My Plant-Based Family

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Yogurt and Granola

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My youngest son does not like cereal. Every morning I have to figure out something he will eat. He prefers a mound of fruit. While a bowl full of fruit isn’t bad I want him to have something that will stick with him a little longer Yogurt and Granola are two of his favorites!

Dairy-Free Yogurt and Gluten-Free Granola make a great breakfast, snack or dessert.

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My son loves fruit. Before he lost one of his front teeth, he would easily eat 5+ apples per day. His missing tooth has slowed him down some, but not much. I end up cutting up a lot of fruit for him now which means he can eat it faster than ever.

As much as he loves a big bowl of fruit for breakfast, I feel like he needs something a little more complex. Thankfully he loves the granola. I love it too.

Yogurt and Granola

Yogurt and Granola

This isn’t an actual recipe, it’s more of a “put all of this together” type of thing.

I use dairy-free yogurt, fresh fruit and granola for an easy breakfast, snack or dessert.

I like to start with granola in the bottom of the bowl, then add yogurt, then fruit. I repeat layers until I’m satisfied.

You can mix and match granola flavors, yogurt flavors and different types of fruit so you always have something interesting to try.

If you have food allergies, carefully inspect all the labels. Gerb’s has a great allergy-safe product (unfortunately it has honey). Bob’s Red Mill has great vegan granola (but it’s not gluten-free).

gluten-free, peanut free granola banana

I have to put the granola away in the pantry every time or I’ll make little pit stops all day long munching on it. I’ll often dip a piece of fruit in SunButter then roll it in the granola.

I also put granola on dairy-free ice cream! What can I say, I’m a sucker for this stuff.

 

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Fast and Easy Breakfast Ideas

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If you’ve been enjoying lazy mornings all summer the beginning of school can be a shock to the system. These fast and easy breakfast ideas will help you acclimate to the new school year.

Some of these breakfast ideas need to be eaten at home but others are perfect for enjoying on the way (unless your the driver). Almost every item on the list can be made in 5 minutes or less. The others can be baked ahead of time.

Fast and Easy Breakfast Ideas

Fast and Easy Breakfast with SoyNut Butter Toast and fruit

Toast with SoyNut Butter and Fruit

It doesn’t get much easier than toast. We love SoyNut Butter spread on our toast and fruit on the side. Sometimes I’ll slice the fruit and put it right on the toast. Speaking of fast and easy, get it on Amazon!

Bobs Red Mills Oatmeal Cups

Oatmeal Cups

I’m a huge fan of oatmeal! It’s easy to make but Bob’s Red Mill Oatmeal Cups are simple enough for my kids to make by themselves. Plus, clean up is a breeze! These gluten-free cups only need water and they are ready in minutes.

On days I don’t have time to make my Instant Pot Oatmeal, these oatmeal cups come to the rescue! I get them on Amazon!

Strawberry Banana Muffins gluten-free and gluten-free

Strawberry Banana Muffins

These Strawberry Banana Muffins have to be baked ahead of time but they are a filling breakfast that you can give your kids on the way to school.

Gluten-free granola

Granola

I always keep granola on hand for “emergency” breakfasts and snacks. It’s a ready to go meal when I don’t have anything else available. I love the I’m Healthy gluten-free granola; it’s gluten-free and peanut-free with flavors that do not disappoint. Available on Amazon.

Yogurt and Granola

Granola and Yogurt

If I only have a little time, I’ll pour some dairy-free yogurt, fresh fruit and granola in a bowl for a breakfast that takes less than 2 minutes to make. My youngest son loves this treat! I’ll admit, it makes a great dessert too!

Plant-Based Gluten-Free Breakfast Cookies that are allergy-friendly and delicious. These cookies are a great choice for breakfast on the go.

Breakfast Cookies

Cookies for breakfast, yes please! These Breakfast Cookies are closer to a granola bar than a dessert. They are great on the go but healthy enough to call it breakfast. Make them on the weekend for easy weekday meal.

Bobo's Oat Bars

Bobo’s Oat Bars

I fell in love with Bobo’s Oat Bars. These hearty bars are like mini loaves of baked goodness. I was surprised to love every flavor I tried. I keep them in my purse and they easily pass for a meal. I’ve begrudgingly shared a few with friends and they loved them too. Get them on Amazon.

What are your favorite fast and easy breakfasts?

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7 Tips for Simple Plant-Based School Lunches

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When I originally wrote this post in 2016, my youngest was starting kindergarten. We have a 10-year gap between our older and younger kids, so at the time it felt like I’d been packing school lunches FOREVER.

Now that I can look back on all those years of packing plant-based lunches, I know which habits actually made the biggest difference. The biggest lesson? Keep it simple. You don’t need a Pinterest-perfect lunch box or a completely different meal every day.

These are the simple school-lunch tips that worked for our family and made busy mornings much easier.

Simple School Lunches

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One thing that made packing lunch easier was sticking to a simple formula: a main dish + a fruit or vegetable + an easy side. I still think simplicity is one of the best ways to make school lunches manageable.

Want examples? See How to Pack an Easy Plant-Based Lunch Box.

Tip 1: Use Containers Your Child Can Open

If you’ve ever visited your kids at lunch, you can see it’s a madhouse, especially at the kindergarten table. A lot of the kids can’t open their containers or individual packages. You end up with a 5-year-old who can’t open their applesauce and just talks to their new friends.

We always have our kids practice with new lunch bags, lunch boxes, thermoses, and containers. They should be able to handle everything they take on their own. We even practice for a few days before school starts so that I can see that they can operate every type of container.

Tip 2: Keep the Lunch Simple

If this is their first school experience, they probably don’t know how to manage their time. Stick to just a few foods to avoid overwhelming them when they open their lunch box. We pack a main item, a fruit and/or veggie, and another item. Then each day, I check the lunch box to see what gets eaten.

If the lunch box is empty, I’ll add more food next time. If there is still food left, I’ll find out why: maybe a friend shared food, maybe something didn’t survive the morning in the lunch box, or maybe they spent the whole lunch talking to their friends.

Tip 3: Let Your Child Have Some Input

I didn’t give my kids unlimited choices. Instead, I’d offer simple options: apples or strawberries? Crackers or pretzels? Giving them some control helped me pack foods they were more likely to eat without turning lunch packing into a negotiation.

My ultimate goal is to teach them to pack their own lunch and make reasonable choices. No, you can’t pack a lunchbox full of fruit; you need more types of food to stay fueled.

Tip 4: Pack the Right Amount for YOUR Child

I quickly learned that my kids didn’t need identical lunches. One barely ate during lunch because he was busy with everything happening around him. The other wanted every bit of space filled—and ate it all. He normally gets two types of fruit, a main dish, something a little “snacky” like pretzels, and anything else he can fit in there. Pay attention to what actually comes home in the lunch box and adjust accordingly.

Tip 5: Let Older Kids Help Pack Their Lunch

My ultimate goal is for the kids to pack their own lunch. Around first grade, I caught one of my kids packing a piece of bread, a granola bar and crackers. Now he is 17 and still eats that way; he isn’t a fan of most fruit or veggies.

Though we’ve simplified our lunch box packing formula over the years, our earliest lunch box guide is still online.

Tip 7: Keep Cold Foods Cold

We always have various-sized lunch box ice packs that either go into a special pocket of the lunch bag or just go inside the bag. We’ve even used one where they put the whole thing in the freezer. I don’t have a favorite brand, so I just pick what is the best value and meets our current needs.

The best advice I can give you is to have twice as many ice packs as you think you will need. I can’t tell you how many times we went to pack lunches and realized that yesterday’s ice packs had not been returned to the freezer. In this situation, more is better.

More Plant-Based School Lunch Help

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August 29, 2016 Weekly Meal Plan

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You’ve probably heard that grocery shopping on an empty stomach is a bad idea. I think meal planning when your hungry is an equally bad idea. In fact, I’m officially adding “eat a snack” to my meal planning tips. Your weekly meal plan will turn out healthier if you aren’t thinking of pizza while you plan it.

Mmmmm, pizza sounds good! See, it’s a problem anyone can fall into. Fortunately, it is still too hot for pizza so that won’t make it into my meal plan but Pizza Pasta will. Sometimes people will ask me why I’ll eat soup or chili in the summer; since it’s so hot here in Arizona we keep our air conditioner really cold so soup is actually enjoyable. On the other hand, turning on the oven will heat up the house so I usually only do that in the mornings or for company.

Just thinking about turning on the oven made me think of cookies. Thankfully, I have a no-bake alternative for those too.

See, I have a problem. That just goes to show how much I need a meal plan to keep me focused. I’m also thinking about trying Veestro to have “just in case” I need a quick and easy meal. If you have experience with them let me know!

We’ve had family in town two of the last three weeks so and haven’t been eating the healthiest meals. This week we are ready to get back on plan. This meal plan will focus on dinners because we’ve been living on the Bob’s Red Mill Oatmeal Cups for easy breakfasts.

Weekly Meal Plan

If you are stuck and can’t figure out what to have for dinner, this plant-based meal plan should give you some ideas!

A plant-based meal plan the whole family will enjoy. Easy swaps make it gluten-free.

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Handling Food Allergies at School

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If you have a child with food allergies, the beginning of the school year can be a scary time. If you don’t have a child with food allergies you probably don’t understand what the big deal is. Let me explain and offer some helpful tips for navigating food allergies at school (even when it’s not your problem).

For kids with food allergies, the smallest amount of their allergen can be life and death. Imagine for a moment having to be concerned about staying alive at school. I’m not exaggerating.  Between breakfast, snack and lunch time there are many opportunities for kids to come into contact with foods that could hurt them.

Food Allergies at School

Thankfully, or maybe I should say miraculously, my son outgrew his peanut allergy. I had been dreading the start of kindergarten because I was very concerned about him coming into contact with peanuts. Even if kids washed their hands, food comes in on clothes and faces (my kids can’t be the only ones who leave breakfast on their shirts).

Even though I don’t have to worry about food allergies any more I will always be aware of how food allergies impact families.

What You Need to Know About Food Allergies At School

Food allergies aren’t once size fits all. Some allergies are more common than others but without knowing which food allergies are in your child’s classroom it is hard to keep all the kids safe. Ask teachers if you should avoid certain foods due to food allergies. Some teachers will inform you on their own but some will not. [Read more…] about Handling Food Allergies at School

Free Printable Lunch Box Cards

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This week I’m not even going to attempt a meal plan because it’s a crazy week. I know I should but I don’t know what this week holds. I do have some fun lunch box cards that I’m offering as a consolation.

Two of our kids are visiting from out of town. We have some fun stuff planned like a Diamond Backs game but most of the week is still up in the air. We’ve also eat out almost every meal since they got into town. Yikes!

Instead of a meal plan I’m offering two sets of fun lunch box cards that are perfect for younger kids. I’d say the target age range is probably 1st grade to 4th grade, but that is just a guess. (download info below)

The Fruit and Vegetable Lunch Box Jokes

Fruit and Veggie Lunch Box Jokes

Star Wars Lunch Box Cards

We also have Star Wars themed lunch box cards that are a little more inspirational.

Star Wars Lunch Box Cards

If you have little one’s who take a lunch box to school give these fun lunch box cards are try.

If you are already on my email list you were given a chance to download these a week ago. If you aren’t on my list you are missing out! Every other week I send out plant-based tips that will help you on your healthy eating journey. Some times it’s about meal planning, other times shopping tips, meal ideas and more!

You can get on my list and download these fun lunch box cards by signing up HERE! You’ll be asked to verify your email address then you’ll get a new email with the download link.

Also, don’t forget to enter the Bob’s Red Mill Oatmeal Cups giveaway! You don’t want to miss your chance to try those delicious gluten-free oatmeal cups!