45 already-vegan things you're probably already eating

Let's take the path of least resistance shall we?

Idk if you’ve heard or anything but life feels tough lately! I have a longer post coming later this week explaining just why I’ve personally been so busy and distracted that this post is a whole week late—but all things considered, I’ve really been feeling the path of least resistance lately. To explain; after yeeeeearss (decades?) of subscribing to various iterations of repackaged and rebranded “self-help” advice that all basically preached some version of the “go harder, do more, rest less, no rest days, be better!” message, I’ve stepped off that hamster wheel in a big way recently.

I don’t want to pack in more. I don’t want to optimize my morning routine, supercharge my productivity, or 10 x a god damn thing, other than perhaps my sleep, my happiness, and my time spent with my cats. Miss me entirely with the hustle, because I don’t want to crush, smash, kill it, supercharge, or maximize my life and win the day! I cannot tell you how freeing this mindset shift has been. And it doesn’t mean giving up big dreams, ambitious, or audacious goals — if you were wondering. But that’s another post for a whole ‘nother time.

My point is, if you somehow haven’t noticed, we’ve been living through unprecedentedly hard times for like 130910 months now, and I’m personally no longer interested in competing in the hardship olympics. So in that vein — if you’re interested in eating more plants, which is why, I assume, you are here, but very much not interested in adding any extra resistance and struggle to your already-full life/plate, then you’re in the right spot. Today, for no other reason than A. I feel like it, and B. I hope this is a helpful reminder of just how doable eating plant-based really is, I’m sharing a long list of already-plant-based meals, snacks, and dishes. Ones that you’re likely either already eating or very familiar with and could easily incorporate into your eating rotation.

I hear from so many people who want to eat more plant-based or go vegan, and their first order of business is radically overhauling their entire diet. They think they have to totally reinvent the wheel. Don’t do that, I always want to scream! Start small. Start where you are. Start with simple foods that are either already inherently/accidentally vegan as is, or one EASY swap away from being vegan. Like these:

Already Vegan As Is:

1. Spaghetti with marinara sauce — add plant-based meatballs or beefless grounds if you wanna

2. Oatmeal

3. A salad with a vinaigrette dressing

4. Apples and peanut butter

5. A bowl of white rice and tamari

6. Baby carrots and hummus

7. Campbell’s Tomato Soup (the classic, not condensed version)

8. Ritz crackers

9. Peanut butter

10. (Most) dark chocolate

11. A handful of sour patch kids

12. A toasted bagel with jelly

13. A peanut butter and jelly sandwich

14. Oreos

15. A fruit salad

16. French fries and ketchup

17. Chips and salsa

18. A baked potato

19. A packet of nori

20. An avocado or cucumber sushi roll

21. A glass of wine

22. A beer (unless it’s a milk nitro or something!)

23. Original Pringles

24. Spicy Sweet Chili Doritos

25. A Smucker’s Uncrustable

26. Pillsbury Original Crescent Rolls

27. Pretzels

28. Veggie spring rolls

29. Salted edamame

30. Mixed nuts

31. Graham crackers

32. Jell-o Instant Pudding varieties (not the same as the cook and serve ones)

33. Rice and beans

34. (Most) movie theatre popcorn

    And….Vegan with Just One Swap

35. Toast with plant-based butter

36. Instant ramen (a soy-based or other flavor without meat, of course)

37. Butter noodles with plant-based butter

38. A bean burrito from Taco Bell, “fresco style”

39. A Papa Johns, Dominos, or Pizza Hut pizza, hold the cheese (add your own!)

40. Strawberries and whipped cream, with non-dairy whipped cream

41. An iced latte with plant milk

42. A fruit smoothie made with plant-milk

43. Anything from Chipotle, ordered with veggies or sofritos, no cheese

44. Coffee with non-dairy creamer

45. Cereal with non-dairy milk

Share your fave already or inherently vegan super-easy meals and snacks below — I’m sure I forgot dozens!

Wishing you an smooth, peaceful week, with lots of easy, delicious meals!

<3