My Plant-Based Family

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

gluten free

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.

mpm9-30

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!

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!

crockpotmexicancasserole

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

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!

One-Pot Pizza Pasta (Gluten-free and Vegan)

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This gluten-free and plant-based Pizza Pasta is just what you need for a quick and easy dinner!

Who loves pizza? Let’s see a show of hands!

We love pizza too but if you are trying to eat gluten-free it’s a little tough. Gluten-Free Pizzas are expensive and usually tiny. It is difficult to find one without egg and dairy too. I could make my own GF crust but I live in Arizona where the high temperatures are still over 100° so I’m not really interested in turning on the oven. What’s a girl to do?

Easy and delicious gluten-free and plant-based Pizza Pasta!

I could make my own gluten-free crust but I live in Arizona where the high temperatures are still over 100° so I’m not really interested in turning on the oven. What’s a girl to do?

How about add all of our favorite pizza toppings to pasta instead!

Pizza Pasta Ingredients

One-Pot Pizza Pasta

Ingredients

  • 1 package (16 oz) Gluten-Free Noodles (you can use wheat noodles)
  • 1 diced bell pepper
  • 2 diced roma tomatoes
  • 1/2 c diced onion
  • 4 diced baby Portobello mushrooms (about 1 cup)
  • 2 cups cooked lentils (optional)
  • 1 jar pasta sauce
  • 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
  • Your favorite ingredients

Do

  1. Bring water to boil and add noodles. Cook according to package directions.
  2. As noodles begin to cook chop all veggies and set aside.
  3. Add veggies to boiling noodles half way through their cooking time and cover with a lid.
  4. Once noodles and veggies are soft, drain well then add lentils (optional), sauce, and nutritional yeast (optional) then stir well.

Serve

Serve the dish along side a green salad and Sweet & Tandy Oil-Free Salad Dressing! This is an easy dish to make and reheats well.

If it is still warm where you live try these try these Chocolate No-Bake Bites!

Easy and delicious gluten-free and plant-based Pizza Pasta! Don't stress about dinner!

What is your favorite Pizza topping?

Meal Plan Monday…September is Here

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Happy September and Happy Labor Day to my US readers!

We have had company on and off this summer but now we are attempting to get back into a routine. Regular homemade dinners are a big part of that.

We are also going to do a gluten-free experiment for our whole household. This week we will be finishing off any wheat/gluten based foods (although there isn’t much) so that next week we will be gluten-free. Feel free to join! If gluten isn’t an issue for you maybe you want to take that next step and remove dairy or oil from your diet.

Meal Plan

Breakfast Stir Fry

Breakfast

This week we will be taking a break from the processed side of breakfast and sticking to whole grains, fruit and greens. Yes you read that right. My husband enjoys raw spinach for breakfast so my kids do to.

 

Lunch

I’ve been testing out some new recipes at lunch lately. There is less pressure to make an awesome meal at lunch time.

  • Quinoa Veggie Wraps with a side of beans
  • Lentil Quinoa Veggie Salad (Recipe Coming Soon)
  • Veggie Sandwich made with hummus, cucumbers, peppers, carrots, and greens
  • Taco Salad
  • Enchilada Soup

Summer Berry breakfast quinoa 008

Snack

We usually stick to fruit and veggies but I like to surprise my kids with popcorn and other treats from time to time.

  • Apples with Sunbutter
  • Popcorn
  • Smoothies
  • Veggies with Hummus
  • Random Fruit

Quinoa-Lentil Tacos

Dinner

brownie 2

I plan to make these incredible Gluten-Free Brownies this week as well. If you haven’t tried them yet you have more self-control than I do! They are amazing!

Is your Meal Plan ready for the week? I was later than normal (I blame the holiday). 🙂

Do you have something you want to eliminate from your diet? Gluten, dairy, oil, etc. We’d love for you to join us! Leave a comment letting me now what you are removing and let us support each other!

A Little Help Please

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I like to think that this blog is my little corner where I can make a difference. Yes, I know I make a difference in my home, my family, my neighborhood, my church, etc. but on a larger scale my blog goes place I can’t. That idea is thrilling!

Practical Things Make a Difference

When I graduated from college I went on a month-long mission trip to Romania. We made repairs to a church, helped in an orphanage, delivered food and clothes to families, put on clown shows but the best part was just talking to people, encouraging them, and praying for them.

We did practical things, offered everyday help and it made a difference.

Plant-Based Help

I remember when I began the transition to whole food, plant-based eating. I didn’t even know what words to Google with. I couldn’t find any appropriate recipes and I was completely overwhelmed. Of course I learned more and found an abundance of resources. I kept thinking it shouldn’t be this hard.

I set out to provide a resource for others transitioning to a plant-based diet, especially families. I love getting feedback from you all. I feel like when I share my struggles, mistakes, victories, and yes even recipes I make it easier for you to be successful, or at least realize you can do this.

Quinoa and Black Beans

I Could Use A Little Help

I’m in a recipe contest for Pritikin’s Recipe of the Year. I submitted this recipe for Cilantro-Lime Infused Quinoa with Black Beans. It is delicious and easily adaptable! The voting ends August 30th.

Casting a vote for your favorite recipe is real simple. Just share your favorite recipe with your social media community on your favorite social sites by clicking on any social share button within the recipe page. Every click & share counts as a vote! Pritikin’s Contest FAQs

If you would take the next 60 seconds and click over to my recipe for Cilantro-Lime Infused Quinoa with Black Beans and share it via the social media buttons I’d really appreciate it. Feel free to check out the other recipes too, most are not plant-based but could be adapted.

The top 2 recipe creators win a trip to Pritikin Longevity Center in Miami, Florida (with a guest) to compete in a cook-off. I’d love to win this trip. It would be a much-needed vacation and an opportunity to spread the plant-based message.

Thanks

If you took a few seconds to vote, Thank You! I hope to give you all an update as soon as I know the results. Even more than winning the contest I appreciate that you care and you keep coming back and making me a part of your journey.

 Update

I wanted to let you all know that my recipe was in the top two and I’ll be going to Miami to later this month! Thank you all for voting and the support you are faithful to provide.