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Salad with chia seeds - Chia seeds add a little crunch to any salad, and pack in the nutrients as well.

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Chickpea stew and vegetables - Chickpeas are high in protein and a great source of carbohydrates and fiber, a perfect vegan standby ingredient.

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Mexican tomato, bean, and bell pepper soup - A hearty and warming soup from Mexico scattered with kidney beans, maize, and spiced with chili and cumin.

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Fresh salad plate - A healthy and wholesome staple, a fresh salad can include horse radish, tomato, onion, lettuce, and lots of other crunchy vegetables.

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Quinoa salad with beetroot and spinach - But why not get creative by preparing your next salad using quinoa as a base ingredient?

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Healthy vegan lunch bowl - Use quinoa with avocado, sweet potato, tomato, spinach, and chickpea for a delicious superfood hit.

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Winter salad option -

Salads can be enjoyed all year round. But as the nights draw in, and the temperature drops, sit down and refuel with this quinoa, avocado, blood orange and pomegranate creation, textured with bulgur and hazelnut.

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Don't forget the wine - Add a dash of red or white wine to a bowl of steamed broccoli and chickpeas, sprinkled with chopped almond and cilantro.

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Grilled vegetables - By grilling vegetables, you retain more nutrients while naturally enhancing the flavor. And of course, grilling doesn't require you to use fats to cook your food.

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Pumpkin salad - Pumpkins are forever, not just for Halloween. Use this highly nutritious fruit in all your cooking.

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Start getting exotic - Many exotic foodstuffs can be incorporated into simple dishes like the one pictured, which uses green falafel, quinoa, butternut squash, tomatoes, avocado, beetroot hummus, micro greens, and tahini sauce

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Fried mushrooms - No cholesterol, no gluten, and low in fat, sugars, sodium, and calories. Mushrooms are a deliciously healthy vegan food source.

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Pumpkin soup - The humble pumpkin has all sorts of uses. Try it as a super smooth soup, enlivened with crunchy croutons and pumpkin seeds.

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Bean sprouts - Tasty and versatile, bean sprouts burst with proteins, vitamins, minerals, and amino acids. Often served as part of a salad, this culinary vegetable is also great when stir-fried.

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A vegan detox diet? - Even vegans can benefit from the occasional detox. Formulate a meal plan that contains lots of fiber and antioxidants, but don't go beyond 10 days.

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A taste of the Far East - Vegan spring rolls with quinoa, sprouts, and Thai peanut sauce.

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Fruit and vegetables - Apple, walnut, and spinach salad, a classic fruit and vegetable combo.

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Rice dishes - Vegan protein sources include rice. Pictured is a healthful wild rice, roasted pumpkin, and red cabbage dish.

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Roasted vegetables - All sorts of vegetables can be roasted together to produce a mouth-watering hot dish. Root vegetables (beets, potatoes, carrots) take around 30-40 minutes to cook properly.

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Super salad ensemble - Want to lose weight by eating creatively? Kale and roasted yams, mixed into a fresh avocado salad, is just one of the ways to do so.

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Healthy breakfast choice - A favorite vegan breakfast is organic spirulina porridge, topped with blackberries and raspberries.

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Smooth operator - Going non-dairy doesn't mean missing out on your smoothie fix. Try this: granola and chia seed mixed with coconut milk. Yummy!

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Carrot soup - Carrot soup. It's such a simple dish but easily overlooked. Again, use coconut milk to achieve that wonderfully smooth texture.

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A taste of the Middle East - Tabbouleh salad, a dish originating in Lebanon and Syria, can be made using tomato, cucumber, couscous, mint, and pomegranate, among other ingredients.

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Beefless burger - The vegan equivalent of fast food, this is the super duper quinoa, eggplant, spinach, and chickpea burger.

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North African flavor - Couscous, a staple food throughout North Africa, is quick, cheap, filling, and complements a whole range vegetables. The dish in the photograph is made with tomatoes and basil.

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Think green - Green, leafy vegetables are A-list super foods. The vegan diet includes them all: kale, spinach etc. Besides being a healthy way to decorate a plate, greens are fantastically nutritious.

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South of the border - Be sure to include this dish in your homemade vegan menu list: Mexican quinoa salad. It's the dressing that makes the difference: cumin, chili power, smoked paprika, and apple cider vinegar, to name just a few essential condiments.

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Pasta matters - A vibrant and colorful dish, pasta salad garnished with basil leaves gets the taste buds working overtime.

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Go tofu - Tofu, made out of soya beans, is a hugely versatile foodstuff, and features prominently in vegan dishes. These two plates of vegetable salad have been prepared using tofu, chickpeas, rocket, and black olives.

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Indian influences - Appetizing aloo gobi, a prized dish across the Indian subcontinent, is prepared using fried cauliflower, potatoes, and subtle spices. It's a vegan showstopper!

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Summer special - A classic of Spanish cuisine, gazpacho is a cold soup made of raw blended vegetables. Garnish with parsley or other herbs.

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Gourmet touch - For a special occasion, consider making a warm gourmet vegetarian salad of baked eggplant, lettuce, tomatoes, and red onions with a dressing of olive oil and selected spices.

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The fungi factor - Since mushrooms are not animals, or derived from animals, they are vegan. So mushroom risotto, for example, can stay on the menu.

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East meets west - A simple Mexican rice (arroz rojo) can be made quickly using riceberry (a rice variety from Thailand), mixed with tomato and corn, and garnished with parsley and a dash of fresh lime.

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Rustic risotto - Try baked pumpkin risotto with mushrooms and garlic, sprinkled with grated tofu. You can also use butternut squash as an alternative to pumpkin.

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Vegan brownies - Almonds, cocoa, and coffee granules are just some of the ingredients used to prepare these soft, melt-in-your-mouth treats. They are made without dairy or eggs.

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Red curry noodle soup - Made with a traditional Thai recipe, but using tofu instead of chicken, this dish consists of red noodles, broccolini, bean sprouts, and fresh basil.

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Fancy a piece of pizza? - Homemade vegan pizza with fresh organic mushrooms and pepper made using tofu, almond milk, and other clever, dairy-free options.

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A favorite root vegetable - Baked sweet potatoes with avocado, chili salsa, and beans.

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Miso eggplant - This lovely Miso low-calorie eggplant dish, with delicious umami flavors, features a sesame and green onion topping.

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Winter warmer - A hearty winter belly-filler, this fresh lentil stew includes celery, tomato, potato, heaps of Italian seasoning, onion, pepper, and garlic.

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Sweet inspiration - Whether served as dessert, or as a lip-smacking treat, these red dates stuffed with walnut are heavenly.

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Have your cake and eat it too - Traditional homemade carrot cake made with crunchy fresh carrots, smothered with with coconut and cashew icing.

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Currying favor - Known in India as channa masala, a favorite vegetarian dish, try this chickpea curry with a kale, spinach, or broccoli side dish.

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Try it with tahini - Beautifully textured with lentils, quinoa, avocado, cucumber, fresh lettuce, herbs, and seeds, this salad just loves tahini sauce, a traditional garnish from the Middle East. Try it!

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Tex/Mex, vegan style - This vibrant Tex-Mex salsa bowl overflows with mango, peppers, cilantro, and onion. Enjoy with obligatory corn chips.

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Hot plate - Another dish influenced by Indian cooking techniques, this spinach, sweet potato, and lentil dhal is an appealing meal option when served with a fine wine.

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Tofu spread - Low in calories and high in nutrition, tofu is an important staple in the vegan diet. A versatile meat substitute, tofu needs to be prepared and cooked properly in order to benefit from its healthy qualities.

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Squash and barley salad - Packed with goodness, this colorful salad is enhanced by a dressing that's made with balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard, garlic, and extra-virgin olive oil.

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Side dish magic - A side dish of vegan coleslaw goes well with any savory dish. If you make it yourself, the magic ingredient is a tablespoon of maple syrup.

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Shepherd's pie - Loaded with veggies and savory lentils, top it off with fluffy mashed sweet potato.

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Burger to go - There are several varieties of vegan burgers out there. Here's one made with chickpea and spinach.

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Totally crackers - Sometimes a snack does the trick. Next time you're feeling peckish, reach for a cracker coated with dairy and lactose-free vegan cream cheese spread, made from cashew and macadamia nuts. Sprinkle on freshly chopped chives and edible chive flowers.

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Veganizing Vietnam - Make your own version of the Vietnamese banh mi, a traditional street food sandwich, by substituting meat for marinated tofu, but including the picked vegetables.

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Kebabs - Easy to prepare, even easier to eat, these fresh summer vegetable kebabs with eggplant and cherry tomatoes make a delicious side dish.

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Vegan falafel burger - Impress your friends, and their palates, by making the perfect falafel burger using chickpeas, sliced avocado, seasoning, all wrapped up in homemade burger buns.

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Beat this! -

A vegan variation of the famous borscht, a sour soup from Eastern Europe that uses beetroot as one of the main ingredients. Top with parsley rather than the usual dollop of cream.

See also: Delectable desserts you'd never guess are vegan

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