My Plant-Based Family

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

Back to School

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 School Lunches

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When I think of “back to school” I think of packing lunches. They go hand in hand for me. We have a 10 year gap between our older set and our younger set of kids. Sometimes it feels like I’ve been packing lunches FOREVER.

With my youngest starting kindergarten I know that my lunch packing days will be coming to an end in the next few years. Until then I’ll continue my lunch packing routine.

Simple School Lunches

Have a lunch packing routine means you don’t have to reinvent the wheel every day. I’m all in favor of simplicity. I typically choose 3 main items for my kids lunch boxes. They get a main dish, a fruit or veggie and a snack type item.

I don’t pack a lot of food in my kids lunches because most kids waste a lot of food at lunch. If you’ve ever visited your kids at lunch you can see why. It’s a mad house, especially at the kindergarten table. A lot of the kids can’t open their containers or individual packages. If this is their first school experience they probably don’t know how to manage their time. You end up with a 5 year old who can’t open their apple sauce and just talks to their new friends.

Tips for Simple School Lunches

  • Use easy to open containers.
  • Stick to just a few foods.
  • Get your child’s “buy in” or let them see the lunch before it’s packed away
  • Have older kids pack their own lunch (with guidelines) See my printable!
  • Let younger children have some choices like apples or strawberries, crackers or pretzels.
  • Include every thing they need like a spoon or napkin.
  • Use a frozen insert to keep cold foods cold.

I love EasyLunchBoxes because they make lunches easier to pack. My kids have always been able to open them without help, we started using them in preschool. We still use that original set that is over 2 years old. We’ve had a few crack but if you’ve seen how my boys treat their back pack you would understand. They are durable.

My boys love that the EasyLunchBoxes keep their foods separate so nothing touches. That means the strawberries won’t get the pretzels all wet and soggy. I also use their mini dipper containers occasionally when I need a small container.

My 7 year old will sometimes pack his own lunch but usually I need to intervene. He would be happy with a piece of bread, a granola bar and crackers. I have a “at least one fruit or veggie” rule that he likes to sneak around. He doesn’t eat a lot at lunch so I usually stick to 3 things.

My 5 year old wants his lunch box FULL! If there is the tiniest bit of empty space he goes looking for something to stick in it. He will eat it all too. He normally gets two types of fruit, a main dish, something a little “snacky” like pretzels or Plentils, and anything else he can fit in there.

I adapt to each of my kids needs but in a way that works for our needs.

Enter the Easy Lunch Boxes giveaway!

EasyLunchBoxes Giveaway

I want you to have a chance to simplify your lunch box routine too! You can win your own set of EasyLunchBoxes!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

If you don’t win a set of containers you can always buy them from EasyLunchBoxes or Amazon! Make sure you read this first so you get the real deal.

This page contains affiliate links. 

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!

 

Bob’s Red Mill Oatmeal Cups Giveaway

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This post is sponsored by Bob’s Red Mill. All thoughts and opinions are my own. 

Once school starts our mornings are packed. We eat breakfast, get ready, make lunches, and are out the door. I’ve found a healthy, hot breakfast that my kids can make themselves, Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Oatmeal Cups.

Bobs Red Mills Oatmeal Cups

We had gotten into a cereal rut because I needed something easy and fast in the mornings. My kids will often wake up before me; I’m not one of those wake up before your kids kind of moms (I get every minute of sleep I can). That meant the kids would usually have cereal. I preferred for them to have something healthier but our busy mornings didn’t always allow it.

Then I discovered Bob’s Red Mill Oatmeal Cups. At first I was skeptical but the ingredients list won me over. The oatmeal cups vary by flavor but use real ingredients that I would typically put in homemade oatmeal like flax and chia seeds. My favorite flavor is Apple Cinnamon!

Bobs Red Mills Oatmeal Cups

My kids are 5 and 7 and they can prepare the Oatmeal Cups all by themselves. If you are a parent of little kids you know this is life changing. They pour the water into the cup, microwave it for one minute, let it set for two minutes, then it’s ready to eat.

There are a lot of things I love about these oatmeal cups:

  • Delicious flavors
  • Healthy Ingredients
  • Easy to prepare (even my kids can do it)
  • Fast
  • Easy clean up
  • Vegan and Gluten-Free

We will still make oatmeal the old fashioned way or in my Instant Pot but these oatmeal cups are a great option, especially during those hectic first days back to school.

Bob’s Red Mill is happy to sponsor a giveaway for an assortment of oatmeal cups! One lucky winner in the continental U.S. will win a selection of oatmeal cups.

Giveaway

Update: Congrats to our winner Donna K!

Bobs Red Mill Oatmeal Cups Giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

If you don’t win the giveaway you can find these oatmeal cups at local retailers (I found them at Target), or order them from Bob’s Red Mill or Amazon.

This post was sponsored by Bob’s Red Mill. The opinions and thoughts are my own. This page contains affiliate links. 

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