My Plant-Based Family

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

Healthy

Gluten Free Quaker Popped

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I love trying new products. I’m always looking for the next great thing. When I find a product that is safe for my son (who is gluten-free) and delicious I jump on it.

quaker popped

Both of my boys take their lunch and a snack to school each day. I like to provide them at least one thing with a little crunch to it.

Quaker Popped 1

Quaker Popped

I recently went to Walmart and they were having a gluten-free event. Most of the time when stores have an event with samples I have to avoid it because my little guy will want to try foods that aren’t safe for him. This time I discovered Quaker Popped. We chose the Apple Cinnamon flavor because it was also dairy-free. They are little rice cakes that fit into little hands without a big mess.

quaker popped

My boys were thrilled with these crunchy little treats. I bought the big bag for less than $3!

To find some of the other great gluten-free brands at Walmart visit the Gluten-Free for Less page.

Disclosure: This post was brought to you by Walmart, AMP, and Sverve. All opinions are my own.

Simplify Your Morning Routine

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This conversation is sponsored by Silk. All opinions are my own.

I’m always looking for ways to simplify our morning routine. I’m usually out the door by 6:15 and my husband finishes getting our boys ready and to their schools. We don’t have enough time during the week for complicated meals or extra duties.

Simplify your morning routine with Silk

There are a few things we do to make the mornings run smoothly. If we neglect them we have a hard time getting out the door as quickly as we need to. Let’s face it, mornings are difficult enough without chaos.

Tips to Simplify Your Morning Routine

1. We pack lunches the night before

Yes, everyone gets a packed lunch. My husband and I usually have leftovers while the kids get sandwiches, fruit and kid-friendly fare. Both of the boys have to take a snack to school too. I make sure the snack is in the refrigerator right next to the lunches. I try to get these in the back packs before I leave in the morning but if I don’t it’s easy for my husband to grab.

2. Keep a Launching Pad

I don’t know about you but we travel with a lot of stuff on a daily basis. My kids have back packs, lunch bags, sweat shirts that they take to school every day. My husband and I have various things we have to grab like our phones, I have a company computer I tote around along with my purse, my husband carries his wallet, and a few things he needs for work. Let’s not forget our morning travel mug of coffee! When we don’t have all of these things in the correct spot then we forget something. Some people call this spot a launching pad but we just use the end of our counter.

3. Easy breakfasts

Simply breakfasts are really important during this season of life. I have my kids sit down for breakfast every morning while I finish things up. Gone are the days of slow cooking oatmeal in the morning, I need fast and easy. When I plan ahead I can have breakfasts prepped on the weekends.

I’m usually so busy that I just grab breakfast to eat at my office. I recently discovered Silk Dairy-Free Yogurt Alternative. It’s make from cultured soy so it’s not a traditional yogurt but it’s so good. We’ve loved every flavor that we’ve tried and with 6 grams of plant-based protein per serving and no artificial flavors or colors it’s a great option for us.

I’ll admit that I was skeptical until I had the first bite, it was smooth, creamy and delicious. My boys have always loved yogurt so I knew they would like it. It’s nice to have another product that is safe for my son with multiple-food allergies. Sign up for Silk’s newsletter here to stay in the loop about new products and join their community.

Do you have tips to help you with your morning routine? I’d love to hear them!

This conversation is sponsored by Silk. The opinions and text are all mine.

Start the new year with the 31 Day Plant-Based eCourse

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I’m not a fan of New Year’s resolutions. I can’t recall anyone that has made a New Year’s resolution that lead to a sustained life change. I’m not saying that it doesn’t happen but it doesn’t really seem to last.

I prefer to prepare and make a choice that will lead to a lasting change. That is one of the reasons I put together the 31 Day Plant-Based eCourse. The eCourse lets you learn how to make lasting changes.

So if you are new to a plant-based diet or if you’ve been struggling with sticking to it then this eCourse is for you.

Check out the eCourse page for more information or go ahead and sign up here.

31 Day Plant-Based eCourse and Challenge

The eCourse launches on January 1st, 2015

You’ll get:

  • a copy of The Plant-Based Diet Starter Guide: How to Cook, Shop and Eat Well (as a PDF download)
  • a weekly Meal Plan plus recipes
  • a weekly workout guide from Kimbre Varney at Fueling the Temple
  • plus plant-based lessons that cover everything you need to know to thrive on a plant-based diet with special contributions from Andrea Denton of Veggie Craving and Dustin Rudolph the Plant-Based Pharmacist and author of The Empty Medicine Cabinet.
  • and prizes from our sponsor Anne Haring with Pampered Chef.
  • lots of support in our private Facebook group and weekly conference calls.

The eCourse is a $30 dollar investment that can help you change your life. For less than a dollar a day you’ll get daily help and encouragement along with all of the tools you need for a successful lifestyle change.

If you are like us, we were on a number of different prescriptions for chronic health problems; hundred’s of dollars per month went to are pharmacy just to keep us going. After we got on a plant-based diet we no longer take any prescription medications. We felt and looked better than ever. I’m not a doctor but I’ve heard countless stories of regular people regaining their health and reversing disease by making the changes I talk about in this eCourse.

 

ecourse

 

FTC Disclaimer: The eCourse described above is an eCourse I have created and am selling. This website uses affiliate links on which I earn income.

Simple Veggie Soup in the Instant Pot

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I want to start by telling you that this soup can be made on the stove or in the Crock Pot as well. For those of you with an Instant Pot you can cook this soup much more quickly.

This Simple Veggie Soup (in the Instant Pot) is so easy and delicious. You can add different ingredients if you prefer but this is made with basic veggie staples that we always have on hand. You know me, I like to keep it simple.

simple veggie soup

There are a few variations on this recipe. To make this soup heartier you can add Great Northern beans. It will cook more quickly if you soak the beans ahead of time. The soup is delicious with or without beans.

I added all of the ingredients to the Instant Pot in the morning and set the timer to come on 4 hours later so it would be ready in the afternoon. This will allow the beans to soak for a while if you are using them

Simple Veggie Soup in the Instant Pot

Ingredients

  • 1/2 an onion, diced
  • 2 cups broccoli, chopped
  • 1 large carrots, sliced (this equaled 1 cup of carrots for me)
  • 5 red potatoes, quartered (I didn’t peel them)
  • 3 liters of water (12 cups)
  • 1 cup dry Great Northern beans (optional)
  • bullion or dry broth mix (read the label to figure out the appropriate amount)

Do

  1. Put all of the ingredients into the Instant Pot and close the lid.
  2. Press the SOUP button, then if using the timer press the TIMER button.
  3. Use the + or – buttons to select the appropriate number of hours you’d like the Instant Pot to delay cooking. (The time will be the delayed time before the Instant Pot starts.) Remember that it takes time for the Instant Pot to heat up and cool down, especially when cooking soup so you need to take that time into consideration.
  4. Once the Soup is done the Instant Pot will keep it warm until you press CANCEL. Allow the steam to release naturally or use the quick release.

Serve

We eat this soup as is with maybe a sprinkle of salt. It’s perfect if you’ve been fighting a cold or are just in the mood for warm veggies.

Notes

If you are cooking it immediately you do not need to select the TIMER button.

If you are using dry beans they need to be soaked OR you may need to increase the cooking time, check the cooking time chart to be sure.

If you are making this in the Crock Pot just cook it all day or for about 6 hours.

If you are using beans and cooking this on the stove it will take about 90 minutes to cook soaked beans, if the beans haven’t been soaked it will take longer. I recommend you cook the beans first then add them to the soup.

The soup will take about 30 minutes without beans or with previously cooked beans.

Do you ever just make a simple soup? What are your “must” have ingredients? 

Dinner in Minutes

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As I mentioned last week I’m now working full-time. Gone are the days of slow cooking beans on my stove or making dinners in the early afternoon and reheating them in the evening. Our schedule is much busier now so I’m much more strategic with our dinner plans.

I still have my favorite go to recipes that are really quick like my Veggie Pad Thai. If you haven’t made it yet you really should. I can have it ready in less than 30 minutes.

Dinner in Minutes: Strategies for Quick Dinners

Dinner in Minutes

If your schedule is tight and you need dinners with minimal prep time I think you’ll appreciate these ideas.

Use your Slow Cooker

Many of my recipes can’t handle the slow cooker all day. Six hours would probably be the longest for the casseroles but the Potato Soup, Taco Soup, Enchilada soup, and chili will work fine in a slow cooker. Baked potatoes (and Baked Sweet Potatoes) can also be cooked in the Crock-Pot all day. (The one linked is programmable.)

Batch Cook on the Weekends

You don’t have to prepare every meal but I’m a big fan of cooking items like beans, grains, potatoes, etc. to be reheated during the week. I usually try to have 2 or 3 things cooking at one time. Then throughout the week I can mix and match those items with other items that cook quickly like pasta.

Have Back Ups Ready

I keep canned beans for those days I’m not prepared and don’t have time. Just this week I pulled out a can of beans to make Unfried Black Beans for my family. It was much healthier than anything else we would have eaten on such short notice. I also keep frozen veggies on hand for those days when I have no time and I’m out of produce. I can add them to soup, stir fry or steam them.

Oatmeal is also a great, quick and healthy meal. Sure, it’s breakfast but it is filling and hearty.

Eat Simple Meals

Like the oatmeal mentioned above, choose meals that are easy to prepare. Pasta with marinara, Baked Potatoes, Veggie Wraps, Bean and Grain Bowls, Bean Burritos are all simple meals. Save the complicated meals for the weekend. If you’ve done some batch cooking most of these things can be ready in less than 15 minutes.

Instant Pot

Use a Pressure Cooker

As you probably know I recently bought an Instant Pot. I love it. I can quickly cook dry beans in about 30 minutes. My favorite thing lately is pinto beans cooked in my Instant Pot, brown rice and diced potatoes. I’ve been using it’s timer so I can set it up before I leave in the morning and dinner will begin cooking just before I get home.

I’ve also used it to cook brown rice, lentils, chili, veggie soup, potatoes and sweet potatoes and several of my casseroles. It’s been a lifesaver for us and well worth the investment.

Do you have fool proof ways to get dinner ready in minutes? What are they?

This page contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase using a link I earn a small percentage at no additional cost to you. 

Tips for Eating Healthy When Your Family Is Not

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Wouldn’t it be nice if we could decide to eat healthy and just do? You know, today I give up fries, or pizza, or whatever it is you over indulge in. Not only do we have to “fight” our own desires and cravings when choosing to eat healthy but many of us also have to deal with family members who may not be happy or supportive about our choices.

Trying to eat healthy by yourself is hard. 6 Tips to help you eat healthy when your family is not. [Read more…] about Tips for Eating Healthy When Your Family Is Not