My Plant-Based Family

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

Planning

Meal Planning Week

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Meal Planning

I hereby declare this week as Meal Planning Week! You can expect our Meal Plan Monday (below), Tips to get you Meal Planning and all of your Meal Planning questions answers. Make sure to leave questions in the comments or email them to me. You can also follow my Plant-Based Meal Plans Board on Pinterest!

Meal PlanMonday

Plant-Based Meal Plan

Breakfast

Let it be known, I don’t cook a big breakfast every morning. I’ll cook oatmeal or something else that is relatively quick but I like to keep it simple; anything that takes a long time is made the day before.

Lunch

We like leftovers for lunch or quick things like sandwiches. I don’t mind making noodle dishes for my kids because they don’t require a lot of time an attention (the noodles, my kids require a lot of time and attention).

  • Sunbutter Sandwiches with fruit
  • Leftover Faux Cheesy Broccoli and Rice Casserole
  • Baked Potatoes with side salads
  • Veggie Wrap and leftover soup
  • Bean and Grain Bowl

Dinner

I don’t mind spending some time in the kitchen preparing dinner. I’ll often cook extra food to eat at other meals, like many of the items on the Breakfast Menu.

I’ll save time this week by soaking the chickpeas and cooking them in bulk. I can easily add them to any dish including soups, salads and wraps to make them more filling.

Do you Meal Plan each week? If you have questions about Meal Planning I’d love to answer them! Just leave them below in the comments.

If you need more help check out my Custom Meal Plans, meal plans created with your specific preferences in mind.

Need Help with Your Meal Plan

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  New Custom Meal Plans

Custom Meal Plan

I’ve been posting Free Weekly Meal Plans for 2 years! That is a lot of Meal Plans (they are archived on the “Meal Plans” Page). These Meal Plans have been a huge help to readers just starting out on a plant-based diet. These Free Meal Plans will continue, at least for a while, so you can always look to them for inspiration.

If you need a bit more help with your Meal Plan my Custom Meal Plan service may be for you. I learn about your food preferences and restrictions through a questionnaire then create a 4 week Meal Plan just for you. Each plan includes a weekly menu, shopping list and prep sheet.

Custom Meal Plan

 

Why Use a Custom Meal Plan?

If you eat a specialty diet most meal plan services wont work for you. A Custom Meal Plan is created based on your preferences and goals. It takes the guess work out of what to buy, prep and cook. It’s an investment that will pay off.

You will save money by using our Shopping List, no more buying unnecessary ingredients. You’ll also save money because you won’t rely on fast food as often. The Meal Plan suggests uses for leftovers as well, which will result in less food waste.

If you live in an omni household the Meal Plans are exceptionally helpful. Meals will be designed to be plant-based but show how meat can be added after they are cooked. It’s a win-win.

If you have questions the answer may be on the Custom Meal Plans Page.

The Meal Plan are a lot of work so I can only accept a few orders at a time. Email me to request a questionnaire and I’ll give you an estimated delivery date. You will not be billed until the work begins.

The first 10 customers will receive a FREE copy of my new ebook The Plant-Based Diet Starter Guide: How to Cook Shop and Eat Well.

Do you like my Free Weekly Meal Plans? 

Join our Meal Planning conversation on My Plant-Based Family’s Facebook Page.

Favorite Plant-Based Freezer Foods

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Favorite Plant-Based Freezer Foods

 

Favorite Plant-Based Freezer Foods

There are several foods that I always keep in my freezer. Freezing food can save time and money when done right. I’m not talking about frozen veggies but I try to keep those handy also. Here is my list of my favorite plant-based freezer food.

Cooked Whole Beans

I buy and cook dry beans in bulk then freeze them in individual or family size portions. When I’m out of beans I’m tempted to use canned, which may be ok but they are more expensive and often high in sodium and sometimes weird ingredients. If you’ve never bought and cooked dry beans is really easy, check out my How to Cook Dry Beans Guide.

Once your beans are cooked and cooled just chose a container, I sometimes use freezer bags or plastic container (I have little boys so I’m not ready to convert to glass), label and store. I’ve successfully stored several varieties of whole beans, including lentils. You can drain them or freeze them in the liquid, which ever you prefer.

Cooked beans can be added to a number of dishes or eaten plain. Next time you plan to cook beans just double it and freeze half.

Unfried Beans

If you have tried my Unfried Black Beans or Unfried Pinto Beans you know they are life changing! They also freeze really well, even more life changing. These are perfect for Nachos or Burritos (which are also great to freeze).

Grains

I often cook grains in bulk and sometimes it ends up being way more than we can eat. Simply choose a container, label and freeze. Some grains may lose their texture slightly. I prefer to use frozen grains in soups or casseroles because they usually need more liquid. Most of the time I freeze rice or quinoa since they are both gluten-free.

Muffins and Breads

Do you ever have company come over and need a snack for a crowd? Maybe you are doing to a birthday party and need an allergy-friendly treat for you little one. Freezing Breads and Muffins are the perfect solution. If you need gluten-free baked goods I recommend Gluten-Free Pumpkin Muffins (with or without chocolate chips), Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins, or Gluten-Free Apple Muffins.

If gluten isn’t an issue you simply must try my recipe for Worlds Best Banana Bread, this delicious Pumpkin Bread or my Blueberry Muffins.

Soups and Chili

I always try to save at least one serving of soup or chili but I love them so much it is hard to resist finishing it all. I usually store these in wide mouth containers so I can easily dump them in a pot to defrost. I don’t think I’ve tried freezing soups with noodles but I’ve been successful with several different veggie based soups including Potato & Broccoli Soup, Green Chili, Cilantro & Lime Soup, Enchilada Soup and Taco Soup. Chili also freezes really well. Try freezing it in individual portions so you can grab it quickly for lunch. Simply let it defrost throughout the morning then heat at lunch time.

Mashed Potatoes

One year we made way to many mashed potatoes at Thanksgiving but I learned a valuable lesson, Mashed Potatoes freeze really well. I prefer to store them in a containers that can easily be dumped into a bowl for defrosting. You could even whip up a big batch before the holidays to save time, just don’t forget to defrost the day before.

Chocolate Mousse

Although it’s a little too cool for frozen treats I can’t help but mention how delicious Chocolate Mousse is frozen. It’s perfect in Popsicle molds or even in a shallow dish.

What is your favorite plant-based freeze food?

Once A Week Cooking

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I love batch cooking or Once a Week Cooking! Instead of starting from scratch every night I prefer to cook large batches of food to mix and match for various meals throughout the week. It saves me time, money but most importantly my sanity. Most of the time I’ll just cook my beans and grains and chop veggies for the week but sometimes I get it all done.

Once a Week Cooking

 

Check out my before and after. There are a few things missing from the “before” picture like frozen organic corn, eggplant and spices.

Batch cooking, or in this case, Once A Week Cooking is tough; especially when you are also doing laundry, changing diapers and trying to keep your little ones out of the way. I didn’t prepare every meal for the week but I prepared a lot. The items that didn’t get eaten are tucked into my freezer.

My Once A Week Cooking Plant-Based Menu

  1. A 2 quart pitcher of cooked black beans
  2. Black Bean and Quinoa Salad, Chopped Romaine and extra Salsa
  3. Black Bean and Quinoa Veggie Burgers (about a dozen), sliced tomatoes and lettuce
  4. Oven Roasted Potatoes
  5. Corn Chowder
  6. Veggie Pasta with onions, eggplant, broccoli, red bell peppers, garlic and tomatoes
  7. Cooked Quinoa
  8. Salad with kale, spinach, romaine, carrots, cucumbers, bell peppers, tomatoes and broccoli *salad dressing not pictured

Creating a Schedule for Once A Week Cooking

It is helpful to cook foods that have a long cooking time first or even the day before. I cooked the black beans the day before so I wouldn’t have to wait to make the Black Bean Quinoa Salad or Black Bean-Quinoa Burgers.

Since my beans were already cooked I began with washing, cutting and roasting the potatoes followed by cooking the quinoa. As the quinoa cooked I began chopping veggies for the soup and salads. This particular menu was very labor intensive. After chopping the veggies I began cooking the Corn Chowder and assembling salads. Once the quinoa was finished cooking I mixed the Black Bean and Quinoa Salad together then started the pasta. As the pasta cooked I made the Black Bean and Quinoa Burgers.

Helpful Tips

Have a Plan. You must have a plan if you hope to cook all of your meals for the week in a few hours. Decide what you want to cook and make a list of all of the ingredients needed. Alternately if you have already done your shopping make a list of ingredients and try to match them to recipes. If you need to use recipes have them available.

Don’t forget to set a timer or timers. With lots of stuff cooking it is easy to forget how long something has cooked. I find it helpful to jot down notes every time something begins or ends with the time next to it. It also helps me keep track of how long it is taking me for the whole menu so I can do better in the future.

Start with a Clean Kitchen. It doesn’t have to be sparkling clean but having the dishes washed and counters clear with be a huge help.

Keep up with the dishes. I use almost every pan I own when I batch cook like this. Often I wash and reuse the same one but sometimes I have all 4 burners going and pans in the oven.

Clean out your fridge first. You will need a lot of room in your fridge for all of the food you have prepared (you will also need a lot of containers).

I still have to make breakfast, although I like to use the cooked quinoa for that and make Breakfast Quinoa or Summer Berry Quinoa but cereal works too. There is plenty of food here for lunches but we love sunbutter sandwiches and veggie sandwiches for quick and easy meals.

If you are new to cooking beans check out one of my first posts where I discuss planning and how to cook beans. Another great resource is my pal Jacqueline at Barefoot Essence and her un-fussy Meal Maps. I’m constantly shaking my head YES as I read her blog.

Do you batch cook? What tip would you add to the list?

If you need help getting started check out my NEW Plant-Based Meal Plans. They include a 5 Day Dinner Meal Plan, Prep Sheet with easy to follow instructions to get your batch cooking accomplished, Shopping List and Recipes!

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?

My Kids Won’t Eat That

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I can’t tell you how often I hear, “my kids wont eat that” from friends and strangers alike. They hear that my kids eat raw spinach, beans, hummus, or any other “healthy” food and balk at the idea. Allow me to let you in on a little secret, my 4 year old was king of the drive-thru less than 2 years ago. He and I would eat fast food almost everyday; chicken nuggets, cheese burgers, and fries were just a part of our typical day, and let’s not forget pizza and tacos that made weekly visits to our table.

My Kids Won't Eat That

Fast forward 18 months and you find a completely different situation. We still get fast food, but now it’s bean burritos and apple slices and it is not as often; we even have the occasional veggie pizza.

Most of meals are made by me in our kitchen. As you can see from my weekly Meal Plans they are simple, easy, and most of them are kid friendly. My 4 year old still doesn’t like broccoli, or so he says, but he eats a great variety of whole, plant foods. My 2 year old is a veggie eating machine.

My Kids Won’t Eat That

So if you say, “My Kids Won’t Eat That!” then you are right. They will eat what you provide. If they are used to highly processed food it will take a period of transition, but the effort you put in now will benefit them for years to come. Even if they grow up and choose to eat a poor diet, I think they will still eat better than others who grew up without opportunities to eat healthy food.

What Works Best For You

There are different approaches parents take at dinner time. Some parents don’t let their kids leave the table until they finish their food, others make their kids a separate meal, and I’m sure you know of even more approaches that may or may not work. Ultimately I feel like only the parent (or other caregiver) can decide what will work best for their child based on that child’s disposition, developmental stage, preferences, etc.

Our Transition

When we first began our transition to a plant-based diet our boys were 10 months and just under 3 years old. The 10 month old had not been exposed to junk food; he was mostly breastfed but ate fruit and veggies. We would have our kids try what we were eating, unless it was too spicy, then we would allow them to eat a banana or other healthy option. They were very young at the time so they snacked a lot and didn’t need a lot of food at dinner. I was more concerned with them eating enough than eating the same thing we had. My Kids Won't Eat That! Getting kids to eat a plant-based diet!

How We Do It

Here are a few examples of how I navigated food choices with my kids. The oldest wouldn’t eat whole beans but he would eat them puréed so I often ran them through the food processor. Now a year and a half later he still doesn’t like whole beans but we serve him a small amount and tell him he has to eat them; I still puree them sometimes. Our younger son has always loved whole beans and will eat them plain. Both of our sons have developed a love for spinach, lettuce, and other greens. We allowed them to use a dip or salad dressing in the beginning but now they will eat greens without accompaniment. Before the younger son could effectively chew the leaves I would make smoothies to give him a good dose of greens.

Eating his leaves.
Eating his leaves.

5 Tips for Introducing New (Healthy) Foods

Husband and son sharing salad

1. Let Them See You Eat

My kids always want what I’m eating. We are an example for our kids, either a good one or a bad one. Our boys didn’t want to have anything to do with walnuts when we first introduced them, but my husband would eat them so my kids began to eat them too. Now they have walnuts at least 5 days a week.

2. When in Doubt, Add a Sauce or Dip

Kids love to dip! Dipping keep their hands busy, it gives them a job, and keeps their attention. I’m not opposed to ketchup but we spring for “better” ketchup’s that aren’t loaded with tons of unnecessary ingredients. Also try mustard, salad dressing, nut or seed butters, or homemade sauces made with puréed steamed veggies and nutritional yeast, like this All Purpose Green Sauce. I have small condiment cups that my boys love. If I want them to eat something they wouldn’t normally eat I’ll put it in those condiment cups, I don’t do it often so it maintains the mystique.

3. Purée

If your child has an aversion to big chunks of veggies I think puréeing them is a great idea. My kids developed a taste for those veggies and eat them well (sometimes). I would prepare broccoli, squash, tomatoes, mushrooms, etc. and puree them to serve over pasta or on pizza

4. Keep on Swimming Trying

You’ve all heard that it takes many, many attempts for an infant to accept a new food. Don’t expect your bigger kids to be any easier. Just keep trying, they may not like everything but it’s likely they will accept many of the new foods you offer.

5. Location, Location, Location

We normally eat at the table but if I get a bowl of food and walk to the couch my kids think it is something really special and want what I have. You don’t have to eat on the couch but try offering it to your kid in a different location, maybe outside or make a fort and say this food is for your adventure. sharing What was your experience transitioning your children to a plant-based diet? Do you have tips to share? Check out my post !