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

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On the Road Again part 2

July 16, 2013 by Holly Yzquierdo Leave a Comment

This is the second part of a series on eating well while traveling. Today’s segment will revolve around eating well while on the go (restaurants). Last time I discussed Eating Well in the Car (packing food). In later segments I’ll discuss eating well in hotels, etc.

Do you struggle to eat well while traveling? It can be difficult but it isn’t impossible even while navigating multiple food allergies and eating a plant-based diet.

Eating Well on the Road Part 2

As you know we pack plenty of food when we travel but we still supplement by eating at restaurants throughout our journey. The following are healthy (or at least healthier) choices you can find along the way. I won’t be listing any Vegan restaurants but will focus on establishments that are easy to find and widely known.

Chipotle: My Happy Place! Chipotle has an amazing burrito bowl that can be ordered with black beans, brown rice, your choice of salsa, and guacamole. You could also get a salad or burrito, both are delicious! I frequent my local Chipotle so often I usually get free drinks.

Taco Bell: I know, not known as the healthiest option but their beans and rice are both vegan. I usually opt for a burrito without cheese and add rice. They also have a Cantina Bowl just that is customizable but avoid the dressing (it contains dairy).

Subway: Who says you need meat on a sub sandwich? I order the veggie delight with avocado. You could also try a salad or a wrap if a sub isn’t your thing.

Wendy’s: I know this is a burger joint but it has some workable options. I like to order the baked potato, some locations have guacamole I use to top my potato. They also have salads that can be made without meat and apple dippers.

Starbucks: Do I really need to say anything here? I order my coffee with soy milk instead of dairy and leave off whip cream. Thanks to a friend who works at Starbuck’s I now know you can order the oatmeal with soy milk also. I once picked up a veggie and hummus pita at an airport but I don’t know if those are found everywhere.

Pizza: I love a good veggie pizza without cheese. My son can’t have gluten so we only get pizza when we find pizza place’s with a gluten-free crust. You may want to do a little research before choosing a restaurant to find out what is the crust.

We’ve also eaten at “regular” restaurants and found things that work for us. Chips and salsa (and guacamole) are usually acceptable. Most restaurants offer salads and baked potatoes. Most vegetables are made with butter or oil so inquire about their preparation.

We found a great restaurant that worked for us on our last trip. I’ll share more about that another time when I offer suggestions for finding hidden gems while traveling. Do you have a favorite and maybe even unexpected restaurant I should mention? Email them to me or leave them in the comments.

Where do you eat while on a trip? Is there a special spot that shouldn’t be missed?

Filed Under: On the Go, Uncategorized Tagged With: Eating on the road, eating while traveling, On the Go, Plant Based Diet, traveling, Vegan

Meal Plan Monday with Poppy’s Patisserie | Bunny Kitchen

July 15, 2013 by Holly Yzquierdo Leave a Comment

During the month of July I’m taking a break from sharing our Meal Plans but never fear, I’m featuring other bloggers and sharing their Meal Plans. So far we have heard from Lisa of The Vegan Pact and Alison of Plant-Strong New England (a Facebook page). Today I’m thrilled to introduce Poppy of Poppy’s Patisserie | Bunny Kitchen!

Poppy.

Hi, I’m Poppy and I write Poppy’s Patisserie | Bunny Kitchen. I’m a 20-something vegan, studying in Kent, UK, for a degree in Animal Management.

I have three major passions; animals; world development/poverty, equality with a special interest in street children; and food/cooking/veganism. I have been a vegetarian for around 16 years and am well into my second year of veganism with absolutely no intention of turning back. Had I known as a 6 year old child turning vegetarian what I know now, I would have been vegan all along.

My blog is where I practice and share my passion for food and connect with vegans, vegetarians, cooks and bloggers from all over the world.

Most days I am cooking for just myself or myself and my partner, Matthew. Around once a week I will also be cooking for guests – family or friends. Of the people I cook for, I am the only person with food restrictions and will cook vegan for my diners. I often make meals and freeze the leftovers or use them in a different dish the next day.

I try to make things in advance and freeze them for days when I don’t have much time to cook. I especially like to freeze breakfast items as this is the meal I’m most likely not to have time with yet enjoy a varied breakfast throughout the week and something exciting to get me energized for the day. I stock the freezer with breakfast muffins and crumpets and even chia jam which defrosts in minutes in smaller quantities and keeps it’s lovely jammy consistency.

As well as my main meals, I snack on fruit between meals such as apples, bananas and berries or nibble on crudites and houmous. 

Meal Plan by Poppy’s Patisserie | Bunny Kitchen

vegan meatballs

Day 1:

Breakfast: Raw Strawberry Chia Jam (v, gluten free) on whole grain toast.

Lunch: Sweet Potato & Lentil Salad (v)

Dinner: Herbed Vegan ‘Meat’balls and Spaghetti (v)

Estimated calories: 1376

banana muffins

Day 2:

Breakfast: Caramel Banana Muffins (v,gluten free option)

Lunch: Butternut and Sweet Potato Soup (v) with 2 slices of whole grain bread

Dinner: Lentil and Beetroot Burgers with Creamy Pepper Sauce (v) with pitta bread

Treat: Hazelnut Hot Chocolate (v)

Estimated calories: 1281

HAZELNUT HOT CHOCOLATE

Day 3:

Breakfast: Crumpets (v)

Lunch: Garlicky Bean Salad with Chunky Croutons (v)

Dinner: Indian Spiced Vegetable Stew (v,gluten free)

Estimated calories: 1227

tomato coconut soup

Day 4:

Breakfast: Lemon Poppy Seed Bread (v)

Lunch:Tomato and Coconut Soup (v)

Dinner: Smoked Tofu Carbonara Pasta (v)

Estimated calories: 1406

mediterranean sandwich

Day 5:

Breakfast: Maple Pecan Quinoa Crunch Granola (v) with non dairy milk

Lunch: Baked Mediterranean Sandwich (v)

Dinner: Squash and Fennel Lasagne (v) with salad

Estimated calories: 1482

SPROUTED SEED AND RADISH SANDWICH

Day 6:

Breakfast: Sticky Banana Buns (v)

Lunch: Sprouted Seeds and Radish Salad Sandwich (v)

Dinner: Spinach and Leek Quinoa stuffed mushrooms (v,gluten free) with crushed onion new potatoes

Estimated calories: 1112

HARISSA AND SESAME QUINOA BALLS

Day 7:

Breakfast: Vegan Vanilla French Toast (v)

Lunch: Moroccan Harissa Quinoa Balls and Griddled Asparagus Salad with Creamy Harissa Dressing (v)

Dinner: Almond Feta and Caraway Baked Cabbage Parcels (v,gluten free) and boiled new potatoes

Dessert: Beetroot and Avocado Chocolate Cake (v)

Estimated calories: 1394

BEETROOT AND AVOCADO CHOCOLATE CAKE

I’m sure you have already checked out at least a few recipes but don’t forget to follow Poppy on Twitter: @poppypatisserie and Pinterest!

Filed Under: Meal Plan Monday, Uncategorized Tagged With: Bunny Kitchen, Meal Plans, Menu Plan, Plant Based Diet, Poppy's Patisserie, Vegan

Meal Plan Monday with Alison from Plant Strong New England

July 8, 2013 by Holly Yzquierdo Leave a Comment

Most Monday’s I post of Meal Plan detailing what we will be eating for the week. During July I’ll be featuring other bloggers and Plant-Based eaters and sharing their Meal Plan’s. I’m excited to “meet” other like minded people and get a glimpse of what’s going on in their kitchens.

Today I’d like to introduce you to Alison, she created a Facebook Page called Plant Strong New England. She offers daily insight into her diet, helpful links, recipe and book recommendations and even shares her struggles eating plant-based. Plant Strong New England is a great reference for those in the New England area but helpful for anyone interested in eating healthier.

My name is Alison and I became plant based April 2012.  By day I am a cook at a middle school, by night I try to convert my family to plant based eating, not always successfully! My husband grudgingly tries the food as long as I supplement him along the way with (eek!) steaks and such.  My oldest son (20) wants no part of it.  My youngest son (18) will usually eat what I am making.  My daughter (23) is gluten free and pretty picky so she is hit and miss! My other daughter (also 23) lives on her own and is 90% plant strong.  I admit I am a gleeful follower of the Happy Herbivore and sometimes Engine 2.

Meal Plan

Breakfast: Usually cereal, muffins (such as Happy Herbivore Apple Crisp Muffins), quick breads (such as Happy Herbivore Blueberry Coffee Cake) or whole grain toast w/natural peanut butter.

Lunch: Wraps, pizza, large salads.  For example this week I had HH Yam Falafels  topped with tofu sour cream; pizza topped w/kale and “cheese” sauce, a large salad w/leftover falafel and an avocado; leftover pizza.

Dinner: Kind of the same as lunches lol.  This week was: Engine 2 LOL Loaf w/mashed potatoes and peas; Taco pizza w/salad; Spring rolls w/veg on side; and a Veg Jambalaya w/brown rice. I have also been making a lot of veg chili lately which I serve over shredded romaine and top w/tofu sour cream.

Snacks: Hummus w/FF pretzels or rice crackers; fruit; black bean brownies or other “treats”

– – –

Don’t forget to check out Plant Strong New England on Facebook. You can also follow Alison on Twitter and on Pinterest.

Are you in New England?

Filed Under: Meal Plan Monday, Uncategorized Tagged With: Meal Plans, Menu Plan, Plant Based Diet, Plant Strong New England, Vegan

On the Road Again

July 3, 2013 by Holly Yzquierdo 4 Comments

 

This is the first part of a series on eating well while traveling. Today segment will revolve around eating well while in the car. In other segments I’ll discuss eating well in hotels, restaurants, etc.

Do you struggle to eat well while traveling? It can be difficult but it isn’t impossible even while navigating multiple food allergies and eating a plant-based diet.

Eating Well on the Road Part 1

With proper planning you can eat well while on the road. I’m not saying that you have to eat 100% healthy, we tend to buy special snacks for road trips but you don’t have to hit every drive-thru and gas station for food along the way.

I highly recommend a cooler or two if you have the room. We typically have a small cooler and a box for non-perishable snacks that we can easily reach. I also like to keep small cups that can be filled and refilled to pass back to my kids.

Fresh Fruit and Veggies

It may sound boring but fresh fruit and veggies can help with the car ride munchies. I prefer to buy pre-sliced or bite-sized options when possible. On our most recent road trip we packed blueberries, cherries (only for adults because the pits are choking hazards), apples, oranges, peaches, nectarines, grapes, and broccoli. Carrots and bananas are other easy options but my little guy can’t handle those right now. I was too busy to slice up cucumbers and bell peppers but those would have been great options.

Sandwiches

Don’t underestimate the power of sandwiches. If you are traveling 100s of miles without real food a sandwich can be your best friend. We used to freeze sandwiches before a trip and let them thaw as we traveled. Now I usually just make them right before we leave. This time I used GF bread for my 2 year old and whole wheat bread for the rest of us along with sunflower seed butter with jelly. You could make a good ol PB&J if you prefer.

If you are already packing sliced veggies you might as well pack some tortillas too. With tortillas you can make a quick wrap. I’ve seen (but haven’t tried) small packages of hummus that is doesn’t need to be refrigerated.

Snack Attack

We are snackers when we travel. We alternate between sweet and salty often. I’m not condoning this behavior I’m just admitting it. To keep us from buying Doritos and Little Debbie’s I made sure we had a full box of “healthier” snacks. I had applesauce pouches, every variety of granola bar I could find, air popped pop corn, fruit strips, lollipops, tortilla chips, roasted chickpeas and dried fruit. I’m sure there were other snacks as well but these are the ones I remember. Normally I’d throw in some chocolate too but I didn’t want it to melt.

Drinks

We also drink a lot while we travel. I always carry a reusable water bottle (it isn’t pretty but I need my water) for me and my boys. I also bought a large pack of water bottles because I’m quite the water snob and can’t handle yucky tasting water. We also brought a few Zevia Soda’s in case we needed an extra boost. My husband loves them but I still haven’t found a flavor I love yet. Of course coffee is highly sought after by me so we packed a coffee creamer in our cooler.

Do you have a favorite food to eat in the car (or on a long plane ride)? In the coming weeks I’ll offer tips for eating well in the hotel and how to search for restaurants that will cater to your needs.

 

Filed Under: Life with Kids, On the Go Tagged With: gluten free, Healthy, On the Go, Plant Based Diet, Vegan

Meal Plan Monday with Lisa from The Vegan Pact

July 1, 2013 by Holly Yzquierdo Leave a Comment

 

Are you in a Meal Planning funk? Never fear, this month I’ll be featuring Meal Plans from other bloggers and plant-based eaters! In fact, I still a few spots open so send in your Meal Plan right away.

veganpact3Today I’m excited to introduce you to Lisa from The Vegan Pact! If you don’t know Lisa you are really missing out. She is a Raw Vegan Chef and passionate about cooking from scratch and creating organic, animal-free meals without processed food.

 

Meal Plan from The Vegan Pact (for 3-4 people)

tropical cantaloupe smoothie

Day One:

Breakfast: Two batches of Tropical Cantaloupe Smoothies

Lunch: Blueberry Salad with Walnut Maple Hemp Clusters

Dinner: Sweet Potato Cumin Tacos with Chipotle Sauce

Snacks: Peanut Butter Oat Granola Bars

Balsamic Roasted Butternut Squash & Kale Pasta

Day Two:

Breakfast: Peanut Butter & Jelly Banana Stuffed Muffins

Lunch: Cranberry Almond Quinoa Salad

Dinner: Balsamic Roasted Butternut Squash & Kale Pasta

Snacks: Pita or tortilla chips with Roasted Red Pepper & White Bean Dip

Chickpea Salad Sandwiches

Day Three:

Breakfast: Leftover muffins and/or Raspberry & Apple Coconut Kale Smoothies

Lunch: Chickpea Salad Sandwiches

Dinner: Stuffed Peppers

Snacks: Coconut Cranberry Energy Bars

Apple Nachos

Day Four:

Breakfast: Millet & Oat Cran-Apple Breakfast Bake

Lunch: Buffalo Bean Soup with Dumplings

Dinner: Mexican Sweet Potato Lasagna

Snacks: Apple Nachos

Day Five:

Breakfast: Chocolate Chia Overnight Oats

Lunch: Leftover soup

Dinner: Buffalo Chick’n & Arugula Pizza

– – –

 

Seriously! I know! I’m drooling over these amazing recipes! Be sure to check out The Vegan Pact! You can also follow The Vegan Pact on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram!

P.S. Don’t forget to send me your Meal Plan!

 

 

 

Filed Under: Meal Plan Monday, Uncategorized Tagged With: Meal Plans, Menu Plan, Planning, Plant Based Diet, The Vegan Pact, Vegan

Blueberry Oatmeal

June 26, 2013 by Holly Yzquierdo 9 Comments

Blueberry Oatmeal

blueberry oatmeal 2

Fresh Blueberries are popping up in my Meal Plans. We eat them for snacks, mixed in our breakfasts and I’m even creating a Blueberry Vinaigrette that my kids adore. My absolute favorite way to eat blueberries is in this oatmeal. Make sure you buy Certified Gluten-Free Oats of gluten is an issue for you.

Blueberry Oatmeal

Ingredients

  • Rolled Oats and Water
  • 1/4 to 1/3 cup of blueberries per person
  • Cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp Vanilla per person
  • 1/4 tsp chia seeds
  • 1/4 tsp hemp seeds
  • a few Tbsp almonds or walnuts (optional)

Do

  1. Cook oatmeal according to package directions.
  2. Allow oatmeal to cool for a few minutes then stir in blueberries, a generous shake of cinnamon, vanilla and seeds.

Serve

This is perfect for breakfast or brunch but taste so good I’ve considered it for dessert. 🙂 I don’t measure anything out when I make it so feel free to increase or decrease ingredients to suit your taste. If you are missing an ingredient don’t fret, just skip it or substitute something else. Missing blueberries try raspberries or strawberries; no seeds, just toss in a few nuts for crunch.

What is your favorite way to eat oatmeal?

Filed Under: Breakfast, Recipes Tagged With: Blueberries, Blueberry Oatmeal, Breakfast, gluten free, Oatmeal, Plant Based Diet, Recipes, Vegan

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