How To Go Plantbased In Just 7 Days (Includes Sample Menu)
- Emma Lisa
- Sep 20, 2021
- 11 min read
Updated: Aug 12
Whether you're curious about eating more plants or ready to fully go plantbased, this 7-day all plantbased meal plan is the perfect place to start. Packed with nourishing, fibre-rich ingredients and simple, delicious vegetarian recipes, each day is designed to fuel your body, support digestion, and take the guesswork out of healthy eating. No fancy ingredients or complicated prep, just real food that leaves you feeling good. Grab a clean plate and let's do this together!
If you have followed me for a hot minute, you already know I am a strong advocate of a plantbased diet to heal the body and deeply nourish the with wholefoods. Lots of people do this temporarily to slim down, but more and more people are making plantbased a permanent lifestyle change rather than just dietary. So today, I'm going to share how you can easily transition to a more plant-based lifestyle in just 7 days.
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Food & Drinks To Include
Eat More Of These Foods When Going Plantbased
For many people who go plantbased, it is initially to detox and heal the gut, but increasingly, I'm seeing more and more women adopt this way of eating because the body responds so well to a diet made up of primarily plants. This is likely because less animal products and processed foods, and focusing on eating more wholefood-based, low-fat meals can help with PCOS, per-menopause and hormonal issues. If this is you, here's what you'll want to make the focus of your plate:
fresh, high fibre veggies such as arugula, broccoli, capsicums, celery, collard greens, green beans, kale, snap peas, spinach, Swiss chard, and sweet potatoes
high-fibre fruits such as apple, avocado, green bananas, berries, citrus, kiwi, melon and stone fruit
high fibre, wholesome grains such as brown rice, farro, millet, quinoa, oats, and spelt
nuts such as almond, cashew, walnuts that have been activated
nutrient dense seeds such as chia, hemp, or ground flax, sesame, poppy
plant protein from beans and lentils (think black and green beans, cannellini, kidney, and chickpeas
herbal teas of all varieties for hydration, digestion and the nutrients
lemon and infused water made with fresh herbs, fruit pieces and chopped veggies
superfood powders such as Acai, Maca, Turmeric or Spirulina
wholefood-based multi-vitamin, zinc tablets, iron and vitamin D in liquid form (better absorption)
A plantbased diet focused on the above will provide your body with all the nutrients it needs for all-day energy, mental alertness, and optimum health. Yes, you absolutely CAN get enough protein and nutrients from a plantbased diet and without animal products!
Foods & Drinks To Avoid
Swap & Avoid These Foods When Going Plantbased
My top recommended foods to swap out and avoid, are ones that tend to trigger inflammation, dips in blood sugar levels and other unhealthy in the body. These are most often dairy, animal products, gluten and sugar. Here's a ditch list with my recommendations to reduce or eliminate:
dairy products including milk solids found in many baked and pre-packaged foods
animal meat and any related products and fish if you wish to follow a strict vegan diet
animal products such as collagen, eggs, gelatine, honey and protein powder
highly processed foods such a white bread, fast food and frozen, prep-made meals
sweets such as lollies, milk chocolate, cakes, commercial snack and protein bars
sweetened beverages, such as colas, energy drinks, soda, and commercial fruit juice
deep fried, greasy foods found at fast food restaurants or in the freezer section
sugar (yes it is everywhere)
Think about how you can switch your current diet and meals to follow these general guidelines. What simple and healthy swaps can you make this week? Where can you make better choices that are more wholefood, plantbased food items?
Plantbased is not hard, but it does require some thought into your menu and meal planning. This is especially true if you are totally new to consuming a large amount of fresh fruits and veggies. Going from a poor diet of sugary, overly processed foods to fully plantbased can feel like a big undertaking but the rewards far outweigh the effort to make the shift. And yes, you can also ease into it, week by week, promise!
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Free 7-Day Plantbased Meal Plan
Ready to kick start your new plantbased lifestyle? Going plantbased basically comes down to making non-animal product choices for all your meals and snacks. Some people choose to use a plantbased diet as a gentle detox to take a break from animal products such as meat, eggs and dairy. Others wish to make it a permanent dietary change and stick with it for life (much like myself). There is no right or wrong, just personal choice.
To give this plantbased menu a go, I recommend that you skim through the menu ahead of time to see what you already have on hand and what food items you'll need to buy for the week. You may even want to try this just for 2-3 days and see how you feel afterwards. Either way, having a few plantbased days in your menu per week is a good thing.
Here's a sample weekly meal plan for you to try with some of my favourite plantbased recipes.
Plantbased Menu Day 1
Healthy Meat-free Meals To Start Strong
Kickstart going plantbased with these quick and easy to make meat-free recipe ideas.
Lemon & water 15 minutes prior to eating to wake up the digestive system
Breakfast: 3-Ingredient Chia Seed Breakfast Pudding With Blackberry Compote
Snack: Pink Lady apple & 10 cashews with 500ml Matcha green tea
Snack: Homemade hummus & celery sticks with 500ml chamomile tea
Dessert: 1/2 pear sliced with nut butter and drizzle of Chocolate Sauce
End your day with a warm cuppa of herbal tea 1 hour before bed. This can help settle your stomach, especially if you try peppermint or liquorice. To help induce deep sleep, try a sleepy blend of High Living teas, or chamomile, lavender, or valerian root.
Plantbased Menu Day 2
High-Fibre Meals To Support Digestion & Energy
How did you go yesterday? If you are following along, keep track of how your mood and energy begins to shift with healthier, wholefoods. Stick with it, this could be life-changing!
Lemon & Water 15 minutes prior to eating
Snack: Pear & 10 almonds with 500ml matcha green tea
Snack: Cucumber 'biscuits' with hummus
Dinner: Warm Sweet Potato & Kale Salad
Dessert: Healthy, Sugar-free Chocolate Bark Recipe (yes totally guiltless!)
End your day of success with a nice warm bath and healing essential oils that induce sleep. Here's my favourite. Enjoy a cup of herbal tea 1 hour before bed. To help settle your stomach, try peppermint or liquorice. To help induce deep sleep, try a sleepy blend of High Living teas, or lemon balm, magnolia bark or passionfruit.
Plantbased Menu Day 3
Quick & Nourishing Dishes For Busy Days
Start the day with a hearty breakfast to fuel your entire day. Make my famous toasties with my sugar-free, gelatin-free jam recipe and nourish with a today's tasty plantbased recipes.
Lemon & Water 15 minutes prior to eating
Breakfast: Peanut Butter & Raspberry Chia Jam Toast
Snack: Pear & 10 cashews with 500ml green tea
Snack: Celery sticks with a roasted capsicum dip
Wind down from your day with a herbal tea and activity that is away from the blue light of devices or the tellie. A walk after dinner aids digestion. A self-help book or writing affirmations are also wonderful ways to de stress and unwind before sleep.
Plantbased Menu Day 4
Clean Eating With Vegan Ingredients
Going plantbased doesn't mean you have to restrict or avoid all your favourite foods. It just means finding more wholefood ways to prepare and cook your usual meals with vegetarian ingredients instead.
Lemon & Water 15 minutes prior to eating
Breakfast: Lime Mango Green Smoothie (2nd recipe)
Snack: 1 handful walnuts and 5 organic dates with 500ml green tea
Lunch: Easy, Low Carb Chicken Salad Wrap Recipe (swap the chicken for tofu)
Snack: Cinnamon tea with half serving of Smashed Strawberry Chia Pudding Recipe
Dinner: Eggplant & Feta Quinoa Salad Bowl Recipe (use cashew feta or try olives)
Dessert: half serving of Vegan Raspberry Swirl Chia Pudding Recipe
If you are a dessert junkie, the good news is you can still enjoy an indulgence. Take brownies for instance, you can make them with plantbased ingredients such as chickpeas or sweet potatoes instead of sugar and flour. This provides more nutrition and dietary fibre than traditional recipes, plus way less sugar but just as much taste. Its all about making those healthy swaps!
Plantbased Menu Day 5
Budget-Friendly Vegan Meals That Nourish
Have you stuck it out this far? If so, good on you. Pop in the comments and share how it's made you feel. If you only got a few days in, that's ok too. No judgements. This is simply about providing your body with more plantbased foods nothing more. Even a few days and here and there can make a difference, help boost gut health and kick start lasting weight loss.
Lemon & Water 15 minutes prior to eating
Snack: Green apple & 10 almonds with 500ml green tea
Snack: Peppermint tea with 1 handful blueberries & mixed seeds
Dessert: 1/2 apple sliced with nut butter
One of my personal favourite snacks is a small handful of nuts and berries. Nuts and seeds contain fat, but the healthy kind. Consumed in moderation and small amounts they are a densely nutritious snack item and pair perfectly with low carb fruits such as berries, apples, pears and apricots.
Plantbased Menu Day 6
Protein-Packed Vegan Recipes For All-Day Energy
As part of your plantbased menu, focus on a good serving of lean protein at every main meal. Plant protein is an essential macro nutrient and will help to keep you feeling full and satisfied after eating.
Lemon & Water 15 minutes prior to eating
Breakfast: Raw Cacao Almond Bliss Smoothie Recipe
Snack: Peppermint tea with cinnamon sprinkled over pear slices
Snack Fennel Tea with mixed seeds and 1 piece of sugar-free dark chocolate
Dinner: The Almost Vegan Prawn Buddha Bowl (swap the prawn for seasoned tofu)
Don't forget to keep up your water in between meals. As a general rule, aim for at least 2.5 - 3 litres of clean drinking water every day. This helps keep your digestive and elimination systems working well and also helps to naturally reduce your appetite and food cravings.
Plantbased Menu Day 7
Light & Refreshing Weekend Meals
Sometimes when people go plantbased the tendency is to rely heavily on pasta, breads and other starchy carbs for that substance a lack of meat can leave you craving. This is the body naturally detoxing. Let yourself go through this phase and try to resist replacing everything with the above. When you go plantbased, you will want to eat more, and that is ok. The foods you are choosing off this menu are densely nutritious but are way less calories than what you may have been used to eating.
Lemon & Water 15 minutes prior to eating
Breakfast: High Protein Strawberry Breakfast Smoothie Recipe
Snack: Lemon Ginger Tea with vegetable sticks
Lunch: Wholefood Buddha Bowl Recipe
Snack Liquorice tea with blueberries and a few walnuts
Dessert: 10 Dairy-free Dessert Recipes (choose one that delights)
Why not go for a walk after your dinner tonight. You have successfully completed a full week 's worth of plantbased meals and you body should be feeling a little more energised and lighter. Continue the journey by repeating or mixing and matching the above menu for another week or more. See how far you can go with it!
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Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to go completely vegan?
Definitely not. You can go all in or ease into a more plant-based diet. There really is no right or wrong. “Plant-based” simply means the majority of your meals come from plant sources and ingredients. If you choose, you can still include your favourite animal products. This is especially helpful while transitioning and makes going plant-based more flexible and easier to sustain. The 7-day plan above is a gentle introduction, and not an all-or-nothing challenge. Do what works for you.
Will I get enough protein?
Yes, of course, you just need plan well-balanced meals with a variety of protein-rich ingredients. Beans, lentils, tofu, tempeh, quinoa, nuts, seeds and whole grains are all naturally rich in protein. Eat from a rotating combination of these throughout the day to ensure you’re getting all the essential amino acids.
Will I feel tired without meat?
Not necessarily, although some people may notice a dip in their energy at first while their body adjusts. This usually passes within a few days as your body adjusts. It really just comes down to what your diet and health was like before you started to eat fully plant-based. The key to feeling your best on a plant-based diet to hydrate well and eat plenty of iron-rich plant foods like lentils, spinach, pumpkin seeds, and fortified cereals. Pair these with vitamin C-rich foods in the same meal to boost absorption.
Do I need to take supplements to go plant-based?
For short-term vegan challenges like this one, most people don’t need to bother with supplements. However, if you do decide to go fully plant-based, I highly recommend getting your bloods done before you start. Have your GP or naturopath do a full panel and help assess whether you have any nutritional deficiencies before you start,. Then have them reassess again in six months time. For those with vitamin absorption issues or anaemia like myself, you can consider supplementing with essential nutrients such as vitamin B12, ferrum (iron), vitamin D, and possibly omega-3 (from algae oil). It’s always best to check with your treating healthcare provider for what will work for you.
Nutritionist's Note
You might not think of water as a nutrient or a supplement but it truly is. Without out it, the body will shut down and literally die. We need a steady supply every day up between 2-3 litres to function our best. Whenever you are increasing the fibre in your diet, such as by eating more plantbased foods, it is critical to increase your water intake as well. To help clients make water more palatable, I suggest adding fruit like blueberries, cucumbers, strawberries, limes or orange slices into your water bottle. When you are done drinking, you enjoy a healthy fruit or vegetable snack.
Infused water is a fabulous healthy way to boost your nutrient intake and hydrate instead of from sugary juices, chemical filled colas and energy drinks. You can also add your favourite herbs or edible oils for a wonderful aroma while you hydrate yourself naturally. Some of other favourites are rosemary, basil, mint, coriander, lemon balm and lavender. If you'd like to see what a difference hydration makes, come join my Membership Group and consider join my free Easy Meat-Free Monday Recipe Challenge (By A Nutritionist).
Healthy + happiness,
Emma Lisa xx
HEALTH & NUTRITION PRACTITIONER
Emma Lisa, Nutritionist & Women's Practitioner
Emma Lisa is a Nutritionist & Women's Health Practitioner with over 14+ years experience in clean eating nutrition, meal planning and health coaching. She is a published cookbook author, passionate food recipe creator and lifestyle blogger, and an advocate for women's health. When she's not in clinic, Emma is mum to five kids, found in her test kitchen or working as recipe developer and wellness digital creator. She lives in Sydney, Australia.
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Really helpful Emma, thank you!
Wow! Amazing article so many ideas xx
This was so helpful!!!
I'm so happy with this Emma! I've just finished the 7 days using these recipes and am feeling wondaful! I want to keep going...any more coming out??
Hey, you just reminded me to get my greens in for today! I have kale sitting in my fridge that I'm not super excited about touching, but I know it will make me feel better after eating some!