blog-cooking NutritionVegan 1200 Calorie Diet Meal Plan for Beginners

Vegan 1200 Calorie Diet Meal Plan for Beginners

10 mins read

Mariia Roza is a weight loss and fitness writer at Unimeal. She is an expert in nutrition, wellness, longevity, and sports.

on May 13, 2021

Medically reviewed by Dr. Olena Avdiievska, MD, RDN

Dr. Olena Avdiievska is a nutritional and medical expert at Unimeal. She is an MD and RDN in Dietology and nutrition and a university professor with 76 scientific publications.

Unimeal provides articles with trustworthy and experts-proved information. Our health content is reviewed by professional nutritionists and trainers to extract for users the most verified and medically checked data.

Want to lose weight as a vegan? Or decided to try veganism for weight loss? In both cases, Unimeal experts have something that would help you! Check out a 1200-calorie meal plan that contains no animal products. Lose fat and stay true to the plant-based diet.

Table of content

What can you eat as a vegan?
7-day vegan meal plan for weight loss
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5
Day 6
Day 7
Summing up

What can you eat as a vegan?

If you’re not used to planning your meals, veganism might be a bit difficult for you at the beginning. Even though it’s not that easy, composing a complete vegan meal plan that contains all the necessary macros and nutrients is possible. Just think of a great variety of food you can rediscover and add to your diet!

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These are vegetables, including green leafy vegetables and starchy plants like potato and corn, herbs, legumes, mushrooms, grains, fruits, berries, seeds, nuts, oils, algae, and multiple substitutes for your favorite animal products, like vegan cheese, plant milk, and sausages made of tofu or seitan.

7-day vegan meal plan for weight loss

If you don’t know how to use all these products and have never cooked them before, here is an easy-to-follow weekly meal plan with all macros and calories calculated for you.

Day 1

Breakfast: Baked sweet potato with veggies

Calories: 436 cal

Proteins: 14 g

Carbs: 58 g

Fats: 16 g

Ingredients you will need:

Sweet potato, 230 g
Canned beans, 60 g
Canned corn, 35 g
Green pea, 60 g
Tomato paste, 12 g
Avocado, 60 g
Oil, 6 g

Dried basil, lemon juice, and other spices to taste

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius. Meanwhile, cut the sweet potato in half and bake it in the oven for 25 minutes. Put a pan to preheat.
Prepare the sweet potato filling: Add oil to the pan, canned corn, beans, and green peas. Add tomato paste, salt, and spices to taste and sauté over low heat for 3-5 minutes. Add some water if needed.
Peel and mash the avocado with a fork: mix avocado and lemon juice in a deep bowl. Add salt and spices to taste, stir.
Place the fried vegetables on top of the baked sweet potato halves, add the avocado sauce, and garnish chopped fresh herbs.

Lunch: Chickpeas “Curry” with tofu

Calories: 450 kcal

Proteins: 21 g

Carbs: 51 g

Fats: 19 g

Ingredients you will need:

Tofu, 115 g
Olive oil, 4 g
Tomatoes, 75 g
Sesame seeds, 4 g
Chickpeas, 75 g
Curry sauce, 15 g

Balsamic vinegar, black pepper, Italian herbs mix, and other spices to taste

Preparation

Soak the chickpeas in water for 4-6 hours. Rinse and put in a pot with clean water in proportions 1:3. Cook for 25-30 minutes over medium heat. Add salt to taste.
Meanwhile, cut the tofu into cubes (2X2 cm).
Preheat a pan, add oil. Put the tofu in the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add sesame seeds, salt, and spices to taste.
Cut the tomato into small cubes (1X1 cm) and mix with the tofu. Add balsamic vinegar to taste.
Pour the excess liquid out of the chickpeas. Add curry sauce to chickpeas and stir.
Serve chickpeas, tofu, and tomatoes in one bowl.

Dinner: Stewed tofu with potato and veggies

Calories: 312 kcal

Proteins: 17.5 g

Carbs: 25 g

Fats: 16 g

Ingredients you will need:

Tofu, 175 g
Eggplant, 120 g
Potato, 80 g
Carrot, 35 g
Olive oil, 6 g

Dried basil, black pepper, and spices to taste

Preparation

Pour oil into a preheated pan. Dice potatoes and fry for 7-8 minutes on medium heat.
Dice eggplant and grate carrot. Add them to potato and fry for 6 more minutes (add salt, pepper, dried basil, or other herbs to taste).
Cut tofu into cubes and add to the vegetables. Fry everything for another 5-6 minutes.
Put the meal on a plate. Enjoy!

Day 2

Breakfast: Bulgur with pumpkin and dried apricots

Calories: 396 kcal

Proteins: 13 g

Carbs: 69 g

Fats: 8 g

Ingredients you will need:

Pumpkin, 60 g
Bulgur, 100 g
Dried apricots, 25 g
Coconut oil, 6 g
Agava syrup, 6 g

Cinnamon and fresh mint to taste

Preparation

Peel and cut the pumpkin into 1x1 cm cubes, chop dried apricots.
Rinse the bulgur with water, put it in a bowl, and fill it with water in a 1:3 ratio.
Add pumpkin and dried apricots, bring to a boil, and cook over low heat for 15-20 minutes while stirring (add water if necessary).
5 minutes before the porridge is done, add coconut oil and salt and remove them from heat.
Put porridge in a bowl, pour agave syrup, and stir. Sprinkle the porridge with cinnamon; garnish with mint leaves, and serve.

Lunch: Tofu rice

Calories: 500 kcal

Proteins: 19 g

Carbs: 61 g

Fats: 20 g

Ingredients you will need:

Rice, 55 g
Tofu, 110 g
Oil, 10 g
Onion, 30 g
Canned green peas, 110 g
Mushrooms, 110 g
Black pepper, turmeric, and other spices to taste

Preparation

Dice onion and tofu. Thinly slice mushrooms.
Mix rice, onion, and mushrooms in a small saucepan, stir, and cover with cold water in a 1:2 ratio. Cover with a lid and cook on low heat for about 10 minutes.
Add oil, peas, salt, and spices to taste and cook for another 7-10 minutes until rice is fully cooked.
Mix rice with veggies and tofu cubes. Stir and serve!

Dinner: Cauliflower rice with vegan sausages

Calories: 312 kcal

Proteins: 16 g

Carbs: 16 g

Fats: 20.5 g

Ingredients you will need:

Cauliflower, 170 g
Vegan sausage, 55 g
Oil, 6 g
Tomatoes, 135 g
Garlic, black pepper, and other spices to taste

Preparation

Take cauliflower into parts, place them in a small saucepan, and cover with water—Cook for 10 minutes.
Put a pan to preheat. Meanwhile, slice sausages and cut cherry tomatoes in half.
Add oil to the pan. Put the sausages and tomatoes inside, add salt and spices to taste. Cook for 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add chopped garlic—Cook for 1 more minute. Put on a plate.
Mash the cooked cauliflower with a fork, add salt to taste and oil, mix. Serve the cauliflower rice on a plate next to the sausages.

Day 3

Breakfast: Barley-pumpkin porridge

Calories: 435 kcal

Proteins: 11 g

Carbs: 57 g

Fats: 18 g

Ingredients you will need:

Pearl barley, 50 g
Pumpkin, 125 g
Coconut oil, 9 g
Maple Syrup, 13 g
Chia seeds, 7 g
Pumpkin seeds, 13 g
Apple, 65 g
Cinnamon and other spices to taste

Preparation

Rinse pearl barley and cover with cold water in a 1:4 ratio. Put on high heat. When the water boils, add peeled and diced pumpkin to the barley, add salt, and cook over low heat for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally.
While the porridge is boiling, cut apples into small cubes (1x1 cm), heat a pan with coconut oil in it, put apples into the pan, sprinkle them with cinnamon, stir and simmer over low heat for 5-7 minutes with the lid on.
Put the boiled pumpkin porridge in a bowl, add maple syrup and caramelized apples with butter and cinnamon, mix. Sprinkle with chia and pumpkin seed.

Lunch: Sweet potato puree with seitan

Calories: 450 kcal

Protein: 45 g

Carbs: 45 g

Fats: 11 g

Ingredients you will need:

Seitan, 75 g
Carrot, 15 g
Seed oil, 8 g
Soy sauce, 15 g
Greens, 4 g
Sweet potato, 230 g
Coconut milk, 38 g
Garlic, paprika, black pepper, Italian herbs mix, and other spices to taste

Preparation

Peel and dice sweet potatoes, put them in a pot, cover with water and cook until ready for 25-30 minutes.
Meanwhile, cut seitan into small bars and fry it in oil until golden brown, 2-3 minutes on each side.
Add carrots cut into thin slices—stirfry for one or two minutes.
Pour soy sauce, add herbs to taste, and simmer for a minute. Add greens, remove from heat and simmer for another 5 minutes with the lid on.
When the sweet potato is ready, drain excess water, slightly warm coconut milk, and add it to the potatoes.
Mash potatoes into a puree, add chopped garlic, paprika, salt, and pepper to taste, mix.
Put the mashed potatoes on a plate, sprinkle with chopped fresh greens. Serve the ready seitan on the same plate and enjoy your lunch!

Dinner: Green peas puree with fried mushrooms

Calories: 312 kcal

Protein: 26 g

Carbs: 33.5 g

Fats: 8.8 g

Ingredients you will need:

Green pea, 185 g
Dried tomato, 7 g
Mushrooms, 120 g
Olive oil, 4 g
Onion, 35 g
Smoked tofu, 100 g
Soy sauce, 3 g
Oregano, dried basil, black pepper, Italian herbs mix, and other spices to taste.

Preparation

Preheat two pans. Put green peas in one of them, add a little water, salt and spices to taste, and simmer for 5 minutes over low heat.
Meanwhile, dice mushrooms into thin slices, cut the onion into half rings, and thinly slice the tofu.
Put mushrooms and onions in the second pan, fry for 5-7 minutes over medium heat until golden brown. When done, add soy sauce and spices to taste.
Puree peas in a blender. Put mashed peas on a plate, sprinkle with sun-dried tomatoes and serve with fried mushrooms and tofu slices.

Day 4

Breakfast: Quinoa morning bowl

Calories: 396 kcal

Protein: 16.5 g

Carbs: 31.8 g

Fats: 23 g

Ingredients you will need:

Quinoa, 55 g
Avocado, 55 g
Mushrooms, 55 g
Spinach, 55 g
Tomatoes, 55 g
Arugula, 5 g
Olive oil, 5 g
Pumpkin seeds, 8 g
Sesame seeds, 4 g
Black pepper, dried basil, and other spices to taste

Preparation

Rinse quinoa thoroughly under cold running water. Put into a pot and cover with water in a 1:3 ratio. Cook on medium heat.
After boiling, cook quinoa over medium heat for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
While the quinoa is boiling, heat a pan and fry mushrooms cut in slices for 5 minutes over medium heat with vegetable oil, stirring occasionally.
Add fresh spinach leaves to the mushrooms, cover the pan with a lid, and leave for another 1-2 minutes.
Put the quinoa into a deep plate, add mushrooms with spinach, add salt, peppers, and dried herbs, and mix.
Cut tomatoes into quarters, peel and slice avocado, and put them on top of the porridge.
Put the arugula on top and sprinkle with pumpkin and sesame seeds.

Lunch: Chickpeas “Curry” with tofu

The detailed recipe is given above.

Dinner: Irish-style vegan dinner

Calories: 312 kcal

Protein: 25 g

Carbs: 39 g

Fats: 6.2 g

Ingredients you will need:

Mushrooms, 90 g
Broccoli, 50 g
Oil, 3 g
Soy sauce, 20 g
Sesame seeds, 3 g
Lentil, 70 g
Dried basil, black pepper, and other spices to taste

Preparation

Soak lentils in water for 4-6 hours. Rinse it, put it in a pot, and cover it with clean water in a 1:2 ratio. Boil for 15-17 minutes on medium heat.
Meanwhile, cut mushrooms and broccoli into slices.
Put vegetables in a preheated pan and fry for 10-13 minutes. After that, add sesame seeds and soy sauce. Cover with a lid and stew for 1-2 minutes.
When the lentils are ready, add salt, pepper, and herbs to taste, sprinkle sesame seeds on top.

Day 5

Breakfast: Oatmeal in carrot smoothie with berries

Calories: 436 kcal

Protein: 13 g

Carbs: 40 g

Fats: 26 g

Ingredients you will need:

Oat groats, 35 g
Carrot, 45 g
Maple Syrup, 4 g
Raisins, 5 g
Coconut cream, 45 g
Blueberry, 20 g
Raspberries, 20 g
Pistachio, 25 g
Spices and fresh mint to taste

Preparation

Rinse oatmeal under running water, put it into a small saucepan, cover with cold water in a 1:3 ratio, and cook over medium heat for 10-15 minutes. Add salt to taste and put it aside.
Prepare carrot smoothie: peel and dice carrots, put them in a blender, add coconut cream and puree.
Add the carrot smoothie and maple syrup to the saucepan with oatmeal, mix thoroughly and leave covered for 3 5 minutes.
Put the oatmeal into a deep bowl. Garnish with berries, raisins, pistachios, and mint leaves.

Lunch: Couscous with tofu and vegetables

Calories: 450 kcal

Protein: 16 g

Carbs: 42 g

Fats: 24 g

Ingredients you will need:

Couscous, 45 g
Tofu, 120 g
Mushrooms, 50 g
Eggplant, 50 g
Broccoli, 50 g
Spinach, 50 g
Cauliflower, 50 g
Coconut oil, 18 g
Black pepper and other spices to taste

Preparation

Wash and dice eggplant and mushrooms—cut tofu into large cubes. Chop spinach into thin strips.
Place a frying pan on the stove. Take cauliflower and broccoli into parts and place them in a pan. Add water so that it covers 1/3 of the pan, and cook, covered with a lid, for about 3 minutes over medium heat.
When all of the water has evaporated from the pan, add coconut oil.
Mix vegetables with the tofu in the pan, stir, season with salt and pepper to taste and fry for 3–4 minutes.
Put the couscous into the same pan and add water to cover all the ingredients, mix everything thoroughly, cover, and simmer over low heat for 3–4 minutes, until the couscous absorbs all of the water.
Serve the meal.

Dinner: Tofu and avocado salad

Calories: 312 kcal

Protein: 16.6 g

Carbs: 16.6 g

Fats: 20.4 g

Ingredients you will need:

Iceberg lettuce, 45 g
Onion, 25 g
Tofu, 150 g
Tomato, 120 g
Avocado, 30 g
Olive oil, 8 g
Cauliflower, 75 g
Lemon juice, black pepper, and other spices to taste

Preparation

Dice tofu into large cubes. Peel and dice an avocado. Chop iceberg lettuce. Dice tomato into large cubes. Take cauliflower into parts. Cut the onion into half rings.
Make the sauce: Mix olive oil with lemon juice, add salt and pepper to taste.
Put iceberg on a plate, add cauliflower, onion, tomato, avocado, and tofu on top, season with the sauce.

Day 6

Breakfast: Quinoa morning bowl

The detailed recipe is given above.

Lunch: Vegan sweet and sour meat with couscous

Calories: 500 kcal

Protein: 23.4 g

Carbs: 50.8 g

Fats: 22.7 g

Ingredients you will need:

Soy meat, 70 g
Couscous, 45 g
Bell pepper, 60 g
Onion, 25 g
Carrot, 60 g
Soy sauce, 18 g
Orange juice, 18 g
Coconut oil, 22 g
Chili pepper and other spices to taste

Preparation

Pour boiling water over soy meat, let it stand for 5 minutes, then drain the water. Dice the soy meat into small cubes.
Rinse couscous, put it into a small saucepan, pour boiling water in a weigh1:3 ratio, and cover with lid. Put a pan on the stove.
Put soy meat in the pan and fry without oil over medium heat for 7-8 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Peel and dice carrots, onions, bell peppers, and chili peppers into small cubes, then put them in the pan with the soy meat, add oil, and fry for another 3-5 minutes.
Pour soy sauce and orange juice into the pan, stir.
Serve couscous and top it with soy meat and vegetables.

Dinner: Cauliflower rice with vegan sausages

The detailed recipe is given above.

Day 7

Breakfast: Lavash roll with tofu and veggies

Calories: 436 kcal

Protein: 17 g

Carbs: 40 g

Fats: 23.5 g

Ingredients you will need:

Cabbage, 75 g
Onion, 20 g
Carrot, 25 g
Mushrooms, 25 g
Tofu, 140 g
Oil, 14 g
Thin lavash, 45 g
Tomato paste, 15 g
Garlic and other spices to taste

Preparation

Finely chop cabbage, onions, carrots, and mushrooms and put them in a preheated pan. Add a little water, chopped garlic, tomato paste, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir and simmer over medium heat for 10 minutes.
Put the prepared vegetable filling on lavash; add the tofu cut into small cubes and roll it up.
Now add oil to the pan and put the roll in it. Cook it with the lid closed for another 3 minutes on each side.

Lunch: Soba with tofu, tomatoes, and basil

Calories: 450 kcal

Protein: 18.2 g

Carbs: 41.5 g

Fats: 24 g

Ingredients you will need:

Soba noodles, 45 g
Tofu, 135 g
Olive oil, 18 g
Tomato, 230 g
Basil, 10 g
Soy sauce, 22 g
Scallions, 15 g
Curry and other spices to taste

Preparation

Put soba in a pot with boiling water and cook al dente. Meanwhile, cut the tofu into 1x1 cm cubes.
Heat oil in a large pan. Add tofu and saute over medium-high heat until most sides are golden.
Add the tomatoes, cut into quarters, and cook until tender. Combine cooked noodles with tomatoes and tofu.
Add curry powder, soy sauce, salt and pepper to taste, chopped green onions, and fresh basil leaves.
Stir well and enjoy your meal!

Dinner: Zucchini salad

Calories: 312 kcal

Protein: 10 g

Carbs: 10.5 g

Fats: 26.2 g

Ingredients you will need:

Zucchini, 130 g
Olives, 50 g
Tomatoes, 90 g
Pak choi or cabbage, 75 g
Pumpkin seeds, 20 g
Olive oil, 7 g
Black pepper, coriander, and Italian herbs to taste

Preparation

Cut zucchini into thin slices, chop Chinese cabbage, and cut tomatoes into quarters.
Mix all the vegetables in a deep salad bowl, add olives and olive oil, pepper, and spices to taste.
Sprinkle with pumpkin seeds.

Summing up

Now, when you have 18 new vegan recipes with all the calories and macros calculated for you, don’t hesitate to add them to your cookbook! You don’t have to weigh all the ingredients as precisely as in these recipes. What you can do instead is to prepare several portions at once. Many people who stick to their meal plans prepare their food beforehand and divide it between several food containers.

Remember that most people will be in a massive calorie deficit if they cut their calories to 1200 per day. If you want to lose weight more comfortably, you can always ask for a personalized meal plan composed according to your food preferences and body needs.