My Plant-Based Family

Eating Whole Food, Plant-Based Diet recipes, On a Budget.

Holly Yzquierdo

Where I Shop

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Lately I’ve gotten a lot of questions from new Plant-Based Eaters (and some who are only plant curious) about where I buy food. Since I live in Arizona the resources I have will likely be different from what you have available. Maybe if we all share our wisdom in the comments we can all find new ideas and help a newbie navigate the terrain. The things I share will be what works for my family, based on food budget, dietary needs and restrictions, family size and where I live.

Weekly Shopping

Every weekend we load up as a family and go to Sprouts. I love this store. If I really wanted to be frugal I’d go on Wednesday because that is double ad day but weekend shopping works best for our schedule.

Sprouts Farmers Market is an independent natural foods grocery store chain that focuses on “healthy living for less.” We sell farm-fresh produce and thousands of natural, organic and great-tasting mainstream foods at remarkably low prices, in a non-traditional farmers market-type setting.

Sprouts only has stores in California, Arizona, Colorado, and Texas; sorry friends if you don’t live in one of these states.  Sprouts has the best produce, it stays fresh for a reasonable amount of time and is well priced. I would pay much more if I bought the same produce at a regular grocery store. Additionally there are other “farmers markets” that are really more like a produce market (no farmers in sight) that have produce even less expensive but it is only good for a few days. At those places I can get a much better deal but since the produce only last a day or two I’d have to go often and it is not near by. I’ll occasionally shop there if I’m having a big party and need a lot of produce for one day. I prefer to shop at Sprouts. If I buy something that I don’t like I can take it back for a full refund.

What do I buy at Sprout:

  • produce
  • gluten-free items
  • Ezekiel Bread
  • dairy-free coffee creamers
  • bulk grains
  • nuts
  • turbinado sugar
  • nutritional yeast
  • Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips

Sprout’s also carries conventional and organic meat and dairy, health care items, vitamins, supplements, beauty and toiletries items and even Blue Bell Ice cream. If I could only shop one store it would be Sprout’s!

I am also a fan of Fresh and Easy. Of course this is less than a mile from my house and the first store you come to when leaving my neighbor hood, yes I’m one lucky girl. I was resistant to F&E at first, I had heard that it was expensive and didn’t have a good selection. Once my first son was born I tried it (because I got tired of being stuck in a big store for over an hour and a ton of creepy strangers trying to touch my newborn). I loved it. I could get anything I needed and be in and out quickly. Some things are more expensive but not everything. They have a lot of ready-made food but it almost always has meat, cheese or oil so I don’t buy those. I LOVE their fresh salsa’s, hummus, and they have a great clearance section. Most of all I REALLY LOVE their almond milk. I prefer the F&E brand of almond milk to all others! It is priced great too!

What do I buy at Fresh and Easy:

  • almond milk
  • coconut milk (occasionally)
  • hummus
  • salsa
  • cereal
  • banana’s (they are not cheap but convenient)
  • gluten-free items
  • organic tortilla chips
  • some produce
  • items from the clearance section
  • nutritional yeast

They also have a good selection of grains, pasta, and normal grocery store fare, it is just a little pricier than I get other places. If I need to run to the store for a quick ingredient F&E is my pick.

Every So Often

There are other places I shop occasionally. 

What I buy at Costco (once a month or longer):

  • agave nectar
  • beans
  • Naked Juice
  • quinoa
  • spices
  • hummus (occasionally)
  • organic tortilla chips
  • baby wipes

What I buy at Target:

  • diapers
  • toiletries
  • baby items
  • clothes
  • last-minute food items I forgot to get elsewhere

What I buy at Walmart (I only go a few times a year):

  • beans
  • brown rice
  • canned goods
  • toiletries

As you can see most of my shopping is done at Sprouts and Fresh and Easy. If I lived in rural Oklahoma near my mom I’d have to shop at small local grocery stores, Walmart, and use the internet. I’ve thought about buying more grocery items online but haven’t yet. In fact I may check into getting an Amazon Prime account to see if that would be helpful.

Where do you shop? Is there a store you use that you couldn’t live without? Share with the peanut gallery so we can all benefit!

 

Gratituesday: Anticipation

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Yesterday I mentioned that this is a busy week for us. I’m pretty sure the next 6 weeks will be filled with activity. Right now my days are filled with anticipation. It’s not that I’m wishing away today, I’m just really excited about everything that awaits this week.

We are all familiar with anticipation; the smell of something delicious cooking (or baking…mmmm), a long-awaited reunion with a friend, a coming holiday, or even payday. My anticipation is growing for several reasons today.

First, my husband has been out of town since Saturday morning and arrives home today! I’ll pick him up from the airport this afternoon, I cannot tell you how ready I am for him to be back. Yes he was gone most of the time I was sick. 🙁

Second, two of our big kids come home (for 6 weeks) on Wednesday night! I am very ready for them to be here too. My 3 year old is sooo ready for his daddy and siblings to be here. I started teaching him about calendars just to explain when they would be here.

Third, my first Food Demo is coming up on Saturday! I have a dozen people confirmed and a few others that mentioned a month ago they would probably come but I haven’t seen an RSVP from them yet. A few of the ladies coming are already fully plant-based, others are just interested in eating healthier, and some of them are people I’ve “met” through blogging or are friends of friends and I’m super excited to actually meet.

I’ve got a few other things in the works too but they are not imminent. I’ll talk about those in the coming months. They are mostly just big news to me, I don’t think anyone else would bat an eyelash, but that is ok.

Do you have a vacation coming up? Maybe a birthday party? I think anticipation is a good thing, I love the excitement it brings.  What are you anticipating now?

Join us for Gratituesday at Heavenly Homemakers!

Meal Plan Monday: A Different Kind of Week

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Tropical Smoothie with Hidden Greens

This will be an odd week for us. My husband was out of town last weekend, typically that means I do very little cooking, This weekend I happened to be sick, that resulted in very little eating as well. I think I’m almost back to normal. My kids survived on dry cereal, frozen waffle’s, banana’s, apple’s, strawberries, oatmeal and a few leftovers. They didn’t complain, it was all their favorite foods. 😉

On Wednesday two of our teenagers will be here for the summer! YAY! My cooking will increase substantially with their arrival. Then on Saturday I will have my first Food Demo, I have a ton of cooking to do for that.

With all of that going on I have decided not to do an official Meal Plan. So what will we eat, probably more of what we ate this weekend plus a few other things.

Unofficial Meal Plan

Breakfast will be our normal fare; oatmeal, GF waffles, cereal, etc. It’s just that kind of week.

Lunch will be equally easy; sandwiches, burritos, bean and grain bowls, wraps, and the like.

Snacks will be fruit, nut butter on apple’s or banana’s, and probably a smoothie or two or three.

Dinner will be pretty easy stuff for the first few days this week. I have some portobellos and zucchini I hope to grill along with other veggies. I’m sure we will eat out once or twice with the big kids arrival, that does not mean fancy or expensive though. Friday and Saturday I will be very busy cooking and prepping for the Demo. I’m going with a Mexican food theme. Originally I was going to do a bunch of different things but it will be easier this way. My next Demo I’ll showcase different types of food. Needless to say we will be eating lotsa Mexican food toward the end of the week.

I’m also considering blogging a little less while our big kids are here. I’m not sure what our schedule will be like so I haven’t really decided. What are your thoughts?

 

Gratituesday: Helping

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I love helping people. I especially love helping people begin to get healthy with a plant-based diet.

I love talking to people, cooking for people and blogging about plant-based eating. I strive to be helpful, I want people to realize they can eat real food that taste great and wont cost them an arm and a leg.

In the last week I’ve had two people (one a dear friend and the other an acquaintance from years ago) contact me and tell me they are interested in a plant-based diet.

EEEEKKKKK! That is me squealing in excitement. I learned that sound from my daughter when she was a tween. If you have a daughter you know that sound too. First, I get excited because I know someone I care about will be healthier. Second, I get to play a small part in that.

Most of my friends are not plant-based eater’s and that is ok. I love them no matter what they eat. I do get excited when I hear they make a meatless meal or try a new grain or veggie. I love their feedback on my plant-based meals.

I’m just thankful for the opportunity to help people!

What are you thankful for today?

Join us for Gratituesday at Heavenly Homemakers!

Meal Plan Monday: La Fiesta

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Avocado, what else can I say. I am diggin me some avocado these days. Thankfully they have been pretty inexpensive lately, usually 2 for $1 where I shop. I also have some prepared guacamole ready to go. So we may not actually have a party but a little avocado can turn any meal into a party worthy occasion.  Most of my meals will be inspired by the lovely avocado along with other fresh veggies.

I haven’t been in much of a breakfast mood lately. Between getting my boys fed and getting the day started I don’t want to think about getting me fed too. I know that breakfast is super important so I do not skip it. Usually I’ll start with a banana, which I sometimes have to share with the offspring, so I get another banana that also gets shared. Sometimes this continues for quite a while. That is why we purchase 4 bunches of banana’s at the start of the week then usually at least 1 more by late in the week.

I think oatmeal is one of the best things you can eat for breakfast, but truthfully I’ve been a little burned out on oatmeal, I’m thinking of trying some new combinations this week. You can check out this post about breakfast for more ideas. I usually eat twice in the morning (then sometimes have an early lunch). First is typically a piece of fruit, next I’ll have something a little more substantial.

Meal Plan

Breakfast will be toast with nut butter and fruit, oatmeal, Breakfast Rice, and an occasional bowl of cereal with fruit and almond milk.

Lunch will be leftovers, Bean and Grain Bowls, spinach and hummus wraps, and maybe even some PB&Js.

Snacks will be jalapeno hummus with fresh veggies, fruit, granola bars, and anything else that strikes my fancy.

Dinner

Monday: Tonight we are having company over and plan to make Portobello Fajita’s with Mexican Rice, Unfried Beans, grilled veggies and all of the fixings.

Tuesday: will probably be leftovers 

Wednesday: Pasta night! Last week we had gluten-free (quinoa) pasta with mushrooms that was pretty out of this world.

Thursday: I want to make a huge veggie soup to use up any veggies that may have been neglected over the week. I know we have some celery that will make it into that pot, I only like cooked celery.

Friday: Date night! We will probably be grabbing hummus and pita’s  from our favorite restaurant.

My Food Demo is coming up in less than two weeks so when I get the chance I hope to do a little extra cooking to prepare for that. There are a few recipes I want to try like a whipped coconut cream, yum! Next week two of our “Big Kids” will come for a nice long summer visit. I hope to fully convert them to be plant lovers but we will see how it works. I forsee future topics of Plant-Based Teenagers and Feeding Plants to the Reluctant. 🙂

How is your summer going? Are you in love with avocados like I am or do you have a different summer time favorite? 

Getting Fit: A 30 Day Challenge

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On Monday I told you how my husband and I made a commitment to get fit. I left of most of the details so I’ll share those today.

Our 30 day Fitness Challenge started June 18th. We were discussing it the day before we started and I somehow agreed to doing P90X. Of course I was afraid I would die, but thankfully not yet. The first week I was still trying to find my groove. Some days my schedule does not accommodate a workout. Working out with my kids around is not only impossible it is also the most frustrating thing on the planet. I think I would rather let ants sting my eyeballs.

Also, we have been dealing with a situation that takes some time (that is normally when we work out) and drains our energy.

So what do my workouts look like? On Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday I do P90X for about an hour. I use resistance bands instead of weights. I try to go on a run after my workout. We usually start working out around 7:30 or 8:00 after the boys are in bed and it has cooled down to 100° F by then. Sometimes something comes up and we can’t do a full workout. On those days I usually try to run and/or we will do one or two 10 Minute Trainer video’s, basically a speedy version of P90X.

What does my running look like? I almost hate to even call it running. So far I’ve kept to the same course, the sidewalks and streets of my neighborhood; it is about half a mile. Originally it took me about 10 minutes to jog (with a little walking) and now it takes just over 5 minutes. This weekend I plan to take a new, longer route. I’ll update My Plant-Based Family on Facebook if I think about it. Even though I’m not running far or long it totally wipes me out, much more the my other workouts, I’m guessing the heat may be a contributing factor there.

So far this week I’ve only been about to go on two runs and do two workouts. I know I’d have more time if I would wake up earlier to run before it is too hot, or to workout but I’m not that committed yet. I normally get up between 5:30 and 6:00 just to get ready before my boys wake up and I’m not ready to get up any earlier.   

Results? In a week and a half I haven’t seen any weight change but I can see more muscle definition. Since my runs take less and less time I know I’m doing better. Also I am hungry all the time. I’m eating a lot more so I’m assuming most of that is due to the workouts but I know a small portion is just me wanting to be a little piggy. 🙂

I want to say thank you to all of you who have given me tips and advice. The whole time I’m running I’m going over everything my friend Aletia has told me. I’m also formulating my goals like my friend Breht advised.

Do you have any tips or advice for me? What about favorite foods to help me stay fueled?