My Plant-Based Family

Feeding My Family a Whole Food, Plant-Based Diet, On a Budget

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August 1, 2016 Meal Plan

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My kids start back to school this week! We are all excited about this but I’m probably the most excited. My youngest will be starting kindergarten this year AND he has is first loose tooth. It’s a big week for us but our meal plan will remain on the simple side.

If I have leftovers I’ll opt for those for lunch and dinner the next day and skip cooking.

With school starting back up you can bet I have a lot of Back to School posts planned! I’ll start them in a few weeks but I’ve been making lunches and taking photos, working on recipes and more. Until then check out my Back To School Pinterest board for some of my favorite tips!

Meal Plan

Plant-Based Meal Plan

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Instant Pot Inspired Meal Plan

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This week I’m taking a slightly different approach to my meal planning. My husband and I both have a lot going on at work and expect to put in extra hours. I’m creating an Instant Pot inspired meal plan this week. That means easy Instant Pot recipes and some batch cooking for simple meals.

If you don’t have an Instant Pot you might want to consider getting one. If it’s not in the cards don’t worry, you can make the same recipes with other cooking methods.

As the week goes on I might switch up some of the meals. I really wanted to provide a meal plan for those of you who use the Instant Pot regularly and those of you who got one on Prime Day and are just getting started. We may have cereal instead of Oatmeal or simple rice or beans instead of the meal shown.

Instant Pot Inspired Meal Plan

Instant Pot Inspired Meal Plan

I think you can see that there are a lot of options for using an Instant Pot throughout the week.

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Fruit Salad with Simple Citrus Dressing

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Fruit Salad. That is the answer to so many questions. Here are a few of them and let me know if you think of more:

  • What should I take to the potluck?
  • What will your (picky) kid eat?
  • What should I freeze for a icy treat?
  • What is the one vegan food no one will think is weird?
  • What will make the other kids jealous at the lunch table?
  • What should we pack for the picnic?

I know there are more but we have things to do. I think you get my point though, Fruit Salad is a great addition just about any time.

Fruit Salad with Citrus Dressing

The only problem with fruit salad is the browning that happens when you cut certain types fruit. I’ve got an easy fix for you.

All you need is some vitamin C! Citrus juice does wonders to keep fruit from browning.

Growing up I didn’t eat a lot of fruit. I remember the first time I saw my husband meticulously rubbing lemon juice on apples and bananas. I thought he was insane. It was labor intensive to wipe each and every slice of apple and banana with a lemon wedge (although sometimes the lemon juice went in a bowl and we would dip it).

Don’t worry, I’m not going to tell you to do that. This version has a few more steps but it’s even easier and less time consuming than his way.

Not only does it keep it from browning but your fruit salad will continue to taste refreshing for a day or two (if it lasts that long). I like to store it in a bowl with a lid so I can give it a gentle shake before serving. You can also make fun fruit kabobs for a treat if you have leftovers.

Fruit Salad with Citrus Dressing

This dressing works with many kinds of fruit. We are using strawberries, kiwis, cantaloupe, blueberries and blackberries. The important thing is to use what you like, mango, pineapple and grapes are good choices too! In the fall we use lots of apples.

Fruit Salad Dressing
 
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Ingredients
  • juice from 2 large naval oranges
  • juice from 1 pink grapefruit
  • juice from 1 lemon juice
  • juice from ½ lime juice
  • 3 pounds of assorted fruit
Instructions
  1. Squeeze juice from oranges, grapefruit, lemon and lime into a bowl or small jar.
  2. Stir juice (or if in a jar with a lid, give it a little shake).
  3. Pour it over the fruit and serve.

 

July 18, 2016 Meal Plan

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I’ve had meal planning on my mind all weekend! I was honored to teach a meal planning class to the Plant Pure Nation Pod in St. Louis via Skype. We had a great class and I gave a lot of plant-based meal plan examples.

If you haven’t watched Plant Pure Nation yet make plans to do it. It’s available streaming on Netflix.

I used to teach a lot of meal planning, cooking, and plant-based classes in my home. I stopped when I went back to work full time almost two years ago. I hadn’t realized how much I missed teaching.

I get a little bit of that feeling from the Plant-Based Basics eCourse. I may have to work more live training sessions into that course.

I was so busy with work, the class and a new project I didn’t get my meal plan created until late.

Plant-Based Meal Plan

Weekly Meal Plan

The Meal Plans I provide on Monday usually have a bit more variety than I eat during the week. I put it out there to help you get ideas but we don’t actually cook this many meals every week. I will double recipes and eat twice. I can attest that all of these lunches and dinners, except maybe the portobello’s are great reheated. [Read more…] about July 18, 2016 Meal Plan

Prime Day and our Weekly Meal Plan

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Were you wondering where this week’s meal plan was? Well… it’s here; just a day late. We finally had a weekend away. We took a trip to northern Arizona; I found a little spot with cabins, hiking and lower temperatures.

I almost skipped the meal plan all together but I have another important reason for sharing. Today is Prime Day! If you are an Amazon Prime member you can get some amazing deals today. One of those deals is the Instant Pot! Don’t miss it! I heard from someone at Instant Pot headquarters that this is the best price ever!

I could easily use my Instant Pot every day.

Plant-Based Meal Plan

Meal Plan

I’m skipping Monday since it’s already passed. This week’s meal plan is fairly simple. After a long weekend vacation it’s hard to get back in the swing of things. This meal plan uses simple recipes that are big on flavor.  [Read more…] about Prime Day and our Weekly Meal Plan

Pineapple Lemonade

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Most of the time I drink water but during the summer I crave fruity drinks. You should definitely try this Pineapple Lemonade recipe to quench your thirst.

Everyday after work I pick up the kids from daycare. I’ll admit that by this point in the day we are all hot and little grouchy. My solution is usually a fun drink. Sometimes I’ll just get a sparkling water and add a little fruit juice. But sometimes I want something a little better.

We have a long history of making fun drinks in my house. Whether it’s coffee drinks, smoothies, juice blends or other concoctions. I love mixing seasonal fruits to create a new drink. Remember my Strawberry Lemonade?

Easy peasy Pineapple Lemonade recipe that is perfect for a party or everyday.

One of the best things about making your own drinks is having absolute control of the ingredients. In this recipe, the pineapple juice is very sweet so you may not need to add a sweetener. If it isn’t sweet enough for you go with your favorite sweetener whether it’s sugar, agave nectar or stevia.

Pineapple Lemonade

One of the great things about this recipe is that you can switch it up depending on what fruit you have. I happen to love pineapple but mix in fresh berries to add another pop of flavor!

One thing to consider is that sometimes lemons are very juicy and sometimes I only get a tablespoon or so of juice from them. If you feel you need more lemon flavor try adding some lemon zest. It’s big on flavor and will intensify the glorious lemon taste.

Pineapple Lemonade recipe that is fun for any occasion.

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Pineapple Lemonade
 
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Author:
Recipe type: Drinks
Ingredients
  • 2 Cups fresh pineapple juice
  • 1 cup water
  • 10 Lemons
  • Agave nectar or Stevia to taste
  • Ice
  • Lemon and lime slices for garnish
Instructions
  1. In a pitcher add the pineapple juice, water, and agave nectar.
  2. Squeeze the lemons and add the juice to the pitcher.
  3. Mix everything together and allow it to cool in the fridge.
  4. When ready to serve, fill glasses with ice and pour in the lemonade.
  5. Garnish with lemon and key lime slices.
  6. Serve and enjoy.

Follow me on Pinterest for more fun food and drink ideas!