Are you thinking about eating a bit less meat or just curious what a week of veggiedom looks like? You don’t need to be a cook or spend a fortune. You can have a very simple vegetarian week that includes a lot of variety and is actually quite tasty.

This isn’t some fancy nutritionist chart laying it out in grams and calories. This is a normal, easy-to-follow, practical guide anyone can follow.

Whether you’re ready to try it for health, for your wallet, for animal welfare, or for the challenge, here’s a 7-day plan that you can follow, adapt, or mix and match.

Why Go Veggie for a Week?

There are many reasons to follow a vegetarian diet for a week. First, we want to make it clear that you don’t have to be a vegan or a vegetarian for life. It’s just for a week, and you can take it as a challenge.

Some people want to try a 7-day vegetarian diet to save some money, as meat is very expensive these days. Second, they want to eat more vegetables. Third, it can be that they suffer from some illness that the doctor has recommended going vegetarian for some days.

Or it may be that they want to try their hand at cooking some new stuff. You won’t believe that going vegetarian for a week can give your wallet and your body a chance to breathe easy. Moreover, it’s a fun way toa experiment with new flavours and spice up the “chicken every night” routine.

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Some Quick Notes Before We Start

This meal plan is for non-vegetarian eaters who consume dairy and eggs.

• This plan includes dairy and eggs. And yes, you can substitute a vegan alternative.
• Quantities are up to you. Eat until you’re satisfied.
• There are no posh or difficult-to-find ingredients here. You can use what’s in season or what’s in your cupboard.
• If there’s something on the list you hate, replace it. Life is too short to eat things you don’t like.

Day 1 – Get Started

Breakfast: Porridge with sliced banana and honey. Simple, cheap, and keeps you full.

Lunch: Wholegrain cheese and tomato sandwich with carrot sticks. Takes minutes.

Dinner: Chickpea and vegetable curry with rice. Swap in whatever veg you’ve got around: peppers, potatoes, carrots, spinach. Good for leftovers.

Snack: A few crackers with a bit of apple and a handful of almonds.

Day 2 – Fresh and Filling

Breakfast: Greek yoghurt with berries (fresh or frozen) and a tablespoon of granola.

Lunch: For lunch you might enjoy a lentil soup and a crusty roll. You can also make extra and freeze it to have later, if you’d like.

Dinner: For dinner, have stuffed peppers, stuffed with rice and black beans, onion and a little grated cheese on top.

Snack ideas: An orange, or some oat biscuits.

Day 3 – Easy Classics

Breakfast: Enjoy whole grain toast with peanut butter and a sliced strawberry topping for a light bite.

Lunch: To meet your protein needs, eat hummus and roasted vegetable wrap. Or you might have some roasted courgette, pepper, or even aubergine, if you have any.

Dinner: Pasta with the homemade tomato sauce with garlic, onions, and mushrooms. Grate some cheese over the top if you’re so inclined.

Snacks: Have bananas, a small yoghurt pot.

Day 4 – Quick and Tasty

Breakfast: Fruit smoothie – banana, berries, spinach, milk (dairy-free).

Lunch : 1 egg mayo sandwich on wholegrain bread with lettuce.

Dinner: Stir-fry with tofu, broccoli, peppers, carrots, soy sauce and noodles.

Snack ideas: Grapes, rice cakes with peanut butter.

Day 5 – Filling but Light

Breakfast: Muesli with milk or yoghurt.

Lunch: Caprese-style salad — tomatoes, mozzarella, basil, olive oil, black pepper. Serve with crusty bread.

Dinner: Filling vegetable chilli made with kidney beans, peppers, onions and tomatoes. Serve with rice.

Snacks: Apple slices with peanut butter, oatcakes with cheese.

Day 6 – Saturday Treats

Breakfast: Scrambled eggs with wilted spinach on whole-grain toast.

Lunch: Opt for a salad falafel wrap with tomato, cucumber, salad and yoghurt dressing for lunch.

Dinner: You can make your own pizzas on shop-bought bases or pitta bread. Dress it with tomato sauce, mozzarella, peppers, mushrooms, olives, or any toppings you’d like.

Snack suggestions: A bowl of fresh berries or a fistful of walnuts.

Day 7 – Sunday Comfort

Breakfast Sunday: Overnight oats (oats, milk, raisins and a sprinkle of cinnamon).

Lunch: Carrot, potato and onion or vegetable soup with lentils with bread for lunch on Sunday.

Dinner: For dinner, you can eat baked aubergine with tomato sauce and cheese and couscous or rice.

Snack suggestions: You can have a pear or a small yoghurt pot for snacks.

Simple Ways to Make It Work

Planning ahead helps. While you work, draw up a shopping list of what you’ll need.

Batch cooking is your friend. Prepare your soups or curry in large batches and freeze it. Great for busy days.

Leftovers aren’t boring. Yesterday’s stir-fry becomes today’s wrap.

Don’t stress about perfection. If you’re in the mood for a biscuit or a crisp sandwich, go for it. This isn’t boot camp.

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Budget-Friendly Choices

• Tinned beans and lentils are very inexpensive and last forever.
• Frozen vegetables are as great as fresh foods.
• Local markets tend to offer fresher produce at lower prices.
• Store-brand basics tend to taste the same.

You certainly don’t have to spend a lot of money on fancy meat substitutes if you don’t feel like it! Pulses, beans, eggs, cheese and veggies make excellent meals.

Health Benefits Without the Fuss

Eating vegetarian for a week often means more veg, more fibre, and less saturated fat. It can make you feel lighter, less bloated and more energetic. But this isn’t a diet. There are no hard rules here to follow, and thus no guilt feeling.

It’s a means of eating fresh, colourful, satisfying food without including meat in every meal.

Make It Your Own

Are you not a fan of mushrooms? No worries, you can have courgettes instead. And if you do not like peppers, you can have carrots. Or if you are allergic to nuts, switch to seeds.

Cooking is personal. And what we have given you are ideas, and not orders. You can also make some changes according to your taste.

Final Thoughts

Doing a week without meat isn’t about rules, sacrifice or worthiness. It’s about trying something different, eating more veg and maybe even saving a little money.

Food should be enjoyable. Sit down, eat slowly, and savour whatever you made.

If you want to return to meat after, great. If it gets you to keep a little more veggie in your life, even better.

And wherever you are, savour your food. That’s what really matters.