My Plant-Based Family

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

Life with Kids

5 Simple Tricks to Get Your Kids to Eat their Veggies

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Have you found yourself in a power struggle at the dinner table? Has your cute little prince or princess turned into a pit bull with a will of steel who REFUSES to even try those veggies you lovingly prepared? We have all been there, maybe you still are. Do you want to know a secret? I still find myself there from time to time but I also have victories.

5 simple tricks to get your kids to eat veggies

Do you want to know what those victories sound like?

Can I have some leaves (spinach)? I looooove leaves?

We have carrots, yea!!!

More trees (broccoli) please! These trees are so cute! [Read more…] about 5 Simple Tricks to Get Your Kids to Eat their Veggies

Vegan and Gluten-Free Taco Muffins

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I love Tacos! There, I said it. I’m willing to bet that you love tacos too. What I don’t like is the mess my kids make every time they eat them. These Vegan and Gluten-Free Taco Muffins may just be the solution we’ve all be looking for.

If you’ve ever tried my Lentil Tacos then you will see where I’m going with these delicious, hearty muffins. Before you start doubting Taco Muffins let me ask you, have you ever had meat loaf or a faux beanie loaf? Taco Muffins are not that far of a stretch. You can even use a mini loaf or a full loaf pan but I haven’t tried it, yet.

Vegan Taco Muffins

I want to make sure you understand from the beginning that these are savory, taco flavored muffins. My teenage son that I was just being clever and had quite a shock when he took the first bite. I don’t know what he was expecting but he couldn’t stop eating them. My 3 year old devoured most of them over 2 days. I had to cut him off. I got a couple and put one in the freezer to experiment.

taco muffins gluten free and vegan

Taco Muffins (gluten-free and vegan)

Makes 12 muffins

Ingredients

  • 1 cup Brown Rice Flour
  • 1/2 cup Potato Flour
  • 1/2 cup Tapioca Flour
  • 1 tsp xanthum gum
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp each of garlic powder, sea salt, onion powder and cumin
  • 1 1/2 cups unsweetened plant milk
  • 1/2 to 1 cup water
  • 8 oz tomato sauce
  • Lentil Mix (1 1/2 cup cooked lentils; 1 tsp each of garlic powder, sea salt, onion powder; and 1/2 tsp cumin)

Do

  1. Preheat oven to 350° and prepare muffin pan. I spray with a light coat of spray oil.
  2. In a small/medium bowl make Lentil Mix by combining lentils and spices together then set aside.
  3. In a large bowl mix flours, xanthum gum, spices, baking soda and baking powder and mix.
  4. In a separate bowl or large measuring cup mix liquids.
  5. Pour liquids into dry ingredients and stir with a sturdy spoon. Add more liquid as needed. Mine was clumpy so I used a potato masher to help.
  6. Spoon in a small amount of batter into muffin tin, just enough to cover the bottom.
  7. Then dump the Lentil Mix into the remaining batter in the mixing bowl and stir well. Continue filling muffin cups.
  8. Bake for 25 minutes.

Serve these muffins while slightly warm, or straight out of the fridge if you have leftovers. They are equally good the next day and don’t need anything added. These are perfect for lunch boxes or to take to soccer games.

I haven’t tried making wheat versions yet but it’s not my list. I think you could also use a gluten-free flour mix if you don’t have these flours available.

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Birthday Week Meal Plan

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We’ve been celebrating, two of our kids had birthday’s this week. Unfortunately we’ve been a little under the weather too. I contemplated skipping the Meal Plan this week but a few of you spoke up saying you’d miss it. I waited until tonight to post it so I could show you a few pictures from our celebration.

I’ve been making a lot of new recipes lately but I don’t have much time to work on staging, photographing and editing so I’ve only been sharing them with people who come to my local events or those who buy a Custom Meal Plan. Don’t worry, many of them will get added eventually and others are being set aside for my next book.

birthdayAny time I ask my son to smile he does something like this. It pretty much captures his intense awesomeness. He asked for a cake with zebra stripes and angry bird candles and a #5 candle that we could set on fire. I am to please.

 

Birthday Week Meal Plan

The person with the birthday always gets to pick the menu on birthdays. My pantry got cleaned out this weekend and my fridge is fully stocked with fruit and veggies. It’s gonna be a good week.

Breakfast

Lunch

  • Bean and Grain Bowl
  • Veggie and Hummus Wrap
  • Bean Burritos made with Unfried Black Beans and Cilantro Lime Quinoa
  • Sunbutter Sandwiches with fruit
  • Baked Potatoes with Veggies

Dinner

In the last two months we have celebrated 5 birthdays in our immediate family (although one of our son’s doesn’t live with us anymore). We now have a break from birthdays but I’ve been working on several different gluten-free and vegan cake recipes. I think I’ll keep at it, besides I like cake, win-win.

Plant-Based Valentine’s Day Meal Ideas

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Valentine’s Day Meal Ideas are saturating every form of social media. I wasn’t planning on sharing any ideas but I realized some of you may need a little push in the right direction if you are avoiding meat, dairy, or allergens like wheat or nuts. I don’t plan to do anything special for my family, I’m hoping for a date night instead.

valentines day

Plant-Based Valentine’s Day Meal Ideas

1. Breakfast for Dinner!

Heart-Shaped pancakes with cherries and chocolate chips. Your kids will love this idea and never forget it. I use a Gluten-Free Mix by Maple Grove Farms that I find at Target or Walmart. For the life of me I can’t make good GF pancakes without a mix.

2. Go Italian

I’ve always associated Valentine’s Day with Italian food, it probably goes back to Lady and the Tramp’s iconic meatball scene. Thankfully, I have several recipes to choose from, some are more kid friendly than others. My Gluten-Free Lasagna is a crowd-pleaser; it is husband, kid, and teenager approved. My teen even thought there was cheese in it. (Insert evil laugh here.)

If you are feeding toddlers you may want to go with the Pizza Pasta using small noodles for small hands.

Since it’s for Valentine’s Day try to pick veggies your kids will like best. For my youngest that is broccoli!

3. Steak and Potatoes

Portobello Steaks and Potatoes can take you back to the feel of your omni days without the meat. If your Valentine likes mushrooms this is a great meal. I recommend making either a baked potato or Dirty Mashed Potatoes and steaming asparagus.

4. Picnic at the Park

If you have small kids but would still like to catch a moment with your Valentine try having a picnic at the park. Yes, your kids will be there but they will probably be busy stealing another kids toy or pulling someones hair. Make CHICKpea salad sandwiches and easy finger foods to enjoy. On a side note the weather is in the 70s this week where I live, don’t hate me.

5. Dinner and a Movie at Home

Find a fun movie to rent and order take out or make an easy Crock Pot meal. I love my Easy Crock Pot Mexican Casserole because it comes together in minutes and I only have to wash the Crock Pot. I really dislike doing dishes. Later you can watch your movie as you snack on popcorn.

If you have kids make a Pop Corn Bar with melted Enjoy Life Mini Chocolate Chips, sprinkles, cinnamon, nutritional yeast, crushed candies or other favorite snacks.

6. Don’t Forget Dessert

You need dessert on Valentine’s Day. I think dessert is waaaay more important than the other food. If you are going for the classic V Day dessert you need to make Chocolate Covered Strawberries. Just melt Enjoy Life Mini Chocolate Chips then dip your strawberries in the melted chocolate, refrigerate them until you are ready for dessert. You could also make Brownies or a Fresh Fruit Parfait.

What are your Valentine’s Day Meal Plans?

Plant-Based Tostadas

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Raise your hands if you love a good Tostada! Plant-Based Tostadas are an easy and family friendly recipe you need to add to your meal plan!

Plant-Based Tostadas are a fun and easy meal idea. Kids love tostadas and they are healthy too.

 

Plant-Based Tostadas

I rediscovered the Tostada when we learned my son had a wheat/gluten allergy. Tostadas are made with corn tortillas (but always read your labels) so they were safe for him.

Tostadas are:

  • Easy to make
  • Customizable
  • Allergy-friendly
  • Inexpensive
  • Delicious
  • Kid’s love them

Plant-Based Tostadas

We are always changing up our Plant-Based Tostadas! Sure we need a crispy tortilla and beans but sometimes we used Instant Pot Refried Beans and other times we use Refried Black Beans. Lettuce and tomatoes are usual staples but sometimes we add Pico de Gallo, when the garden is growing we will make Oven Roasted Salsa. A fun addition is Mango Salsa!

Basically, anything goes and you can use what you have! 

Plant-Based Tostadas

Ingredients

  • Soft Corn Tortillas (or buy the crispy tostada tortillas)
  • Unfried Pinto or Unfried Black Beans (store-bought refried beans can be used but read the label)
  • Shredded Lettuce
  • Dice Tomato
  • Salsa (optional)

Do

  1. If using soft corn tortillas, preheat oven to 350° and place tortillas on cookie sheet (I use parchment paper on my cookie sheet).
  2. Bake tortillas for 15 minutes then remove from oven and allow to cool for a few minutes until you can handle them. They may not feel crisp but they will get crispier as they cool. Leftover tortillas can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature.
  3. Spread beans onto tortillas. I prefer the Unfried Black Beans. Top with lettuce, tomato and any other toppings you prefer.

Serve

These are great as an afternoon snack but also good for lunch or dinner. If serving as a meal I highly recommend making Mexican Rice. Tostadas are so simple that many kids could assemble them without much help and would be a fun party food.

Plant-Based Tostadas

 

How do you top your tostadas? 

Plant-Based Tostadas

Plant-Based Tostadas

Plant-Based Tostadas are an easy and family-friendly recipe you need to add to your plant-based meal plan!

Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Additional Time 5 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes

Ingredients

  • Soft Corn Tortillas (or buy the crispy tostada tortillas)
  • Oil-Free Refried Beans
  • Shredded Lettuce
  • Diced Tomato
  • Salsa, peppers, your favorite toppings (optional)

Instructions

  1. If using soft corn tortillas, preheat oven to 350° and place tortillas on cookie sheet (I use parchment paper on my cookie sheet).
  2. Bake tortillas for 15 minutes then remove from oven and allow to cool for a few minutes until you can handle them. They may not feel crisp but they will get crispier as they cool. Leftover tortillas can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature.
  3. Spread beans onto tortillas in a thick layer.
  4. Add lettuce, tomato, and any other topping you will enjoy.

Notes

You can use canned beans to save time. One 15 ounce can of fat free refried beans is enough for about 4 people or 8 tostadas. You may been to add some water to the canned beans to get them smooth enough to spread.

Did you make this recipe?

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© Holly Yzquierdo
 

Got Snacks? Try Dry Roasted Edamame

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Got Snacks?

My family of 4 eats a plant-based diet, 2 of us are also gluten-free and 1 nut and oat free. Do you realize how hard it is to find good snacks that fit the bill. I’m always looking for snacks that are easy for my 2 year old to eat and not too messy. Sometimes we end up with a variety of granola bars, cereal bars, fruit pouches, etc. but have to be careful about cross-contamination.  It’s tough.

One Snack the Whole Family Can Enjoy

When I first heard about Seapoint Farms Dry Roasted Edamame I was intrigued. We tried the Lightly Salted, Sea Salt, Spicy Wasabi and Goji Blend. They were so good! I didn’t let my 2 or 4 year old try the Spicy Wasabi but they loved the other flavors. I love them all! These are coming with us on our next road trip. We eat a lot of snacks on the road! 🙂

I even shared them with some of the attenders at Healthy Cravings and they loved them as well. The Sea Salt seemed to be the favorite among many of them. I think the Lightly Salted are my favorite. My boys had already eaten all of the Goji Blend so no one else got to taste those. I’d never had dry roasted edamame, I thought they had a nutty flavor.

I Love that these dry roasted edamame are:

  • Gluten-Free
  • Vegan
  • Non-GMO

These are delicious and perfect for those times you want a crunchy (and salty) snack.

FTC Disclaimer: I receive free product samples from Seapoint Farms. All opinions are my own and not influenced by the Seapoint Farms.