Vegan meals can be as simple as a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, or as elaborate as the fanciest dish at a gourmet restaurant. To get a sense of everything that’s available, you can start by visiting my breakfast, lunch, and dinner pages. Or, to begin your exploration from a different angle, see my page spotlighting the most vegan-friendly cuisines.
Quick-and-Easy Vegan Meals
If you’re new to eating vegan, prioritize learning about the simplest recipes possible. A quick-and-easy recipe will be put to use far more often than one that requires hours in the kitchen. Here are some choices that are ready in a jiffy:
- Toast or English muffins with jam or vegan butter
- Canned vegetarian chili
- Pita bread, sliced vegetables, or tortilla chips with hummus
- Toasted bagels with vegan cream cheese
- Soup served with a slice of bread
My recommended cookbooks page has a separate section of titles that focus on meals that take just minutes to prepare.
Core Foods
Before you start learning recipes from a cookbook, master these fundamental meals. They’re all quick and easy to learn, and you can prepare them in an endless variety of ways:
- Stir-fried vegetables
- Salads
- Roasted vegetables
- Sandwiches and wraps
- Soups and stews
- Bowls
Fancier Meals
When you’re ready to branch out from the simple meals suggested above, check out my vegan cooking guide. In less than an hour you’ll not only learn the basics of vegan cooking, you’ll also improve your grocery shopping skills. Plus, I’ll take you through the kitchen essentials that are of special interest when it comes to vegan cooking.
Want to explore vegan cooking further? There are hundreds of excellent cookbooks available. Start with easy titles devoted to everyday cooking. You can’t go wrong with 15-Minute Vegan Meals or Easy Vegan Home Cooking. There are dozens and dozens of more ambitious offerings crowding the vegan cookbook market. These cookbooks cover every conceivable cuisine. Visit our vegan cookbooks page to get started.
Finally, if you like to finish your meals with something sweet, you’ll be excited by the extraordinary assortment of vegan desserts you can make or purchase.
Vegan-Friendly Cuisines
As you continue to explore vegan cooking and dining, keep in mind that many cuisines are remarkably vegan-friendly. Think of the beans, rice, salsa, and guacamole that are at the heart of Mexican cooking. Or the pasta, grilled onions, and tomato sauce omnipresent in Italian cuisine. Or dive into Middle Eastern cooking and enjoy some falafel, hummus, tahini sauce, and baba ganoush. The more you explore traditional cuisines, the more fantastic vegan recipes you’ll discover.
Vegan Restaurant Meals
Vegetarian and vegan restaurants are increasingly widespread. To expand your culinary horizons, visit as many vegan-friendly restaurants as you can. And if you’re seeking vegan fast food, you’ve got all sorts of delicious possibilities. Likewise, any natural foods store deli will offer terrific vegan options, including plenty of pre-made deli offerings.
Eating Vegan Meals Every Day
Just a little exploration will enable you to eat a better, healthier, and more diverse assortment of meals as a vegan than you ever consumed as an omnivore. Taking time to read about vegan nutrition will enable you to choose the most nourishing meals.
If you focus on trying new foods at every turn, you’ll rapidly incorporate a number of delicious vegan meals into your diet. My Guide to Eating Vegan will speed your transition and help you to discover some of the tastiest and healthiest vegan foods on the planet.
