Weekly Meal Plan: Plant-Based Meals to Help Combat Stress

After the year we’ve had, it’s important to know how to manage your stress levels. There are many ways to do so such as meditation and yoga, but what about the foods you eat? Food does play a role in stress levels and foods such high in magnesium, omega-3 fatty acids, folate, iron, calcium, vitamin C and vitamin E can be helpful to incorporate into your diet. The best news is you can do it without any animal products.

We also highly recommend downloading the Food Monster App  — with over 15,000 delicious recipes it is the largest meatless, vegan, plant-based and allergy-friendly recipe resource to help you get healthy! And, don’t forget to check out our Weekly Meal Plan Archives!

Are you ready to have a week full of delicious vegan food that leaves you nourished and content? Let’s get started!

This week, we’re bringing you plant-based meals that helps combat stress for your breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert! And, they are fully vegan and plant-based!

Monday

Source: Chocolate Peanut Butter Vegan Fudge

Happy Monday and get ready for this amazing and hopefully relaxing week. If you’re already feeling the stress of starting your Monday, try out starting your day with some oats! These oats are warm and with fruit at the bottom, will add an extra layer of sweetness to your morning. End the day with this delicious meal of chickpea piccata with mushrooms and collard greens!

• Breakfast: Fruit on the Bottom Overnight Oats by Lauren Smith
• Lunch: High Protein Edamame Fried Quinoa Rice by Crissy Cavanaugh
• Dinner: Chickpea Piccata with Mushrooms by Robin Robertson with Smoky Southern Collard Greens by Molly Patrick
• Dessert: Chocolate Peanut Butter Vegan Fudge by Hayley Canning

Tuesday

Source: Simple Lentil Soup

It’s Tuesday and today is the perfect day to start your morning off with chocolate granola! Feel free to add your favorite plant-based milk or even your favorite fruit! End your day with this simple lentil soup, which is warming and comforting.

• Breakfast: Chocolate Granola by Jesse Lane Lee
• Lunch: Onion and Pepper Masala by Kushi and Grilled Bean and Avocado Burrito by Melanie Sorrentino
• Dinner: Simple Lentil Soup by Caroline Doucet
• Dessert: 4 Ingredient Salted Peanut Butter Cheerio Bars by Gabrielle St. Claire

Wednesday

Source: Swedish Meatballs With Lentils and Black Rice

Hopefully your week is going smoothly and with these pancakes, your Wednesday will hopefully be off to a steady start! For lunch, try out these meatballs with edamame are a sure hit! End your day with a great slice of cheesecake!

• Breakfast: Peanut Butter and Banana Pancakes by Tania Pilcher
• Lunch: Swedish Meatballs With Lentils and Black Rice by Ida Hemmingsson-Holl with Spicy Garlic Edamame by Adam Merrin and Ryan Alvarez
• Dinner: Grilled Sweet Potato Boats With Black Bean Mango Salsa by Susan Edelman with Super-Simple Sesame Drenched Asparagus by Renee Press
• Dessert: Pumpkin Pomegranate Cheesecake by Amanda Smith

Thursday

Source: Double Black Bean Tofu Cheeseburgers

Happy Thursday! Today, enjoy a wonderful burrito for lunch! Packed with nutrients to keep you full and satisfied, it also has vital ingredients to help keep your stress in check. End your day with a simple and sweet peach and chamomile pop that you can enjoy before settling in for the night.

• Breakfast: Quinoa and Spiced Blueberry Bircher by Tiana Haines
• Lunch: White Bean Baked Burritos by Natalie Martin MS, RD and Lexie Staten MS, RD
• Dinner: Double Black Bean Tofu Cheeseburgers by Rhea Parsons
• Dessert: Peach and Chamomile Ice Pops by Azucena Noriega

Friday

Source: Vanilla Bean Chia Pudding

Happy Friday! Start your Friday off with this delicious chia pudding! With one more day to the weekend, there is no better way to celebrate than with this lentil soup for dinner. And what’s the best way to end the week and start the weekend? Sitting and enjoying these truffles sounds like a great way to start!

• Breakfast: Vanilla Bean Chia Pudding by Natalie Yonan
• Lunch: Edamame Peanut Noodle Salad by Colorful Kitchen
• Dinner: Indian-Spiced Lentil Soup With Creamy Coconut Milk by Liz Moody
• Dessert: Raw Coconut and Brazil Nut Truffles by Teffy Perk

Learn How to Cook Plant-Based Meals at Home

Reducing your meat intake and eating more plant-based foods is known to help with chronic inflammation, heart health, mental well-being, fitness goals, nutritional needs, allergies, gut health, and more! Dairy consumption also has been linked to many health problems, including acne, hormonal imbalance, cancer, and prostate cancer, and has many side effects.

For those of you interested in eating more plant-based we highly recommend grabbing our favorite plant-based cookbooks and downloading the Food Monster App — with over 20,000 delicious recipes it is the largest plant-based recipe resource to help reduce your environmental footprint, save animals, and get healthy! And, while you are at it, we encourage you to also learn about the environmental and health benefits of a plant-based diet.

Here are some great resources to get you started:

• Weekly Vegan Meal Plans
• Plant-Based Health Resources
• Plant-Based Food & Recipes
• Plant-Based Nutrition Resources
• The Ultimate Guide to Plant-Based Nutrition
• Budget-Friendly Plant-Based Recipes
• High Protein Plant-Based Recipes
• Plant-Based Meal Prep
• Plant-Based Cookbooks 

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