My Plant-Based Family

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

Meal Plan Monday

Meal Plan Monday…September is Here

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Happy September and Happy Labor Day to my US readers!

We have had company on and off this summer but now we are attempting to get back into a routine. Regular homemade dinners are a big part of that.

We are also going to do a gluten-free experiment for our whole household. This week we will be finishing off any wheat/gluten based foods (although there isn’t much) so that next week we will be gluten-free. Feel free to join! If gluten isn’t an issue for you maybe you want to take that next step and remove dairy or oil from your diet.

Meal Plan

Breakfast Stir Fry

Breakfast

This week we will be taking a break from the processed side of breakfast and sticking to whole grains, fruit and greens. Yes you read that right. My husband enjoys raw spinach for breakfast so my kids do to.

 

Lunch

I’ve been testing out some new recipes at lunch lately. There is less pressure to make an awesome meal at lunch time.

  • Quinoa Veggie Wraps with a side of beans
  • Lentil Quinoa Veggie Salad (Recipe Coming Soon)
  • Veggie Sandwich made with hummus, cucumbers, peppers, carrots, and greens
  • Taco Salad
  • Enchilada Soup

Summer Berry breakfast quinoa 008

Snack

We usually stick to fruit and veggies but I like to surprise my kids with popcorn and other treats from time to time.

  • Apples with Sunbutter
  • Popcorn
  • Smoothies
  • Veggies with Hummus
  • Random Fruit

Quinoa-Lentil Tacos

Dinner

brownie 2

I plan to make these incredible Gluten-Free Brownies this week as well. If you haven’t tried them yet you have more self-control than I do! They are amazing!

Is your Meal Plan ready for the week? I was later than normal (I blame the holiday). 🙂

Do you have something you want to eliminate from your diet? Gluten, dairy, oil, etc. We’d love for you to join us! Leave a comment letting me now what you are removing and let us support each other!

Meal Plan Monday: Prepped and Ready to Go

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Feeding your family is hard work! I get it. Sometimes I wish I could just ignore the fact that we all need to eat, AGAIN and wish for a dinner fairy to magically churn out healthy meals and snacks. Unfortunately that isn’t going to happen.

This week I am a little more prepared. I spent some time yesterday chopping veggies, I bought hummus (I could have made it but I didn’t want any excuses) and today I’ll share my Meal Plan. I’m trying a few new things this week.

Meal Plan

breakfast tacos

Breakfast

I like a quick breakfast so I prefer something I can cook or reheat quickly.

Taco Potatoes

Lunch

I usually make lunches from dinner leftovers. You can do this by packing up your lunch when you are putting away dinner. Add a salad or a baked potato if you need something to make it more substantial.

Summer Berry breakfast quinoa 008

Snacks

Snacks are usually very simple, but still delicious!

  • Fruit (apples, plums, nectarines, peaches, grapes, blueberries and bananas are all on hand)
  • Hummus with Fresh Veggies (carrots, cucumbers, bell pepper strips are cut and ready for dipping)
  • Sunbutter and Banana Quesadillas (oh yes I did! Thank you Rudi’s gluten-free tortillas!)
  • Popcorn

Broccoli and Brown Rice Casserole

Dinner

The weather is still warms but my taste buds are beginning to crave autumn flavors. I’ll try to balance my wants (hearty spicy foods) with my needs for fresh foods that don’t overheat my kitchen.

You may have noticed that I use a lot of the same ingredients in many of these recipes. I do that so I can save time by cooking larger portions one night so I can reheat and save time another night. Here are a few ways I do that with this Meal Plan.

  • I already have about 6 cups of lentils cooked. I’ll potentially use these in Breakfast Tacos, lunch quesadillas, bean and grain bowls, Lentil-Taco potatoes, Lentil-Quinoa Veggie salad, and chili.
  • I have 8 cups of cooked quinoa. I’ll likely use it in a couple of breakfasts, the bean and grain bowl, and the Lentil-Quinoa Veggie Salad
  • I’ll bake potatoes to use in the Breakfast Tacos, Lentil Taco Potatoes, to serve with chili and the leftovers will go in the Broccoli and Potato Soup.
  • Chopped veggies and fruit will make their way into the main dishes, salads, or become side dishes.

I’m hoping this weeks preparation will save time and keep us from getting take-out.

Has the weather cooled off in your area? Are you still making “summer” food or have you moved on to your favorite fall foods?

Meal Plan Monday and a Few Updates

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Are you on Twitter? I finally hopped on board and have made some great connections. You can follow me @MyPlantBasedFam.

Summer Berry breakfast quinoa HT1

I am guest blogging today at Herbivore Triathlete. Check out my latest recipe, Summer Berry Breakfast Quinoa!

I also noticed this morning that I didn’t have a Breakfast board on Pinterest and remedied that right away!So far it only has my recipes in it but I’ll be filling it with recipes from all of my blogging friends soon. If you have a favorite recipe you think I should add leave a link in the comments.

Our 14 year old son is visiting us for a few weeks so we may do a little more eating out than usual. I’m hoping I can make at least a few things to satisfy his junk food preferences while staying true to our plant-based ways.

Meal Plan

Breakfast

I’ve been having a lot of fun with my breakfast recipes lately. Maybe because it is still hot here in Arizona and I prefer to cook early.

Lunch

I’ll be keeping it simple with lunches this week and relying on quick and easy favorites.

  • Veggie Stuffed Pitas (I’m sooo craving this right now)
  • Veggie Burritos using black beans, Taco Quinoa, tomatoes, onion, lettuce and corn
  • GF Sunbutter sandwiches with fresh fruit (peaches and nectarines)
  • Veggie Sandwiches with spinach, cucumbers, tomatoes, banana peppers and hummus
  • Gluten-free pasta with red sauce and salad or raw veggies

Snacks

We have a lot of fresh fruit this week, I mean more than normal. 🙂

  • Peaches and Nectarines
  • Grapes
  • Hummus and Veggies
  • Chips and salsa with guacamole

Dinner

Yes, I’m trying to keep it simple this week. I have 3 categories, breakfast, Mexican food and suedo-Italian with a soup thrown in for ease. I’m hoping this will keep our teenager happy and give me a little more free time.

Meal Plan Monday: Balancing Back to School

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graphics by Melodee Fiske
graphics by Melodee Fiske

Could you use some help feeding your family healthy meals? This week’s meal plan will focus on healthy, quick, and easy meals; most of which are great for lunchboxes.

breakfast tacos

Breakfast

I can make a hot breakfast pretty quickly in the microwave but having something ready to go is even easier, especially for those of you with older kids. These options can be made the night before and reheated for a savory breakfast.

 

lunchbox copy
graphics by Melodee Fiske

Lunch

Some days I think life would be if I packed a lunch even though I’m home during the day. These lunch ideas are mostly Lunchbox friendly but it way depend on your situation, variations can be made to accommodate food restrictions, access to microwave, or length of lunch time. My older kids when through a period where they only had 15 minutes to eat (and socialize) and a phase where lunch boxes (or bags) weren’t cool so they would only take a sandwich.

Snack

I like to stick to fresh fruit for snacks but I also use snack time to experiment with different recipe ideas to see how well received they will be.

  • Fresh Strawberries dipped in a Chocolate-Sunflower Seed Dip
  • Apples
  • Mixed Fresh Berries
  • Raw Veggies with hummus

Portobello Fajita's

Dinner

I cook dinner with leftovers in mind; my husband often takes leftovers to work for lunch. Dinner is definitely the most time consuming meal of the day but only because I’ll use that time to prep other meals.

How to Make this Meal Plan Quick and Easy

These meals may seem labor intensive but they use many of the same ingredients so you can save time by cooking large amounts instead of just enough for one day. Here are a few tips to make it easier:

  • “Bake” potatoes in the crockpot overnight for the Breakfast Tacos, Savory Breakfast Muffins, and lunch and dinner baked potatoes.
  • Cook beans in the crockpot while you are at work. Make a double or triple batch of unfried beans in your food processor.
  • Cook a large batch of quinoa but don’t use any seasoning, then it can be eaten for breakfast, added to Breakfast Tacos, seasoned like Mexican Rice or use in the stir fry.
  • Add a side salad or raw veggies to any meal.

What is your best tip for quick and healthy meals?

Meal Plan Monday: Back 2 School

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backtoschool1 copyGraphics by Melodee Fiske

Whether you like it or not it is “back to school” season. With that comes long nights of homework, busy schedules as extracurricular activities begin, and less time to relax as a family.

Never fear, all month I’ll be featuring Meal Plans along with new, easy and kid-friendly recipes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I’ll even throw in a few new snacks as well.

Meal Plan

blueberry oatmeal 2

Breakfast

The first meal of the day is never set in stone at our house. My kids love quinoa for breakfast!

 

Lunch

I chose these lunches because they are easily adapted to something “new and different” (magic words at our house) from last nights dinner leftovers. These lunches are “Lunch Box Friendly” too!

  • Black Bean and Faux Cheeze Sauce Gluten-Free Quesadillas
  • Baked Potatoes
  • Sunflower seed butter and Jelly Sandwiches
  • Pasta and Veggie Salad
  • Taco Salad
  • Nachos

Snack

We usually eat fruit for snacks but I’ll throw in an occasionally muffin in the mix.

Taco Potatoes

Dinner

Don’t let dinner intimidate you! Choose one day to cook your beans and grains for the whole week. Quinoa, lentils, black beans, rice, and pinto beans can be mixed and matched to create new dishes for lunch and dinner. Don’t forget to bake extra potatoes for lunch leftovers.

 

 

Are you ready for school to start? What are your biggest concerns?

Meal Plan Monday with Jenna from Day of Knight

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This month I’m skipping my Meal Plans and featuring other bloggers (and Facebook page managers) and sharing their Meal Plans. So far we have heard from Lisa of The Vegan Pact , Alison of Plant-Strong New England (a Facebook page), Poppy of Poppy’s Patisserie | Bunny Kitchen and Teresa from a Facebook community group called Healthier Living. Today we are going to hear from Jenna!

I “met” Jenna months ago and fell in love with her blog. If we lived in the same city we would totally be friends! Meet Jenna!

jenna

Hi. I am Jenna from Day of Knight.  My family (including my 3 young kids) and I began our journey of becoming plant powered or Vegan, if you will, about a year ago after being transformed by the film Forks Over Knives.  If you have not seen this I urge you to watch it. It is available on Netflix. My husband and I both grew up on the typical Western/Southern diet. Medium Rare Steaks, Fried Chicken, Gravy, Bacon, Cream Cheese…basically all things creamy, cheesy and favorably delicious.  Back in 2009, my husband went into his Doctors office for just a routine physical. After being examined he was told that he was considered “Obese” and if he didn’t change his diet and way of eating he most likely wouldn’t reach living past his late 50’s.  Being told this when you are 25 will rock your core. So things changed. Naïve and not knowing exactly what you should eat to make yourself ‘healthier’ his journey began with counting calories and exercising. Fast-forward to 2.5 years later and 100 pounds lighter to July 2012, each of us seeking a healthier lifestyle. Not one just for us to look better but to feel better too.  We stumbled upon some food documentaries on Netflix that changed our lives. We watched Forks Over Knives, Food Inc., Corn King and a few more. We had our “AH-HA!” moment for how we were supposed to eat to care for our bodies. At first I was a little intimidated by this new lifestyle change. I was overwhelmed by the fears of it being expensive, time consuming and gross. Honestly, it can be all of those things but it doesn’t have to be.  I love to EAT and after a lot of research I have discovered that in order to be ‘healthy’ you do in fact have to…Eat.  And by eating I mean eating REAL, no processed, naturally grown and non-modified foods.  Foods that the Good Lord himself gave us.  As I mentioned above I have three small children, ages 7, 4 & 4. They too are plant powered/vegan. It can happen. Your kids CAN eat veggies.  All of my recipes that I am sharing below are approved by them and are on our menu rotation.  I hope you feel encouraged, challenged and inspired in your journey of living a plant-powered lifestyle.

jenna2

Breakfast:

Breakfast in our house is all about convenience. I like to sleep and I sleep until the very last minute before my kids are awake.  Once they are awake, they do not want to sit around waiting for me to prepare them a big hot breakfast. Cereal is a #1 favorite in our house.  So 98% of the time we are eating cereal in the morning.  Our favorite cereals are the Organic Honey Cheerios by Central Market with some granola with dried blueberries mixed in and/or the Organic Peanut Butter Dots by Central Market.  Sometimes we will have Organic Frozen Waffles with 100% Pure Maple Syrup.

Lunch:

Lunch is also easy around these parts. I usually make Almond Butter Strawberry Banana Sandwiches on Whole Grain/Oat bread, or Almond Butter Agave and Banana Sandwiches.  Other days I will boil  some Pasta and toss in ROA’s Sensitive Formula Marinara Sauce (it has not added sugars) or I will bake some Vegan “Chicken” Nuggets with sweet potato fries.

Dinner:

Dinner is where I usually get a little creative and I get a little more detailed, but still convenient.  Here is a typical week of dinners.

Monday: Thin Spaghetti with Arabiata Sauce and a side of broiled Asparagus and Zucchini

Tuesday: Grilled Veggie Skewers (Squash, Mushrooms, Zucchini, Purple Onion, Red and Green Bell Peppers) Short Grain Brown Rice, and seasoned Pinto Beans.

Wednesday: Asian Tofu Stir Fry… I created my own recipe for this… Find my recipe HERE.

Thursday: Veggie Fajitas. Simply Sautéed onion, bell pepper and mushrooms in veggie stock until soft and tender. Make some guacamole (2 avocados mashed, 1/3 c red onion, 2 tbsp. cilantro, squirt of fresh lime and some garlic salt and pepper all mixed together) and slap it all on a tortilla.  Some other toppings we enjoy are: Spanish Rice, Salsa and Black Beans. You can creative here.

Friday: We usually make Homemade Pizzas and have family night on Friday nights. I found a pre-made crust that we all enjoy from HEB (our grocery store). Find one in your area that has as few ingredients as possible. Also we found a sauce we like there as well. Again, the fewer ingredients the better. Some toppings we all enjoy are Black Olives, Pickled Jalapenos, Black Beans, Mushrooms and Red Onion and sometimes Squash and Zucchini thinly sliced.

Saturday: Pot Pie. HERE is the link to my recipe.

Sunday: This is our leftover/Eat Out day.

To follow along with our family and our journey to eating our way healthy you can follow my blog HERE.  I try to post a meal plan every Monday. But lets be honest, I have three small kids and some weeks, it just doesn’t happen.  You can find some of my archived EAT posts on the right sidebar in the category appropriately titled…EAT. If you stop by, be sure to say Hi.

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Thanks Jenna! You can also keep up with Jenna via Instagram and Twitter!