My Plant-Based Family

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

Planning

What’s For Breakfast

by Leave a Comment

In honor of my friend Joye I’m gonna talk about breakfasts. She is transitioning toward plant-based but feels stuck in a rut when it comes to breakfast. The truth is I’m in a little rut myself.

Oatmeal

My go to breakfast is oatmeal. My boys LOVE it! I like it too but I’ve been eating several times a week for months and with the warm weather here it isn’t hitting the spot.

I buy rolled oats or steel-cut oats. Strangely they are more expensive than their over-processed instant counterparts. I highly encourage you to step away from the instant oats, they aren’t doing you any favors. And for the love of kale please don’t buy those little packets of sugary oatmeal evil. They take a perfectly good food, oatmeal and add stuff to it. Instead make your own oatmeal add fruits, nuts, seeds, and a bit of real maple syrup. Sometimes I’ll add banana, strawberries and raw pumpkin seeds and other times I’ll use dried cranberries or raisins. Try this recipe for  Nutty Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal, YUM!

Overnight Oats

A lot of people enjoy the Overnight Oats method of oatmeal. I have not tried this yet but I will. From what I hear Angela at Oh She Glows is the QUEEN of Overnight Oats you can check out her recipe here.

Other Grains

Most other grains can be used just like oatmeal. We have eat Breakfast Quinoa many times. Breakfast Rice is another delicious option. You can use leftover cooked rice or just cook up a fresh batch. I like to cook it a long time so it gets a little mushier than I would prefer for dinner. As it is cooking I’ll stir in cinnamon and almond milk, coconut milk would be good too. My husband likes Breakfast Rice with raisins.

If you are a crock pot user you could mix some grains, water, and fruit together in the evening, cook on low all night, for a delicious breakfast when you wake up.

Bring on the Veggies

Veggie lovers can start their day off with a Breakfast Stir Fry. No special ingredients required just use what ever seasonal veggies are available. For my taste the potato is essential. Leftover veggies work great in this. I like to eat my Breakfast Stir Fry wrapped in a tortilla with a little salsa.

Bread and Pancakes

I love bread for breakfast. Toast is my friend, especially if it is covered in almond butter (peanut butter is my favorite but variety is a good thing). I top it with sliced apples or sliced banana’s most of the time. Since we are switching to gluten-free bread we don’t have it as often. Gluten-free bread is too expensive to eat for every meal. Before going gluten-free Ezekiel bread was my favorite.

I also love pancakes. As a kid I remember going to IHOP and eat so many pancakes I felt sick, only to be hungry again a couple of hours later. After going plant-based we switched to Whole Wheat Pancakes; of course I topped them with nut butter and fruit, just like my toast. As a family our favorite was Blueberry Whole Wheat Pancakes. I use Lindsay’s recipe at the Happy Herbivore you can find it here.

Sadly I have not had the best outcome with making Gluten-free pancakes and I broke down and bought a GF Pancake Mix so we could have them for Father’s Day. Don’t worry I’ll keep trying.

Here’s your chance? What did I forget?

Food Demo

by Leave a Comment

In less than a month I’ll be hosting my very first Food Demo! I’m so excited. I’ve been wanting to host one for a while but I’ve been crazy busy. I told a (new) friend yesterday that it’s like my calendar threw up. 

I want to host this demonstration so friends can see and taste new plant-based foods without worrying about how much they cost, if they will like them, or if they can cook them. Many items will be gluten-free too!

I haven’t completely decided on the menu; I plan to have some foods already prepared but make some dishes during the demo so that everyone can see how easy they are to prepare. I definitely want to make quinoa, I tried it at a food demo years ago, it sounds so intimidating but it’s easy. I’ll probably already have hummus prepared with lots of veggies. I also plan to have delicious desserts!

Now it is your turn! What do you think I should make? I’m hoping to win over some friends, or at the least help them incorporate healthier meals into their family’s diet. I’d love any suggestions! 

What About the Kids

by Leave a Comment

When people find out how weird I am that I eat a Plant-Based diet they always ask one (or three) of three questions. 1)What do you eat? 2) Where do you get your_________ (protein, iron, calcium, etc.)? 3) What about your kids?

My kids love the way we eat! Back when I was eating junk my 3 year old loved that too (My one year old hasn’t had a chance to eat junk). When given the chance my 3 year old will ask for “chicken and fries” but after a bite or two he says he doesn’t want them. We usually keep Laura Bars or other gluten-free vegan bars in our vehicle so he don’t have to be in that situation.  

It did take my older son a little while to fully transition just like it did for my husband and I. Before switching his favorite thing to eat way Plain, Organic Yogurt. He ate it everyday! Almost every time we went to the pediatrician (even for well baby visits) they said he had an ear infection. Thankfully my pediatrician would just write us a prescription and tell us to hold onto it just in case. We would usually just take him to the chiropractor and then he would be fine. My 1 year old has never had dairy or an ear infection! 

My boys are fully transitioned now! They usually eat what we eat, when they don’t it is because I don’t want to clean up the mess if we are having something difficult for little hands to hold. When we ate Portobello Burgers a few days ago I diced up the portobello to make it easier. I didn’t give them the grilled onions or peppers because I new they wouldn’t eat them. 

I’ve written before about foods my boys eat when I wrote about raising plant-based kids. Just this morning my 1 year ate a container of blueberries and some toast for breakfast. I buy seasonal produce so I wont be feeding him blueberries when they are expensive. I typically wont let him eat a whole container himself but since they were a little past their prime and needed to be eaten he was a willing participant. 

I love that it is summer time here and fruit and veggies are so inexpensive right now. I’ll be cutting into a honey dew melon and a cantaloupe this afternoon. There is a big bowl of washed grapes and cherries in my refrigerator (I cut them in half because they are a choking hazard, and a few stray strawberries that will find their way into smoothies soon. My kids love fruit! 

If your kids aren’t crazy about fruit like mine try cutting it up and making a fruit salad. You can add So Delicious Coconut Milk Yogurt to the fruit. The kids will feel like they are having dessert. If they are old enough put it in a fancy glass. 

If you know what your kids like you should be able to adapt those things and make them plant-based, or at least take a step in the right direction.

I love my kids so much, I want to protect them from harmful things and that includes food that is harmful. 

Do you have any tips to share for parents trying to switch their kids to a plant-based diet? 

Packing a Lunch

by 5 Comments

I’ve had a few request recently for meal idea’s that can be packed up and taken to work. My husband takes his breakfast and lunch to work almost every day so I have a little experience with this. He has a pretty sweet set up, a break room with refrigerators, microwaves, and a coffee maker. I know not everyone has the same situation so I’ll offer my suggestions and I’ll encourage my readers to chime in with their ideas as well.

The Sweet Set Up

If you have a kitchen available like my husband there is not a whole lot you can’t do. He usually takes cooked oatmeal (spiced up with cinnamon, raisins, and a touch of agave), Breakfast Quinoa, or a baked sweet potato for breakfast. He also takes 2 to 3 pieces of fruit everyday to eat throughout the day.

For lunch he usually has leftovers from the night before. He is also very fond of Baked Potatoes for lunch. These are not your plain ol’ potatoes, he prefers them with steamed veggies or vegan chili. He is also as happy as a clam to pour whatever else he can find in the fridge. If he were taking a Baked Potato tomorrow he would likely top it with Quinoa Taco Meat, Salsa, or guacamole because that is what we have available. Leftover soups are great for lunches on their own or poured over a potato.

Lunches don’t always center around potatoes. Mexican food makes really kickin lunches the next day. Just mix up whatever you have left, heat it up, and stuff it into a tortilla, or if you have more time eat it with organic tortilla chips.

During winter months or if you work in a cold building soups, chili’s, and casserole’s would be a nice way to warm up during the day.

Brown Baggin’ It

More than likely you’re not actually taking your lunch in a brown bag, not that I’m judging. You can buy an ice pack to use in a reusable, insulated lunch bag or even a small cooler (depending on your situation) fairly inexpensively. This set up can keep your food cold for at least half the day. The key here would be packing food that is good at room temperature or cold.

A few options that come to mind is a Not So Tuna Salad (or Not So Chicken Salad) Sandwich or wrap. This is made with chickpea’s so it is a good source of protein and fiber helping you feel full longer.

I’m also a fan of Veggie Wraps with Jalapeno Hummus (or other flavors), spinach, carrots, and bell peppers. You could add cucumbers, mushrooms, corn, tomatoes, or your favorite veggies. I have these for lunch often because they are easy to throw together. You could even make up a bunch at the beginning of the week, I’d pack the hummus separately to keep things from getting soggy if you were gonna wait a few days.

Big Salads are another option, just fill a big container with your favorite veggies, and store salad dressing and wet veggies in a separate container until lunch time. Some people like cold pasta salads or quinoa salads. These can also be quite filling and full of nutritional goodness. I’m sitting here dreaming of a Black Bean Quinoa Salad with roasted corn, avocado and salsa. A side of hummus and veggies is always a good idea too!

Another option is to make smoothies and freeze them ahead of time so they can slowly thaw throughout the day.

I’ve seen many a Brown Bagger go into convenience stores to heat up lunch. If this is an option for you then you have graduated to the Sweet Set Up category.

Emergency Stash

Sometimes life gets busy and we don’t have time to pack a lunch. For times like these I send McDougall’s Soup Cups, Tasty Bites (read label because they are not all vegan), or a can of Amy’s Soup (again not all vegan).

If you need to eat out you can grab a bean burrito, a meatless Subway meal, or even better a meal for Chipotle. Just don’t eat vegan junk food, you won’t be doing yourself any favors.

On our recent trip to the zoo we packed a lunch of 2 almond butter, gluten free sandwiches and 2 peanut butter wheat bread sandwiches, a few GoGo Squeez applesauce pouches, 2 apples, 2 rice milk boxes (a huge treat), granola bars, raisins, and water. Lunch was a success and super easy, never underestimate the power of a nut butter sandwich.

So do you pack a lunch? If so what do you pack?

20120530-222757.jpg

Meal Plan Monday: Wanna Help

by Leave a Comment

I hope you had a great Mother’s Day weekend. One of the highlight’s of the weekend was the Virtual Vegan Potluck, over 60 bloggers shared recipes. If you have some time stop by the potluck. If you’re interested in seeing my contribution check out these Gluten-Free Apple Muffins.  

Every Monday I post a Meal Plan for the week. Sometimes I stick to it and other times not so much. I occasionally get stuck in a rut and make the same meals over and over. As the temperatures increase here in Arizona I find myself wanting to cook less and less. Does this happen to the rest of you?

Some of my quick and easy (I don’t want to cook anything) meals contained wheat/gluten and I’m trying to stay away from those now. Last week I shared on My Plant-Based Family’s Facebook page how my son’s eczema had almost completely cleared up when we were both gluten-free but started coming back when I would have wheat products (I’m still nursing him). 

The goal of my blog is to chronicle our journey eating a Plant-Based Diet and to do it inexpensively. That means paying $6 for a tiny loaf of gluten-free bread is not something that can be done often. Since we are relatively new to gluten-free eating I occasionally buy convenience items that are on sale, at least until I learn how to make substitutes. 

So here it is Monday and I need to come of with a Meal Plan, and I started thinking that maybe someone else would want to help. Do you wanna help? So I’ll share what produce I bought this weekend and you can give me ideas. How does that sound?

Produce

  • Spinach
  • Carrots
  • Celery
  • Tomatoes
  • Onions
  • Jalapeno Peppers
  • 1 Red Bell Pepper
  • Limes
  • Broccoli
  • Summer Squash
  • Zucchini
  • Potatoes
  • Sweet Potatoes
  • Grape Tomatoes
  • Strawberries
  • Apples
  • Bananas
  • Honeydew Melon
  • Pear (only 1 left)
  • Oranges
  • Kiwi

I also have a big batch of cooked Pinto Beans and of cooked Quinoa along with big batch of Cilantro Jalapeno Hummus and a small batch of Spicy Hummus. My pantry is stocked with my normal go to items like rice, beans, oatmeal (but not gluten-free), and pasta (that is gluten-free). To see my normal supply click on this post about Resources.

What would you make? I’m having company on Tuesday and promised her Mexican food, she is pregnant and has 3 little one’s. Any suggestions? I’ll be posting on My Plant-Based Family’s Facebook page what we end up eating so follow it if you are curious. I’d love to say you could win a fabulous prize but sadly I don’t have any prizes to give away. But I will give you and your blog a shout out if we make a meal that you recommend! 🙂

Speaking of shout-outs, have you checked out Tia Tofu, when she gets to 500 likes on Facebook she will be giving away cookies! I can’t think of anything better than that. So run over to Tia Tofu’s Facebook page and like her. She is fabulous I promise! 

Basic Supplies

by 20 Comments

The top shelf has seeds, chickpea’s, cocoa, almonds, and barley.
The bottom shelf has noodles, pinto beans (back), quinoa (back), brown rice (back), brown and red lentils (front), white and black beans.

Before we began our plant-based eating there were certain ingredients I always had in my pantry, freezer, or fridge. Some of those ingredients have changed but not all of them. I like to be able to go into the kitchen and make something without having to run to the store. When I run to the store for one thing I usually make it home with at least five, the trip that would have cost me a few bucks now cost $20! That is not frugal!

I stock up on some things when they are on sale and buy in bulk when it makes sense. Below you will find a list of ingredients I try to keep on hand at all times.

Spices

  • black pepper
  • chili powder
  • cinnamon
  • garlic powder
  • onion powder
  • sea salt
  • vanilla
Various canned foods, Juice Plus+, gluten free bread, craisins, and peach cups (we don’t eat peach cups at home but take for occasional treats on the go).

Pantry

  • agave
  • applesauce
  • baking soda & baking powder
  • brown rice
  • canned beans
  • cereal
  • chocolate chips (non-dairy)
  • cocoa
  • coffee
  • dried beans (pinto, black, chickpea’s, lentils, etc.)
  • dried fruit (raisins, cranberries, etc.)
  • grains
  • non-dairy milks
  • nuts
  • old fashioned oats
  • pasta
  • pasta sauce
  • quinoa (I buy a 4 lb bag at Costco for $9.99)
  • raw sugar
  • tomato sauce
  • tortillas
  • tortilla chips

Freezer

  • bananas
  • blueberries
  • breads
  • cherries
  • corn (my husband can’t have it so I scoop out what I need)
  • other veggies
  • strawberries
  • whole wheat pastry flour

Refrigerator

  • almond milk
  • apple butter (L&A Unsweetened is delish!)
  • applesauce
  • Bragg Liquid Aminos
  • creamer (soy or coconut milk creamer)
  • Earth Balance
  • fat-free balsamic vinaigrette
  • jelly (with no added sugar, I like Crofter’s)
  • lime juice
  • mustard
  • natural peanut and almond butter (I buy both at Costco)
  • nutritional yeast
  • salsa
  • veggie base ( I use Better than Bouillon)

Fresh Plant Foods

  • apples
  • bananas
  • broccoli
  • carrots (I buy 5 lbs at a time for $2.49)
  • garlic
  • onions
  • potatoes
  • sweet potatoes
  • spinach

I can make almost anything I could want with these ingredients. I did not buy them all at once and I don’t use them all the time but these are my essentials. When I have people over they are usually overwhelmed by how full my pantry is. Right now it is extremely disorganized but it is normally just semi-disorganized.

Depending on your tastes and cooking style you may have a different list of essentials. Your list could change over time too. Now that I’m discovering my son has an issue with gluten I’m sitting on quite a bit of gluten filled grains and trying to transition to others.

Did I forget anything? What is in your must have list that differs from mine? If you’re new to plant-based is there anything that stands out as weird to you?