Delicious and Healthy Vegan Recipes for Weight Loss

All over the UK, more people are discovering that there's a kinder way to live on Earth, and around 600,000 people have already converted to this way of life. In the process, they've discovered that it's a healthier way to live too. 

Since a vegan diet cuts out a lot of the fatty foods that you used to consume daily, it's much easier to adapt your meal plan if you're a vegan who wants to shed a few pounds. 

Try some of these healthy vegan recipes for weight loss to help you get started on your path to great health. 

Why Is a Vegan Diet Great for Weight Loss and Wellbeing?

Apart from the low-fat benefits of a vegan diet, eating plant-based foods increases your gut health. In turn, a healthy gut microbiome helps protect you from diabetes and other serious diseases. 

It's important to realise that not all vegan foods are suitable for weight loss. For example, sugar is vegan and many commercially available processed vegan foods are also full of unhealthy fattening ingredients. 

If you want to lose weight and still enjoy the convenience of fast foods, rather opt for healthy vegan meal-replacement shakes. 

Unfortunately, you can also eat too many healthy fats when following a vegan diet. Don't overindulge in avocados, nuts, and seeds, they're full of calories.

These easy vegan recipes for weight loss will help you stick to what's good for you when it comes to achieving your goal weight.

Slimming Tofu Scramble 

Here's how to turn your morning tofu scramble into a wholesome treat that ticks all the right boxes for weight loss. Beware of these common pitfalls when making tofu scramble:

• Too little or too much seasoning
• Weird veggie combinations

With that in mind, here's how to whip up the best tofu scramble you'll ever eat and it's got less than 175 Calories per Serving. 

Ingredients

Spice Mix

• 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
• 1 tablespoon chilli powder
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon black salt or regular salt
• ¾ tablespoon turmeric
• ¼ tablespoon garlic powder

For the scramble: 

• 1 tablespoon olive or vegetable oil
• 1½ cups sliced button mushrooms
• 1 red pepper, chopped
• 1/2 yellow onion, chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 454g firm, medium-firm or extra-firm silken tofu 
• 2 cups of black beans, drained and rinsed

Method

1. Place the spice mix ingredients in a bowl and give them a whirl. 
2. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the olive oil.
3. Add the vegetables and sauté until they start to brown, about 8 minutes.
4. Add the tofu blocks and break it apart with a spoon until it’s chunky and resembles a scrambled egg texture.
5. Add the spice mix and black beans and stir it through.
6. Heat the mixture until it’s warmed through, about 5 minutes.

A bonus tip is to make plenty of the spice mix in advance so you've got some for next time. 

Vegan Spaghetti Squash Mac and Cheese

Great for lunch and dinner, this vegan mac and cheese is the ultimate comfort food with only 348 calories per serving. It's also gluten-free, oil-free, paleo, and high-protein. Here's how to make it happen:

Ingredients

• 1 large spaghetti squash
• 2 cups of broccoli florets

Cheese Sauce:

• 1½ cups of non-dairy milk, unsweetened
• 4 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons Habañero sauce
• 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
• ¾ cup nutritional yeast
• 2 tablespoons coconut flour or a suitable replacement
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• Salt and pepper to taste

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 400° F.
2. Line a baking sheet with aluminium foil.
3. Slice the spaghetti squash in half, lengthwise, and bake it for 1 hour.
4. Steam the broccoli until it's softened to your liking.
5. Place all the cheese sauce ingredients in a blender and mix thoroughly.
6. Combine all cheese sauce ingredients in blender or mixing bowl, and mix thoroughly.
7. Remove the spaghetti squash from the oven when it's cooked and remove the seeds
8. Scrape out the 'noodles' into a mixing bowl and add the broccoli.
9. Pour the sauce on top and mix well. 

If you can't find spaghetti squash at your local supermarket, you can also use zucchini. It's easy to create spaghetti shapes with a spiralizer or julienne slicer.

Seitan Steak & Crispy Roast Potatoes

Try this awesome healthy vegan dinner recipe. It’s super-nutritious and you can enjoy this classic ‘meat and potatoes’ dish for less than 480 calories per serving.

Try it out this weekend:

Seitan Steak Ingredients:

• 1 ½ cups wheat gluten
• 1 cup of cooked lentils
• 6 tablespoons water
• 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon chilli powder
• ½ tablespoon liquid smoke
• ¼ tablespoon black pepper

Marinade:

• 1/4 cup of water
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoons agave or maple syrup

Method:

1. Add the vegan seitan steak ingredients to a food processor.
2. Pulse to combine, scraping down the sides until everything’s well mixed.
3. Alternatively, mash the cooked lentils with a fork and mix the ingredients in a large bowl.
4. Place the mixture on a clean work surface and knead it until it comes together in a tight ball.
5. Cut the ball into four sections and roll each section out with a rolling pin until it’s ½ inch thick.
6. Pour a few inches into a pot with a steamer basket and bring it to the boil.
7. Place the steaks in the steamer basket and steam them for 25 minutes, flipping them over halfway.
8. As they steam, they’ll double in size.
9. Mix all the ingredients for the marinade together in an air-tight container.
10. Remove the steaks from the steamer and place them in the marinade.
11. Let them marinate for at least 30 minutes before you cook them.
12. Just before serving, heat a frying pan and fry the steaks for a few minutes on each side, brushing them with the marinade throughout.

Crispy Potatoes Ingredients:

• 2 lbs potatoes, peeled and cut into even chunks
• ⅓ cup aquafaba (the liquid from a can of chickpeas)
• 3 tablespoons semolina or fine cornmeal
• Salt and pepper to taste

Method:

1. Preheat your oven to 450° F.
2. Place the potatoes in a pan and cover them water.
3. Boil the potatoes until fork-tender, about 6 minutes.
4. Drain them for a few minutes and leave them to steam for about 5 minutes.
5. In the meantime, line a baking tray or roaster with parchment paper.
6. Place the potatoes back in the pan and add the semolina and aquafaba.
7. Put the lid on the pan and shake it vigorously a few times. This action roughs up the potatoes, which is essential for the crisping process.
8. Stir the potatoes with a spoon until they’re coated with the potato slurry from the bottom of the pan.
9. Tip the potatoes onto the tray and spread them out.
10. Season with salt and pepper.
11. Place the potatoes in the oven and cook them for 25 minutes. Flip them over and cook them for another 20 minutes until they’re golden brown.

Serve the crispy potatoes with the seitan steak. For extra flavour, you can marinate the steaks in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Fat Burning Vegan Recipes

How about some meals that actively help you burn off that unwanted fat? The secret to saying goodbye to belly fat lies in a calorie deficit, combined with high protein, high fibre meals. 

Try these two delicious fat-burning treats:

Fig and Walnut Bread

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ cups of unbleached all-purpose flour
• ½ cup wholewheat flour
• 2t baking powder
• ½ tablespoon baking soda
• ¼ tablespoon salt
• ¾ tablespoon ground cardamom
• ½ tablespoon ground cinnamon
• ½ tablespoon ground allspice
• ½ tablespoon ground nutmeg
• 1tablespoon coconut sugar
• ¾ cup of non-dairy milk
• ½ tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• ¼ cup vegan butter, melted
• ¼ cup apple sauce
• 1 flax egg (1 T flaxseed meal mixed with 2 T water)
• 1 ½ cups dried Mission figs, chopped
• ¾ cup chopped walnuts

Method:

1. Preheat your oven to 350° F degrees.
2. Line a loaf pan with parchment paper.
3. Prepare the flax egg.
4. Whisk the flours, baking soda and powder, spices, salt, and coconut sugar together.
5. Combine the milk and apple cider vinegar in a separate bowl.
6. Leave it for 3 minutes, then add the apple sauce, flax egg, and butter.
7. Fold in the walnuts and figs.
8. Pour the batter into the loaf pan, place it in the oven and bake it for 50 minutes.
9. Allow the loaf to cool for 10 minutes before you slice it.

S’mores Frappuccino 

Ingredients

• ½ cup of black coffee, brewed and cooled
• ¼ cup almond milk
• 1-2 tablespoon of cocoa powder
• 1 scoop of chocolate protein powder
• Stevia
• 6 large ice cubes

Garnish:

• Vegan chocolate syrup
• Gluten-free graham cracker crumbs
• Dairy-free cream, whipped

Method:

1. Combine all the ingredients in a high-speed blender and blend on high speed until smooth.
2. Add stevia until you achieve the desired taste.
3. To serve, drizzle the chocolate syrup inside your glass and then pour in the coffee.
4. Top the drink with whipped cream and sprinkle the graham cracker crumbs on top.
5. of glass, then pour in the coffee.
6. Top with whipped cream and graham cracker crumbs.

Caffeine is the major fat-burning ingredient in this drink. 

For more about plant-based meal prep for weight loss download our 7-Day Vegan Meal Plan.

Get More Healthy Vegan Recipes for Weight Loss

Once you're accustomed to the vegan way, it's easy to modify your diet to encourage weight loss and enjoy all the benefits of healthy eating.  

Increase your collection of healthy vegan recipes for weight loss by downloading our comprehensive e-book with over 100 healthy recipe ideas and diet tips.

Download it now and take your vegan eating plan to the next level of deliciousness and good health.

Where Can You Buy High Protein Vegan Products?

The increasing popularity of plant-based diets means that it is easier than ever to find not only vegan products but also high-protein, low calorie products. We've analysed over 300 products across all of the main UK supermarkets. Here's the top 100 high protein vegan products.