A week of vegan family meals
Breakfasts, lunchboxes and school-night dinners that take 20 minutes or less — plus a shopping list you can screenshot.
The week at a glance
| Day | Breakfast | Lunchbox | Dinner | Snack |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | Oat porridge + banana | Hummus rainbow wrap | Tomato pasta + peas | Apple slices |
| Tuesday | Rainbow smoothie | Pita pizza + veg sticks | Black bean tacos | Cheesy-yeasty popcorn |
| Wednesday | Toast + peanut butter | Animal-shape sandwiches | Lentil shepherd's pie | Frozen yogurt bark |
| Thursday | Oat pancakes | Couscous + chickpea salad | Veggie noodle stir-fry | Orange + seeds |
| Friday | Cereal + fortified plant milk | Leftover pasta | Build-your-own pizza night | Cocoa bites |
| Saturday | Beans on toast | Picnic box: wraps + fruit | Veggie burgers + oven chips | Banana 'ice cream' |
| Sunday | Pancake stack | Big soup + bread | Roast veg + rice bowl | Apple cinnamon galette |
Shopping list
Fruit & veg
Bananas, apples, oranges, berries, spinach, carrots, cucumber, tomatoes, peppers, potatoes, onions, garlic, broccoli
Cupboard
Oats, pasta, rice, couscous, tortillas, pitta, tinned black beans, chickpeas, lentils, chopped tomatoes, sweetcorn, popcorn kernels, peanut butter, nutritional yeast
Fridge & freezer
Fortified plant milk, soy yogurt, hummus, tofu, frozen peas, veggie burgers, frozen berries
Don't forget
Vitamin B12 supplement, iodised salt or a supplement, vitamin D in winter
General information for healthy children, not medical advice. Ask your paediatrician or a registered dietitian about your child's supplements and growth.
Make it fit your family
Build a meal, not just a snack
Start with something filling, such as potatoes, rice, pasta or bread. Add beans, lentils or tofu, then fruit or vegetables your child enjoys. A smoothie or frozen treat can be part of a day’s food, but is not a complete meal by itself.
Let children choose between two ingredients and help wash, mash or mix. Describe new foods honestly; avoid hiding ingredients or promising that everyone will love a recipe. Offer a familiar food alongside something new and let the child decide how much to eat.
Vegan does not mean allergy-free. Check every ingredient label, substitutions and shared equipment. Sesame, soy, wheat and nuts can still be present. For a child with allergies, follow their care plan; for nutrition concerns, speak with a qualified pediatric dietitian.
Vegan family meal plan — school-night dinners kids will eat
This free vegan family meal plan turns a whole week of plant-based eating into one page: seven breakfasts, seven lunchboxes, seven school-night dinners and a grouped shopping list. Every dinner is 20 minutes or less on the night, every recipe is dairy-free and egg-free, and each one links to a printable card you can stick on the fridge.
Common questions from parents
- What does a week of vegan family meals look like?
- Rotate five dinner shapes: pasta, tacos/wraps, a bake, a stir-fry and a build-your-own night. Repeat breakfasts, keep two lunchbox templates, and you have a full week with almost no decisions to make.
- How do I cook vegan family meals on a school night?
- Batch-cook one pot of beans or lentils on Sunday and use it three ways. Keep frozen peas, tinned tomatoes, pasta and tortillas in stock — every dinner in this plan is 20 minutes or less on the night.
- Is this meal plan balanced for children?
- It includes protein (beans, lentils, tofu, peanut butter), calcium (fortified plant milk, tofu, greens), iron with vitamin C, and wholegrains. Give a daily B12 supplement and vitamin D in winter, and check in with your paediatrician or dietitian.
- Can I make this plan nut-free or gluten-free?
- Yes — swap peanut butter for sunflower seed butter, and use gluten-free oats, pasta and corn tortillas. The nut-free and gluten-free recipe collections are one tap away.