My Plant-Based Family

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

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Plant-Based Kids

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Can you raise your kids plant-based eaters? Is it healthy? Will they get all of the nourishment they need to grow strong and healthy? 

YES!

It is your job as parents to make sure they are eating a healthy diet, even if you choose to include meat or dairy. We all get caught in a rut from time to time but what your child eats or doesn’t eat is solely in your hands. 

The Earlier the Better

The younger your kids are when they begin eating healthy the easier it will be. Kids who have never had fast food, candy, or soda will not throw a fit for it. When I was pregnant with my second child I was a fast food queen; my oldest and I would eat fast food burgers, nuggets, or burritos probably 4 times a week. I cringe now when I think about all of the garbage we ate. I don’t dwell on that, nothing can be done, I simply focus on feeding my kids healthy food now.

Starting today is better than starting tomorrow. As a mom I had bought into the “3 a day” dairy campaign. I was so please that my son LOVED plain yogurt, cheese was another favorite snack. As we transitioned to a plant-based diet I would allow my son to occasionally have a cheese stick. He loved it. I don’t buy them or keep them stocked in the house any more. Don’t tell anyone but he had a grilled cheese last week from Sonic. I don’t feel condemned over this. Every other meal that week was healthy and full of life giving nutrients.

Bigger kids maybe harder to convert. Some friends of mine made the plant-based switch this year. They watched “Forks Over Knives”, “Food Matters”, and “Food Inc.” with their kids. The kids want to eat healthy! They are doing it for their health, animals, and the planet. The son (who is probably about 10) said he missed meat and would eat it again but he is eating healthy now. 

Picky Picky

If you’ve read any parenting books you’ve probably heard it takes something like 15 different attempts of feeding your child a particular food for them to like it. If your kid doesn’t like something don’t give up. Their taste change as they change, and I’ve never known a toddler to not change their mind.

I am not a “sneaky chef” but I’m not completely against it either. Some kids don’t like the texture of a particular veggie. If you puree it and add it to another dish they may begin to love the taste, then give the veggie a chance. 

My 3 year old was never a fan of carrots until he saw Mommy eating carrots and hummus. Now he will abandon whatever he is doing and come running for “carrots and dip”. 

PB&J and Beyond

If your kids eat lunch with other kids they are gonna want to eat what their friends have. Ask your kids what kind of food they want. If they are happy with a sandwich, fruit, and a drink then hey it’s not junk and they could do much worse. 

When my(big) kids were in elementary school I made a chart to help them prepare their lunches. The columns were Main Dish, Fruit or Veggie, Snack, Dessert, and Drink. Each column then had foods that were acceptable. Once they got to junior high it wasn’t cook to be seen with a lunch so they would usually take a sandwich and a granola bar. I’m convinced this was still healthier than anything they would have eaten at school. The choices there were pizza, nacho bar, fried fish sandwich, and the like.

Meal Ideas

Here is a partial list of food I feed my kids. 

  • Baked Sweet Potatoes, you can even add cinnamon or a few drops of maple syrup. My boys eat them plain.
  • Baked Potato, my 3  year old always wants ketchup.
  • Almond or Peanut butter sandwiches
  • Apples or bananas dipped in almond butter
  • Almond butter toast
  • Steamed Veggies, my 1 year old does best with these, broccoli, squash, mushrooms, carrots, etc.
  • Pasta with veggies and sauce
  • Beans, my 1 year old loves whole beans, the 3 year old likes them smashed.
  • Rice with veggie and sauce
  • Bean burrito, the 1 year old can’t handle burritos yet but he loves beans.
  • Bean/grain loaf, the 1  year old loves any variation of this.
  • Oatmeal
  • Breakfast Quinoa
  • Bagel Pizza’s, for the 3 year old
  • Pancakes
  • Breakfast Stir Fry
  • Nachos with faux cheese, guacamole, salsa, beans, and taco quinoa!
  • Fresh Fruit, apples, bananas, strawberries, pineapples, mangoi
  • Frozen fruit, my 1 year old LOVES frozen blueberries, especially when teething.
  • Smoothies, you can add kale, spinach, or a host of other healthy foods.

This is only a partial list, please add your favorite Plant-Based kids meals (or snacks) in the comments. 

Tips

When in doubt add a dip. Hummus, Unfried Beans, salsa, guacamole, nut butter, faux cheese sauce, ketchup or even a non-dairy yogurt can make a difference. Give it a fun and special name like Hippo Hummus. 

If a dip is not fitting add a sauce. Last night we had gluten free noodles and steamed veggies (squash, tomatoes, carrots, broccoli, onions, mushrooms and spinach). I knew the 1 year old would eat it but the 3 year old and my husband would need a sauce to be completely won over. As usual I didn’t measure but mixed about 1 cup of veggie broth, less than 1 tbsp of nutritional yeast,  less than 1 tbsp of rice flour, a few shakes of garlic powder, onion powder and black pepper and a squirt of Braggs Amino’s. I stirred the mixture on medium heat until it thickened then poured it over the veggies and noodles. It was very taste. Everyone except the 3 year old had seconds. 

Do you have a tip to share? Please do so in the comments!

A quick note, I am not a doctor and I have never played one on TV. My opinions are just that, opinions based on my experience, research and the teaching I’ve received. I’m happy to answer questions or give advice just know that I am not an expert. 

Meal Plan Monday: Feeling Good

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I am in a super good mood this morning! I’m so happy that it might be annoying if you were around me, I am feeling good! Part of the reason may be that I finally feel like I am back to normal from our trip, (I’m almost done whining about the trip, well maybe) it sure took a toll. I am still finding myself drinking a little too much caffeine, but too much for me is still less average for the normal person. 🙂 

The greater part of our happiness or misery depends on our dispositions, and not on our circumstances. We carry the seeds of the one or the other about with us in our minds wherever we go. –Martha Washington

Last week I made my fist attempt at gluten-free vegan baking getting ready for the Virtual Vegan Potluck on May 12th. I’m happy to say it turned out pretty good and I’m planning to try another recipe in the next day or two.  

Meal Plan

Breakfast will be Breakfast Rice (like Breakfast Quinoa but made with brown rice), Fruit and Nut Butter toast, oatmeal, and leftover gluten-free pancakes.

Lunch will be leftovers, spinach and veggie wraps, sandwiches and whatever else we get a hankering for.

Snacks are usually fruit, smoothies, veggies with hummus or gluten-free banana-blueberry bread.

Dinner

Monday: Hawaiian Chickpea Teriyaki from Lindsey at the Happy Herbivore.

Tuesday: Gluten-free pasta with steamed veggies, and sauce

Wednesday: International Quinoa Salad from Susan at Fat-Free Vegan.

Thursday: Black Bean Burgers or nuggets for the kids, potatoes, and avocado. 

Friday: Leftovers or something easy for the munchkins. 

Saturday is the Virtual Vegan Potluck! Make sure you visit and checkout delicious vegan recipes from all over the world! 

Meal Plan Monday: Simple Food, Simply Good

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Minestrone Soup

For the next few weeks (at least) I want to focus on how to begin eating a Plant-Based Diet. Even if you’re not ready to give up meat and dairy entirely I hope to encourage you to include more fruit and vegetables in your diet.

If you are an all or nothing kind of person I would advise you to commit to a diet free of any animal products for at least 30 days. If that seems more difficult than climbing Everest then try to add more whole foods and slowly eliminate animal products. It was definitely easier for me than I thought, more difficult for my husband, and the hardest on my now three year old. My husband still wants steak occasionally and my three year old asks for cheese regularly. My one year old has always been plant-based and has a love of fruit and veggies of which I am envious.

This weeks Meal Plan is made up of simple foods that can be found in any grocery store, with the exception of maybe couscous. Couscous is really yummy and easy to make, if you’ve never tried it, you should. The taste reminds me of pasta. If this Meal Plan doesn’t seem tasty to you take a look at previous Meal Plans or Recipes.

Meal Plan

Breakfast is usually quick things like oatmeal, toast, smoothies, fruit with almond butter or left over pancakes. Also we usually eat twice in the morning, once when we get up and once mid morning. I recommend rolled oats or steel cut oats, they take a few extra minutes to cook but they keep you full longer. A typical bowl of oatmeal for me will include cinnamon, diced banana, craisins, and maybe some seeds or nuts, a splash of real maple syrup adds an extra sweet touch as well.

Lunch is often leftovers, PB&J, Not So Tuna Salad, leftover Baked Potato, a spinach and hummus wrap or something easy. If I’m feeling really motivated I might make pancakes or soup with veggie odds and ends.

Snack is a must at our house. Hummus makes a regular appearance. I shared on Facebook how I could not find hummus or chickpea’s in the small town my mom lives in and had major hummus withdrawal. Some of my family members had never heard of or had hummus but it is one of my favorite things these days. I like to eat hummus with raw veggies like carrots or spinach. I don’t always have humus so sometimes I eat leftovers for snack or fruit or smoothies.

Dinner is the meal that gets the most attention. We all eat the same thing even my one and three year old’s. My one year old has a wheat/gluten allergy so most of what I make now is wheat/gluten free. I’m new to this so I’m still transitioning and figuring it out.

Monday: Baked Potatoes (make extra for easy lunches) topped with steamed veggies, beans, or chili.

Tuesday: Beans and Brown Rice served in a bowl or tortillas. You can used canned beans or make your own which is cheaper. Make extra brown rice for a quick lunch. If you’re not sold on eating brown rice try mixing white and brown rice until you acquire a taste for it, it will happen just ask my husband.

Wednesday: Minestrone Soup is easy to make and soooo delicious. I’ll be using wheat/gluten free noodles in this soup. Last time I made it I didn’t make nearly enough and graciously let my husband take some of the leftovers for lunch even though I secretly wanted to hide it and keep it all to myself. Shh don’t tell him! He was always the guy who didn’t like soup so just give this one a chance.

Thursday: Couscous with roasted veggies like onions, peppers, broccoli, and mushrooms. I may even marinate them in balsamic vinegar and veggie broth for a little while before cooking them if I am organized enough that day.

Friday: Typically a date night for me and my husband so the kids get baked sweet potato or something just as easy while we eat hummus from Pita Jungle.

I don’t plan out our weekend meals because I like to use up leftovers and cook as little as possible. I will usually soak beans and cook them on the weekend. If you cook a big pot you can save some to eat during the week and store some to put in the freezer for a quick meal.

Do you have any questions about eating a plant-based diet? Feel free to ask in the comments, email me at myplantbasedfamily@gmail.com, or for the quickest reply ask on My Plant-Based Family’s Facebook page. 

Meal Plan Monday: How I Plan

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I sit here a fully admit I don’t know what we are eating this week. At the end of the week half of our household will be going on a trip to see family. I did not buy much at the grocery store because I did not want to leave a bunch of food that would go bad.

I thought that this would be a good opportunity to walk you through how I Meal Plan. First I take all of the food we have into consideration:

  • Carrots*
  • Potatoes*
  • A little Spinach
  • Sprouted grain bread
  • Oatmeal*
  • Cooked quinoa**
  • Cooked pinto beans**
  • Several vats of hummus
  • 7 cups of cooked chickpeas**
  • Fresh (but going downhill) Strawberries**
  • Several Gluten Free Cereals*

At the store I picked up:

  • Almond Milk
  • Bananas
  • Apples
  • Broccoli**
  • Freeze-dried Veggies I wanted to try (Bleck…not a fan!)*

Item with * will be fine when I return from traveling and do not need to be used immediately. Items with ** can be frozen and used another time. I have a well stocked pantry and freezer so I have other options available. When my fridge is empty I plan meals based on what produce is the best value while also balancing nutrition and taste.

The Meal Plan

Breakfast will be oatmeal, Breakfast Quinoa, cereal and smoothies.

Lunches will be leftovers, Nachos made with Pinto Beans, PB&J or AB&J, Not So Tuna Salad sandwiches or wraps, and my favorite Spinach, carrot and hummus Wrap.

Snacks will be hummus with fresh veggies, smoothies, chickpeas, and fruit with nut butter.  

Dinner will not be completely planned because I want to focus on using up everything the will not last while I travel. A few of the things that we may eat are:

  • Bean Burrtios
  • Quinoa Tacos
  • Veggie Soup with Chickpeas
  • Steamed Spinach with Chickpeas (I had this yesterday and it was tasty)
  • Nachos
  • Baked Potatoes
  • Potato and Broccoli Soup
Each evening I’ll decide what needs to be eaten and focus on that food type. Some things can be combined like the beans and quinoa to make nachos, or everything thrown together for soup. Most of these things are already cooked so I’ll just have to throw it together and warm it up, or throw it in a pot to simmer. 
 
I also try to eat several different colors of food throughout the day. If I feel like we are missing out on something I’ll make a smoothie because I can throw in spinach, blueberries, pineapple, mango, cherries, or strawberries and feel like we are covering all of or bases. We typically eat a lot of whole grains and carrots so we are rarely missing out on those. 
Do you Meal Plan? It saves me money and frustration each week, give it a try.

Breakfast Quinoa: Whole Grain Fruity Goodness

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If you believe that breakfast is the most important meal of the day then you should give this dish a try. 

This crop has become highly appreciated for its nutritional value, as its protein content is very high (18%). Unlike wheat or rice (which are low in lysine), and like oats, quinoa contains a balanced set of essential amino acids for humans, making it a complete protein source. It is a good source of dietary fiber and phosphorus and is high in magnesium and iron. Quinoa is gluten-free and considered easy to digest.

It is also easy to make and very versatile. I use quinoa to make burgers, Nachos, Tacos, faux sausage, etc. My husband likes to take it to the office for breakfast. 

Breakfast Quinoa

Ingredients (all except quinoa are optional)

  • 1 cup cooked quinoa
  • diced fresh or dried fruit
  • nuts/seeds
  • agave or other sweetener
  • almond or other plant milk
  • cinnamon
Do
  1. Heat cooked quinoa in a small pan with a little plant milk or heat in microwave.
  2. Add fresh or dried fruit and any other toppings you like.
Serve
This is a really easy breakfast or snack. If you’re on the go it can be kept warm in a thermos or eaten cold (we like it warm). My husband likes his with raisins, cinnamon and a touch of agave. I like mine with fresh bananas, dried cranberries and raw pumpkin seeds. Today I used fresh strawberries because they were available. This can be made in advance and enjoyed all week.
My 1 year old devours this. The only problem is he is not very hand with a spoon yet so I have to assist him.  
Do you eat quinoa for breakfast? If so, how do you eat it?

 

Meal Plan Monday: Scavenger Hunt

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Our schedules are returning to normal this week, our big kids are back at their mom’s house and (at least for now) we are healthy. I find myself paying extra attention to every little cough or sneeze, hoping it is nothing. 

Each week when I prepare our Meal Plan I take several factor into consideration; a few of them include:

  • What food we have on hand
  • What food is seasonal/better value
  • Our schedule
  • Likes/dislikes
  • Nutrition/variety

This week I’m also continuing my experiment on my 1 year old. It is not as ominous as it sound. He seems to have some allergies/sensitivities to several foods and it shows on his skin. He has reactions to rice, peanuts, and probably dairy although that has been removed from my diet since he was 9 month and he has never eaten it. My experiment is to see if gluten is also causing a problem. 

My normal grocery trip felt much more like a scavenger hunt, and not a fun one! Since I’m new to the whole gluten-free arena I wanted to find a few convenience foods that would be appropriate for a 15 month old. So I’m searching for vegan, rice-free, peanut free and gluten-free. I did not find much. If you have any idea’s for me please share!

 

On to the Meal Plan

Breakfast this week will be Breakfast Quinoa, buckwheat pancakes, cereal and smoothies. I’m hoping to get more ideas, preferably things my 1 year can feed himself. 

Lunches will be leftovers, wraps, baked potatoes, baked sweet potatoes, and veggie soup.

Snacks will be strawberries, hummus (we have a ton the big kids didn’t touch last week) with veggies and maybe tortilla chips, nachos, fruit with almond butter and smoothies.

Dinner

Monday: Baked Potatoes topped with steamed broccoli and spinach. I like to steam red bell pepper with the spinach for a unique flavor.

Tuesday: Leftovers

Wednesday: Couscous with sauteed veggies (in a veggie broth). 

Thursday: A new Chickpea dish, I’m trying to decide between a few from Happy Herbivore.

Friday: Hopefully this will be a date night so I’ll just make something easy for the boys.

I’m attempting to have an easy week regarding meal prep. I’ll also be juicing for my husband. Everything I cooked last week was nutritious but we ate out a few too many times so this weeks focus will be on simplicity and nutrition. 

I always have good intentions when I make the Meal Plan but I rarely follow it. Life happens and plans change. Sometimes there are just too many leftovers to warrant cooking another meal. Other times I forget to prep/soak something (like Chickpeas). I often use snack time to make sure we are getting plenty of fruit and veggie variety. 

I will likely experiment with making some of my favorite baked goods gluten-free as well. 

Do you have any suggestions for me regarding vegan, gluten-free, rice-free, and peanut free food for a 1 year old? Thankfully he is a really good eater and loves veggies. He devoured my quinoa this morning.  The only veggie he doesn’t like (so far) is cucumber and I don’t like it either.