My Plant-Based Family

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

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Meal Plan Monday: Plant-Based Fall Favorites

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Did you know that you can eat delicious, hearty comfort foods on a plant-based diet? Today’s Meal Plan will share our favorite breakfast, lunch and dinner ideas for crisp fall weather.

This Meal Plan is more recipe intensive that others so feel free to pick and choose which recipes work best for your family and double them so you aren’t cooking something new for each meal.

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Meal Plan

Breakfast

I love a warm breakfast, especially on chilly mornings.

Lunch

We often have leftovers but I try to incorporate lots of leafy greens and raw veggies at lunch. Sometimes a soup and salad combo does the best job at hitting the spot.

Snack

I tend to focus on fruit and veggies for snack but I also like to include muffins and breads for my kids. We will have snacks in the morning and afternoon.

Dinner

Usually I’ll make double recipes to use for leftover lunches. When I have leftover soup I like to freeze it in small containers perfect for an individual lunch; the same goes for beans, grains and mashed potatoes.

Hot Apple Crisp sounds like the perfect dessert for fall weather but it’s hard to resist Pumpkin Cake! If you need more Plant-Based Recipe ideas check out the Recipe Page or the Meal Plan Page!

Foods Than Harm, Foods That Heal Cookbook Review

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I’m always on the lookout for books that I can use to learn more about healthy eating. I was given a free copy of Foods That Harm, Foods That Heal Cookbook to review. You may have seen previous versions of this Reader’s Digest book.

I can benefit from books that focus on health, even when they are not strictly plant-based in nature. There are a lot of things I love about this book and a few with which I respectfully disagree.

What I Love about “Foods That Harm, Foods That Heal Cookbook”

Foods That Harm, Foods That Heal Cookbook has a great layout. The book is divided into three parts, but has a great intro that discusses nutrition, healthier cooking methods and organic produce.

Part 1 Healing Foods

I’ve reached for this book several times to recap the health benefits of certain foods I’ve used in cooking demonstrations.

For example, there is a page about Lentils. This page provides a typical serving size (1/2 cup) and calorie count (115 calories). For each food it also lists How They Harm, What They Heal, and Nutrients. Lentil, for example, “harm” with bloating and flatulence. Lentils “heal” high cholesterol, blood sugar spikes, weight gain, constipation and several other things. Nutrients listed include B vitamins, fiber, folate, iron, magnesium, and others. Each page also gives buying, storing and cooking suggestions along with recipes.

Part 2 Recipes

Many of these recipes are plant-based or can be easily adapted. Each recipe lists the servings, prep and cook time, healing foods in the recipe along with ailments this recipe is good to help heal. There is also nutrition information for each recipe.

There are over 250 recipes and many of the recipes contain meat but you can also find recipes like Open-Faced Grilled Vegetable Sandwich, Black Bean and Sweet Potato Burritos and Vegetable Stuffed Mushrooms.

Part 3 Sample Meal Plans for Ailments

Each ailment has a sample daily meal plan to help with your illness, it even gives you the page number for the recipe mentioned. Blood Pressure, for example, lists harmful foods (salty and processed foods), foods that heal (green leafy vegetables, low-fat dairy products, legumes, bananas, etc.), and foods to limit (red meat, butter, alcohol and caffeine). The page goes on to list guidelines for having a healthy blood pressure and a meal plan.

What I Don’t Like

While I like the overall book there are a few things I don’t agree with.

There are foods in this book that are listed and encouraged that I don’t consider healthy. Cheese, milk and various forms of meat including organ meat are listed as healthy and healing foods.

Overall

This book, although not vegan does focus on whole foods. If someone was eating the Standard American Diet (SAD) this book would be a tremendous help. If you are established in a whole food, plant-based diet this book could be helpful to you too. I would love a plant-based version of this book but in the mean time I’ll continue to reach for Foods That Harm, Foods That Heal Cookbook when I need a quick reference for healing foods.

FTC Disclaimer: I received a free copy to review. This page contains affiliate links.

Meal Plan Monday: Cooking All Day

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This week I’ll be traveling to Miami to participate in a “cook off” at the Pritikin Longevity Center. If you remember back a few weeks I was in a recipe contest, the top two bloggers won the trip.

To prepare for my time away I’ll be doing all of our cooking (for the whole week) tomorrow. Ekk! It will be a busy day. Today I’ll do some prep so everything is ready. The Black Beans are simmering away right now.

Meal Plan

Breakfast

Since it is a busy week I’ll keep things simple by relying on easy breakfasts.

Lunch

Since I’m already cooking a lot to prepare for my trip lunch will be super simple meals and leftovers.

  • Veggie Sandwiches
  • Sunbutter Sandwiches
  • Leftover Pasta with salad and/or raw veggies
  • Taco Potatoes with fresh salsa and a side salad or bowl of beans
  • Leftover Veggie Burgers with Baked Potatoes and salad
  • Veggie Stuffed Pitas in a GF wrap

Snacks

Any guesses? Yes, super simple fruit and veggies.

Dinner

I’ll cook large portions of dinner so it can be used as leftovers for easy lunches.

Do you cook all of your food in one day? Although it makes for a busy day I love the free time I have the rest of the week.

What is your favorite quick meal?

The Easy Mexican Casserole Just Got Easier

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Could it be? You bet! The Easy Mexican Rice & Bean Casserole just got a lot easier!

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I assumed the Mexican Rice and Black Bean Casserole would be easy to adapt for the slow cooker and I was right. In fact, it tastes better than the oven and stove top versions. I made it twice last week! [Read more…] about The Easy Mexican Casserole Just Got Easier

Meal Plan Monday: A Few New Things

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Do you regularly try new things? I have been lately although not necessarily relating to food.

Last Thursday I spoke to a group of 30 or so about our journey as a plant-based family and demonstrated making one of the most popular recipes on this site, Easy Mexican Rice and Bean Casserole.

Later that evening we hosted the first Healthy Cravings group of the semester at our home. We had a great turn out with 14 people (which is pretty much the limit on my dining room).

Saturday I was able to speak to another group and demonstrate a new recipe for Lentil Quinoa Veggie Salad. This group was a part of a 21 Day Clean Eating Cleanse with Simplicity Fitness.

Remember that recipe contest I was involved in about a month ago (where I shamelessly begged for your votes). Well the top 2 people won a trip and I’ll be heading to Miami in less than two weeks to compete in a cookoff at Pritikin Longevity Center & Spa!  Woot Woot!

So life is good; although I did reach for some almond milk ice cream earlier in a weak moment but put it away and had carrots and hummus instead.

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Meal Plan

Breakfast

I often cook breakfast’s late morning or in the evening for a quick reheat the next day.

Lunch

I like a lunch that is quick or at least a quick prep time. I’ll often throw leftover veggies together for a soup or boil some noodles for my kids.

Snacks

We usually have raw fruit or veggies for snack and something to dip them in. Even when your tempted to reach for the non-dairy ice cream you’ll be happy you opted for the apple.

  • Cucumber, carrot sticks and bell peppers with roasted red pepper hummus
  • fruit (apples, bananas, peaches, pears, grapes, and plums)
  • I have a new snack bar recipe debuting soon!
  • popcorn

Dinner

Last week I adapted a family favorite to a crock pot version I hope to do the same this week as well as experiment with a few new recipes.

  • Broccoli and Mushroom Stir Fry
  • Lentil and Potato Burritos
  • SW Barbecue Lentil Salad (New Recipe Coming Soon)
  • Broccoli and Brown Rice Casserole (I’ll be adapting this to a low sodium recipe)
  • Pinto Beans and Gluten-Free Corn Bread

 Have you tried anything new lately? Was it a good or a bad experience?

Cinnamon Apple Raisin Breakfast Rice

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Do you need a cheap and easy breakfast idea? If you have an intolerance to oats or can’t handle the sticker shock of quinoa this may be the perfect whole grain breakfast for you.

Breakfast Rice

 

This has been a family favorite for weekend breakfasts for about a decade. But if your family is used to Fruit Loops they may need a little more sweetener than this recipe includes. I love that I can make this with pantry staples.

I say this was a weekend breakfast because it takes about 45 minutes to cook brown rice. Now we will make a large pot and reheat leftovers quickly. Even my 4 year old who has been very picky lately LOVES this. I also have an Instant Pot version for a more hands off approach!

Cinnamon Apple Raisin Breakfast Rice

Ingredients

  • 2 cups brown rice (I prefer short grain)
  • 4 c water
  • 1-2 cups plant milk
  • 1 Tbsp cinnamon
  • 1 diced apple
  • 1/4 cup raisins (or other dried fruit)
  • 1/4 cup maple syrup (optional)

Do

  1. Pour rice, water and cinnamon into large sauce pan and cook over medium heat set timer for 45 minutes.
  2. When there is 15 to 20 minutes left add 1 cup plant milk, diced apples and raisins then give it a good stir.
  3. When the timer goes off the rice should be soft, most or all of the liquid will be absorbed and the apples will be soft.
  4. Allow to cool for a few minutes before serving, stir in extra plant milk if needed.

Serve

This is a perfect fall breakfast and will keep you fueled for hours. Add a little liquid when reheating leftovers. My daughter always liked this with a lot of extra liquid (soupy) but most of us prefer it without it.

For more breakfast ideas check out my Recipe Page!