My Plant-Based Family

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

Meal Plan Monday

Plant-Based Meal Plan

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My kids were sick for almost two weeks and are finally on the mend. We were able to have a productive weekend and I got some batch cooking done. Check out this week’s plant-based meal plan to see everything we plan to eat.

If you follow me on Instagram you may have seen my stories. I made Instant Pot Broccoli and Rice and a Tofu Scramble. You can follow me to see more step by step recipes. I didn’t share the delicious Veggie Soup I made but it reminded me of Minestrone Soup with potatoes added. I also made Pumpkin Bread!

Plant-Based Meal Plan

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Plant-Based Meal Plan

Having so many foods ready will help us eat well during our busy week. I can confidently add them to our meal plan without wondering if I’ll have time to cook them all.

Plant-Based Breakfast

I will have the Tofu Scramble for breakfast a couple of days. It was really hard to cook it and not eat it since I love it so much. I’ll enjoy it with oil-free refried beans and fruit.

We will also have Instant Pot Oatmeal or Instant Pot Breakfast Rice during the week. I also cooked some Sweet Potatoes in my Instant Pot they are great for breakfast.

Plant-Based Lunch

My husband will be eating the Instant Pot version of my One Pot Broccoli and Rice Casserole for lunch most days. He loves it! We have at least 7 servings in the fridge and I’m sure my youngest son will try to eat at least half.

I also have all the veggies for my Plant-Based Mediterranean Bowl. I’d love to get some pita to make a Mediterranean pockets, basically all the same ingredients put into a pita. YUM!  

Plant-Based Dinner

Monday: Leftover Veggie Soup with bread from the book Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day! I love baking bread but can only do it when it’s not too hot here in Arizona.

Tuesday: Baked Potatoes with steamed Broccoli! This is one of the tips I shared in my weekly email that went out on Saturday! It was about quick ways to eat healthy when you don’t have a lot of time. Baked Potatoes in the slow cooker or Instant Pot take almost no effort.

Wednesday: Instant Pot Plant-Based Goulash is a newer recipe but I’ve been getting GREAT feedback! We love this recipe and it makes a lot!

Thursday: Chickpea Noodle Soup is a family favorite! Who would like to see my Instant Pot version? I haven’t shared it yet!

Friday: Plant-Based Nachos or Tostadas are the plan so far. These are always well received and everyone can choose their own toppings. I may make Mexican Rice as a side dish.

What are you eating this week? Do you prefer Instant Pot recipes or stove top recipes?

Plant-Based Meal Plan

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This week’s meal plan is a day late. I’ve been traveling and I don’t know what we have or what we need. Thankfully I’m usually well stocked with our basics so this week, our plant-based meal plan will feature easy meals made from our pantry staples.

Plant-Based Meal Plan

Plant-Based Meal Plan

I haven’t prepped any food yet for this week. There is no batch cooking to fall back on so I’ll make dinners that will have leftovers.

Plant-Based Breakfast

This week, oatmeal will be the breakfast of choice. We will mix it up each day by topping our oatmeal with either raisins and cinnamon, diced apples or peanut butter and bananas. If you want to add some variety to your morning oats check out my Ultimate Oatmeal Guide.

Plant-Based Lunch

In a day or two we will have leftovers to use but until then I’ll rely on sandwiches, veggies and hummus or beans.

Plant-Based Dinner

Monday: I was traveling Monday and won’t get a chance to cook.

Tuesday: Instant Pot Mexican Casserole is really good, really easy to make, uses pantry staples and the leftovers taste great! This meal will make the week go better. 

Wednesday: Instant Pot Chickpea and Rice Soup just as easy, and tastes just as good as the Mexican Casserole on Tuesday. I like to make this one because the flavor profile is completely different. My son likes to take this in his school lunch. It reheats really well.

Thursday: Refried Beans and Mexican Rice are delicious on their own but also good in a tortilla. My kids love it with tortilla chips. Sometimes I’ll put beans and rice on a bed of lettuce and top it with salsa for a Taco Salad.

Friday: Veggie Pad Thai is quick and easy. I have some onions and peppers in the freezer that will be perfect in this dish. I’ll add some fresh carrots and broccoli.

I didn’t purposely choose almost all Instant Pot recipes but these recipes happen to be some of the easiest to make from pantry staples. 

If I get a chance this week, I’m also going to make my Apple Oatmeal Muffins! These make a great snack!

Plant-Based Meal Plan

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I’m excited to share this week’s Plant-Based Meal Plan! My newest recipe, the Plant-Based Goulash I’ve been I’ve been talking about is finally on the blog. I’m testing a couple variations and will have the Instant Pot version out soon. Many of you have emailed me requesting it, I’m working on it!

plant-based meal plan

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I’ve also been experimenting with other recipes but they aren’t working out for me. Sometimes recipes come together quickly and easily, and other times we have to test so many variations to try to get it to work.

Plant-Based Meal Plan

The only batch cooking I did this weekend was the new goulash recipe. I made it on Saturday so I could share a step by step instructions in my stories. You can find it in my Instagram highlights. We did our grocery shopping so we are pretty well stocked to make most of our favorites.

Plant-Based Breakfast

It’s always nice to have some Overnight Oats in the fridge. I think my Chocolate Chia Overnight Oats are over due! Is anyone interested in a pumpkin overnight oat recipe? Let me know and I’ll share one. I’m also bringing back an old favorite Instant Pot Breakfast Rice! It’s time for a new batch of my oil-free Pumpkin Granola too!

Plant-Based Lunch

I’ll be having leftover Plant-Based Goulash for lunch almost every day! I can even take it in my thermos when I’ll be sitting in appointments. I may eat other dinner leftovers for lunch too. On of my favorite lunches is a Simple Veggie Sandwich! Bread, hummus and veggies…it doesn’t get much simpler than that. When I have it, I’ll add avocado too.

Plant-Based Dinner

Monday: Plant-Based Goulash leftovers make an easy Monday night meal. It’s very filling and perfect for fall weather.

Tuesday: Breakfast for dinner is always fun! I love this Southwest Tofu Scramble. It’s hearty and delicious! We usually serve it with fruit and toast but a side of Breakfast Rice is good too.

Wednesday: Instant Pot Minestrone Soup is a family favorite! Sometimes I’ll serve it with salad but since it’s full of veggies I don’t worry too much about it. My kids love having bread on the side.

Thursday: Instant Pot Refried Beans is exactly what we need on Thursday night. We can easily choose between Nachos, Tostadas or Burritos. It’s a win for everybody.

Friday: Veggie Burger and oven fries will be a fun Friday night dinner. 

What are your favorite kind of recipes? Instant Pot, stove top or something else? I’d love to know!

Plant-Based Meal Plan

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The weather is finally cooling off and my fall recipes are hitting my plant-based meal plan this week! I’ve got a list of new recipes I want to develop and a bunch of favorites we will be enjoying!

In addition to meals, I’m so ready to make my Spiced Apple Cider! It’s not really cold enough for that yet but my kids are already asking for it. 

Plant-Based Meal Plan

Plant-Based Meal Plan

This week’s plant-based meal plan will include several dinners that will be used for leftovers. Two of the dinners are quick and easy family favorites. I don’t have a lot of food prepped for this week yet but these meals will be worth the time we invest in them!

Plant-Based Breakfast

We have been eating a lot of muffins lately. The kids usually have Instant Pot Oatmeal for breakfast but I’m a habitual breakfast skipper. My Apple Oatmeal Muffins are easy to pack on the go and provide enough energy to keep going until lunch. They are great as a snack too!

Plant-Based Lunch

We typically enjoy leftovers for lunch, especially when we have soups or casseroles. I’m a fan of hearty salads too like my Quinoa Lentil Salad or my Plant-Based Mediterranean Bowl. I’ve got a thermos (and this lunch box) for the kids to take soups in their lunch. Our youngest son loves soups for lunch.

Plant-Based Dinner

It’s a good thing when you are excited about your meal plan for the week! 

Monday: Chipotle Black Bean Chili is the perfect meal for the stormy weather we are expecting. It’s too spicy for the kids so they will eat something easy that they make themselves. 

Tuesday: Veggie Pad Thai is so easy and so good! It’s not traditional Thai but I love it. 

Wednesday: Instant Pot Mexican Casserole is one my my most popular recipes! I think it will make a great midweek meal! The leftovers reheat really well.

Thursday: We may have too many leftovers by Thursday but if not, we make Busy Night Pasta and serve a side salad or raw veggies and hummus.

Friday: Chickpea Rice Soup is a family favorite! I’ve got instructions for making it in the Instant Pot or on the stove! We love this soup and the leftovers 

I have been brainstorming a lot of fall recipes! If you have recipes you want to see, leave a comment or send me an email. 

Plant-Based Meal Plan

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I’ve been spending a lot of time working on new recipes and taking new photos of old recipes. It can take a while before those new recipes show up in my Plant-Based Meal Plan! It’s a lot of fun for me though, especially when I know you are going to love the outcome.

Last week I planned to share a new Apple Oatmeal Muffin recipe but I shared my Best Veggie Broth’s instead. I plan to share the muffin recipe this week. I also tested another kind of flour to give you more options.

Plant-Based Meal Plan

Plant-Based Meal Plan

This week we will plan to cook a few times and enjoy leftovers throughout the week. I just made a couple of batches of my Veggie Broth Mix that I’m looking forward to including in this week’s recipes.

Plant-Based Breakfast

This week, Instant Pot Breakfast Rice is making a comeback! We love this delicious, hearty breakfast. It’s a great break from oatmeal. I may make a batch of my Pumpkin Granola too.

Plant-Based Lunch

This week I’m planning to eat some of the leftovers in my fridge. I have One Pot Broccoli and Rice, Chickpea and Rice Soup and Taco Soup! I made the soups toward the end of last week and they need to be eaten. Once they are done I fully intend to dive into Veggie Sandwiches! I love having veggie focused lunches.

Plant-Based Dinner

Monday: Vegan Goulash is an easy-to-make recipe I’ve been developing. I haven’t published it yet but I love it! I just couldn’t bring myself to share it over the summer when it is super hot. Now that fall is on it’s way I’ll plan to share it soon.

Tuesday: Instant Pot Black Beans and Rice! This is one of my most viewed recipes! It makes a ton so I’ll sometimes half it if we don’t want to eat it all week. This recipe is a basic, mild recipe. You may want to spice it up but since my kids don’t like spicy foods, I make it this way, then spice up the the grown up servings.

Wednesday: Minestrone Soup is so good! I love all the different veggies! I’ve been thinking about it since I shared my posts about my favorite veggie broths. I’ll cook the noodles separate so they don’t continue to absorb all the broth.

Thursday: Leftover Black Beans and Brown Rice! We may eat this with tortillas.

Friday: Chickpea Nuggets, Mashed Potatoes and Brown Gravy is a family favorite! I don’t make this often because it’s a bit more labor intensive but we always love it when I do!

What are you eating this week? Any new recipes? If you make some of mine, I’d love to see them! Tag me on Instagram!

Plant-Based Meal Plan

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After a really busy week, last weekend was just what we needed. We baked Banana Bread and Apple Oatmeal Muffins, I did some cooking for the week and we even got to rest. We have another busy week ahead but thankfully we have our plant-based meal plan ready to go.

Plant-Based Meal Plan

I’m very excited to share my new Apple Oatmeal Muffins with you! They are so good! My husband even said they may have dethroned my Banana Bread as the best muffin recipe. I’ll share them this week!

Plant-Based Meal Plan

In addition to our planned meals, we eat a lot of fruit and veggies. We pretty much always have apples, bananas, carrots and broccoli ready to eat.

Plant-Based Breakfast

Oatmeal has been the breakfast of choice lately! It’s easy, inexpensive and delicious so definitely a winner! Instant Pot Oatmeal is perfect for making multiple servings. Overnight Oats is a great option for making ahead. Peanut Butter Banana Overnight Oats is a clear favorite on Pinterest.

I was thinking of putting together a list of my favorite breakfasts that aren’t oatmeal or oat related. Let me know if you are interested in seeing that list.

Plant-Based Lunch

Most of our lunches are leftovers. I cook my One Pot Broccoli and Rice recipe weekly so my husband can take it to work for lunch. I like to have another soup, casserole, or other dish that reheats well to go with it. This week, we also have baked Sweet Potatoes that I make in my Instant Pot.

Plant-Based Dinner

Monday: Broccoli Potato Soup will be perfect this week. It’s pure comfort food! Our temps will finally be dipping below 100 degrees so we will pretend it’s actually fall in Arizona.

Tuesday: Lentil Tacos, Mexican Rice and Refried Beans make a huge meal with delicious leftovers we can enjoy for days.

Wednesday: Tostadas are the easiest meal ever, especially when I have leftover refried beans. I usually get everything out and tell my kids to make their own. If they need help I’m happy to help, especially spreading the beans, but they add their own veggies.

Thursday: Instant Pot Minestrone Soup is another favorite soup! It’s perfect for fall, even “pretend fall” that we have in Arizona.

Friday: Pizza Pasta is an easy version of pizza night, plus everyone can be in charge of their own toppings. My kids love olives but I don’t, so having separate toppings keeps everyone happy. We also have salad and veggies with the pasta. I like to put raw veggies on the counter when I’m cooking dinner, then we will all snack on them while we wait for dinner to get ready. It’s a great way to get extra veggies in.

What are you eating this week?