Interested in going plant-based, but don’t know where to start? Think of going plant based as more of a lifestyle change, rather than a diet. It’s simply being more creative with fruits, vegetables, grains, nuts, and seeds. Start small. You have a lot of ingredients at your disposal, and it will be fun discovering new flavours you never thought possible.
To start on your plant-based journey, here are a few easy beginner-friendly plant-based recipes you can try. Good luck.
Why choose plant-based recipes
Better for your health
Animal products are usually high in saturated fat and cholesterol, clogging arteries and raising blood sugar. A plant-based lifestyle improves heart health, lessens your risk for Type 2 diabetes, and gives you better digestion.
Better for the planet
Animal agriculture accounts for at least 16.5% of the world’s carbon emissions. Raising animals also requires more resources than plants, causing loss of land, fresh water, and biodiversity. For example, only 0.66 m² of land is used per kilogram of soy milk. For dairy cattle, that’s raised to 43.24 m².
Better for the animals
Animals in most factory farms aren’t treated humanely. Some are forced to live in cramped spaces, without enrichment, natural sunlight, or fresh air. Chickens, for example, are sent to the slaughterhouse at only 18 months because they can’t produce enough eggs.
With a plant-based diet, you embrace a healthier diet in most instances and promote sustainable farming practices.
Easy plant-based recipes for breakfast
Chickpea omelette
Ingredients:
Omelette:
- 1 cup chickpea flour
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ¼ tsp white pepper
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- 1/3 cup nutritional yeast (optional)
- ½ tsp baking soda
- 1 cup plant-based milk or water
Filling:
- ½ cup chopped vegetables of choice (green onions, tomatoes, mushrooms, etc.)
Procedure:
1. Sauté the vegetables, then set aside.
2. In a separate bowl, combine omelette ingredients. Mix until smooth.
3. On medium heat, pour the batter. Sprinkle the vegetables on one side, then fold the other half of the omelette over the filling. Temperature is evenly maintained on an Electrolux hob with SenseFry, making flipping and folding easy.
4. Top with salsa or microgreens and serve.
Peanut butter smoothie bowl
Ingredients:
Smoothie:
- 1 cup frozen bananas
- ½ cup fat-free plain Greek yoghurt
- 1 tbsp peanut butter
- 3 tbsp plant milk of choice
- Salt to taste (if peanut butter is unsalted)
Topping options:
- Seeds (hemp, chia)
- Chopped nuts (granola, almonds)
- Coconut flakes
- Cacao nibs
- Banana slices
- Peanut butter drizzle
Procedure:
1. Mix all smoothie ingredients in a blender until you achieve a soft-serve consistency.
2. Pour into a bowl and sprinkle with toppings of choice.
Vegan baked oats
Ingredients:
Oat base:
- ½ cup rolled oats
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ¼ cup mashed ripe banana
- 1 tbsp nut butter
- ¼ cup plant milk
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
Gingerbread apple:
- ½ tsp ginger powder
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp nutmeg
- ¼ cup chopped apples
Carrot cake:
- ½ cup grated carrots
- ¼ cup walnuts
- 1 tbsp ginger powder
- 1 tbsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp nutmeg
Matcha:
- 1 tsp matcha powder
- 2 tbsp vegan white chocolate chips or chopped almonds
Procedure:
1. Preheat your oven to 180°C.
2. In an oven-safe container, mix all oat base ingredients, together with your chosen add-ons.
3. Bake for about 20 minutes then let it rest for 5 minutes. Best to take it out when the centre is still soft.
Top plant-based recipes for lunch
Lentil chickpea salad
Ingredients:
Salad:
- 1 cup canned chickpeas, rinsed and drained
- 1 cup lentils
- ¼ cup yellow onions, diced
- ½ medium bell pepper, diced
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- 2 ½ cups spinach
- Salt and pepper
Dressing:
- 1 ½ tsp tahini
- 1 tsp lemon juice
Procedure:
1. In boiling water, cook lentils for about 20 minutes. Drain and rinse. Set aside.
2. Brown onions and peppers over medium heat. Season with half of the garlic powder.
3. Mix in the chickpeas, lentils, and spinach until well combined.
4. In a separate bowl, combine all dressing ingredients with water and remaining garlic powder. Toss with the salad.
Vegan cauliflower bolognese
Ingredients:
Vegetables:
- 1 bag (12oz) of frozen cauliflower rice or 1 medium head cauliflower (2 ¼ lb)
- 12 oz mushrooms (shiitake or cremini)
- 3 large carrots
- ¼ yellow onion
- 3-4 cloves garlic
Seasoning:
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- ¼ tsp red pepper flakes
- Salt and pepper to taste
Sauce base:
- 1 jar (25 oz) marinara sauce
- ½ cup canned crushed tomatoes
- ½ cup vegetable broth
- 1 lb rigatoni pasta
- Vegan parmesan cheese (optional)
Procedure:
1. If using fresh cauliflower, pulse in the food processor. Finely mince the vegetables.
2. In a heavy bottomed pot, sauté vegetables until softened and golden brown.
3. Pour in the liquids. Simmer until thick, about 25-30 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, boil the pasta. Electrolux hobs with PowerBoost provide a powerful burst of heat for even quicker cooking.
5. Transfer the pasta to the sauce, carefully adding some pasta water. Add vegan cheese, and stir.
Pesto quinoa wraps
Ingredients:
- ½ cup dry quinoa
- 1 cup water
- 1 jar pesto
- 4-5 mushrooms (shiitake or cremini), sliced
- 1 tsp soy sauce
- 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
- ½ cup shredded red cabbage
- 1 avocado, sliced
- 5 tortillas
Procedure:
1. Boil the quinoa in water. Once boiling, lower heat and let simmer for 15 minutes until quinoa has absorbed the water. Quinoa is cooked when it’s fluffy.
2. Mix half of the quinoa with ½ cup of pesto.
3. In a pan, sauté mushrooms, then deglaze with soy sauce. Set aside.
4. Fry onions.
5. On a tortilla wrap, spread some pesto. Add mushrooms, ¼ cup of pesto quinoa, some avocado, cabbage, and fried onions. Roll into a wrap.
Must-try plant-based recipes for dinner
Easy garlic chilli oil noodles
Ingredients:
- 5 oz noodles (udon, wheat, ramen)
Sauce:
- 2 tbsp neutral oil
- 3 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 2 stalks spring onion, chopped (green and white parts)
- 3 tsp red chilli flakes
- 1 tsp sesame seeds
- ⅓ tsp red chilli powder
- ½ tsp chicken bouillon powder
- 2 tsp dark soy sauce
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp rice vinegar or white vinegar
- ½ tsp brown sugar
- 2 tsp toasted sesame oil
Topping:
- 1-2 teaspoon chilli crisp, optional
- Spring onion, green part
- White sesame seeds
Procedure:
1. Cook noodles until al dente. Reserve some pasta water.
2. In a heat-proof bowl, combine all the sauce ingredients except for the neutral oil.
3. Heat oil in a saucepan until bubbling. Pour on the sauce mixture.
4. Mix in the noodles until evenly coated. Top with preferred garnish.
Three cup tofu
Ingredients:
- 1 package (396 g) extra firm tofu, frozen
Batter:
- ½ cup flour
- ½ cup plant milk
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
Flour mixture:
- ¾ cup flour
- ¼ cup corn starch
- ½ tsp chilli powder
- 1 tsp sugar
Sauce base:
- 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 2 tsp ginger, thinly sliced
- 4 tbsp sesame oil
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 4 tbsp light soy sauce
- 4 tablespoons rice wine
- 2 dried chillies
- 1 bunch basil, leaves only
Procedure:
1. Thaw the tofu and squeeze out as much water. Carefully break apart into large chunks.
2. In separate bowls, combine ingredients for the batter and flour mixture.
3. Dip the tofu pieces in the batter then flour mixture.
5. In 180°C oil, fry the tofu until golden brown.
6. In a separate pan, combine your sauce ingredients over medium heat. Add the fried tofu.
Easy crispy falafel
Ingredients:
- 1 can (15 oz) canned chickpeas
- ½ tsp baking soda
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1 onion
- 1 leek
- 1 celery
- 1 small chilli, optional
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper, optional
- 1 tsp sumac
- 2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
- ½ cup fresh coriander
- ½ cup fresh parsley
- ¼ cup fresh dill
- 80g gram flour
Procedure:
1. Blend chickpeas, herbs, spices, flour and vegetables in a food processor.
2. Refrigerate the mixture for one hour. Form into patties.
3. To lessen use of oil and for easier cleanup, use an Electrolux microwave oven with grill function. Brush your falafels with a little oil then let them brown and crisp up. Serve with tahini sauce.
Bonus: Plant-based recipe for snacks
Cookie dough banana nice cream
Ingredients:
Cookie dough bites:
- 2.5 tbsp flour
- 2 tbsp cashew butter
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tbsp chocolate chips
- Pinch of salt
Nice cream:
- 4 cups frozen bananas
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- Splash of plant milk
Procedure:
1. Combine cookie dough ingredients, and form mixture into small balls. Freeze for 30 minutes.
2. Blend nice cream ingredients in a food processor until thick and creamy. Fold in half of the cookie dough bites. Top with more cookie dough.
How to easily transition to a plant-based diet
1. Know your food habits
All lifestyle changes start with self awareness. Do an audit of your relationship with food, how often you eat, and what you eat. Your plant-based journey will be different from everyone, and you can’t simply take everything you read online.
2. Start small
What’s easy can be sustained. In your first week, start with 75% plants on your plate for one meal, then gradually make it 100%. Limit this to breakfast, then slowly to lunch, then dinner. Do this once a week like having Meatless Mondays, then you can try adding more days until you complete a week.
3. Research and find a community
It can sometimes feel isolating when you’re surrounded by people who aren’t on the same wavelength. Find social media pages, follow thought leaders, listen to podcasts, or read books. By doing these, you intentionally expose yourself to more knowledge and a support system who will encourage you on your journey.
4. Know food alternatives
You most likely will crave your favourites. Cow’s milk is the easiest to replace as plant milks like soy or oat are readily available and are equally as delicious. Cheese can be swapped for vegan cheese. Some dairy extras like cream and sour cream can be easily made at home with soft tofu, cashews, or coconut milk, which are rich in healthy fats.
Your plate’s impact
A plant-based diet can significantly improve your health, support animal welfare, and most importantly, contribute to solving the climate crisis. It may be hard to believe, but every fruit and every vegetable you eat is a step towards progress. One less chicken slaughtered, a pound of body fat lost, and maybe 0.001% of emissions reduced.
Every kind of impact matters — and it starts at home. This is why Electrolux believes in their role to promote sustainable habits with their customers. Check out how we’ve been doing so far here.
FAQs about starting a plant-based diet
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Can you lose weight with a plant-based diet?
Yes — and you can more easily sustain it too since you don’t have to count calories. You’re allowed to eat as much as you want as long as you stick to fruits and vegetables. They’re loaded in fibre and are low in calories, meaning you easily feel full without adding extra calories.
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Can I eat eggs in a plant-based diet?
Yes, but in moderation. A plant-based diet doesn’t restrict you from consuming animal products. However, you are advised to swap your main food source for plants instead of meat. It shouldn’t be confused with veganism, which rejects the use of any animal product in response to animal cruelty.
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What happens when I switch to a plant-based diet?
You’ll have less risk for heart disease and diabetes. You’ll get leaner, especially if you lessen processed food, and those high in sugar and fat. Your taste buds may also change, finding plants more appealing than meat or fast food. You can also expect to have more energy and clearer skin.