Hey all! So my concept behind this is simple: a very easy, very cheap way to try out vegan eating. Eating a plant based diet not only improves your health, but you can eat more than a traditional diet so you never feel unsatisfied, you will get superficial benefits such as clearer skin, shinier hair, thinner waist (if that's your goal), and so much more. It has been proven again and again that a well planned plant based diet reduces cancer risks as well as virtually eliminating your risk for heart disease and obesity related diseases. You can be good to yourself while saving the planet, reducing world hunger and helping the animals.

I am still learning — I have only been vegan for around 6 months now — so I don't have all the answers yet, and I am also looking forward to working with a physician and nutritionist to get my health in check through a plant based diet. This is by no means a guarantee of any medical advances, I am not a doctor, nor a nutritionist. I only have the bountiful research that I have done.

Disclaimer: If you know me, you know that I am overweight. This would probably lead you to believe: how can she say that a vegan diet will help you lose weight if she's been vegan for 6 months and hasn't really lost anything? I get it, I would have the same concerns. However, I have hypothyroidism and have not been able to get to a nutritionist as of yet to be able to determine the best approach or to see if I need medication. That is why I have not lost weight as of yet. Most people that go vegan or even vegetarian say that the first month or two the weight just melts off. Please do not think that my lack of weight loss is due to a vegan diet.

Grocery Items you will need:

2-3 cans of beans
I'd recommend Kidney & Black Beans, but it's up to you. You can also use dry if you prefer.

1-2 cans of tomato sauce, paste, or any other tomato based product.

Chili Powder
you can get a packet if you don't want to buy an entire bottle, but be warned the sodium is much higher in the packets.

Cumin

2-3 bags of frozen vegetables of your choice
I'd recommend making one of them mixed vegetables.

Vegetable Bouillon

1 bag of dry lentils

1 bag of red bliss potatoes, or your favorite kind of potato
Sweet potatoes are the best, but I'm not a huge fan.

1 bag of Museli
If you like oatmeal you can get steal cut oats instead, I just prefer Museli.

5-10 bananas
If you don't like bananas, just get fruits you like.

Various fruits of your choosing, get as many as you will eat
If you want to make overnight oats, I would recommend 1 bag of frozen.

1 box of vegan cereal, any kind you like
If you're not worried about weight loss some popular cereals that are vegan are fruity pebbles, reese puffs, cap'n crunch, rice krispies and corn puffs.

1 bag of long grain enriched rice, white or brown

1 box or container of vegan milk
Usually the cheaper boxed milk is not in the fridge, it's in an isle close to the cereals.

1 package of extra firm tofu
Extra firm is important; the softer ones are more like egg white consistency and most people don't like them.

1 jar dill pickles or a couple loose dill pickles from the deli

3 avocados

Whole grain bread
NOT whole wheat, make sure it's whole GRAIN

1 head of romaine lettuce, or your favorite lettuce

1-2 cans of chick peas

Optional Items:

Green olives

1 jar of coconut oil, olive oil or canola oil

Yams or sweet potatoes

Stewed/crushed tomatoes

Tortilla wraps
I like the spinach ones

Unsalted sunflower seeds

Of course these are subjective, if you don't like cereal and won't eat it, don't get it. If you would rather have quinoa instead of rice go for it. Tailor this to meet your tastes.

5 Day Plan

Buy all ingredients at least 1 or 2 days prior to insure that the bananas and avocados will be ripe

Prep before Day 1:

- Cook Chili
- Prep Overnight Oats
- Make Vegan "Tuna" Salad
- Make Tofu
- Make Rice

Day 1

Breakfast: Overnight Oats
Lunch: Vegan "Tuna" Salad over lettuce, whole grain bread, or in a wrap with lettuce
Dinner: Chili

Day 2

Breakfast: Avocado Toast & Fruit
Lunch: Chili
Dinner: Lentil Veggie Soup
I recommend making the Lentil Veggie Soup this night right before you eat it so it is optimally fresh. If you can't make it this night, make it prior when you can. If you have a crock pot you can just throw the ingredients in in the morning and let them simmer while you're at school/work.

Day 3

Breakfast: Cereal
Lunch: Lentil Veggie Soup
Dinner: Tofu w/ Rice & Veggies
I would make the veggies for the Tofu & Rice now, it only takes 10 minutes tops. I just put them in a small pot with just enough water to get them wet and have a little extra and cook until they are warm, make enough for lunch tomorrow as well.

Day 4

Breakfast: Overnight Oats
Lunch: Tofu w/ Rice & Veggies
Dinner: Lentil Veggie Soup

Day 5

Breakfast: Avocado Toast & Fruit
Lunch: Vegan "Tuna Salad" over lettuce, whole grain bread, or in a wrap with lettuce
Dinner: Chili over Potatoes or Rice

Some Tips:

- Prepare the overnight oats the night before, not in advance.
- Cut up the potatoes before hand and cook them that night or the night before so they are fresh.
- I like to eat the chili over potatoes instead of using saltines and sometimes I add rice to the Lentil Veggie Soup if I'm really craving carbs.

Recipes not shown in the video:

Vegan "Tuna" Salad

1 can of chickpeas
1 avocado
2-3 dill pickles
1 tbsp cumin

(Optional)
green olives
sunflower seeds

1. Drain and rinse your chickpeas. Rinsing is important because it's not the beans that make you gassy, it's the liquid they are stored in.
2. Add Avocado
3. Mash up chickpeas and avocado until they are a tuna like texture.
4. Add cumin.
5. Cut up the pickles and put them in, if it is still a little dry you can add some pickle juice or water to the mixture.
6. Add green olives or sunflower seeds if you wish
7. Mix it all up and there you go! Adjust according to your taste.

Overnight Oats

1 serving size of Museli
1/2 cup-1 cup frozen fruit depending on what you like
1/2 cup non-dairy milk

1. In a mason jar or tupperware add museli and non-dairy milk.
2. Stir until Museli is saturated.
3. Add in frozen fruit and mix.
4. Put in fridge overnight and heat up in the morning.

Seasoned Tofu

1 package extra firm tofu
Preferred Seasonings (I will put what I add)
Cumin
Chili Powder
Onion Powder
Cilantro Lime Seasoning

Whatever seasonings you use, just make sure they work cohesively

1. Cut up tofu into smaller pieces if the tofu didn't already come cubed.
2. In a non stick pan use a little oil or some form of non stick spray.
3. Put in package of Tofu.
4. Add seasoning, make sure the tofu is fully covered in seasoning, it should change color from off white to whatever colors you're seasoning with. The main reason people don't like tofu is that it's undercooked or underseasoned.
5. Cook for 10-15 minutes over medium-low heat moving around the tofu frequently so that it doesn't stick.

Tofu should be a little firmer than cooked scrambled eggs when it is done. Do not hesitate to season, think of tofu as a plain white canvas that you need to paint with seasoning. When you have finished the tofu and are ready to eat, put with veggies of choice and rice on plate.

I hope this plan helps! If you have any questions do not hesitate to ask!