your snacks by incorporating different fruits, nuts, and seeds throughout the week.
• Consider doubling the recipes if other family members will be eating the same as you and/or freezing portions for future weeks to save time on meal prep.

FAQ

Closing Remarks

These easy to prepare meals are not only flavorful but high in protein, plant-based and use minimal processed foods and ingredients. This meal plan is a great starting point to meal prep and including more plant-based foods into your diet. Feel free to customize this meal plan according to your preferences and nutritional needs. I hope you give it a try.

Leave me a message in the comments below if you have any questions or feedback. Feel free to share this guide with any friends or family you feel would benefit. Have a great week!