Vegan Diet Menu & Nutrition

Sample Menu

Here’s a day of meals for a vegan on a 1,500-calorie diet, adapted from a sample menu published in the Vegetarian Journal.

Breakfast

Orange-vanilla smoothie

1 slice whole wheat toast with 2 tbsp. almond butter

Lunch

2 whole wheat tortillas with:

    1 cup kidney beans

    ¼ cup avocado

    Salsa, chopped tomatoes, and lettuce as desired

Steamed kale with 1 tsp. flax oil

1 cup calcium-fortified soymilk

Dinner

Tofu and snow pea stir-fry

½ cup brown rice

½ cup watermelon cubes

Snack

1 cup calcium-fortified soymilk

¾ cup unsweetened breakfast cereal

Nutrition

Here’s a breakdown of the nutritional content of a day’s meals on a typical 2,000-calorie vegan diet, alongside recommendations from the government’s 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

Because this diet is highly individualized, your actual intake will vary. Diet figures come from a committee’s report advising the government on its 2010 Dietary Guidelines. They show one way to eat a healthful vegan diet.

Vegan Diet Recommended
Calories 2,000 Women Men
21-25: 2,000
26-50: 1,800
51+: 1,600
21-40: 2,400
41-60: 2,200
61+: 2,000
Total Fat 33% 20%-35%
     Saturated 6.8% Less than 10%
     Trans 0% N/A
Total Carbohydrates 57% 45%-65%
     Sugars
(total except as noted)
N/A N/A
     Fiber 43 g. Women Men
19-30: 28 g.
31-50: 25 g.
51+: 22 g.
19-30: 34 g.
31-50: 31 g.
51+: 28 g.
Protein 13% 10%-35%
Sodium 1,224 mg. Under 2,300 mg., under 1,500 mg. for 51+
Potassium 3,645 mg. At least 4,700 mg.
Calcium 1,338 mg. 19-50: 1,000 mg.
51+: 1,200 mg.
Vitamin B-12 8.1 mcg. 2.4 mcg.
Vitamin D 7.9 mcg. 15 mcg.

Recommendations apply to adults 19 and older except as noted. Recommended calories assume a sedentary lifestyle. g.: grams. mg.: milligrams. mcg.: micrograms. Because of rounding, protein, fat, and carbohydrate content may not add up to 100 percent.

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