My Plant-Based Family

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

gluten free

Meal Plan Monday: I’m Back

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Did you miss me? I was away for almost 2 weeks. I had an unfortunate computer problem that left me on an extended break from blogging. I appreciate all of you that reached out to me during that time.  Even though I wasn’t blogging I was scheming, I mean planning and I’m excited for what the future holds.

I still need to reload software onto my computer so I don’t have access to all of my files yet but I’ll sort that out this week. Then I’ll be back to creating Custom Meal Plans and working on new projects.

meal plan monday

Plant-Based Meal Plan

Breakfast

This week I didn’t buy any cereal so we will be taking a different approach for breakfasts.

Lunch

My youngest son, who is allergic to everything, now has an aversion to his bread. I’ll have to get creative with lunches. Our fridge is loaded with fresh veggies so I’ll start there. 

  • Baked Potatoes
  • Leftover Gluten-Free pasta with red sauce and steamed veggies
  • Veggie Rollups with GF tortillas, spinach, cucumbers, red bell peppers, etc.
  • Fruit Rollups with GF tortillas, Sunbutter or Soynut Butter and fruit like apples, pears and bananas.
  • Bean and Grain Bowl topped with raw veggies

Dinner

Our dinners have taken a shift lately. My husband is going mostly grain-free and I haven’t had much time to cook. I try to make a few big dinners each week and keep it simple the rest of the time.

  • Veggie Pad Thai
  • Spiced Lentil Burgers with Baked Potatoes and random veggies
  • Lazy Veggie Pasta (GF) with red bell peppers, broccoli, onions, tomatoes, and spinach (one pot meal)
  • White Bean and Green Chili Dip with chips from Way Better Snacks and homemade salsa
  • Cheesy Brown Rice Casserole with added broccoli or peas (Crock Pot)

Many of the new recipes I’ve been making lately aren’t on the blog yet but I often post pictures on Instagram if you are interested.

Have you made your Meal Plan for the week? Take 10 minutes and jot down a few ideas.

This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase using an affiliate link I may make a small commission, at no additional cost to you. This helps offset the cost of running a website. 

My Top 3 Pasta Picks from the Phoenix Gluten and Allergen Free Expo

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People always ask me what kind of pasta we eat. It’s a tough question to answer because I don’t always stick to one brand. Typically, I rotate between several different brands of pasta. We buy gluten-free pasta and I look for brands that have a small ingredients list.

At the Expo several companies were selling gluten-free pasta. Some were even handing out samples of cooked pasta to try.

My Top 3 Pasta Picks

Rizopia

Rizopia

I didn’t get to try a sample of Rizopia at the Expo but they gave me a package to take home. After visiting with them more and learning about the pasta I bought several bags at a super low expo price. Everyone else had the same idea because this rice based pasta sold out before the Expo was over.

I’ve only tried the penne so far but the whole family enjoyed it. It cooked up nice and al dente. It did not get mushy! I’ve had to toss out whole pans of other brands but I’m impressed with Rizopia. It is also certified gluten-free, organic, and produced in a facility that is wheat, gluten, egg, dairy, nut and corn free.

One last thing I appreciate about Rizopia is that they have large (16 oz) bags of pasta for an affordable price. If you live in the US you can purchase Rizopia via Amazon.

local oven

Local Oven

The Local Oven booth was cooking up fresh pasta (and bread) at the Expo. The pasta I sampled tasted great. The pasta is made from corn, which I usually enjoy. I would not have suspected it was gluten-free because it tasted so great.

Local Oven is probably better known for it bread. Many restaurants use their bread to offer gluten-free options for their customers, I even found one local restaurant that offers it. Many, but not all, of their products are also dairy and soy free. Products can be ordered from their website.

Viviana

Viviana

The Viviana booth was also handing out samples of their pasta that was not only gluten-free but also vegan. One of the things that impressed me the most is that they cooked their pasta the day before and it was still great. They have a dedicated facility that is free from gluten, wheat, potato, soy, corn, dairy, casein, eggs, tree nuts and peanuts.

Viviana’s products don’t just taste great, they look like a work of art. Perhaps that is because they are handmade. They have different pasta flavors like Sweet Potato, Italian Blend, and Spinach Basil to a name a few. You can purchase Viviana products on their website, at select stores and on Amazon.

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Do you have a favorite gluten-free pasta? Have you tried Rizopia, Local Oven or Viviana?

 

Gluten and Allergen Free Expo Recap: Sweet Treats Edition

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I hope I’m painting a clear picture for you of my experience at the Gluten and Allergen Free Expo I attended in Phoenix. The Chicago Expo is coming up soon and I heard it’s even better. Today I’ll share a few of my favorite Sweet Treats from the Expo. I can’t possible mention all of the great vendors, and while all of them were gluten-free many contained other allergens that I can’t give to my son with multiple food allergies. As always carefully read labels to make sure any food recommended is appropriate for you and your family.

Gluten and Allergen Free Expo Sweet Treats

Pascha

Pascha Organic Dark Chocolate

One of the first booths I visited was for Pascha Organic Dark Chocolate. Let me tell you why I love Pascha!

  • In addition to be organic Pascha’s ingredients are non-GMO and fair trade
  • Made in a dedicated allergen-free facility (free from peanuts, nuts, dairy, soy, wheat, gluten, and egg)
  • They taste great!

I sampled two products, the 55% cacao and 70% cacao; the 55% didn’t taste like dark chocolate, it tasted like milk chocolate. The 70% taste like perfect dark chocolate, not too sweet or bitter. I’m a dark chocolate light-weight but I could eat this regularly. I didn’t taste the other varieties but I’m sure they are fantastic.

Pascha is available at select stores, on their website and even on Amazon.

HomeFree

HomeFree

I brought a sample of HomeFree Chocolate Chip cookies home for my kids to try, they loved them. Many HomeFree products are vegan and organic. They use a dedicated facility so their products are free from peanuts, tree nuts, eggs, dairy, wheat and gluten; additionally they use non-GMO ingredients.

I think these cookies are perfect for lunch boxes and road trips. We enjoyed our sample at the park. You can find them at select stores, on their website or Amazon.

Enjoy Life

Enjoy Life

I mentioned Enjoy Life in yesterday’s Savory Snacks recap but they are probably better known (and loved) for their Sweet Treats. They have a lot to offer in the Sweets category. We enjoyed their Crisp Sugar Cookies and Vanilla Honey Graham Cookies on our last road trip. I haven’t tried their Soft Baked Cookies yet.

I’ve been a HUGE fan of their Semi-Sweet Chocolate Mini Chips and Mega Chunks for years. I have a feeling their new Dark Chocolate Morsels will be life changing.

All Enjoy Life Foods products are certified gluten-free and are non-GMO. I easily find their products in most stores but they can also be found on Amazon.

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There were many other wonderful companies at the Gluten and Allergen Free Expo. Coming up, I’ll share some of my new favorite pastas, my favorite lipstick and more.

I used Amazon affiliate links in this post. 

Gluten and Allergen Free Expo Recap: Savory Snacks Edition

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This week I’ll finish up my recaps of the Gluten and Allergen Free Expo. I know this was just a 2 day event but there was a lot to see and taste.

way better snacks

Way Better Snacks

I regularly get emails from readers who see nachos in my Meal Plan or Chips and Salsa and are surprised that we still eat chips. I tell them that not all chips are created equal, Way Better Snacks easily proves this point. Their tortilla chips are made from sprouted grains and seeds. Additionally they are non-GMO and certified Gluten-Free (plus they are nut-free).

Way Better Snacks tortilla chips have a wide variety of flavors including Simply Unbeatable Blues, Simply Beyond Black Bean, Simply So Sweet Chili (my favorite) and No Salt Naked Blues. They have a clean and pure taste that avoid the greasy feel of the junk food chips you gave up.

Nacho

Beanfields

I’ve been a fan of Beanfields chips for quite a while. When I first learned about my youngest son’s allergies we started eating their Sea Salt Chips. I loved them, I’ll even admit to hiding them so I didn’t have to share. At the Expo I was able to sample several flavors but the one that stood out the most were the Nacho flavor. Beanfields gave me a sample to take home and everyone in my family LOVED them including my teenager! All of the chips are crisp and full of flavor!

Today they announced two new flavors Barbecue and Ranch. I have yet to taste these but I’m looking forward to it.

Plentils

Enjoy Life

If you have been around this blog or my kitchen you know I love Enjoy Life products. When I see the Enjoy Life label I’m confident that my son can eat safely. They have a life of chips called Plentils. Like the other two companies mentioned there were constantly people lined up at the Expo asking for these chips. I’m pretty sure they ran out. I didn’t get a chance to sample all of these so I don’t have a favorite flavor but if you are looking for an allergy-friendly chip give Plentils a try.

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If you missed my recap of local (Arizona) businesses and organizations that attended the expo click here. This week I’ll continue to share more about my experience at the Gluten and Allergen Free Expo. I can hardly wait to share my favorite pasta companies and some of the sweet treats you don’t want to miss.

Plant-Based Diet Ebook

Meal Plan Monday: Is it Spring Yet?

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If you live somewhere cold and icy let me say, I am sorry. Today’s Plant-Based Meal Plan will help you out. Maybe you too are asking, “is it Spring yet? More likely you have other choice words about the weather. I wont brag about our weather today, it actually rained this weekend which pretty much freaks everyone in Arizona out. It’s not the apocalypse, it’s called rain, time to send the kids outside to play.

Yesterday I was freezing all day, I think it had to do with the fact that I grew up in North Texas and Southwest Oklahoma and it is FREEZING there. I took a look at their temps last night and my bones started to ache. A friend mentioned something about an earthquake which led me to a very disturbing/interesting website about earthquakes. Apparently there are earthquakes in Oklahoma all the time.

I digress.

I’m still cooking for cooler weather, for the most part so even if you are snowed in you can take some inspiration from this Meal Plan. A few weeks ago I wrote a Snowed In Meal Plan that might be helpful if you have a moderately stocked fridge and pantry and can’t (or don’t want to) leave the house.

Meal Plan Monday

Plant-Based Meal Plan

Breakfast

Warm breakfasts please!

Lunch

When I cold it is more difficult to eat raw veggies. I admire all of you raw foodies. Soups and stir fry’s are my favorite way to eat veggies when it’s not quite spring.

  • Leftover Stir Fry veggies on rice, noodles or potatoes
  • Leftover Soup
  • Veggie Noodle Soup
  • Black Bean Quesadillas loaded with onions, peppers and Faux Cheesy Sauce
  • Baked Potatoes topped with steamed broccoli and carrots

Dinner

I ask my husband what kinds of foods he wants to eat each week; this week he said, “soups and stuff in the crock pot.” That sounds good to me.

Do you still needing warm, comforting food? I’d love to hear what you are eating this week. Follow me on Instagram for more food pic’s.

Phoenix Gluten and Allergen Free Expo Recap Part 1

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Last week I was incredible blessed to attend the Phoenix Gluten and Allergen Free Expo. If you missed it don’t worry, there are 5 other stops throughout the year and the next one is in Chicago!

Gluten and Allergen Free Expo Highlights

Phoenix GFAFExpo

There were so many highlights I’ll need to spread them out over a couple of posts. I was on the “Blogger Team” for the expo which was a huge honor. I loved talking to brands, authors, other bloggers and people who attended. I met one lady who flew in from Colorado just to attend we swapped stories while waiting for a free chair massage from AFC Physical Medicine and Chiropractic Centers.

The Gluten and Allergen Free Expo was well-organized (and even color coded). The companies the left side (and with a red backdrop) were also made in a dedicated peanut free facility. Companies on the left (with the blue backdrop) could contain nuts. Each table had a “pop-up” sign that listed common allergens that could be found in their products. That was very helpful because I could tell after a quick glance if a product contained dairy and keep moving. There was also medical staff on site in case of injury or illness.

The expo is very family friendly but I chose not to bring my kids for three reasons:

  1. I was “working”
  2. My kids are crazy and I didn’t want to worry about them misbehaving (and driving me crazy)
  3. My 3 year old has a lot of food allergies and I knew he wouldn’t be able to eat most of the food there.

There were kids of all ages. I heard one mom tell here gluten-free son, “you can eat any thing here”. That really pulled at my heart-strings because I know how difficult it is when your kid can’t eat what everyone else eats.

Today I want to highlight some of the local (Phoenix) companies/brands who were at the Expo!

Celiac and the Beast

Many times when I would talk to people and mention I was a blogger they would say, “oh, you know Erica”. I can’t tell you how many times I heard this. It turned out they were talking about Erica Dermer, author of the book and blog Celiac and the Beast. Now I get all of the hype because she is FABULOUS! I bought her book (and you should too) and got it signed. It’s not only informative but hilarious. I also bought the Pink Cupcake Shirt! I missed Erica’s (yeah we are on a first name basis now, I’ll just pretend we are BFFs) presentation but she kindly posted it to YouTube, Gluten-Free 101: First Timer Mistakes.

Local Eateries

I also found a few local restaurants that have gluten-free options. Many of these are not plant-based or nut-free so research them for yourself before visiting them.

Spinato’s Pizzeria is a local company that I’ve heard friends rave about. They have been in business for close to 40 years and recently began serving gluten-free sandwiches and pizza. I’ve never eaten there but I hope to soon!

Jewel’s Bakery and Cafe is a dedicated gluten-free bakery and cafe but they are not plant-based. They had samples of their creations at the expo and one was vegan. If you are looking for something special call ahead and see what they have that will suit your dietary preferences.

Gluten Free Creations is a dedicated  gluten-free bakery that offers a wide range of gluten-free baked goods including breads, donuts, cupcakes, bagels, specialty cakes and more. Many of their baked goods are also nut-free and vegan but I encourage you to ask before you buy or order.

Household Needs

Lady Bug Pest Control is a local company that uses natural and organic products to help control or eliminate pests. I’ve been wanting to find an eco-friendly pest control company so I’m going to have them come over and take a look at my home. I know that some bugs are good but others  aren’t safe for my kids (or our garden).

Support

I didn’t realize there were so many support groups in my area. Even if you are not in the Phoenix area you may be able to find similar groups in your town. If not, start one yourself. These groups offer local support and activities.

Arizona Food Allergy Alliance

R.O.C.K. Raising Our Celiac Kids

Celiac Disease Foundation (Phoenix Chapter)

Stay tuned for more Gluten and Allergen Free Expo Highlights. I can’t wait to share some of my exciting finds which will include pasta, chocolate, oats, tamari, bread and more!