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All you need for the vegan Summer 2023 Healthy Diet Plan

Everything you need to follow the vegan summer 2023 Healthy Diet Plan. Find the menu chart, all the recipes for the week, handy shopping lists and more.

Healthy Diet Plan Summer 2023

Welcome to BBC Good Food’s Healthy Diet Plan for summer 2023! This page contains everything you need for the whole week. Scroll down or click the links below to get started. Looking for a different plan? Discover our meat and fish menu or try our vegetarian plan.

Our new gut-friendly Healthy Diet Plan has been exclusively developed by food writer Sara Buenfeld, with analysis and expert advice from registered nutritionist Kerry Torrens. With colourful fruit and vegetables, minimally processed foods and recipes loaded with healthy fats, fibre, lean protein and slow-release carbs, you can start this year looking and feeling your best.

The food we eat not only affects our physical health and how we look, it also impacts how we feel as well as our mood and outlook. Providing your body with the right nourishment through a healthy, balanced diet can improve mood, support energy levels and help you think more clearly.

Cutting meat and dairy from your diet, however, can mean you miss out on some essential vitamins and minerals. Our vegan diet plan helps you optimise your intake of these nutrients. We’ve done this by including some handy kitchen hacks, like mixing rice and beans to offer the full spectrum of essential amino acids, using rapeseed oil to support omega-3 fatty acid levels, and choosing fortified dairy alternatives to boost your nutrients.

If eating like this is new to you, add a couple of the recipes to your diet the week before you start the plan to help your system adjust to the new foods and the additional fibre. Click here for more information on following a healthy, balanced vegan diet.

We’ve focused our vegan diet plan on wholegrains, vegetables, fruits and nuts and seeds, and with good reason. These foods have been associated with a number of positive health benefits, including better digestive health, stronger immunity and improved mood. As a result, by following our plan, you can expect to feel more energised, improve your digestion and feel brighter and sharper.

The secret to success is preparation and planning, which is why we suggest using the Saturday before you start the plan to shop for ingredients and do a little food prep. What’s more, to help free you up during a busy week, we’ve cut down on time spent in the kitchen by ensuring leftovers for some meals.

These recipes are great to enjoy pre or post-exercise. For resistance training, for example, plant-based protein is key for muscle repair, and for cardio and endurance training, you’ll need some energising carbs to replenish glycogen stores, as well as protein. Muscles are most receptive in the 30-minute window following exercise, so eat in this time frame if you can. Remember to drink plenty of hydrating fluids and, if necessary, include a small amount of sodium to replace any lost through perspiration.

How to use the plan

Use the chart below to see your weekly menu at a glance. Eaten in this order, each day will deliver a balance of protein, fat and carbs, helping you manage hormonal and blood sugar levels, as well as optimal nutrient levels each day. You’ll also achieve all five of your five-a-day (or more) and keep within the recommended reference intakes (RI) for fats, protein, sugar, salt and calories while following the latest guidance on your intake of ‘free’ sugars. As with any lifestyle or diet change, if you have any concerns or health issues, we would encourage you to check with your GP before embarking on our plans.

If this is a new way of eating for you, we suggest that you begin by introducing some of the recipes the week before starting the full seven days. This will allow your digestive system time to adapt to the more fibre-rich foods we’ve included. To help you supercharge your results, read our six tips to make the most of the plan.

Your shopping list for the week

To help you get organised, we’ve designed a handy shopping list so you can buy everything you need in one shop – just remember to check the packets for sell-by dates to make sure they’ll last until the end of the week.

Download the printable shopping list.

Your menu chart for the week

Vegan plan

The recipes

Our plan covers breakfast, lunch and dinner and serves two people for seven days (often using leftovers for another day), although the recipes can be easily scaled up or down.

Get the meat eater’s Healthy Diet Plan recipes.

Get the vegetarian Healthy Diet Plan recipes.

Breakfasts

Healthy Homemade Granola

Healthy homemade granola

Fibre, dairy-free, low sugar

Shop-bought granola can have a lot of added sugar, but our crunchy version is sweetened with prunes. Studies suggest eating prunes regularly preserves bone density and because they are full of fibre, supports gut health, too.

Vegan spinach omelette

Vegan spinach omelette

1 of 5-a-day, low calorie, gluten-free, folate, vit c, low sugar, high protein, low GI

Never tried omelette made with chickpea flour? It’s delicious, high protein and gluten-free. The quantities here are for one, but it’s easy to double up and cook two omelettes one after the other.

Oat and Chia Overnight Oats

Overnight oats with apricot & yogurt

1 of 5-a-day, calcium, fibre, dairy-free, low GI

Soaking oats overnight isn’t just convenient for a speedy breakfast it makes them easier to digest, too. We have combined them with antioxidant-rich chia seeds and apricots which are both thought to benefit heart health.

Lunches

Burrito Bowl

Vegan burrito bowl

4 of 5-a-day, fibre, vit c, gluten-free, low sugar

We use brown rice as it’s a rich source of phenols and flavonoids, two antioxidants said to reduce damage to our cells and reduce the risk of premature aging. This colourful bowl would work well as a work lunch or picnic, but make sure to keep it chilled in a fridge or with ice packs as rice can cause food poisoning.

Chickpea coconut and broccoli stew in a casserole dish

Chickpea, coconut & broccoli stew

2 of 5-a-day, low fat, iron, vit c, fibre, low sugar

Chickpeas and beans are a top source of protein and they increase the bacteria in your gut. A good mix of gut bacteria helps you digest food, boosts your immune system and reduces your risk of diseases like diabetes.

Dinners

Vegan Tofu Steak Chips

Tofu steaks with chips

2 of 5-a-day, low calorie, calcium, iron, folate, vit c, fibre, low sugar, high protein

Even the meat-eaters will love these vegan steaks made with marinated tofu, and served with sesame chips and mushy peas. Soy products like tofu contain natural compounds called isoflavones which are powerful antioxidants that help minimise the damage known as oxidative stress.

Vegan pasta bake with cherry tomatoes on top

Vegan pasta bake

5 of 5-a-day, iron, folate, vit c, fibre, low sugar

This one-pot combines lentils with wholewheat pasta, courgettes and cashews. Lentils are rich in fibre, folate and potassium, making them a great choice for the heart, as well as for managing blood pressure and cholesterol. They are also a source of energising iron and vitamin B1.

Mushroom Tacos

Mushroom tacos

4 of 5-a-day, fibre, vit c, iron, folate, low sugar, high protein

Swap the meat for mushrooms to make these delicious tacos. The shells are made with chickpea flour, which keeps them gluten-free. You can increase the level of vitamin D in mushrooms, by exposing them to ultraviolet light – so get them out of the fridge and onto the window sill when you know you will be using them.

Caponata-style Aubergines With Quinoa

Caponata-style aubergines with quinoa

4 of 5-a-day, fibre, vit c, gluten-free, low sugar

Raisins add a touch of sweetness to this colourful stew, while olives and capers add salt. Quinoa makes a valuable dietary inclusion for vegans or those following a plant-based diet as it contains all nine essential amino acids. And small amounts of heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids, too.

Vegab Tofu Meatloaf

Vegan meatloaf

5 of 5-a-day, low calorie, folate, vit c, fibre

This loaf is made with oats, almonds and chestnut mushrooms. We’ve served it with a fresh tomato sauce. Tomatoes contain lycopene, lutein and beta-carotene. These compounds are vital for maintaining good eye health.

How to customise the plan

Everyone has different needs and lifestyle requirements, which is why our plans are easy to adapt. If you find you’re hungry or would like to increase the daily calories, try adding our healthier snacks and sweet treat suggestions. These recipes are all based around whole foods and keep the processed ingredients to a minimum.

If you want to mix up the menu so you can follow the plan in the longer term or you don’t like a particular dish on the menu, you can swap it for one of our extra Healthy Diet Plan dishes that all follow the same nutritional guidelines as the recipes in this plan. Please bear in mind that adding snacks or swapping recipes will alter the overall calories and recommended daily intakes for the day.

Still hungry?

The calories you need on a daily basis vary depending on your age, height, weight, sex and activity levels. There are numerous calculators you can use online to determine your optimum calorie intake. Our plan aims to provide between 1200 and 1500 kcals per day. For the average female who is moderately active, this should generate a shortfall, allowing for steady and controlled weight loss. For those who are hungry on the plan, require a higher calorie intake or are happy with their weight, take a look at our healthier snacks and sweet treat ideas or try our brand new snacks below. As with any lifestyle or diet change, if you have any concerns or health issues we would encourage you to check with your GP before embarking on our plans.

A note on fat

Fat is in a variety of the foods we eat, including nuts, seeds and grains as well as dairy alternatives. Obtaining fat from whole foods is a healthier way of getting this essential macronutrient. We need fat for healthy skin, to boost our mood and improve concentration and to support a well-functioning immune system. Our recipes include healthy fats – nuts, seeds, olive and rapeseed oils – rather than refined ones. That’s because all fats are not equal – we should avoid processed, refined fats and oils and limit (but not exclude) our intake of the saturated variety. We’ve also included sources of plant-based omega-3 fatty acids, such as flax and chia seeds.

A note on dairy alternatives

We recommend choosing fortified versions of your favourite dairy-free milk and yogurts. This is a good way to include nutrients such as calcium, B12, iodine and vitamin D, which can often be challenging to achieve on a vegan diet.

chia blueberry pots compressed

A note on sugar

We’ve used naturally sweet ingredients where possible, like fresh and dried fruit, and certain vegetables to slash the amount of added ‘free’ sugars in our recipes.

A note on vegan diets

Following a vegan diet can make it harder to obtain some essential nutrients; these include vitamins B12 and D, iodine and omega-3 fatty acids as well as calcium, iron and selenium. Fortified foods, such as fortified plant milks, help contribute some hard-to-get nutrients, but, depending on your circumstances, you may wish to complement a varied, balanced vegan diet with a suitable supplement. Click here for more information.

Please email any questions about the recipes to goodfoodwebsite@immediate.co.uk and we’ll do our best to help.

All health content on bbcgoodfood.com is provided for general information only, and should not be treated as a substitute for the medical advice of your own doctor or any other healthcare professional. Any healthy diet plan featured by BBC Good Food is provided as a suggestion of a general balanced diet and should not be relied upon to meet specific dietary requirements. If you have any concerns about your general health, you should contact your local healthcare provider. See our website terms and conditions for more information.