Valentine’s Day Meal Ideas are saturating every form of social media. I wasn’t planning on sharing any ideas but I realized some of you may need a little push in the right direction if you are avoiding meat, dairy, or allergens like wheat or nuts. I don’t plan to do anything special for my family, I’m hoping for a date night instead.
Plant-Based Valentine’s Day Meal Ideas
1. Breakfast for Dinner!
Heart-Shaped pancakes with cherries and chocolate chips. Your kids will love this idea and never forget it. I use a Gluten-Free Mix by Maple Grove Farms that I find at Target or Walmart. For the life of me I can’t make good GF pancakes without a mix.
2. Go Italian
I’ve always associated Valentine’s Day with Italian food, it probably goes back to Lady and the Tramp’s iconic meatball scene. Thankfully, I have several recipes to choose from, some are more kid friendly than others. My Gluten-Free Lasagna is a crowd-pleaser; it is husband, kid, and teenager approved. My teen even thought there was cheese in it. (Insert evil laugh here.)
If you are feeding toddlers you may want to go with the Pizza Pasta using small noodles for small hands.
Since it’s for Valentine’s Day try to pick veggies your kids will like best. For my youngest that is broccoli!
3. Steak and Potatoes
Portobello Steaks and Potatoes can take you back to the feel of your omni days without the meat. If your Valentine likes mushrooms this is a great meal. I recommend making either a baked potato or Dirty Mashed Potatoes and steaming asparagus.
4. Picnic at the Park
If you have small kids but would still like to catch a moment with your Valentine try having a picnic at the park. Yes, your kids will be there but they will probably be busy stealing another kids toy or pulling someones hair. Make CHICKpea salad sandwiches and easy finger foods to enjoy. On a side note the weather is in the 70s this week where I live, don’t hate me.
5. Dinner and a Movie at Home
Find a fun movie to rent and order take out or make an easy Crock Pot meal. I love my Easy Crock Pot Mexican Casserole because it comes together in minutes and I only have to wash the Crock Pot. I really dislike doing dishes. Later you can watch your movie as you snack on popcorn.
If you have kids make a Pop Corn Bar with melted Enjoy Life Mini Chocolate Chips, sprinkles, cinnamon, nutritional yeast, crushed candies or other favorite snacks.
6. Don’t Forget Dessert
You need dessert on Valentine’s Day. I think dessert is waaaay more important than the other food. If you are going for the classic V Day dessert you need to make Chocolate Covered Strawberries. Just melt Enjoy Life Mini Chocolate Chips then dip your strawberries in the melted chocolate, refrigerate them until you are ready for dessert. You could also make Brownies or a Fresh Fruit Parfait.
What are your Valentine’s Day Meal Plans?
Your lasagna sounds amazing!! I’ll need to plan a day when I have time, to make it, my hubby loves eggplant!
Stopping by from SITS Girls Comment Love Tribe. I’m so glad to have found your blog! I have just recently really embraced vegetarianism fully, but I’ve been working towards it for years – it was tough to do it while living with a bone-deep carnivore, but we’re making it work. I am always on the lookout for good plant-based recipes, and yours look fantastic. Have followed you on FB, so I will be sure to keep up with your great posts. Have a good day. 🙂
Hi Gailyc, Thanks for stopping by! I have a lot of readers who eat plant-based and live with meat-eaters. It is tough but can be done! Let me know if you try any of the recipes, I’d love to hear what you think.
These are all great ideas. We used to go out for a special breakfast on Valentine’s Day – it is also our wedding anniversary, and we hate dealing with the crowds and lines at dinnertime on Valentine’s Day. Since having kids, we can’t always get out for breakfast – maybe this year we will just make breakfast for dinner.
Breakfast for dinner is always fun! I’m thinking of pancakes right now. My little one has food allergies so we can’t go out for Breakfast with him. Thanks for stopping by.
A picnic in the park is one of our favorite things to do in the warmer weather, but with snow on the ground (and more on the way) we may have to have an indoor picnic for Valentine’s Day! 🙂
I’m a warm weather girl. I think I would be miserable if I lived in a cold climate. I hope you find a fun activity for your family.
We are doing breakfast for dinner this year for Valentine’s. My honey and I have all the kids so nothing super romantic for us!!
Stopping by with comment love from the SITS girls!
I hope it is a fun family night for you. I’m still figuring out our details but we have a babysitter so that is the most important part.
There will be heartshaped pancakes on our breakfast plates today too!
Great ideas here. Thanks for sharing them.
#SITSblogging
I’m thinking of making pancakes now. I can’t stop thinking about them. I really wish I had a personal chef right now. 🙂
I’m all about not breaking the bank when I cook either. Although once in a while I like to enjoy something special such as a special cheese or meat for a meal. #SITSblogging
We don’t eat meat or cheese but I keep the budget in check by buying seasonal produce and buying beans and grains in bulk.
Love these ideas! The popcorn bar for movie night is something I hadn’t thought of before. We do movie night all the time, though, and that would be such a fun thing to add to change it up a bit.
I want to do it soon too! I don’t think we will do it for Valentine’s Day though but we have a birthday coming up and I think that will be a fun activity.
I’m also in the Italian for Valentine’s Day camp. Partner a nice spicy pasta with a red wine and some chocolate, and I’m a happy girl! Love all the dinner-at-home ideas. The Popcorn Bar is genius!
The pizza pasta looks great and I love that its one pot!
These are all so cute! I’m starting to think Valentine’s is one of my favorite holidays as a mom. We did oatmeal with pink sprinkles and whipped cream for breakfast. 🙂 I love the picnic at the park idea.
I don’t do much for Valentine’s Day (we have food allergies, too) so I find that just cutting regular foods into heart shapes gives a little holiday cheer without a lot of trouble. We usually make our own pizza (with homemade crust) in a heart shape and cover it with our favorite veggies.
Love the idea of taking your kids with you to the park!!
Great ideas, all of them. We’ve got nut allergies at our house, so that makes life a little difficult at times. Found you via SITS!
I have nut allergies, so thanks for sharing these ideas! Dinner and a movie at home sound splendid for Valentines day or any day! Stopping by from #SITSBlogging
I love these ideas! I’m really big on Italian food (which my husband is well aware of, haha), so that is right up my alley! Also, I’m huge on movies and that’s always a big thing for my husband and I to do, whether for Valentine’s Day or date night. Movies at home was this year’s way to go though with all the snow! Great ideas!
I love all of these ideas! We always spend time as a family on Vday. But, my boys are getting older… one has been out of the nest for awhile, the middle one went on his first official Vday date yesterday. Yesterday was spent with just my little one and my hubs. We just do a fun dinner. 🙂
great ideas and the recipes sound delicious. the easy mexican casserole is on the menu for next week!
best,
diane
napa farmhouse 1885
Dropping by from SITS girls today.
#SITSBlogging
Yummy. The portobello burgers sound great! I would eat the mushroom sans bread though for myself. It sounds great on it’s own. And the lasagna is on my list of meals for the week! Thank you!!
Several of these sound so great! We are trying to eat less meat and dairy so I’m always thrilled to find some new ideas. The transition can be a little hard but sites like this one are a huge help. I’ll be following on pinterest so I can swipe more of your recipes! 🙂
Thanks! I love finding new recipe inspiration too. We tend to eat the same things all the time. I forget other food exists. To be fair I have little ones who like to eat familiar food but that should keep me from mixing it up a bit.
I’m a little late to this – but we can celebrate Valentine’s Day any time of the year, right ;-)?
I think about Italian food too whenever something romantic is involved. Excited about making the One-Pot Pizza Pasta. I have never thought about adding portabello mushrooms to pasta, my toddler is going to love it. Thanks for stopping by.