My Plant-Based Family

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

Holly Yzquierdo

September 28, 2015 Plant-Based Meal Plan

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What’s for dinner? Have you full switched to plant-based fall favorites or are you still hanging on to summer?

I’ve been getting dinner inspiration from some of many of YOU on Facebook. I recently asked “What is the best (plant-based) thing you’ve cooked recently?” and I found a lot of great ideas. Feel free to hop over and add yours!

I’m going to use many of those ideas in our meal plan this week.

Plant-Based Meal Plan Monday

Plant-Based Meal Plan

Some readers have wondered if this is a daily meal plan. It is weekly. I don’t assign specific days for meals because I would get off track. I just plan out 4-5 recipes for breakfast, lunch and dinner and cook as often as I need too (expect those times I batch cook or do once a week cooking.)

Let’s start with dinner.

Dinner

These plant-based fall favorites are perfect for the cooler weather, or for those of us who are pretending the weather is cooler.

  • Enchilada Casserole, I love enchiladas but a sloppy casserole is easier to make.
  • Veggie Spaghetti with a side salad and Raspberry Vinaigrette dressing.
  • Roasted Veggies I’m thinking potatoes, zucchini, mushrooms, onions, peppers, broccoli and tomatoes.
  • Veggie Pizza or Pizza Pasta if I’m short on time.
  • Soup, either Taco Soup or Simple Veggie Soup

Lunch

I’ve been working from home most of the time so I haven’t needed to pack my lunch. We still pack a lunch for our 1st grader every day and our preschooler about half the week. I like having the ability to eat leftovers at home.

Breakfast

I really enjoy using my Instant Pot in the mornings. Though not all of the recipes use a pressure cooker I like having that option.

  • Steel Cut Oats with fruit.
  • Sweet Potatoes in the Instant Pot. We top them with cinnamon and raisins.
  • Blueberry Muffins or Banana Muffins (using my Banana Bread Recipe) and fruit
  • Cereal as a stand by

What do you have on your meal plan this week? Were you inspired by any of these plant-based meal ideas?

Check out my Plant-Based Fall Favorites Pinterest Board for even more ideas!

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Easy Lunch Box Side Items

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Are you in a lunch box rut yet? It is easy to do.

The routine of packing a lunch can get monotonous, especially if you are packing for multiple children. Sometimes getting the lunch made is more important than making it interesting.

Lunch Box Side Items

When I’m packing lunches I don’t think, “I wonder if this is fun/interesting/(fill in the blank).” I try to make sure it is:

  • Enough to fill them up
  • Not too much that will get wasted
  • Food they will actually eat
  • Food that can be eaten quickly

My boys love salad but it isn’t the best thing to pack in their lunches for a few reasons. It takes a while to eat, doesn’t have many calories (to give them energy and fill them up), and they would probably skip it in favor of other foods. I save salads for home.

We typically stick to a main dish, fresh fruit and/or veggies and side items.

I also avoid items like gummy bears or lollipops. We keep those for special treats when they are with us.

Easy Lunch Box Side Items

I don’t buy a lot of individually wrapped items because they are more expensive. I buy larger containers/bags of lunch box side items but sometimes my boys have gotten tired of things when I’ve pack them repeatedly.

Our lunch boxes aren’t packed full of fresh fruits and veggies. We have those in every lunch box but we also have sandwiches or tacos, pretzels and other convenience items.  I consider the items listed below to be side items. Check out these main dish ideas if you need them (there is a printer-friendly version).

I’m breaking them up into two categories, Salty and Sweet.

Salty

Sweet

Keep in mind that we have fresh fruit and/or veggies in every lunch. In a pinch we may use apple sauce but it’s normally seasonal produce, right now it is apple slices.

We use the EasyLunchBox Containers that have three compartments. The large container is for the main dish and the other two containers hold either fresh fruit/veggies or one of the side items listed above. You can read more about our Lunch Box Routine and discover 5 tips to help you simplify yours.

My husband does most of the shopping these days. We shop at Sprout’s, Costco and Walmart most of the time. We also buy quite a bit on Amazon. Try Amazon Prime 30-Day Free Trial if you haven’t yet. We use it all the time! You can use subscribe and save to have items delivered on a schedule.

What types of side items do you pack in your lunches. I’m always looking for more ideas!

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For More Lunch Box Fun check out…

Basic Lunch Box Essentials for elementary kids

The Plant-Based Lunch Box Guide for 2014

September 21, 2015 Meal Plan

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Are you on the Meal Planning bandwagon yet? I always plan meals but I don’t always follow them to a T. You don’t have to either. Planning meals is a great start and will help you be more organized.

This week will be a busy one for us. My strategy will be to make a couple of things that can be reheated for leftover. I know, I normally do this but I plan to eat more leftovers than normal. I’ll keep the other meals simple.

Meal Plan Monday

September 21, 2015 Meal Plan

Breakfast

Last week I made steel-cut oats and I added several cups of chopped apples to it before I cooked it. I found out the hard way that my son does not like cooked apples mixed in his food. The apples were very soft since they were made in the pressure cooker.

Jim heated up the leftovers for you boys, it didn’t go over well. He told me they didn’t like it, then I heard my 6 year old say, “no I hate cooked apples in my oatmeal, they are slimy.”

Normally I cook the oatmeal plain then add fresh fruit.Sometimes trying something new works out, other times not so much. I love oatmeal with cooked apples.

The moral of the story is, don’t be afraid to try something new. The worse that can happen is you won’t like it.

Lunch

  • Soup and Salad
  • Veggie Wrap
  • Bake Potato or giant bowl of steamed veggies (potatoes, carrots, onions, celery, etc.)
  • Soup
  • Veggie Sandwich

I don’t want to eat as many leftovers for lunch as I normally do. I’m hoping to use them as leftover this week. To make that work I’ll make an easy soup in the Crock Pot in the morning. It will be ready by lunch time.

Last week I did this and it was so good. I peeled and chopped about 5 small potatoes, added a whole bag of frozen mixed veggies, dumped in some lentils (I didn’t measure but used about 1/2 cup, maybe), poured in a pouch of liquid concentrate stock from Massel, lastly added water. I cooked it for about 4 hours then had a great and easy lunch.

Dinner

I’m only planning 3 dinners. I’ll make extra of each so that I can avoid cooking more often. If we need extra dinners I use some of my lunch or breakfast ideas.

What is on your meal plan this week? I’m hearing from a lot of you and you are in “soup mode.” I highly recommend the Minestrone Soup in the meal plan above. If you are in the mood for something a little different check out my my favorite plant-based soups.

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Teaching Others about Food Allergies

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Yesterday I posted the last Back to School giveaway of the year and today is the last post in the Teach Your Kids to be Food Allergy Advocates series.

I’m thrilled to have Kathryn Martin joining us today. I met Kathryn at the Food Allergy Bloggers Conference last year. (This year the conference will be in Denver!) We hit it off right away and shared many meals together. She blogs at Mamacado about her family, healthy living and food allergies. Today she will share about a very important topic, teaching other people about food allergies.

Teaching Others about Food Allergies

5 Tips for Teaching Others about Food Allergies

If you’re a parent of a child with food allergies, you know what it’s like to quickly become a food allergy “expert”. I wouldn’t call myself an expert yet. Still, ever since my son was diagnosed with food allergies 5 years ago, I’ve had to teach countless friends, family, child care providers and teachers about food allergies and EpiPens. After doing it a few times, I’ve become more and more comfortable with teaching others about food allergies and how to keep him safe.

I thought I’d share some tips with you about how to teach others about food allergies. I hope this helps you in your food allergy journey!

1. Assume No Knowledge

When you’re meeting with someone for the first time, assume he or she has NO knowledge of food allergies. Come prepared with ALL your tools. Then, when you talk a little more, adjust your conversation based on what they already know.

For instance, I recently met with my son’s future Sunday school teacher to talk about his food allergies. She immediately told me she has two sons with severe food allergies to peanuts and sesame. She knows all about EpiPens and emergency action plans.

WHEW.

I breathed an immediate sigh of relief. I knew I didn’t have to teach her how to use an EpiPen, so I focused on other points I wanted to cover.

However, just remember that everyone’s food allergy journey is different.  Even if the person has prior experience with food allergies, you can still teach them a lot about your child’s specific food allergy journey. Make sure you still cover all the information about your child to keep him/her safe.

2. Give Them Resources

I give each teacher a binder of information about Little Guy’s food allergies, and other related educational information. The content includes:

Here’s a photo of everything I recently included in his Kindergarten binder.

kindergarten binder

I also make a cover page to go on the front of the binder that includes his name, grade and photo. I ask them to keep the folder is his classroom in an easily accessible place.

3. Outline Your Key Points

After two or three meetings with teachers, I realized I was writing down the same notes before each meeting.  Write your key points down, and keep them in a safe place where you can find them again.  Here are the main points I usually focus on during my meetings.  I ask the teachers/caregivers to:

CREATE A SAFE ENVIRONMENT

  • Keep food out of the classroom as much as possible
  • Offer non-food rewards
  • Know there can be allergens in crafts – check labels
  • Wash hands and surfaces/use wipes before and after eating
  • Monitor snack/lunchtime and no sharing of food

INCLUDE MY CHILD

  • Plan non-food focused activities and lesson plans
  • Give me advance notice so I can read labels or provide safe alternatives for anything that may be food related
  • If bullying occurs, make sure it’s addressed immediately. Educate the other students (through books or conversations) about food allergies to reduce the possibility of misunderstanding and bullying.

GIVE EPINEPHRINE IF NEEDED

  • Know how to recognize the signs of an allergic reaction, and especially how younger children might describe a reaction
  • Understand the emergency action plan and know where to locate it
  • Know where the epinephrine is located
  • Know how to use the epinephrine and use at the first sign of an allergic reaction. DO NOT WAIT.

There are so many other points to cover during a meeting, but these are usually my main topics!

epi pen

4. Encourage Them to Practice Using Epinephrine

It’s important for child care providers and teachers to have actually practiced using an EpiPen. So, I always bring 3 “practice” related items to my food allergy meetings:

  • EpiPen trainers. They are look-alike EpiPens with no needle or medication in them that you get with each EpiPen prescription.
  • Expired EpiPens. Yes, keep that expired epinephrine for future practice.
  • Oranges. What? Yep, the oranges are a safe place for the teachers to release the needle of the real EpiPens when they practice.

Remember to throw away those oranges after you’re done!  Then also ask your allergist where to dispose of the EpiPens.

5. Keep your cool

Talking about your child’s food allergies is emotional. There’s no question about it. Practice out-loud what you’re going to say ahead of time. Laugh a little before the meeting (watch something funny, or remind yourself of a funny moment). Think about something positive you’ll do AFTER the meeting to take off the pressure. Bring water to drink to distract you if you feel emotional.

Also, think about asking your spouse, a trusted friend or family member to come to the meeting who understands food allergies and can be there to support you. I’ve found that I do feel more confident and in control of my emotions each time I have a meeting. Practice does make it easier.

How do YOU teach others about food allergies?  Have you become an expert at teaching others yet?

Bio

kathrynI am Kathryn Martin, creator of the blog Mamacado, and working mama of two who loves my family, healthy living, and avocados (of course!). My Little Guy is allergic to dairy, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts and sesame. Despite his food allergies, we try to create healthy and delicious meals we can all enjoy. I’d love it if you’d check out my blog, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest and Facebook pages for great ideas on food, family and fun…with a food allergy twist! 

 

The Last Back to School Giveaway

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I’ve really enjoyed the last two months of Back to School Giveaways but all good things must come to an end. Today will start our last week of giveaways but I’m actually giving away 3 separate prizes! I’ve still got some back to school tips I’ll continue to share this month!

Prize #1 Fresh & Fit Bento Lunch Kit

bento kit 1

One lucky winner will receive a Fresh & Fit Bento Lunch Kit.

The thing that really sets this lunch box apart is on the inside. The lid has built-in sections for ice packs. The ice pack are removable which make for easy cleaning and freezing.

bento kit 2

I think these are great for anyone who needs to keep a lunch cool until lunch time. The ice packs sit right up against the food which work better than ice packs that may be in your lunch bag but not necessarily near your food. We’ve been using the ice packs for years, even before we knew about the lunch kits.

bento kit 3

We’ve used these for sandwiches, salads and just snacks. The 3 compartment design keeps foods separated.

Prize #2 FLYJOY Bars

flyjoy 1

These may be my favorite bars! I love them!

I’ve loved every flavor I’ve tried. These energy bars, yes they are considered energy bars, they are made from quinoa, oats and flax. FLYJOY Bars are all natural, gluten-free, non-gmo and vegan. They contain nuts so these wouldn’t be suitable for someone with nut-allergies. (I have news about my sons oral challenge I’ll share later this month.)

flyjoy 2

Read the story about how FLYJOY bars came to be. You’ll be inspired!

Another great thing about FLYJOY is that every FLYJOY purchase donates 10% of the profit to HOPE International, making it possible for women, men and families to break the cycle of poverty and pursue their dreams through self-sustaining businesses and education.

One winner will receive a package with all six flavors. Trust me, you’ll have a hard time picking a favorite. These filling bars are perfect for breakfast or snack. I’ve taken them hiking for energy and eaten them on the way to church when I didn’t have time for breakfast at home.

Flavors include Cashew Cookie Dough, Peanut Cacao Nib, Cranberry Almond, Cherry Coconut, Coconut Almond, and Blue Berry Almond.

Prize #3 Product Assortment

I’ve given away a lot of great products over the last two month. This week I’m choosing some of my favorites to send to one lucky winner.

The package will contain an assortment of full and sample sizes of products like SunButter, Enjoy Life Food Soft Baked Cookies and Plentils, SoyNut Butter and more. I’ll have to see what all I can fit in the box.

Enter below and you’ll be entered in all 3 giveaways!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

giveaway

Sept. 14, 2015 Meal Plan and Tips

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Meal Planning saves so much time and money in the long run but it does take a little bit of time investment to start. I always encourage people to start by planning a few meals then plan more as you get practice.

You can always use these meal plans to give you some ideas. Make extra and include leftovers as part of your plan.

Meal Plan Monday

Breakfast

Let’s talk about breakfast. Take some time to consider how much time you have to prepare breakfast every day. You may want tofu scrambles, pancakes, and fresh muffins but most of us don’t have a lot of time first thing in the morning. Instead create a realistic plan.

I make oatmeal quickly in my Instant Pot or in the microwave. Toast and fruit are always quick. Overnight oats don’t take time in the morning but take a little time the night before. We make sweet potatoes in the Instant Pot then reheat them in the mornings.

Tip #1

My best tip is to make a big batch of oatmeal on the weekend then reheat individual portions all week. That allows you to choose different toppings or mix-ins each day.

I’m going to skip lunch for a minute and go to dinner.

Dinner

I take our weekly schedule into consideration when planning our meals. I usually play about 5 days worth of dinners and reuse leftovers when I don’t want to cook and for lunches.

I like to have a little variety like soups, casseroles, pasta and salads. I also like to mix in some things that are really quick and easy to make.

Tip #2

To save even more time spend a couple of hours on one day cooking beans, rice and chopping a variety of veggies. Then each day mix and match foods to create different meals. You can have wraps one day, salads another, burritos, bowls, etc.

Lunch

I saved lunch for last because I like to use dinner leftover for lunch. The Stir Fry doesn’t reheat well but the rest does!

I don’t assign specific days for each meal but will make the recipes that take longer on days I have more time and reserve the quick and easy meals for my busy days.

Tip #3

Double up your dinner recipes to eat for leftovers but always have a back up plan. If you don’t have a back up you’ll end up grabbing fast food or skipping a meal and over eating later. A great back up plan may be frozen burritos, PB&J or single-serving soups.

Don’t get intimidated by meal planning, take 5 minutes and plan the rest of your meals for today (or tomorrow). That is a great start!

 

Before you run off to plan your meals for the week take a moment to enter the Plentils Giveaway! It ends on Tuesday!

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