Plant Based Diet Archives - Curves Cardio And Cupcakes

March 14, 2020 by cardioandcupcakes

7 Cheap Plant Based Dinner Recipes For When You’re Broke

One of the most awesome things about a plant based diet is that you can eat frugally if you’re on a budget and still have amazing meals. I’ll admit I get caught up in all the fancy recipes with a ton of ingredients sometimes, but it is so easy to make delicious food without spending a fortune. I’ve put together some of my favorite cheap plant based dinner recipes when you’re broke or want to save money.

This post contains affiliate links. See my disclosure.

Is eating plant based expensive?

Eating a plant based diet is actually really cheap if you choose the right foods. There are plenty of plant based foods that you can eat on a tight budget and still have amazing meals. If you make the right choices you could actually eat a plant based diet for $50 a week or less.

If you have a store like Sprouts near you where you can buy foods in bulk, you’ll save even more money on your grocery bill. The great thing about buying this way is that you can buy the amount you need so you don’t have to spend extra money on a whole package of something if you only need a little.

Cheapest Plant Based Foods

There are so many cheap plant based foods that you can incorporate into your meals. Try making these the main part of your meal and add seasonings and veggies or fruit.

Rice
Oatmeal
Potatoes
Beans
Lentils
Pasta
Flour
Tofu
Tortillas
Corn
Bananas

7 Cheap Plant Based Dinner Recipes For When You’re Broke

These are some of my favorite budget friendly plant based dinner recipes when I need to save money on groceries.

The key to finding inexpensive plant based recipes is to look for ones that don’t have too many extra ingredients like unusual seasonings that you don’t already have or added store bought sauces. These things can really add up. If you do choose a recipe with a fancy seasoning that you don’t normally use, try to find other recipes with that same seasoning so you can be sure to use it up and not waste it.

VEGAN PASTA FAGIOLI by The Clean Eating Couple

This plant based dinner recipe is cheap to make and packed with flavor. I love making recipes that go a long way so you can stretch your dollars or feed a family on a budget and this one fits the bill.

15 MINUTE GARLIC FRIED NOODLES by Served From Scratch

This plant based noodle dish makes the perfect dinner on a budget if you add some broccoli or another veggie with it. This is one of my all time favorite vegan recipes. The texture of the rice noodles and the perfectly delicious sauce makes me feel like I’m eating take out. This recipe has only a few ingredients and is so simple to make.

GRILLED VEGGIE KABOBS by Simple Fit Vegan

I love making these vegetable skewers with a side of rice for a cheap and delicious plant based dinner on a budget. I use whatever veggies are on sale for the week to save some extra money on this meal.

MEXICAN HASHBROWN SLIDERS by Great Grub Delicious Treats

Oh my goodness! This cheap plant based dinner recipe is perfect for when you’re broke. It’s only a few simple ingredients and yummy! I like it with refried beans instead of pinto beans too. So good!

GARLIC TOFU BROCCOLI SKILLET by Build Your Bite

This cheap plant based dinner recipe is so easy to make and so good! I love using tofu because it is so inexpensive and adds protein to your dish. It’s also awesome because it absorbs the flavors of whatever seasonings or sauce you put on it so it can be really flavorful. I love the tip that she gives in this recipe to make the tofu crispy.

FRESH TOMATO AND ARTICHOKE PASTA by Another Music In A Different Kitchen

I love that this plant based dinner recipe only has 7 ingredients which makes it an excellent option when you’re trying to eat plant based on a budget. The basil, tomatoes and artichokes pack this dish with flavor and texture and it’s great to feed a family.

VEGAN MASHED POTATO BOWLS by Rabbit and Wolves

This recipe has a few more ingredients than most on this list, but most of them you probably have in your pantry already. This is plant based comfort food at its finest! I love mashed potatoes and they’re so great for eating plant based on a budget because they go with so many things and stretch a long way. These plant based mashed potato bowls have potatoes, veggies and tofu for a complete meal that’s super delicious.

Now you have an entire week’s worth of plant based dinner ideas to make if you’re on a budget or trying to save money. You won’t be disappointed with these recipes! You’ll have a variety of different foods and still be able to make dinner on the cheap.

If you haven’t seen this cookbook of frugal vegan recipes, you’re going to love it! It makes eating plant based affordably so easy. The thing I like most about it is that it doesn’t use a lot of unusual ingredients that you have to go searching for and spend a ton of money on. It’s mostly ingredients that you can find anywhere. The recipes are simple and easy to make. Be sure to try the vegan quesadilla!

Other plant based posts you might like:

March 8, 2020 by cardioandcupcakes

Tips For Eating Vegan When You Can’t Cook (But Still Want Delicious Food)

If you’ve just started eating a plant based diet or you’ve been following a vegan diet for a long time, but you either hate to cook or just don’t have time, I have some tips for eating vegan when you can’t cook, but still want delicious food.

Vegan food can be so amazing, but if you don’t find good recipes and make different dishes, it can get super boring in a hurry. You start to feel like you’re eating the same things over and over. And you’re so tired of trying to throw together a few things and make it taste decent.

Luckily there are some easy ways you can have mouthwatering food and still eat vegan.

Tips For Eating Vegan When You Can’t Cook, But Still Want Delicious Food

This post contains affiliate links. See my disclosure.

Get already prepared vegan food delivered to your door.

If you really hate to cook or you just have no time at all to cook, this might be the best option for you. I’m kind of obsessed with this vegan meal delivery service because they have so many options to choose from. They even have a meal plan for blood sugar control and also a vegan low carb meal plan! This isn’t like eating gross frozen meals either. This is freshly prepared food made just for us vegans!

They also can make any of their dishes gluten free. The meals are actually healthy and non-GMO so you don’t have to worry that you’re eating a bunch of garbage and chemicals. And nutrition information is available for all the meals so you can track calories or carbs easily. This is literally the easiest way to eat vegan without cooking and still have healthy delicious food to eat.

The thing I love most about this is that you don’t have to run out to get food every time you want to eat and all you have to do is heat it up. So there’s no prep work, cutting ingredients, or actual cooking involved. Use the code Share20 to get $20 off your first order!

Use these simple and quick meal ideas to make an easy delicious vegan meal with very little cooking.

One really easy thing I like to make is baked potatoes in the microwave.

I have this handy little pouch to put them in that keeps them from drying out and they cook perfectly. I like to put on a little vegan butter (Miyoko’s is my favorite), this vegan bacon seasoning, a little vegan cheese and vegan sour cream. I usually microwave some frozen mixed vegetables to make it a meal. This meal is all done in the microwave and takes about 5 minutes. And it tastes like a baked potato you’d get in a restaurant.

Another quick and easy meal I like to make that doesn’t take much cooking is nachos.

Grab some organic tortilla chips, a can of refried beans, vegan cheddar cheese, sliced black olives, frozen corn, salsa, vegan sour cream, and canned or frozen green chiles. Layer it all on a baking sheet (except the salsa and sour cream) and put it in the oven for a few minutes to melt the cheese.

You could also put all the ingredients you want to warm in a bowl and microwave for a few minutes to make this even easier to make and then scoop it out with the chips. Microwaved chips can get chewy so I don’t recommend microwaving your tortilla chips. Super simple, filling and delicious!

You can also use the above nacho ingredients to make a tasty vegan burrito or taco.

Just microwave your warm ingredients and put them in a tortilla or taco shell. You can also grab a bag of shredded lettuce from the produce section and add some of that.

Frozen hashbrowns are another simple thing to make.

These are traditionally made in a skillet, but if you want to save yourself the hassle of cooking them that way, you can lay them out on a baking sheet and sprinkle with salt, pepper, garlic powder and onion powder and bake on 375 for about 20-25 minutes or if you have an air fryer (if you don’t, I highly recommend getting one!) you can cook them in there for 12 to 15 minutes and they get nice and crispy. I love to make loaded hashbrowns by adding the toppings I use on nachos over my cooked hashbrowns. Yummy!

A quick and easy breakfast food I love is oatmeal with peanut butter and vegan chocolate chips.

You can use instant oatmeal to make this easier, but I usually use steel cut oats because I like the texture of them. After your oats are cooked, mix in a little brown sugar, and add a spoonful of peanut butter and vegan chocolate chips on top. I like the peanut butter on top so I can take a little bit with each bite, but you could mix it into the oatmeal if you like it better that way.

This makes an awesome snack too! I always make extra oatmeal so I can throw this together any time in a hurry.

Beyond Meat has some delicious meat replacements.

I like to put the Beyond Burgers in my air fryer for 4 minutes on each side and have it on a whole wheat bun with vegan mayo, ketchup, lettuce, onion, pickle and tomato. Tastes just like a restaurant burger.

The Beyond Meat sausages are good too. You can throw a couple of Beyond Meat Italian sausages in the air fryer and add to cooked spaghetti with your favorite vegan jar marinara sauce. This microwave pasta cooker makes cooking spaghetti or any pasta so much faster and easier. You don’t have to wait for the water to boil. Just put the pasta and water in the cooker and put it in the microwave. So simple!

Go out to eat for some of your meals.

Going out to eat can be a challenge too though depending where you live and if you feel like running out every time you want to eat.

Where I live there are only a handful of vegan restaurants and I only really love two of them. So that limits my options.

Some of the chain restaurants have veggie burgers, the Impossible Burger, or salads that are vegan. I kind of find it a pain to eat in restaurants that aren’t only vegan because I have to make sure that everything they put on the dish is actually vegan and if it’s a veggie burger, they’re most likely cooking it on the grill with regular meat. And I have to go out to get the food which is a pain unless I’m already out.

Plus restaurant food tends to have way more calories and be less healthy usually. So I don’t think this is the best option, but it works for some of the time.

Look up some really easy vegan recipes on Pinterest.

You could try looking up very simple vegan recipes. The best place to do this is Pinterest. Look up 3 or 4 ingredient vegan dinners, vegan dorm room recipes (these are usually really simple and take very little cooking) or something along those lines and you will find some really easy recipes. Of course, you still have to cook them, but at least they’ll be simple and quick to make.

Other posts you might like:

February 29, 2020 by cardioandcupcakes

Bored With Vegan Diet Food? (Try This One Thing To Love Eating Again)

I never in my wildest dreams imagined I’d be vegan. I always felt like I needed to eat meat or I’d feel terrible or that I’d crave meat. So it was quite a surprise when one day I decided I would try a vegan diet. But what would I eat?!

This post contains affiliate links. See my disclosure.

Why it’s easy to get bored with vegan diet food

So many people get bored of vegan food because they try to just throw things together.

There are only so many things you can put together without knowing how to use seasonings and what exactly to put together. I tried throwing some items from my fridge and pantry together to make something, but I got bored of those vegan foods so fast because I was eating the same things over and over again and they were pretty bland.

There aren’t that many restaurants that have a lot of vegan options.

I love going to vegan restaurants, but I live in the Albuquerque, New Mexico area and there are only a few totally vegan restaurants near me. It seems like most of the “regular” restaurants only have a veggie burger or some other lame option for me to eat. I get completely bored with eating a vegan burger at every restaurant. If you do live in the Albuquerque area, check out Thai Vegan restaurant. You won’t be disappointed! Wanderlust Vegan Eatery is really good too!

How to stop being bored with vegan diet food and love eating again!

Here’s my one solution to this problem of being bored with vegan food, use recipes. I know it sounds too simple, but oh my goodness I can’t tell you how much I love vegan food now that I’ve been making new recipes and repeating my favorites that I’ve found.

I’ve always loved to cook. So I set out to find some vegan recipes that sounded good. It seemed like so many of the recipes had beans or lentils, both of which I am not crazy about. I was worried that I wouldn’t be able to stick with being vegan and I would get bored with vegan diet food if I was going to be forced to eat those two things at every meal.

Once I started trying some recipes, I realized that I actually enjoy vegan food so much more than I liked food when I used to eat meat. Here’s the thing though, you have to try recipes. I know, you might be thinking that you don’t know how to cook or you don’t like to cook. If you want to have vegan food that tastes good, you’re going to want to follow a recipe.

Following a recipe is so simple. If you can read, you can follow a recipe. If you don’t know how to cook, find your recipes on YouTube on video so you can see exactly how it is cooked. Once you’ve tried some recipes, you’ll probably come up with ideas of substitutions you can make or ways you can change the recipe to make it better.

Where to find the best flavorful and delicious vegan recipes so you won’t be bored with vegan diet food

Try searching on Google or Pinterest for vegan versions of your favorite comfort foods. There’s a vegan version of just about anything you can think of even if it’s typically a meat based dish.

If you want some super flavorful vegan recipes that are healthy, we received this book for Christmas and I can’t believe how amazing the recipes are! I always have a hard time finding vegan breakfast foods that aren’t boring and the tofu scramble recipe in this book is so freaking good! I make hashbrowns to go with it and put it in a burrito. Yum!

I have lots of Pinterest boards with tons of awesome vegan recipes that you won’t get bored with. So be sure to follow me over on Pinterest!

I’ve also made a few posts that are compilations of my very favorite vegan recipes that I’ve tried that definitely are not boring if you don’t want to spend your time searching for tasty vegan recipes on the internet.

The Best Vegan Dinner Recipes I’ve Made

10 Vegan Cold Packed Lunch Ideas To Take To Work Or School

Make Ahead Breakfasts You’ll Look Forward To Eating

Vegan seasoning ideas to spice up your boring vegan food and make it flavorful and delicious

With the internet at your fingertips at all times, there is really no reason to be bored with vegan food. Good vegan food is all in the seasoning. Learn how to season things and you can make vegan food that is far from boring so easily.

Here are a few seasoning ideas for vegan food:

Seasoning for hashbrowns: garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt, and black pepper

Seasoning for french fries: seasoned salt, garlic powder, onion powder

Simple taco seasoning (put on potatoes or tofu): chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, black pepper

This bacon flavored seasoning is awesome on just about everything. And it’s vegan! I love it on baked potatoes with a little vegan butter. Put it on popcorn, veggies, pasta, rice. You name it, it’s good on there.

Start trying new recipes and seasoning your food to make it more exciting and I promise you’ll never be bored with vegan food again.

Other posts you might like:

February 22, 2020 by cardioandcupcakes

10 Simple Make Ahead Vegan Breakfast Ideas (That Taste Delicious!)

What can vegans eat for breakfast?

When I first started eating vegan, I wasn’t quite sure what to eat for breakfast. I was worried that tofu would be too weird for me and I was skeptical about plant-based meat substitutes. After experimenting with some things, I realized that vegans can eat just about any breakfast food. You just have to find a copycat recipe of a traditional breakfast food that’s vegan or plant based. These simple make ahead vegan breakfast ideas will make it so easy to find something you love to eat every morning if you’re short on time. I love tofu as an egg replacement and some of the plant-based breakfast meat replacements are good. You have to try a few to find one you love.

How do vegans meal prep breakfast for the week?

Vegan meal prep is just as easy if not easier than traditional meal prep. Cutting up veggies and fruits ahead of time and having them ready to use in recipes for the week is super simple. This makes it easy to throw together your breakfast in a hurry. Simple make ahead recipes that can be reheated make it really easy to have tasty food ready when you’re on the go. You can just reheat and eat.

This post contains affiliate links. See my disclosure.

10 Simple Make Ahead Vegan Breakfast Ideas (That Taste Delicious!)

I’ve tried all of these recipes and can tell you these make ahead vegan recipes are amazing and taste delicious! You won’t be disappointed. I’ve included some notes about small changes I may have made or ways you can tweak them to your taste. I hope you love them as much as I do!

Breakfast Hash From Karissa’s Vegan Kitchen

This is one of the very first plant based recipes I ever tried when I started eating a vegan diet and it’s really good and easy to make. I love that everything gets cooked in the oven so I don’t have to stand over the stove while it’s cooking. This makes it really simple to get it in the oven and then get ready for work or do other things that need to be done if you want to make it the day of, but it reheats perfectly which makes it a perfect make ahead vegan breakfast recipe if you want to meal prep on the weekend. Sometimes if I’m extra lazy, I use frozen hashbrowns instead of cutting up my own potatoes. If you don’t like beans you can leave those out and add more veggies.

Plant Based Tofu Scramble From Elephantastic Vegan

Tofu is the perfect texture to replace eggs. This breakfast recipe is simple and quick to make and you can put it in a burrito with hashbrowns, eat it with pancakes, or add some veggies. It’s so versatile. Did you know you can make tofu taste just like eggs?! All you have to do is add kala namak. It’s an Indian salt that has an egg flavor. This vegan breakfast idea is awesome for a school or work morning because it only takes a few minutes to make, but it’s a great make ahead vegan breakfast because it will taste exactly the same when you reheat it.

Plant Based Loaded Hashbrowns From One Bite Vegan

This is one of my favorite vegan hashbrown recipes. It has quite a few ingredients, but what I love about it is all of the ingredients can be prepped ahead of time and reheated for breakfast during the busy work week. I love the recipe just as it is, but it’s also awesome with just about any veggies you have on hand. If you’re feeling lazy and don’t want to make the sauce, you could replace it with vegan cheese (my favorite is Violife). I also love it with white gravy!

Plant Based Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Oatmeal

This isn’t a recipe technically, just something I made up and eat at least a couple of times a week because who doesn’t love chocolate for breakfast?! I make steel cut oats, but you can use any oatmeal you like. Steel cut oats are my favorite because I can’t stand mushy oatmeal. The texture of steel cut reminds me more of rice than oatmeal. I usually make enough ahead to last me at least for a few breakfasts so I don’t have to cook it every day. I add a little brown sugar to my oatmeal and mix it around. Then I put a spoonful of peanut butter on top (I don’t mix it in because I like the texture of the peanut butter in each bite) and sprinkle on some vegan chocolate chips. Then make sure you get a little peanut butter and a little chocolate in each bite. It’s so freaking good! You have to try it! Sorry I don’t have a photo of this one 🙁

Vegan Biscuits and Gravy From Mile High Dreamers

This breakfast recipe takes a little extra time because of the biscuits, but you can make them ahead and reheat them. The real reason I put this recipe here though is the gravy! I put this gravy on EVERYTHING! I use it on the loaded hashbrown recipe above or just plain hashbrowns. It’s so good! It tastes amazing on mashed potatoes for dinner too. The gravy only takes a few minutes to whip up and it can be reheated. If the gravy gets too thick when reheating, just add a little more almond milk to thin it out a bit.

Vegan Potato and Chorizo Tacos from Dora’s Table

This plant based breakfast recipe is super simple especially if you use store bought vegan chorizo. You can use frozen hashbrowns to make it even easier if you don’t want to do all the dicing yourself. It’s so good and can be made ahead on your weekly meal prep day and reheated for a vegan breakfast in a hurry.

Plant Based Tofu Breakfast Sandwich From Plant. Well

This vegan breakfast sandwich is SO SO GOOD! The tofu has a smoky flavor and the everything bagel just makes it perfection. I wouldn’t make the whole sandwich ahead of time if you want your tofu to be crispy. I reheat the tofu separately and then put the sandwich together when I want to eat it. It doesn’t take more than a couple of minutes. To reheat the tofu, I throw mine in my air fryer so it still has the crispy texture on the outside. I’m super obsessed with my air fryer. I cook so many foods and use it to reheat foods that I want to be crispy. If you don’t have one, but are thinking of getting one, my biggest piece of advice would be to not get a small one. Some of them are tiny and barely fit anything. I would go with at least a 6 quart one.

Vegan Sheet Pan Pancakes From Ela Vegan

I love this prep ahead breakfast recipe because you just mix it up and put it in the oven and do something else while it bakes. It doesn’t have too many ingredients and you can feed the whole family with it. They’re also made with rice flour for those who can’t eat gluten. It’s also a perfect make ahead vegan recipe for when you’re short on time and can heat up when you’re in a hurry.

Vegan Breakfast Casserole By From My Bowl

This vegan breakfast casserole recipe is simple to put together. It does take about 45 minutes in the oven so you have to plan ahead a little, but it’s delicious reheated so you can make it ahead or take advantage of the 45 minutes while it’s baking to get ready for work. Veggies, tofu eggs and hashbrowns all combined together for a hearty simple plant based breakfast to start your day. You can use any veggies you like in this recipe and it will turn out delicious!

Vegan Egg Muffins From Okonomi Kitchen

These little vegan “egg” muffins are the perfect handheld breakfast if you need to reheat them and eat in the car. These are like little quiches filled with veggies. They reheat really well so they’re an awesome make ahead breakfast idea for on the go.

I hope you enjoy these make ahead vegan breakfast ideas. Be sure to check out my other favorite vegan recipe posts!

February 16, 2020 by cardioandcupcakes

How To Become Vegan (Step By Step Guide)

Becoming vegan is a lot easier than most people think. You just have to know the foods that vegans can and can’t eat and how to incorporate veganism into your lifestyle. In this step by step guide to become vegan, I’ll show you what foods to eat and avoid, and how to transition into being a vegan as well as how to make it a healthy lifestyle where you can lose weight (if you want to) and how to save money on your grocery bill with a plant based diet.

What does it mean to be vegan?

Being vegan is actually a simple concept. Vegans don’t eat or use anything that is made from animal products.

The definition is simple, but animal products can be hidden in things you never would imagine. You have to check the labels on everything to be sure it doesn’t contain anything you want to avoid.

This post contains affiliate links. See my disclosure.

Step By Step Guide To Become Vegan

Get your mindset right.

If this is a choice you’re making to start eating a plant based diet, then mindset won’t be too difficult. Keep in mind the reasons why you want to be vegan. When I started a plant based diet it was because I wanted to see if it could help my health issues. Once I started eating vegan it became about so much more than that. My compassion for animals and our environment became a huge factor in why I continued on eating this way.

I recommend watching Forks Over Knives and What The Health on Netflix if you haven’t. Those will help you get your head in the game and FYI they don’t show a bunch of animal abuse in these two movies. I was nervous to watch because of that. I can’t handle seeing that kind of thing. They touch on the subject, but it’s super brief and they don’t try to scar you for life.

Fill your pantry and refrigerator with vegan foods.

What can vegans eat?

Foods that are vegan:

Rice, potatoes, sweet potatoes, corn, vegetables, fruits, nuts, quinoa, beans, lentils, coconut milk, tofu, pasta (check to be sure it doesn’t contain eggs),vegan cheese (my favorite is Violife), meat replacements (Beyond Meat burgers are so similar to the real thing you won’t know the difference), vegan butter (my favorite is Miyokos).

What can vegans not eat?

Foods that are not vegan:

meat, milk, butter, honey, white sugar (unless it’s organic), some food coloring, eggs, gelatin, some beer and wine, whey

Be sure to check the ingredients on packaged items. A lot of these foods have sneaky items like milk or butter in them.

Is a vegan lifestyle healthy?

The thing to remember here is that vegan foods can also be junk food. Choosing whole, unprocessed foods is always best if you want to stay healthy.

Another thing to consider in the very beginning of becoming vegan is that eating a lot of fiber is going to cause you to be gassy and poop more. You may want to pay attention to how much fiber you’re eating in a day if you start to have these issues and ease into adding a little more at a time. It’s not a pretty topic but I wish someone had told me this when I was first starting.

Is being vegan expensive?

The cost of being vegan really depends on you and what you choose to eat. If you buy a lot of meat replacements, cheese replacements, etc. your cost will be a lot higher since these items tend to be pretty pricey. Stick to the whole foods and tofu if you want to keep your grocery bill lower.

Can you become vegan overnight?

You absolutely can. It depends on whether you’re committed to becoming vegan and how your body reacts. I always try to listen to my body. If you’re craving meat in the beginning, it’s ok to listen to that and incorporate a little until your body adjusts. Take a good multivitamin to be sure you’re getting all the nutrients you need.

How to transition into a vegan diet

If you’re worried that you won’t be able to go without animal products every single day, you can transition into it. Try buying enough meat to make two dinner dishes for the week. This way if you feel you just can’t do it, you have a backup plan.

I was really skeptical when I started eating plant based. I didn’t think I was going to be able to go without meat. When I went grocery shopping for the week, I picked up a couple of packages of meat to make for dinner just in case I couldn’t hang with eating vegan all week. I was so surprised when I didn’t have any desire to have meat at all that week and I’ve never eaten meat again since then.

It may not be that easy for everyone, so prepare by having some meat on hand. If you don’t end up eating it, you can give it to a family member or feed it to your dogs.

How can vegans lose weight?

If you’re wanting to lose weight on a vegan diet, I highly recommend this book that takes a starch based approach to plant based weight loss. It’s really simple to follow and how I lost 16 pounds in the first few weeks. Basically avoiding junk food and extra fat are the keys to how vegans can lose weight.

Find delicious vegan recipes to make.

This is key to succeeding on a plant based diet! If you’re just eating bland food, it’s going to be so hard to stick to eating vegan. There are so many delicious recipes that are copies of your favorite foods, but without the animal products.

Here are 10 of my favorite plant based dinner recipes and 10 vegan cold lunch recipes that are perfect for work or school.

My sister gave us this plant based recipe book for Christmas and the food is so delicious! I love their style too. It’s pretty hilarious if you aren’t easily offended.

Even if you aren’t experienced in cooking, try following some recipes. Honestly, if you can read, you can follow a recipe. There are some techniques that you may not understand at first, but a simple Google search will tell you what it means.

What are the benefits of becoming vegan?

I think once you become vegan, you’re going to love it so much you’ll never want to go back to eating animal products. A few of the things I experienced within the first few weeks were more energy, I lost 16 pounds, and I felt more aligned with my values. I love animals and always tried not to think about the fact that I was eating creatures that were so special to me. Becoming vegan has changed my life so much and I’m sure it’s going to do the same for you.

Vegan Easter Basket Ideas (That Are Unique and Awesome!)

If you’re making an Easter basket for a vegan friend or family member and want it to be awesome and knock their socks off, you definitely want to check out these unique vegan Easter basket ideas that are sure to impress.

What do you put in a vegan Easter basket?

This can vary depending on who the vegan Easter basket is for and what they like, of course, but there are lots of vegan plant based Easter treats that will make your Easter basket extra special.

This post contains affiliate links. See my disclosure here.

What Easter candy is vegan?

There are a few vegan options in your grocery store Easter candy aisle. Sour Patch Bunnies, Sweet Tarts and Skittles are vegan. Aside from that, it’s a challenge to find vegan Easter candy in stores. I’ve listed below some of the best vegan candies that will make your vegan Easter basket extra awesome.

Vegan Easter Candy

Vegan Chocolate Eggs Filled With Candy Like M&Ms and Peanut Butter Cups

These egg shaped containers are filled with chocolate candies reminiscent of traditional favorites. These are such cute chocolate treats to add to a vegan Easter basket.

Vegan Chocolate Easter Bunny

Every Easter basket has to have a chocolate bunny! This milkless chocolate Easter bunny looks and tastes just like the traditional ones, but it’s vegan.

Vegan Easter Lollipops

These vegan Easter lollipops are so cute! I loved white chocolate as a kid and it’s challenging to find white chocolate that’s vegan since it’s typically made from milk. These will be a cute and yummy addition to your vegan Easter basket.

Vegan Chocolate Truffles

Who doesn’t love truffles?! These vegan chocolate truffles come in different yummy flavors to tempt your taste buds and are an elegant touch to a vegan Easter basket for an adult.

Vegan Coconut Milk Caramels

Caramel is my favorite candy (after chocolate 🙂 ). I was so happy to find these coconut milk caramels. I love that they’re individually wrapped so you can put them in more than one Easter basket.

Vegan Bunny Treat Bag

This could be a vegan Easter basket idea on its own. The adorable bunny bag is filled with vegan fruity and chocolate sweet treats. It would look adorable inside an Easter basket or as a gift basket on its own.

Vegan Jelly Beans

Vegan jelly beans can be difficult to come by. Most of them use beeswax and shellac (which is made from beetles) to make them shiny. I was so happy to find these sour jelly beans that are vegan and don’t have a bunch of junk ingredients like high fructose corn syrup and artificial colors.

Vegan Gummy Bunny Snacks

Vegan gummy candies are also hard to come by since many of them contain gelatin. These fruit snacks are a great alternative and are even colored with natural colors instead of artificial. The brand’s logo is a bunny making them perfect for a vegan Easter basket treat.

Vegan Baked Goods For A Plant Based Easter Basket

Vegan Cookies

Cookies! This brand, Enjoy Life, makes my favorite chocolate chips and these vegan soft baked cookies do not disappoint.

Vegan Brownies

These vegan brownies are perfect for Easter baskets because they come in twin packs. This brand also has other flavors of baked goods in this listing like blueberry fig bar. So yummy!

Vegan Cake Mix

If your gift basket is going to someone who likes to bake, this vegan cake mix is the perfect gift. Pair it with the hazelnut spread below as a frosting for a drool worthy gift idea.

Vegan Spreads

Vegan Hazelnut Spread

This hazelnut spread is a great alternative to Nutella (which is not vegan). I also love that it’s sugar free too! It would make a great frosting for the cake mix above.

Vegan Cookie Butter and Dipping Sticks

You have no idea how excited I was to find out that Biscoff cookie butter is vegan! These cute snack packs of cookie butter and dipping sticks are a perfect vegan Easter basket stuffer. If you haven’t tasted this stuff, you’ve got to! Non-vegans will love them too!

What do vegans get for Easter besides candy and sweets?

Vegan Easter Basket Savory Snacks

You can put popcorn in a vegan Easter basket. Just be sure it doesn’t have butter, cheese, caramel flavor as these usually contain milk products. Check the label.

Potato chips that are plain or bbq flavor are usually vegan. Again, check the label to be sure. Lays plain potato chips are vegan.

Nuts and seeds are all vegan. If you can find a trail mix that is just nuts and dried fruit without any chocolate, that’s also a good option.

Fruit or applesauce cups are a healthy idea for a vegan Easter basket.

Some crackers that don’t have flavoring are vegan. Check the label to make sure there are no milk or animal products in them.

Non-Food Vegan Easter Basket Ideas

Funny Vegan T-Shirt

This shirt will make any vegan laugh. We’ve all been asked at least a few of these questions if not all of them. If you want to put a smile on their face, this is the Easter basket idea to do just that. It comes in men’s, women’s and youth. So it’s perfect for anyone.

Thug Kitchen Cookbook

My sister got us this recipe book as a gift and the recipes are so delicious! I’ve always loved to cook, but when I started eating a plant based diet, I found it even more fun to find new foods and recipes that are super tasty. There are cuss words in this book. So if your gift recipient is easily offended, this may not be right for them, but I find it hilarious. The recipes are easy to make and flavorful and the way they’re presented is entertaining. It’s a great addition to a vegan Easter basket for someone who enjoys cooking and trying new foods.

Ella + Mila Cruelty Free Nail Polish

This cruelty free nail polish is perfect to add to an Easter basket for a woman, teen or little girl.

Unicorn Snot Glitter Lip Gloss

Unicorn Snot glitter lip gloss is the perfect cruelty free beauty product to add to a vegan Easter basket. Whoever receives it will get a kick out of the name too!

Bulldog Skincare Set For Men

Bulldog skincare is an awesome idea for an Easter basket for a man. The brand is committed to cruelty free skincare are hair care making it the perfect vegan Easter basket stuffer.

Essential Oils Gift Set

An essential oils set is a great idea to add to a vegan Easter basket for men or women. This set is a good basic starter for someone just getting into essential oils to try. Lavender oil is my favorite because it’s helps with relaxation and sleep. I love tea tree oil for its healing properties. Orange and lemongrass both smell AMAZING!

Where to buy a vegan Easter basket?

If you’re not up for putting together your own, you can find vegan Easter baskets on Amazon. I love that they come with a variety of vegan snacks and sweet treats.

Here are a couple of my favorites.

Vegan Snacks Assortment

This is a great way for vegans to find some new brands and sample lots of different products and you get to be the star who introduced them to these amazing things! It comes in a gift box so there’s no need to buy a basket. Just use the box as your basket.

Dried Fruit Easter Basket

This dried fruit comes with a container that can be used as a basket or tray and is a cute design that can be used all year, not just at Easter. This is a healthy alternative to a traditional Easter basket for vegans.

As you can see, it’s not so difficult to make an amazing vegan Easter basket. There are a lot of fun things to put in one to make it unique and awesome.

Happy Easter!

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January 26, 2020 by cardioandcupcakes

10 Easy Vegan Cold Packed Lunch Ideas For Work

When you’re first starting a vegan diet it can seem difficult to figure out what to take to work for lunch, especially if you don’t have a way to heat up your food. We had this same problem finding vegan lunchbox ideas for my boyfriend when we first started on a plant based diet. After a lot of searching I found some easy vegan cold packed lunch ideas for work and put them together here for you so you don’t have to search everywhere like I did.

I have tried all of these vegan cold lunch recipes and we both absolutely love them. So this is my list of the best vegan cold lunch recipes I’ve tried so far. One thing I really love about these recipes is that the amounts are enough that you can make the recipe on Sunday and you’ll have enough for the whole week.

What Can A Vegan Have For Lunch?

There are actually quite a few things that are perfect for a vegan lunch. Plant based wraps, vegan potato salad, vegan tortilla pinwheels, salad and pasta salad are a few of my go-to vegan cold lunch ideas.

These vegan lunches are perfect if you are eating plant based on a budget because they really stretch and the ingredients are cheap. They’re also perfect for meal prep.

The Best Easy Vegan Cold Packed Lunch Ideas For Work

Vegan Bok Choy Salad

This vegan bok choy salad is perfect for a packed lunch for work because you can toss it all together and it doesn’t really get soggy. I really like it because it’s different from the traditional salad that I would put together myself. It has a ton of texture and crunch! Recipe by Eat Healthy Eat Happy.

Vegan Buffalo Ranch Pasta Salad

I happen to love buffalo sauce so this recipe was right up my alley. It has all the flavors of buffalo wings and just the right textures and crunch. The recipe uses silken tofu and vegan mayo for the creamy sauce and it’s so delicious! It makes a great vegan lunchbox meal because it tastes amazing cold or room temperature. Recipe by Vegan Travel Eats.

Vegan Green Goddess Pasta Salad

Green goddess is one of my favorite dressings so this vegan pasta salad really hit the spot for me. I think you’ll love the flavors! And the bell peppers, carrots, and tomatoes go perfectly in this recipe. Recipe by Monkey and Me Kitchen Adventures.

Vegan Thai Noodle Salad

This plant based cold lunch recipe is one of my most favorite from this list. The peanut sauce is amazing! And it has lots of crunchy textures to complement the noodles. So so good! Recipe by Feasting At Home.

Vegan Street Corn Pasta Salad

This vegan pasta salad is crazy good! I couldn’t find vegan parmesan so I just left it off and it was still amazing. The sweet corn with the other veggies and flavors in this recipe make you want to dive into the whole bowl of this stuff. Recipe by Sweet Simple Vegan.

Sunomono Japanese Cucumber Salad

This one may not be filling enough for a complete lunch, but it’s a really simple and easy recipe that you could eat as a side dish for lunch. It only has a few ingredients and takes a few minutes to make. Plus it’s super delicious and a great way to get more veggies in! Recipe by Tiny Kitchen Cuisine

Vegan Tofu Caesar Wraps

These wraps are really easy to make and so good! It’s the perfect cold lunch on the go since it’s handheld. I have made them exactly with the recipe and I’ve also used different dressings like vegan ranch and vegan green goddess to change up the flavor. The crispy tofu in this recipe is so versatile you can use it in tons of other recipes too. Recipe by It Doesn’t Taste Like Chicken.

Vegan Spinach Artichoke Pizza

This vegan pizza is so freaking yummy! I usually make two pizzas so we have one to eat hot for dinner and then the second one we eat cold for lunch. I love that it’s delicious hot or cold which makes it awesome to take to work or school for lunch. Recipe by This Savory Vegan.

Vegan Dill Potato Salad

Ok so this recipe is not actually vegan, but I adapted it to make it vegan by making two simple changes. I used vegan mayo and tofu sour cream. I found both of those items at Sprouts and Whole Foods. I absolutely love dill potato salad, but I didn’t find any vegan recipes for it that looked like exactly what I wanted. So I decided to use this one and make those two changes and it turned out perfect! Recipe by Spend With Pennies.

Vegan Pinwheels

You’ve probably had something similar to this at a party sometime. These are a really great vegan lunch for on the go because you can pick them up and pop them in your mouth. This recipe is amazing! You can also play around with adding different seasonings and veggies to change it up. Recipe by Simple Vegan Blog.

I hope you love these easy vegan cold lunch ideas for work! These are my favorites and I hope they’ll be some of your favorite go-to lunch recipes too.

Stuck At A Weight Loss Plateau On A Plant Based Diet?

Starting a plant based diet journey is fun and rewarding in so many ways, but when you find yourself stuck at a weight loss plateau on a plant based diet, you might start to feel frustrated with your new vegan lifestyle especially if your main reason for doing it was to lose weight. I’ll share with you the most common problems that creep up and cause your weight loss to stop.

Things That Cause A Weight Loss Plateau On A Plant Based Diet

This post contains affiliate links. Please see my disclosure for details.

Eating too many processed meat and cheese replacements can cause a weight loss stall.

It’s easy to get carried away with processed foods when you see in the grocery store that they have a vegan replacement for just about every meat and cheese product. Unfortunately, these items have a lot of extra stuff in them. Many of the meat substitutes are high in fat and calories. Stick to the basics of whole foods while you’re trying to lose weight. If you need some whole food plant based recipe inspiration, check out this book of quick and easy plant based recipes.

Eating added oils and fats on a vegan diet can get you stuck at a weight loss plateau

A low fat plant based diet will help you bust through a weight loss plateau on your plant based diet. Check labels of everything you eat to see the fat content. Instead of using oil to saute veggies, use vegetable broth. If you need some guidelines for changing your vegan diet to low fat, this book is what I follow and will help you break your weight loss stall.

Eating too much sugar can stop weight loss on a plant based diet

If you’re adding sugar, coconut sugar, agave and maple syrup to things on a regular basis, you might be eating too much sugar in your plant based diet. A little bit is ok, but if you think you might be going overboard, cut back on your sugar intake and see if it makes a difference in your weight loss efforts.

Eating a lot of bread and processed flour foods instead of whole foods can halt your weight loss

If you’re eating bread items and cereals, this might be the culprit causing your weight loss stall. Try limiting the amount of processed carbs and stick to whole foods like brown rice, potatoes and oats to break your weight loss plateau.

Eating in restaurants too often can add up in calories and keep you stuck in your weight loss efforts.

I love eating in restaurants, but when you see the amount of calories and fat some of the dishes have in them, it’s crazy. At one restaurant I went to, just a veggie burger had over 1,100 calories! I don’t count calories or recommend counting calories, but I’m also realistic and know that they do matter somewhat in weight loss. Eating almost a day’s worth of calories in one burger can’t be a good thing. Try to limit eating in restaurants to once a week or less to get over your weight loss plateau on a plant based diet.

Holding on to stress and anger can cause your body to stop losing weight.

Mindset can be a huge factor in a weight loss stall. I developed a method to release the anger and frustration at yourself and your body around weight loss and health so you can start living healthily and lose the weight easily. It’s truly freeing and will leave you feeling lighter and less stressed.

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August 15, 2019 by cardioandcupcakes

How To Start A Plant Based Diet For Weight Loss For Females

You’ve probably heard about some of the health benefits of eating a plant based diet including weight loss. It’s true that you can lose a lot of weight on a plant based or vegan diet, but there are a few things you should know before you jump in so you get it right the first time and avoid the frustration of not seeing the scale go down. I’m giving you my best tips for how to start a plant based diet for weight loss for women as well as some resources that will help you get on your way to losing weight fast.

This post contains affiliate links. See my disclosure.

How To Start A Plant Based Diet For Weight Loss

Cut out all animal products from your diet.

Eliminate meat, dairy, fish and eggs. Check labels of any prepackaged foods. You’ll be surprised how many foods have animal products hiding in them. Don’t be frustrated if you’re a beginner at eating plant based and realize something you’ve been eating has an animal product in it. Just move on and find a replacement that doesn’t. I had this happen a couple of times because I didn’t check the label and assumed it wouldn’t have any animal products.

Stay away from processed meat replacements.

If you go to the health food store, you’ll see lots of replacements for your favorite meat and dairy products. These are okay for an occasional treat, but many of them are processed with artificial ingredients making them not so healthy. If your goal for eating plant based is weight loss, you’ll want to steer clear of these as much as possible since processed foods can cause inflammation in the body and inflammation can cause weight gain.

Instead find recipes that use healthy ingredients in place of meat and dairy. This recipe book has amazing meal ideas that can be prepared in 15 minutes for women beginning a plant based diet. I have to admit I was a total cheese fanatic before beginning a plant based lifestyle, but I’ve found that using nutritional yeast is a great healthy replacement for a cheesy flavor in dishes.

Eat plenty of starches on your plant based diet.

There are lots of versions of the plant based diet for weight loss out there, but the one that seems to work best for me and for many other women is a starch based diet. Starches fill you up and they’re delicious. I have to tell you I feel like I’m in heaven eating so many delicious carbs after starving myself and depriving myself for so many years on other diets trying to lose weight.

French fries in the air fryer are my favorite lunch or snack! Make starches the base of your meal and then add vegetables or fruits to complement and add flavor. Rice, oats, quinoa, whole wheat pasta, potatoes, corn and sweet potatoes are some of my favorites. I think most of the ladies who’ve dieted a lot will be shocked and maybe even feel guilty for eating so many carbs at first. Don’t worry. Just enjoy and trust the process! It works.

Don’t eat too much fat on your plant based diet if you want to lose weight.

Fat adds a lot of extra calories to your diet and your body doesn’t really process it. It just gets stored as fat on your body. The fat you eat is the fat you wear. Keeping your vegan diet low fat will help you with weight loss as well as improving your health.

Eat until your satisfied.

This is my very favorite part of eating plant based! I used to go on diets where I had to count calories or carbs and I was left with cravings or feeling like I was starving. Not anymore! I eat until I feel happy and satisfied. It’s so awesome! I don’t know about you, but I want a diet I can stick to long term and the thought of starving for the rest of my life is just not how I want to live. That’s what makes the plant based diet so easy for women to stick to for weight loss and beyond. It helps eliminate hunger and cravings because you’re eating things you love and as much as you want of them.

Watch some documentaries about the health benefits of eating plant based.

Seeing the science behind how all of this works was what really sealed the deal for me. I had already started eating a plant based diet when I watched them, but it just solidified my choice was right for my health and my beliefs. The two that really resonated with me were Forks Over Knives and What the Health. I was worried that they would show a lot of stuff about the animal cruelty in these movies because it’s just too heartbreaking for me to watch, but both movies just briefly touched on it without much imagery about the animals that will leave you devastated. Both of these documentaries are mostly about the health benefits of a plant based diet and how it all works in your body.

Just try it!

My best vegan weight loss tip is: Just do it! When I started, I was actually planning to ease into it. I went grocery shopping and stocked up on all the plant and starch based foods, but I also bought a couple of packs of meat just in case I couldn’t go the whole week without it. It turned out that I never even wanted the meat! I was really shocked because I felt like I would miss it, but I didn’t have one single craving or thought of meat the whole week and I still haven’t.

I had originally committed to trying to lose weight on a plant based diet for two weeks. It’s now been three months and I’ve never looked back. Once I saw that I didn’t crave meat and I lost 6 pounds my first week, there was no question that this was going to be my lifestyle forever. I’ve never done anything easier in my life and now I can’t even imagine eating meat. For once, I don’t feel like I’m in a race to lose the weight. I’m happy with how I’m eating and the weight is coming off without me having to worry constantly what the scale says.

So, I challenge you to start your plant based diet and try it for two weeks!

300 Plant Based Recipes You Can Make In 15 Minutes Or Less

Is eating plant based expensive?

Cheapest Plant Based Foods

7 Cheap Plant Based Dinner Recipes For When You’re Broke

VEGAN PASTA FAGIOLI by The Clean Eating Couple

15 MINUTE GARLIC FRIED NOODLES by Served From Scratch

GRILLED VEGGIE KABOBS by Simple Fit Vegan

MEXICAN HASHBROWN SLIDERS by Great Grub Delicious Treats

GARLIC TOFU BROCCOLI SKILLET by Build Your Bite

FRESH TOMATO AND ARTICHOKE PASTA by Another Music In A Different Kitchen

VEGAN MASHED POTATO BOWLS by Rabbit and Wolves

Tips For Eating Vegan When You Can’t Cook, But Still Want Delicious Food

Get already prepared vegan food delivered to your door.

Use these simple and quick meal ideas to make an easy delicious vegan meal with very little cooking.

Go out to eat for some of your meals.

Look up some really easy vegan recipes on Pinterest.

Why it’s easy to get bored with vegan diet food

So many people get bored of vegan food because they try to just throw things together.

There aren’t that many restaurants that have a lot of vegan options.

How to stop being bored with vegan diet food and love eating again!

Where to find the best flavorful and delicious vegan recipes so you won’t be bored with vegan diet food

Vegan seasoning ideas to spice up your boring vegan food and make it flavorful and delicious

Here are a few seasoning ideas for vegan food:

What can vegans eat for breakfast?

How do vegans meal prep breakfast for the week?

10 Simple Make Ahead Vegan Breakfast Ideas (That Taste Delicious!)

Plant Based Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Oatmeal

I hope you enjoy these make ahead vegan breakfast ideas. Be sure to check out my other favorite vegan recipe posts!

What does it mean to be vegan?

Step By Step Guide To Become Vegan

Get your mindset right.

Fill your pantry and refrigerator with vegan foods.

What can vegans eat?

What can vegans not eat?

Is a vegan lifestyle healthy?

Is being vegan expensive?

Can you become vegan overnight?

How to transition into a vegan diet

How can vegans lose weight?

Find delicious vegan recipes to make.

What are the benefits of becoming vegan?

More vegan posts you might like:

What do you put in a vegan Easter basket?

What Easter candy is vegan?

Vegan Easter Candy

Vegan Baked Goods For A Plant Based Easter Basket

Vegan Spreads

What do vegans get for Easter besides candy and sweets?

Vegan Easter Basket Savory Snacks

Non-Food Vegan Easter Basket Ideas

Where to buy a vegan Easter basket?

What Can A Vegan Have For Lunch?

The Best Easy Vegan Cold Packed Lunch Ideas For Work

Other posts about vegan lifestyle that you might like:

Things That Cause A Weight Loss Plateau On A Plant Based Diet

Eating too many processed meat and cheese replacements can cause a weight loss stall.

Eating added oils and fats on a vegan diet can get you stuck at a weight loss plateau

Eating too much sugar can stop weight loss on a plant based diet

Eating a lot of bread and processed flour foods instead of whole foods can halt your weight loss

Eating in restaurants too often can add up in calories and keep you stuck in your weight loss efforts.

Holding on to stress and anger can cause your body to stop losing weight.

How To Start A Plant Based Diet For Weight Loss

Cut out all animal products from your diet.

Stay away from processed meat replacements.

Eat plenty of starches on your plant based diet.

Don’t eat too much fat on your plant based diet if you want to lose weight.

Eat until your satisfied.

Watch some documentaries about the health benefits of eating plant based.

Just try it!