Eating Whole Food, Plant-Based Diet recipes, On a Budget.
I get a lot of questions about switching to a plant-based diet. It’s understandable, for most of us, plant-based living is a completely foreign concept.
I do my best to help by answering emails and comments. Depending on the situation I’ll sometimes suggest a book. Blogs are a great place to look but you can get lost in the internet and spend hours reading.
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How long does your meal prep take each day? Do you spend hours frolicking around the kitchen making everything from scratch?
Neither do I. It sounds lovely, it really does but I don’t have enough time for that. Maybe one day, but until then I’ll take some short cuts. Shopping smart, easy meals and snacks along with having a plan, make eating better in a hurry possible.
I regularly get questions about grocery shopping. We are fortunate to have a Sprouts nearby. We do almost all of our shopping at Sprouts. They have the best produce that is always reasonably priced, a great selection of organic and gluten-free products and I can get in out of the store quickly. Plus, they have great Deals of the Month that are always a great value!
I like to plan quick meals for busy nights and leftovers for busier nights. I reserve meals that take longer to prepare for weekends. I buy things like pasta, Muir Glen Pasta Sauce, ready to eat cereal, Larabars, fresh fruit, fresh veggies and Food Should Taste Good Multigrain Tortilla Chips.
No matter how busy I get, I can have a quick meal or an easy snack in only a few minutes. This helps tremendously when I’m rushing out the door and need to pack food for the day for all of us.
Meal planning isn’t just, “what are we going to eat?” It’s also when am I going to shop and who is cleaning up. Have I ever said how much I hate doing dishes? A lot!
We often do our shopping on the weekends but when possible we shop on Wednesdays because that is double ad day at Sprouts. No, you don’t have to clip coupons or carry the ad, it means the sale prices for the previous set of ads and the new ads are both valid. You’ll get the best deals!
When you get home from Sprouts go ahead and chop some veggies. Then you can grab your veggies, hummus and Food Should Taste Good Multigrain Tortilla Chips for a snack, even when you are in a hurry.
Doing a ton of dishes kills my back so I’ll try to make one pot meals whenever I can. Psst! The recipe below is a one pot meal!
The pasta I used had a 15 minute cooking time. If your pasta has a shorter cooking time, like 10 minutes, you’ll want to add the veggies at the same time as the pasta. Make sure your pasta is covered in water, the veggies don’t have to be. The skillet allows the water to come to a boil faster.
I also made sure to cut all my veggies into small pieces while the water was coming to a boil. That allowed them to cook quickly. I just cut extra veggies for salad and a snack later.
For more great deals check out a Sprouts near you! I promise you’ll love it too!
One Pot gluten-free Veggie Pasta is vegan (plant-based diet) and a family favorite.
The pasta I used had a 15 minute cooking time. If your pasta has a shorter cooking time, like 10 minutes, you'll want to add the veggies at the same time as the pasta.
As much as I love oatmeal, sometimes I want a savory breakfast. My Breakfast Hash recipe is a hearty mix of potatoes and veggies that keep me satisfied for hours. It’s plant-based and gluten-free which makes it great for serving at family breakfasts.
I’ve been making this for years and developed it when I had a craving for a scramble but didn’t want the eggs and cheese I used before.
As with most of my recipes you can omit or add ingredients based on what you have on hand. If you plan to have your kids eat this Breakfast Hash you’ll want to leave out the jalapenos.
I’ve made this Breakfast Hash recipe in the Crock Pot and Instant Pot but my favorite is the skillet method. When cooked in the skillet you have to keep an eye on it. Since we are cooking without oil the potatoes and veggies will have a tendency to stick. Once they begin to stick just pour a little water into the skillet and give it a good stir, scraping the bottom of the pan with a silicone spatula.
I served this with fresh fruit and homemade bread covered in peanut butter. The leftovers were even more amazing because I smothered them (and toast made from that beautiful rustic loaf) in leftover Creamy Brown Gravy.
Hearty Breakfast Hash that features potatoes and veggies. This plant-based (vegan) and gluten-free meal will keep you satisfied for hours.
Meal Planning is a lot easier when you realize you don’t have to plan 21 different meals. I like to have 4-5 different options for breakfast, lunch and dinner but often I’ll skip a meal and have leftovers. I plan at least four different recipes for each meal for your benefit so you see more options.
I’m happy having the same thing for breakfast and lunch day in and day out. As long as it’s good.
When you are planning plant-based meals you have to take the shelf life of your produce into account. For example I usually plan meals with mushrooms for the beginning of the week because they may not be as good after 5 days. Potatoes on the other hand will still be fine at the end of the week.
If you are eating a plant-based diet you are probably eating a lot of plants. Sticking to seasonal produce from your grocery store or farmers market will be less expensive and healthier for you.
I’ll admit, depending on where you live, some places are easier than others to buy local seasonal produce. Right now is a great time to live in Arizona. Gardens are producing and local farmers have plenty to offer.
You can find out what’s in season in your location using this handy tool: Sustainable Table Seasonal Food Guide.
If you need to be convinced that eating seasonally is better for you and for the environment check out these seven reasons you should buy local when possible. [Read more…] about 7 Reasons You Should Buy Local
Eating healthy after a holiday is difficult. If you were surrounded by unhealthy foods and indulged, it can be really hard to get back on track-
But that is exactly what you have to do.
I believe having a meal plan makes it a lot easier to maintain and get back in a healthy eating routine.
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(After the meal plan I have a weekend recap! Don’t miss it!)
