Forget the elaborate Buddha bowls and Instagram-worthy smoothies; here's what plant-based eating actually looks like when you're busy, tired, and just trying to feed yourself well.
When I first went vegan at 35, I spent hours scrolling through food blogs featuring rainbow-colored meals that required seventeen ingredients and a mandoline slicer.
I'd just left a demanding finance career, and the last thing I needed was another source of pressure. So I quietly closed those tabs and figured out what actually worked for a real person with a real life.
Five years later, my meals are decidedly unglamorous. They're also nourishing, satisfying, and simple enough that I can pull them together after a long trail run or a deadline-heavy writing day. If you've ever wondered what vegans actually eat when no one's watching, here's an honest look at my typical day.
Morning: the meal that sets the tone
I'm not a morning person, despite what my 6 AM meditation practice might suggest. Breakfast needs to be fast, filling, and require minimal decision-making. Most days, that means oatmeal. Not the overnight variety with chia seeds arranged in a spiral, but the kind you make in a pot in five minutes.
I cook rolled oats with water, stir in a spoonful of peanut butter, and top with whatever fruit is on the counter. Banana slices, usually. Sometimes frozen blueberries that turn everything purple.
A sprinkle of ground flaxseed goes in because I know it's good for me, not because it's exciting. The whole thing takes less time than brewing coffee, which I also drink, black, in large quantities.
What does your ideal low-effort breakfast look like? Sometimes the simplest version is the one that actually sticks.
Midday: the art of the assembled lunch
Lunch in my house is rarely cooked. It's assembled.
I think of it as adult Lunchables, but with better ingredients and no plastic compartments. A typical plate might include hummus, whole grain crackers, cherry tomatoes, cucumber slices, and a handful of nuts. Sometimes I add leftover roasted vegetables or a scoop of quinoa from the fridge.
Marcus and I both work from home, so we've developed a shared rhythm around midday meals. We graze more than we dine. There's something freeing about accepting that lunch doesn't need to be an event. It just needs to bridge the gap between morning and evening without leaving you sluggish or starving.
Research shows that plant-based protein sources like legumes and nuts provide excellent nutrition when varied throughout the day. I don't stress about hitting perfect macros at every meal. I trust that it balances out.
Afternoon: when snacks become necessary
I run trails four or five days a week, usually in the afternoon. This means I need something substantial around 3 PM, or I'll bonk halfway up a hill. My go-to is an apple with almond butter, or a couple of dates stuffed with walnuts. Nothing revolutionary, but it works.
On rest days, I might skip the snack entirely or just have tea. I've learned to listen to what my body actually wants rather than eating by the clock. That took time. Years of corporate life trained me to eat lunch at exactly noon whether I was hungry or not. Unlearning that rigidity has been its own small freedom.
Evening: where the real cooking happens
Dinner is when I actually turn on the stove with intention. But even then, I keep things streamlined.
A typical weeknight meal follows a simple formula: grain, green, bean. Rice with sautéed kale and black beans. Pasta with broccoli and white beans. Quinoa with spinach and chickpeas. I rotate through these combinations with different seasonings to keep things interesting.
Last night, I made a big pot of vegetable soup. Onion, garlic, carrots, celery, canned tomatoes, vegetable broth, and a can of cannellini beans. I added some dried herbs and let it simmer while I answered emails. We ate it with crusty bread and called it done. The leftovers became today's lunch.
Studies confirm that well-planned vegan diets support overall health and can meet all nutritional needs. The key word is "well-planned," but that doesn't mean complicated. It means thoughtful. A little variety. Some attention to nutrients like B12, which I take as a supplement.
The meals no one talks about
Here's what food blogs won't tell you: sometimes dinner is popcorn. Sometimes it's toast with avocado because you forgot to go grocery shopping. Sometimes you eat cereal at 9 PM because the day got away from you and cooking feels impossible.
These meals count too. They're part of the honest picture of what vegans eat. Perfection was never the goal. Sustainability is. I'd rather eat simply and consistently than burn out trying to make every meal a masterpiece.
I learned that lesson the hard way in my finance days, applying impossible standards until I had nothing left to give.
What would it look like to give yourself permission to eat simply? To let go of the pressure to perform wellness?
Final thoughts
Vegan eating, at its core, is just eating. Plants, grains, legumes, nuts, seeds, fruits, vegetables. The basics haven't changed much since humans started cooking. What has changed is our expectation that every meal should be photogenic, optimized, and worthy of documentation.
My meals are none of those things. They're fuel, comfort, and routine. They keep me running trails, writing articles, and showing up for the life I've built. That feels like enough. More than enough, actually.
If you're new to plant-based eating or just tired of the pressure to do it perfectly, I hope this gives you permission to keep it simple. The most sustainable diet is the one you can actually maintain, day after ordinary day.
