50+ Best Whole Food Plant-Based Recipes (2024)

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Try these delectable whole food plant-based recipes if you’re new to this way of eating! Our beginner-friendly ideas include quick, easy, nutritious and crowd-pleasing goodness — from breakfast to dinner.

Preparing healthy plant-based meals on a daily basis can be easy and delicious with our selection of recipes!

No matter if you’re a seasoned vegan looking for new healthy ideas or want to dabble in a whole food plant-based diet, this article is for you.

50+ Best Whole Food Plant-Based Recipes (1)

free 7-day vegan meal plan

Your next week of eating is planned out with these quick and delicious vegan bowls, meal prepping steps & full grocery list.

Our list of recipes covers breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, desserts and condiments that are not only 100% vegan but also sugar-free and oil-free, made with whole-grain products and fresh produce.

Sounds great? Find more oil-free vegan recipes, healthy dressings and colorful vegan bowls on our website.

We also have a healthy 1-week meal plan and a plant-based transition guide you’ll love!

Breakfast Recipes

50+ Best Whole Food Plant-Based Recipes (2)pin it

Easy Vegan Granola Recipe →

Breakfast is our favorite meal of the day! You get to eat delicious sweet food like breakfast cookies or fruity chia pudding alongside a good cup of coffee or tea.

Preparing whole food plant-based breakfast is really easy and satiating if you go for a combination of complex carbs, plant-based protein and healthy fats!

From creamy oatmeal to quick smoothies, savory tofu scrambles, pancakes with fruit or peanut butter sandwiches, so much deliciousness is waiting for you!

Check out our breakfast guide for more tips and try the following recipes.

Stuffed Vegan Crêpespin itFluffy Vegan Blueberry MuffinsDelicious Vegan Toasts 4-Ways
Vegan Berry White Bean SmoothieChocolate Overnight OatsVegan Chickpea Flour Omelette

Lunch ideas

50+ Best Whole Food Plant-Based Recipes (9)pin it

Vegan Grilled Cheese Recipe →

Make your own portable lunch instead of relying on restaurants to save money and ensure that your meal is whole food plant-based!

We love working with leftovers for lunch, but you can also make quick-to-assemble recipes like hummus wraps, sandwiches or bowls.

Check out our top tips and favorite packable lunches here and try some of the recipes below!

pin itEasy Homemade Vegan Bean BurritosMediterranean Pasta Saladpin itVegan Creamy Pesto Pasta
Creamy Vegan Potato Saladpin itHealthy Vegan Pizza RollsStuffed Collard Green Wraps

Easy snacks

50+ Best Whole Food Plant-Based Recipes (16)pin it

Baked Tortilla Chips Recipe →

Do you love snacking as much as we do?

Swap the greasy bag of chips for whole food plant-based-approved snacks like apple slices with peanut butter, trail mix, roasted beans or whole wheat crackers with some hummus.

Check out our selection of protein-packed snacks, kid-friendly snacks and homemade bliss balls for more ideas!

If you’re looking for store-bought whole food plant-based snacks, find our 25 favorite supermarket choices and 10 great snack boxes here!

Edible Chickpea Cookie DoughSpicy Oil-Free Roasted Chickpeas
Coconut Almond Bliss Balls
Peanut Butter Stuffed Datespin itFruity Sugar-Free Flapjacks
pin itVegan 7 Layer Mexican Taco Dip

Dinner recipes

50+ Best Whole Food Plant-Based Recipes (23)pin it

Tofu Veggie Bowl Recipe →

Filling, colorful and family-friendly: whole food plant-based dinners are plentiful and totally suitable for those on a budget or feeding non-vegans.

In fact, many common dinner recipes can be recreated to fit this diet by using a few healthy food swaps! Choose whole-grain pasta, add protein-packed beans or lentils, a serving or two of seasonal veggies and top with a flavorful vegan sauce.

Find an array of protein-packed, kid-friendly, budget-friendly, lazy and light dinners around our website! Start with the recipes below.

pin itEasy Vegan Bean ChiliQuinoa Stuffed Bell Pepperspin itHealthy Vegan Mac and CheeseOne-Pot Lentil Carrot SoupVegan Buffalo Cauliflower TacosEasy Vegan Hummus Veggie Pasta
pin itEpic Veggie-Stuffed LasagnaFlavorful Thai Vegetable Stir-Frypin itUltimate Veggie Bean BurgerEasy Vegan Chow Mein NoodlesVegan Rainbow Buddha Bowlpin itVegan Thai Potato Curry

Healthy desserts

50+ Best Whole Food Plant-Based Recipes (36)pin it

Chocolate Mousse Cake Recipe →

Do you want to stay for dessert? Great, because we have scrumptious whole food plant-based treats that are nourishing and so morish.

Nobody will believe that these recipes are fully vegan — let alone oil-free and sugar-free!

Common components for healthy plant-based recipes are oat flour, almond flour, whole wheat flour, mashed beans (yes!), silken tofu, fruits, coconut, dark chocolate and nut butter.

By the way, our favorite whole food plant-based sweetener is dates! You’ll find them in many of our desserts below. Check out no-bake vegan desserts here!

pin itNo-Bake Vegan Caramel Slicepin itEasy Vegan Cinnamon RollsVegan Sugar-Free Apple CrumbleEasy Bounty Balls
Fluffy Silken Tofu Chocolate MousseFudgy Black Bean BrowniesVegan Skillet Cookie CakeHealthy Vegan Carrot Cake

Easy condiments

50+ Best Whole Food Plant-Based Recipes (45)pin it

Garlic Yogurt Sauce Recipe →

Flavorful condiments are what bring all the different components of a meal together beautifully!

While you can totally go for store-bought vegan dips, dressings and sauces, they are often cheaper and healthier when made at home.

There are so many ways to eat hummus, one of the most classic vegan dips, and we love drowning our veggies or pasta in creamy sauces!

Whole food plant-based condiments are often based on nuts, seeds, beans or vegetables and flavored with a wide range of herbs and spices.

Roasted Beetroot HummusVegan Almond Ricotta CheeseQuick Vegan Brown Gravy
Vegan Honey Mustard DressingHealthy Peanut Butter SauceQuick Oil-Free Pesto

More healthy recipes

Our website is full of delicious, healthy and easy plant-based recipes! Check out these collections next.

  • 30+ Plant-Based Soups
  • 30+ Plant-Based Breakfast Ideas
  • 35+ Vegan Beginner Recipes
  • 25+ Plant-Based Smoothies
  • 22+ Vegan Sandwiches

Did you try any of these plant-based recipes? Let us know how you liked them in the comments below, leave a rating and Pin this article here.

50+ Best Whole Food Plant-Based Recipes (52)

50+ Best Whole Food Plant-Based Recipes

Yield: 3 servings

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

Try these delectable whole food plant-based recipes if you’re new to this way of eating! Our beginner-friendly ideas include quick, easy, nutritious and crowd-pleasing goodness. The following easy corn chowder is a comforting one-pot dinner idea the whole family will love!

Ingredients

Easy Corn Chowder

  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 2 cups cauliflower florets (220 g)
  • 4 cups vegetable broth (880 ml), divided
  • 1 celery stalk, chopped
  • 14 oz potatoes (400 g), peeled and diced
  • ¼ tsp paprika
  • ½ tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp thyme
  • 1 tsp salt
  • Black pepper, to taste
  • 2 cups corn kernels (330 g), divided
  • 1 cup cooked cannellini beans (260 g), drained

Instructions

  1. Sauté onion, garlic and cauliflower in a few tablespoons of vegetable broth for 5 minutes while stirring frequently in a large pot over medium heat.
  2. Add the rest of the vegetable broth, celery, potatoes, spices and half of the corn kernels. Cover the pot and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and cook for 15 minutes or until the potatoes are soft.
  3. Add the cannellini beans, then take the pot off the stove and blend everything using an immersion blender or regular blender.
  4. Add the remaining corn kernels to the corn chowder in the pot, then adjust to your taste preferences.
  5. Serve warm!

Notes

  • Any leftovers can be stored in a lidded container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat at your convenience.
  • Add some canned coconut milk for added fat and creaminess!
  • Find 50+ more easy whole food plant-based recipes in the article above.
Nutrition Information:

Yield: 3Serving Size: ⅓ recipe
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 361Total Fat: 3gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 607mgCarbohydrates: 75gFiber: 12gSugar: 11gProtein: 16g

Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated automatically, their accuracy is not guaranteed. Just focus on whole plant-based foods and eat until satiety!

Please rate & share if you like this!

Leave a comment on our blog or share on Pinterest or Instagram.

50+ Best Whole Food Plant-Based Recipes (2024)

FAQs

What are the downsides of a whole food plant-based diet? ›

Plant-based diets can sometimes lead to nutritional deficiencies such as vitamin B12, iron, zinc, calcium, and omega-3 fatty acids.

What is a realistic whole food plant-based diet? ›

Living a Whole Food, Plant-Based Life

This includes whole grains, fruits, vegetables, legumes (beans, peas, and lentils), nuts, and seeds. Many eventually give up the diet label in favor of lifestyle. Perhaps that's because the popular notion of dieting has become so confusing. A WFPB lifestyle should be simpler.

What are the 4 types of people who eat mostly plant-based foods? ›

7 Types of Plant-Based Diets
MeatSeafood
1. Veganxx
2. Vegetarianxx
3. Lacto-Vegetarianxx
4. Ovo-Vegetarianxx
3 more rows

Why am I not losing weight on whole food plant-based diet? ›

A whole food plant-based diet often leads to healthy weight loss, but if you're not seeing the scale move, these reasons could be why: You're still eating and cooking with oil. You need to eat more leafy greens (and fiber in general) You're going out to eat too much.

Why are plant-based meats not as healthy? ›

New research shows that although plant-based meat products are generally healthier than meat equivalents, they can be higher in sugar and are often lacking important nutrients found in real meat.

Can you drink coffee on a whole food plant-based diet? ›

Coffee can be part of a healthy WFPB diet for most people. Some folks who suffer from anxiety/GI issues/low iron may want to steer clear or limit consumption. Tea is a great beverage to include in your WFPB lifestyle - especially herbal teas.

What is the best bread for a whole food plant-based diet? ›

Multigrain breads, whole grain breads, and breads that use sprouted grains, such as ezekiel bread are packed with health benefits and are great for a plant-based diet. Breads made from refined flours do not contain the fiber and protein that whole grain, multigrain, or sprouted grain breads offer.

What bread to eat on a whole food diet? ›

Some breads are more nutritious than others. To choose a beneficial bread, you can look for varieties made from 100% whole-grain and/or sprouted-grain flours. Make sure your bread is low in added sweeteners. A few good options include sourdough, rye, flax, and oat breads.

What meat can I eat every day? ›

Recommendations For Eating Meat

In addition to portion size, Manaker recommends limiting ultra-processed products and looking for lean cuts of meat. This includes white meat chicken for poultry, flank steak for red meat, and pork sirloin or tenderloin. And what you eat with your meat is just as important.

Can I eat cheese on a plant-based diet? ›

There are a lot of great plant-based protein sources, including tofu, lentils, beans, nuts and nut butters, seeds, and quinoa. Don't forget: Dairy, eggs, beef, poultry, and fish are allowed on the plant-based diet, they just shouldn't be the center of the meal.

What do you call someone who eats plant-based? ›

A vegetarian is someone who follows a vegetarian diet—they don't eat meat of any kind (beef, chicken, fish—no animal flesh at all). The word vegan typically refers to someone who doesn't eat or use any products from animals—vegans don't eat meat or dairy, and they often don't eat other animal-derived foods like honey.

What are the two most common plant-based diets? ›

Plans that cut out meat but still include fish are known as pescatarian diets. Those who don't eat meat or fish but still include dairy and eggs are vegetarian, while those who cut out all animal-derived products, including dairy, eggs, honey and gelatine, are referred to as vegan.

What are the 30 plant-based foods? ›

What could 30 plant points look like?
  • Green beans.
  • Beetroot.
  • Rocket.
  • Sweet potato.
  • Courgettes.
  • Carrots.
  • Mushrooms.
  • Red pepper.
Mar 3, 2023

What are the pros and cons of plant-based foods? ›

Pros and Cons of Vegetarianism
ProsCons
Obtain a variety of vegetables and fruits each dayVegan diets can be low in protein and fat
Useful diet for weight lossBeing a vegetarian can have common nutrient deficiencies
4 more rows
Aug 23, 2023

What happens when you switch to a Whole Foods plant-based diet? ›

A whole-foods, plant-based diet is a way of eating that celebrates plant foods and minimizes animal products and highly processed foods. Plant-based diets have been linked to a number of health benefits, including reducing your risk of heart disease, certain cancers, obesity, diabetes, and cognitive decline.

Why am I so tired on a whole food plant-based diet? ›

Lack of Specific Vitamin and Minerals

This is because, for many nutrients involved in preventing fatigue, such as vitamin B12, iron and iodine (18), a little more thought may be needed to reach your daily requirements.

Can you get fat on a whole food plant-based diet? ›

Unfortunately, most popular weight gain diets include animal foods and involve unhealthy tactics, such as drinking an entire gallon of milk a day or loading up on shakes made with processed protein powders. The good news is you can gain weight eating whole, plant-based foods if you take the right approach.

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