My Plant-Based Family

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

Breakfast

Bob’s Red Mill Oatmeal Cups Giveaway

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This post is sponsored by Bob’s Red Mill. All thoughts and opinions are my own. 

Once school starts our mornings are packed. We eat breakfast, get ready, make lunches, and are out the door. I’ve found a healthy, hot breakfast that my kids can make themselves, Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Oatmeal Cups.

Bobs Red Mills Oatmeal Cups

We had gotten into a cereal rut because I needed something easy and fast in the mornings. My kids will often wake up before me; I’m not one of those wake up before your kids kind of moms (I get every minute of sleep I can). That meant the kids would usually have cereal. I preferred for them to have something healthier but our busy mornings didn’t always allow it.

Then I discovered Bob’s Red Mill Oatmeal Cups. At first I was skeptical but the ingredients list won me over. The oatmeal cups vary by flavor but use real ingredients that I would typically put in homemade oatmeal like flax and chia seeds. My favorite flavor is Apple Cinnamon!

Bobs Red Mills Oatmeal Cups

My kids are 5 and 7 and they can prepare the Oatmeal Cups all by themselves. If you are a parent of little kids you know this is life changing. They pour the water into the cup, microwave it for one minute, let it set for two minutes, then it’s ready to eat.

There are a lot of things I love about these oatmeal cups:

  • Delicious flavors
  • Healthy Ingredients
  • Easy to prepare (even my kids can do it)
  • Fast
  • Easy clean up
  • Vegan and Gluten-Free

We will still make oatmeal the old fashioned way or in my Instant Pot but these oatmeal cups are a great option, especially during those hectic first days back to school.

Bob’s Red Mill is happy to sponsor a giveaway for an assortment of oatmeal cups! One lucky winner in the continental U.S. will win a selection of oatmeal cups.

Giveaway

Update: Congrats to our winner Donna K!

Bobs Red Mill Oatmeal Cups Giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

If you don’t win the giveaway you can find these oatmeal cups at local retailers (I found them at Target), or order them from Bob’s Red Mill or Amazon.

This post was sponsored by Bob’s Red Mill. The opinions and thoughts are my own. This page contains affiliate links. 

Overnight Oats

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I want to eat a healthy breakfast but some days I don’t have the time to cook. Overnight Oats are a healthy option for busy mornings.

Plant-Based Overnight Oats

This page contains affiliate links.

You know I love my Instant Pot Oatmeal but Overnight Oats are even faster. Just spend a few minutes before bed and a few minutes in the morning for an easy breakfast.

I use old fashioned oats. Bob’s Red Mill oats is our brand of choice. But if you need gluten-free I recommend GF Harvest Oats! Their manufacturing process is as good as it gets for keep gluten out of the picture.

We use Rice Dream for most of our cooking. My kids love the vanilla but I prefer the regular unsweetened. I like that it’s shelf stable so I can keep a few in my pantry and not worry about running out without a backup. I have 3 cartons in my pantry right now!

Plant-Based Overnight Oats

Overnight Oats

Overnight Oats are also perfect for travel! Just bring a bowl or jar with the oats pre-measured. Then pick up some plant milk and fruit at your destination. Easy peasy!

Ingredients

  • ½ cup oats (I used old-fashioned oats)
  • ½ cup plant milk
  • ½ banana, diced very small
  • ¼ cup chopped strawberries
  • ¼ tsp cinnamon
  • sweeten to taste with maple syrup
  • blueberries

Instructions

  1. In a bowl, combine the oats, cinnamon, maple syrup and milk, mix until combined.
  2. Allow to sit in the fridge overnight.
  3. Dice the bananas and slice the strawberries.
  4. Mix the banana with the overnight oats, then add the strawberries and top with blueberries.
Plant-Based Overnight Oats

I love bananas and add them to almost all my overnight oats because they are so sweet. I’m really focused on cutting down my sugar intake. Bananas add the sweetness I want. Sometimes I’ll add a touch of maple syrup too.

If strawberries, bananas and blueberries aren’t your thing try raisins or peaches or diced apples.

Sometimes I’ll get a little “fancy” and add fresh ginger or hemp seeds. Really, you can add whatever you like. The fruit is completely optional.

Plant-Based Overnight Oats

For more information on oatmeal and to see my favorite oatmeal picks check out my Ultimate Oatmeal Guide.

Check out more delicious breakfast recipes on my Breakfast Page!

Yield: 1 Serving

Overnight Oats

Plant-Based Overnight Oats

Plant-Based Overnight Oats are the perfect vegan breakfast for busy mornings.

Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes

Ingredients

  • ½ cup oats (I used old-fashioned oats)
  • ½ cup plant milk
  • ½ banana, diced very small
  • ¼ cup chopped strawberries
  • ¼ tsp cinnamon
  • sweeten to taste with maple syrup
  • blueberries

Instructions

  1. In a bowl, combine the oats, cinnamon, maple syrup and milk, mix until combined.
  2. Allow to sit in the fridge overnight.
  3. Dice the bananas and slice the strawberries.
  4. Mix the banana with the overnight oats, then add the strawberries and top with blueberries.

Did you make this recipe?

We'd love to see it! Tag us and use #MyPlantBasedFamily!

© Heather Mayes

Breakfast Hash

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As much as I love oatmeal, sometimes I want a savory breakfast. My Breakfast Hash recipe is a hearty mix of potatoes and veggies that keep me satisfied for hours. It’s plant-based and gluten-free which makes it great for serving at family breakfasts.

Hearty Breakfast Hash that features potatoes and veggies. This plant-based (vegan) and gluten-free meal will keep you satisfied for hours.

I’ve been making this for years and developed it when I had a craving for a scramble but didn’t want the eggs and cheese I used before.

As with most of my recipes you can omit or add ingredients based on what you have on hand. If you plan to have your kids eat this Breakfast Hash you’ll want to leave out the jalapenos.

Breakfast Hash

I’ve made this Breakfast Hash recipe in the Crock Pot and Instant Pot but my favorite is the skillet method. When cooked in the skillet you have to keep an eye on it. Since we are cooking without oil the potatoes and veggies will have a tendency to stick. Once they begin to stick just pour a little water into the skillet and give it a good stir, scraping the bottom of the pan with a silicone spatula.

Hearty Breakfast Hash that features potatoes and veggies. This plant-based (vegan) and gluten-free meal will keep you satisfied for hours.

I served this with fresh fruit and homemade bread covered in peanut butter. The leftovers were even more amazing because I smothered them (and toast made from that beautiful rustic loaf) in leftover Creamy Brown Gravy.

How to Make Breakfast Hash

Ingredients

  • 1 cup diced onion
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 pounds potatoes, I used 10 small red potatoes cut into bite sized pieces
  • 1 diced bell pepper
  • 1 sliced jalapeno, seeds removed
  • 1 diced roma or vine tomato
  • 1 cup water (approximate)
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. Heat a skillet on medium heat.
  2. Add diced onions and garlic. When they start to stick to the pan add a few tablespoons of water (up to ¼ cup) and stir with a silicon spatula. These can cook for a few minutes while you prepare the potatoes.
  3. Add bite sized potatoes to the skillet plus ¼ cup of water and cover with a lid. Cook for 10 minutes, check for sticking half way through and add water and stir if needed. Prepare the rest of the veggies.
  4. Add the bell pepper and jalapeno, stir and add more water if needed then cover with a lid and cook for 10 more minutes but check it after 5. At this point the potatoes should be softened enough to bite or cut with a fork.
  5. Check for doneness. If potatoes and peppers are cooked through add the tomatoes, cover with the lid and remove from heat. Let them sit for 5 minutes.
Yield: 4 Servings

Breakfast Hash

Hearty Breakfast Hash that features potatoes and veggies. This plant-based (vegan) and gluten-free meal will keep you satisfied for hours.

Hearty Breakfast Hash that features potatoes and veggies. This plant-based (vegan) and gluten-free meal will keep you satisfied for hours.

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 cup diced onion
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 pounds potatoes, I used 10 small red potatoes cut into bite sized pieces
  • 1 diced bell pepper
  • 1 sliced jalapeno, seeds removed
  • 1 diced roma or vine tomato
  • 1 cup water (approximate)
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. Heat a skillet on medium heat.
  2. Add diced onions and garlic. When they start to stick to the pan add a few tablespoons of water (up to ¼ cup) and stir with a silicon spatula. These can cook for a few minutes while you prepare the potatoes.
  3. Add bite sized potatoes to the skillet plus ¼ cup of water and cover with a lid. Cook for 10 minutes, check for sticking half way through and add water and stir if needed. Prepare the rest of the veggies.
  4. Add the bell pepper and jalapeno, stir and add more water if needed then cover with a lid and cook for 10 more minutes but check it after 5. At this point the potatoes should be softened enough to bite or cut with a fork.
  5. Check for doneness. If potatoes and peppers are cooked through add the tomatoes, cover with the lid and remove from heat. Let them sit for 5 minutes.

Did you make this recipe?

We'd love to see it! Tag us and use #MyPlantBasedFamily!

© Holly Yzquierdo

Ultimate Oatmeal Guide

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Breakfast maybe the most important meal of the day but it’s also the most chaotic. Please tell me I’m not the only one who struggles to eat healthy in the midst of a busy morning.

We have some quick and easy breakfast items like frozen waffles and cereal but we don’t feel as satisfied after eating them. Maybe because they are processed foods and not whole foods. I want a hot, filling breakfast.

My go to breakfast is Oatmeal.

Everything you need to know about oatmeal

You may be thinking, “oatmeal takes too long” or “it’s too complicated.” I want to share my tricks for easy, delicious oatmeal that everyone in your house will love.

OATS: The Basics

There are a lot of different types of oats you can buy. You can find them in pretty much any store that sells groceries. If you have a gluten sensitivity you need to buy certified gluten-free oats. They are more expensive but it is necessary. If gluten isn’t an issue you will be able to buy any oats you like.

I typically stick to three types of oats — Quick Oats, Rolled Oats and Steel Cut Oats.

Quick Oats

Quick oats cook quickly and easily. They are oats they have been rolled, cut into small pieces and steamed to precook them.

If you eat quick oats you may feel hungry sooner than when you enjoy the less processed oats mentioned below.

Avoid the instant oatmeal packages. These often come in flavors like apple cinnamon or maple and brown sugar. Unless you buy some special healthy version they are likely full of junk. Oatmeal is easy to make, you don’t need these packages.

Rolled Oats

Rolled oats are rolled flat and slightly precooked by steaming, the result is a fairly quick cooking oatmeal. Rolled oats are often used in granola and baking as well.

Steel Cut Oats

Steel cut oats are oat groats that have been cut into pieces. I think they look like little rocks, they do not look like the instant or rolled oats. These take a longer time to cook.

Cooking Oatmeal

When I was a kid I only knew of microwave instant oatmeal. Yes, we bought the little packages — I loved them. Looking back they were healthier than the Count Chocula I normally ate.

Even as an adult I bought the packages for a while until I realized how expensive they were. Buying the large container (you know the one that makes a good drum) was much less expensive. Even my kids, the older kids that are now adults, could make their own oatmeal in the microwave.

Before the microwaves critics speak up let me say that I think eating healthy food that has been microwaved is better than eating unhealthy food. For some people and schedules, a microwave makes the difference between a healthy breakfast and a fast food drive-thru breakfast. If you don’t approve of microwaves that is ok, you don’t have to use one.

Microwave

Quick oats and rolled oats can be cooked easily in the microwave. Oatmeal rises when it is cooking so I recommend using a much larger bowl than needed and keeping an eye on it. If you don’t, you will need extra time to wash out your microwave.

Use 1 cup of quick or rolled oats and 1 3/4 cup of water and microwave on high for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes for quick oats or 2 to 3 minutes for rolled oats. Remove them from microwave carefully and stir. If they don’t seem done you can microwave them for a little longer, in 30 second intervals until done.

Stove Top

On mornings when I have more time I cook oats on the stove. Use the same measurements as above but bring water to boil, then add oats and a dash of salt if desired. After you pour the oats in reduce heat to a simmer. Quick oats will need to cook for about 1-5 minutes, rolled oats for about 5-10 minutes.

Keep your eye on the oats as they are cooking and stir regularly.

Steel Cut Oats can also be cooked on the stove. These require a much longer cooking time of about 20-30 minutes.

Crock Pot

Some people cook steel cut oats in the Crock Pot as well. This requires a bit more water because of the longer cooking time.

Instant Pot

I prefer cooking my Steel Cut Oats in my Instant Pot. Though it does take a while for the Instant Pot to come to pressure and to release pressure the cook time is only 3 minutes (on manual) for a total time of about 30 minutes. Even though that isn’t quick, once you start it you can walk away and not worry about stirring or burning anything.

oatmeal guide

Un-Recipes for Oatmeal

I often share oatmeal in my meal plans but I don’t always link to a recipe. The reason is that I don’t follow actual recipes for my oatmeal. I just stick to my favorite add-ins!

For me, I like to incorporate 3 different type of things into my oatmeal: Something Sweet, Fruit and Nuts/Seeds.

Something Sweet

By far my favorite sweetener is maple syrup. I think it is from my childhood packets of maple and brown sugar flavored instant oatmeal. Other sweeteners include stevia, dates, agave, raw sugar or whatever you prefer. Sometimes I’ll skip adding something sweet and just stick to the fruit.

Fruit

Go wild here, or be like me and choose seasonal favorites. Apples, raisins, berries (we often use frozen berries for a budget-friendly option), bananas, coconut, or whatever you have on hand. In the summer I lean more toward fresh berries and in the winter I use apples and raisins.

Nuts/Seeds

If you hare allergic to nuts do not use nuts. If you can have nuts I recommend walnuts, slivered almonds or pecans. Seeds are a fun option that I choose most of the time. Chia seeds, hemp seeds, ground flax seeds and pumpkin seeds are all really good.

Where to Buy

I buy most of my oats online. We go through a lot so I order them using my Amazon Prime account so I can get two day free shipping. Trust me, it is easier than taking the kids to the store. Try Amazon Prime 30-Day Free Trial to see if it works for you.

I encourage you to try different kinds of oats and different cooking methods. I’ll list some of the oats we use for reference but buy what works for you. Once you find a brand that you love you can sign up for “subscribe and save” on Amazon to get it delivered to you on a schedule, like one a month, or every six weeks.

Buying Oats

GF Harvest Rolled Oats Organic, GMO-Free, facility is wheat, soy and peanut-free. I met the family behind GF Harvest at an expo and believe them to have the utmost integrity and transparency about their process.

UPDATE

Jules Shepard was kind enough to inform me that Bob’s Red Mill Oats are not certified gluten-free. I was not aware of this and thought they were. Although the label says gluten-free and they are not certified. I encourage you to read more from Bob’s Red Mill and from Gluten-Free Watch Dog. 

If you do not have Celiac disease or a gluten-intolerance the Bob’s Red Mill oats will be okay for you. See Jules comment below for more information. You can also purchase GF products from her site.

Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Quick Oats

Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free Steel Cut Oats

Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free Rolled Oats

Bob’s Red Mill Oats

Quaker Oats (I’ve never purchased these from Amazon but they are budget-friendly so I included them)

Bulk bins and store-brand in your local grocery store will typically have a great price.

Your Turn

How do you cook and eat oatmeal? Got a favorite recipe or fruit combo?

My favorite oatmeal of all time is a little more extravagant that I made regularly. It has cardamom, toasted coconut and chai. See the full recipe at Gluten-Free and More.

Need a quick, easy and healthy breakfast? Overnight Oats is vegan (plant-based) option will simplify your mornings. Use GF oats for a gluten-free version.

Don’t forget Overnight Oats! It’s perfect for those of us who don’t want to cook at all!

This page contains affiliate links. 

Bob’s Red Mill Giveaway

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I haven’t talked much about Plant-Based breakfasts ideas since I started all of this Back to School excitement. Today I’m excited to share the latest giveaway! It’s perfect for all of you in a breakfast rut, but we will get to that in a minute!

On Monday’s Meal Plan I admitted that I have a bad habit of skipping breakfast. I know I need to eat but I get busy and half way through my morning I start feeling it. You know the feeling, the “I’m completely depleted and I can’t go on” feeling. Please tell me I’m not the only one!

I’ve found an easy solution. On the weekend I’ll cook a large pot of oatmeal, usually in the Instant Pot and we will eat it for several days. I cook it up plain, without any seasonings then each morning everyone can choose their own toppings to mix in.

Take a look at a few of our favorites.

Oatmeal Giveaway

All three of these are made with steel-cut oats. The first is apple and raisin oatmeal with cinnamon and hemp seeds. The second has blueberries and raw pepitas. The third is simply banana slices and chia seeds.

You know I’m partial to Bob’s Red Mill gluten-free oats. We use them every week. I cook steel-cut oats in my Instant Pot or if I’m in a bigger hurry I’ll use Quick Cooking Oats and cook them in the microwave.

Of course you don’t have to stick to breakfasts, oats are great in desserts too. I’ll let you in  on a little secret, we eat oatmeal for dinner too! It’s so easy and my family loves it.

Bob’s Red Mill Giveaway

Today you get a chance to try some of my favorite oats for FREE! One lucky winner will win this prize pack from Bob’s Red Mill plus a $25 gift card to be used on the Bob’s Red Mill website!

Bobs Red Mill giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Hurry and enter this giveaway won’t last long!

This post contains affiliate links.

Triple Berry Porridge

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I use my Instant Pot all of the time for dinner but I wanted to use it for breakfast too. I’ve been trying to work a little more variety into our diets because for the last few months we’ve been eating the same things over and over. It’s all things we like but I know eventually we will get tired of it. The last time I was a Costco I found an organic quinoa, amaranth, millet blend and I really wanted to incorporate it into our meal plan.

Triple Berry Porridge

Breakfast was the perfect option! If you don’t have the quinoa, amaranth, millet blend you could use equal amounts of any grain with a similar outcome although cooking times may be affected. All of the grains I used were gluten-free.

Triple Berry Porridge gluten-free and vegan

Triple Berry Porridge

Ingredients

  • 1 cup Steel Cut Oats (I used Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free)
  • 1/2 cup Quinoa Amaranth Millet Blend (I used Organic Quinoa Ancient Blend)
  • 3 cups water
  • 2 cups frozen organic berries (we buy a three berry blend at Costco)
  • Plant-milk as desired
  • Maple syrup, optional
  • Chia or hemp seeds, optional

Do

  1. Dump the oats, quinoa blend, water and berries into the Instant Pot.
  2. Close the lid and press Manual then use the arrows to select 10 minutes.
  3. Once cooked (and it beeps) press cancel or unplug and allow the pressure to release naturally.
  4. After the natural release, carefully open the lid and give it a good stir.
  5. Add plant-milk until you porridge reaches your preferred consistency. I like it thick but my sons like it thinned.
  6. Spoon the porridge into bowls and add optional ingredients like maple syrup, seeds and more berries.

You don’t have to have an Instant Pot to make this. You can cook it in a Crock Pot in about 7-8 hours or on the stove 20 to 30 minutes. Both will require more liquid.

This page contains affiliate links.