Basic Daily Plan

This plan is designed to be your go-to base menu for days when you’re too busy, tired, or overwhelmed to think about cooking but still want to eat well, stay nourished, and feel your best.

It’s built using basic, affordable, and widely accessible ingredients - no fancy superfoods, no supplements beyond B12 and D. Every item is intentional, nutrient-dense, and chosen to work together in perfect balance.

Features

✓ Covers 100% of your daily RDA for all essential vitamins, minerals, and omega fatty acids;
✓ Provides a strong macro profile;
✓ Based entirely on whole plant foods;
✓ Designed to be eaten every day, or dropped in whenever you want a break from decision-making;

Daily Macros

Calories: ~1800 kcal
Protein: ~73 g
Carbohydrates: ~240 g
Fat: ~68 g
Fiber: ~60 g

Core Foods & Boosters

Pick one or mix a few options from each category to reach the total amount listed. You can rotate daily or use what you have.

Metric

240 g cooked legumes: black beans, kidney beans, white beans, lentils, chickpeas, tempeh. Alternative: 200 g tofu
120 g dry whole grains: oats, buckwheat, quinoa, whole wheat
200 g cooked root vegetables: potato, sweet potato, pumpkin, squash
100 g leafy greens: lettuce, arugula, kale, spinach, beet greens, chard, bok choy
100 g cruciferous vegetables: broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, kale
100 g colorful vegetables: carrot, beetroot, zucchini or bell pepper
one medium fruit: banana, orange
30 g sunflower seeds
20 g ground flax seeds
15 g pumpkin seeds
15 g nut or seeds butter: peanut, almond, tahini
500 ml fortified plant-based milk
one Brazil nut
50 g cooked mushrooms (optional but recommended)

US

8 oz cooked legumes: black beans, kidney beans, white beans, lentils, chickpeas, tempeh. Alternative: 7 oz tofu
4 oz dry whole grains: oats, buckwheat, quinoa, whole wheat
7 oz cooked root vegetables: potato, sweet potato, pumpkin, squash
3 cups raw leafy greens: lettuce, arugula, kale, spinach, beet greens, chard, bok choy
3 oz cruciferous vegetables: broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, kale
3 oz colorful vegetables: carrot, beetroot, zucchini or bell pepper
one medium fruit: banana, orange
¼ cup sunflower seeds
2 tbsp ground flax seeds
1 tbsp pumpkin seeds
1 tbsp nut or seeds butter: peanut, almond, tahini
2 cups fortified plant-based milk
one Brazil nut
⅓ cup cooked mushrooms (optional but recommended)

Sample Day

Step 1: Prep Your Daily Core

1. Legumes → Use: cooked black beans. Cook in bulk or use 1 drained can (~240 g cooked).

2. Whole Grains → Use: oats. Make cooked oats, oat pancakes or overnight oats, or bake into oat patties.

3. Root Vegetables → Use: sweet potato. Roast, mash, or steam for a side or base.

4. Leafy Greens → Use: kale. Lightly sauté or use fresh in salad, wraps or bowls.

5. Cruciferous Vegetables → Use: broccoli. Add to bowls or serve as a side.

6. Colorful Vegetables → Use: carrots. Eat whole, grate into salads, or slice for snacking.

7. Fruit→ Use: banana. Eat fresh or slice into oats.

Step 2: Add Your Daily Boosters

8. Sunflower Seeds → Sprinkle over oats, salads, or eat as a snack

9. Ground Flax Seeds → Mix into oats or yogurt, or blend into a smoothie

10. Pumpkin Seeds → Snack on or sprinkle over greens

11. Nut/Seed Butter → Spread on toast, fruit, or mix into oats.

12. Fortified Plant Milk → Split between oats, smoothies, tea, coffee or drink plain.

13. Brazil Nut → Eat whole, or chop and sprinkle over breakfast.

14. Optional: Mushrooms → Use: mushrooms → Add to your greens or grain bowl

Step 3: Take Supplements

Vitamin B12: 1000 mcg (2× per week) or 25–100 mcg daily
Vitamin D3: 1000–2000 IU daily (especially in winter)

Tips

✓ Use canned beans and lentils.
✓ Use a mix of beans and legumes. Split the total amount between meals.
✓ Use whole grains as intact grains, flakes, or flour - whatever works best for your meals.
✓ Use a mix of leafy greens for a more diverse nutritional profile.
✓ Use frozen broccoli, cauliflower, spinach and kale.
✓ Use plant-based milk in coffee, tea, or protein shakes. For a nutrient boost, start your morning with almond milk matcha tea.

Supplements

Vitamin B12

Since plant foods don’t contain reliable B12, supplementing is essential on a long-term plant-based diet.

Recommended Dose: 1000 mcg Methylcobalamin, 2x per week, OR 25–100 mcg daily if you prefer small daily doses (Cyanocobalamin or Methylcobalamin is fine)

Best Taken: On an empty stomach in the morning for optimal absorption

Vitamin D3

Especially important in winter or if you're not getting direct sun exposure for 15–30 min/day.

Recommended Dose: 25 mcg (1000 IU) per day (Preferably D3 from lichen if you're strictly vegan)
50 mcg (2000 IU) per day in winter or if deficient

Best Taken: With a meal containing fat (sunflower/flax/pumpkin seeds in your plan already help)