My Plant-Based Family

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

Meal Plan Monday

Meal Plan Monday: Some Plant-Based Fall Favorites

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September is finally here and I’m wondering if it’s Fall in your neck of the woods. We are still hanging out over 100 degrees everyday but I’m still making hearty soups, Banana Bread and other fall favorites.

We are also juggling school, sports, church and other commitments while trying to eat healthy.

Plant-Based Meal Plan Monday

Plant-Based Fall Favorites Meal Plan

Breakfast

After a long break from oats I’m ready to reintroduce oatmeal this week. I’ve really been missing them and plan to make a few fun variations. I usually buy gluten-free oats.

Lunch

I pack a lunch for my kindergartener (did you see my new Lunch Box Guide?) but my preschooler still eats at home. We usually eat dinner leftovers, veggie soup or baked potatoes.

  • Baked Potatoes topped with steamed veggies and/or beans
  • Leftover Burrito Bowls
  • Tortillas Rollups with SunButter and apples
  • Leftover Soup with a baked potato
  • Sandwiches using Sunbutter or hummus and veggies

Dinner

I like to keep it quick when possible but I don’t mind doing a little prep on the weekends or earlier in the day if needed. This week I’ll cook beans and Brown Rice to be used in the burrito bowls and with the Red Lentil Curry ahead of time. I’ve considered getting a Rice Cooker but haven’t bought one yet. I’m not sure if I’d use it enough.

  • Stir Fry using carrots, peas, broccoli, yellow bell pepper and brown rice.
  • Gluten-Free Mac and Cheeze I’m working on a new recipe.
  • Burrito Bowl with Rice, Beans, and Homemade Pico de Gallo.
  • Chickpea Noodle Soup or Chickpea and Rice Soup using the same recipe except using 1 cup rice instead of noodles.
  • Red Lentil Curry this recipe is used exclusively in the Custom Meal Plans.

What are you eating this week? Have you made the shift to Fall yet?

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Meal Plan Monday: Dinner in 30 Minutes or Less

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We are still celebrating Back to School month here at My Plant-Based Family. I know your kids may not have started school yet but I hope this month has given you some great ideas to get you ready. I’ve still got some things to share.

Back to School Month

We’ve had a Back to School Meal Plan that was filled with my quickest and easiest meals, and Batch Cooking Meal Plan that helped you prepare for the week ahead of time and a Crock Pot Week Meal Plan that used the Crock Pot every day.

This weeks Plant-Based Meal Plan fill focus on having dinner in 30 minutes or less. I’ll be using canned beans or beans that were previously cooked (I’ve got a few bags in my freezer). I’ll also “cheat” a little by cooking the Baked Potatoes in my Crock Pot.

Plant Based Diet Meal Plan

I don’t assign days to our dinners because I don’t always know what our schedule will be like. We have t ball on Monday’s and Wednesday’s but we also have a teenager and I never really know when we will be home. When he is home I make TWO dinners. He can eat a whole (4-5 person) dinner by himself. If you can relate please let me know.

All of these choices are fairly quick. I just use what is available and quick cooking.

Plant-Based Meal Plan

Pizza Pasta using seasonal veggies with steamed veggies on the side.

Gluten-Free Pancakes this recipe is only in Gabriel’s Fundraiser Cookbook. Get it now, it’s only available until the end of August. I may serve this with a Breakfast Stir Fry.

BBQ Chickpeas on top of Baked Potatoes with Steamed Veggies like broccoli, cauliflower and carrots.

Veggie Soup using whatever is around. I’ve been making soups ever few days for lunch. We’ve had Taco Soup, Enchilada Soup, Potato Soup, Broccoli and Potato Soup and more.

Simplified Red Lentil Curry used exclusively in my Custom Meal Plans. I’ll be serving this over quinoa, rice or potatoes.

There you have it, a Plant-Based Meal Plan with dinner in 30 minutes or less. You may have to be strategic but it can work.

I’ve got a few recipes coming up this week. I’ll give you a few hints. They are round, sweet and the perfect dessert for you kids lunch box! The are also vegan, gluten-free and nut free.

 

Plant-Based Crock Pot Week

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It’s Back to School month at My Plant-Based Family! This month we are focusing on packing lunch boxes, easy dinner time meals and getting ready for school. Make sure you check out my Back to School Community Board on Pinterest for more ideas.

I’ll be talking about lunch packing throughout the month (I’m also sharing my son’s lunch boxes on Instagram). Today my focus in on easy dinners, specifically Crock Pot dinners! My kindergartener starts baseball this week so it will be great to have an easy dinner planned.

I love my Crock Pot! I wish I had two but I don’t really have room for another one. I love cooking in it though. Many of my recipes are designed specifically for the Crock Pot but that doesn’t stop me from making my normal stove to recipes in it too.

Meal Plan Monday Plant-Based Crock Pot dinners

Plant-Based Crock Pot Dinners

Tomato Soup with a side salad and toast

Easy Crock Pot Broccoli and Rice Casserole, this is my husbands favorite recipe!

Taco Soup with Baked Potatoes

Spaghetti Squash with Marinara and a side salad

Pinto Beans in the Crock Pot to use in Bean Burritos or Bean and Potato Burritos.

These meals assure us a delicious homemade dinner no matter how busy we get. Another way to save time is though batch cooking. I hope you read last weeks Batch Cooking Meal Plan for additional time savers and meal ideas.

Don’t forget to get your $2.00 coupon code for The Plant-Based Diet Starter Guide.

ebook

Back to (Batch Cooking) School Meal Plan

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This is Back to School Month at My Plant-Based Family so naturally we will be focusing on quick dinners, fun lunch box ideas and easy recipes. Your children may not be back at school yet but these tips and ideas will help you get prepared.

Back to School Month

Today’s Plant-Based Meal Plan will focus on dinners. I’m giving you a sneak peeking into the way my brain works when it comes to planning meals. Specifically I’m going to show you how I batch cook to make the rest of the week easy-peasy.

Meal Plan Monday

Plant-Based Dinner Meal Plan

Easy Crock Pot Mexican Rice and Bean Casserole is everyone’s favorite. I’ll Double the recipe.

Slow Cooker Potato Soup except I plan to add extra veggies like broccoli, carrots and celery along with some lentils.

Spaghetti (GF) and Lentil Marinara this recipe is used exclusively in my Custom Meal Plans. This is served with raw or steamed veggies.

Nachos with Unfired Black Beans and Quinoa-Lentil Taco’s.

Taco Potatoes using Quinoa-Lentil Taco’s.

Batch cooking a plant-based meal plan

What to Look For

Can you spot the trends in this Meal Plan? Which ingredients appear repeatedly?

  • Black Beans are used in the Mexican Casserole, Nachos and Taco Potatoes.
  • Lentils are used in the Soup, Lentil Marinara, Nachos and Taco Potatoes.
  • Potatoes are used in the Soup and the Taco Potatoes.
  • Quinoa is used in the Nachos and Taco Potatoes
  • Tomatoes are used in the Lentil Marinara, Nachos, and Taco Potatoes.

Using the same ingredients in multiple recipes is typical for me. It cuts down the grocery bill and the amount of time it takes me to cook. You see, I don’t start from scratch every day. I like to spend a few hours and get most of this food prepped.

How to Batch Cook the Meal Plan

Let’s take a look at how batch cooking works. This can be simplified even more if you use canned beans.

  1. Soak black beans overnight.
  2. Cook black beans, wash and bake potatoes, cook lentils and quinoa, and prep veggies. This all happens at the same time. The beans and potatoes take longest to cook so you would start them first. The quinoa and lentils don’t take long so you would start them next. Lastly wash and chop veggies to use in all of the recipe and for extra snacks throughout the week.
  3. Put ingredients for Potato Soup in the Crock Pot OR put them all in a large zip lock bag so it’s ready to dump in the Crock Pot.
  4. Once the beans are done you can make the Unfried Black Beans, Mexican Casserole and Taco Potatoes.

The End Result

Now each evening I only have to reheat dinner or do a little cooking. For example I prefer to cook the spaghetti for the Lentil Marinara right before we eat it. Pasta, especially gluten-free pasta isn’t as good reheated. I’ll also heat and assemble the nachos and Taco Potatoes right before eating. Most of the cooking is done for the week.

Remember to check out my Back to School with My Plant-Based Pinterest Board and last weeks Lunch Box Essentials post.

Quick and Easy Meal Plans for Back to School

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It’s Back to School month here at My Plant-Based Family! This month will focus on quick and easy meal plans. I recommend you double recipes so you can eat leftovers and save time cooking.

Back to School Month

In case you are just joining us all of the Meal Plans are plant-based meaning they do not contain animal products like meat or dairy, they are also allergy-friendly. Since food allergies vary widely it’s not possible to come up with an allergen-free menu. For each recipe that contains one of the Top 8 Allergens I’ll list substitutions that can be made. Most of my recipes are gluten and nut free although older recipes may container them.

I’ll be handling lunch ideas in a separate post so they won’t be included here.

Meal Plan for Back to School

Plant-Based Meal Plan

Breakfast

I like to keep it simple on school mornings so we will be eating easy foods. Here is a hint, you can prepare breakfast the night before for a quick “heat and eat”.

You can also follow my Plant-Based Breakfast Pinterest Board for more delicious breakfast ideas or see my Breakfast Page.

Dinner

Have you seen my latest Pinterest Board? The Back to School with My Plant-Based Family is a community board, meaning you can add your own pins. All you have to do is follow all of my board on Pinterest and send me your email address and I’ll send you an invite. It’s a great opportunity for bloggers to expand their reach but also fun for anyone.

Are you staring school soon? We start this week!

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Meal Plan Monday: Guest Post from Bekky at Entering Vegan Territory

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During the month of July I welcome other bloggers to share their Meal Plans with you. Each Monday in July I plan to share a guest post. We have heard from Whitney J. Weiss at Bows, Blue & Boots and Jenn Seybestyen of Veggie Inspired Journeyl. 

plant-based meal plan

Today I’d like to introduce you to Bekky Yates of Entering Vegan Territory. Bekky lives in the UK. I think your mouth will be watering once you take a look at her meal plan.

 Meal Plan Your Way Into Vegan Territory

It may not be sexy, but when it comes to feeding a family there’s no denying that meal planning is the key to keeping your food bills in check and keeping your sanity in the kitchen – and meal planning is also a helpful tool in helping you stick to healthier food habits…

Omnivores interested in adopting a plant-based diet sometimes struggle to know where to start; here’s my answer: start with your meal plan. Most people, whether they usually meal plan or not, will have a repertoire of perhaps seven to ten meals that they eat in rotation, with a little seasonal variation. If you’re thinking of going plant-based but the idea of suddenly having to cook and prepare entirely new foods every day is just too daunting, then don’t do it – instead, start by adding just one plant-based meal to your meal plan. Choose a day when you have a bit more time and try out a vegan recipe. If it’s a success, make it again next week, and then again until you have it down pat. Then look for another new recipe and do the same. Even if you added just one vegan meal to your repertoire each month, you could be completely plant-based in around six months.

Of course, if you’re already plant-based, or if you’re just the kind of person who prefers to jump right in, you can leap feet first in to vegan territory by following my easy introductory meal-plan:

Breakfast

The Basics: Oats; fresh or frozen Fruit; some non-dairy Yoghurt & your preferred plant Milk (soya, almond, rice, oat or coconut – I recommend opting for one that is fortified with B12).

Nobody wants to have to think too hard about a week day breakfast: you can eat a delicious, nutritious breakfast every day simply by soaking some oats in a little plant milk and topping with non-dairy yoghurt and fresh fruit – try peaches, plums, strawberries, raspberries or blueberries. Vary the fruit each day to mix things up. Follow me on Instagram if you need some visual inspiration…

If you prefer your cereal with some crunch, why not try making some Crunchy Cranberry-Almond Granola.

 

Monday

Lunch – mashed avocado & freshly ground black pepper on toast with a handful of cherry tomatoes.

Dinner – DIY Summer Rolls  (no cooking required, just the veg to chop… you’ll be amazed how filling these are!)

Snack – Raspberry Traybake (this can double as dessert if required, and/or it can also be frozen for use in packed lunches at a later date)

Raspberry tray break

Tuesday

Lunch – Simple Green Bean, Tomato, Basil & Black Olive Salad (can be made in advance if a pack-up is required)

Dinner – Roast Med Veg & Chickpea Harissa Couscous (or Quinoa)

TIME-SAVING TIPS: while you’ve got the oven on, roast some extra courgettes and red peppers to use in tomorrow’s lunch … AND if you’re making this with quinoa, make some extra for baking with – it will keep it in the fridge for a couple of days until you’re ready to use it.

Snack – Raspberry Traybake from yesterday, if there’s any left – or a piece of fruit.

Wednesday

Butterbean, walnut roast veg salad

Lunch – Butterbean, Walnut & Roast Med Veg Salad (can be made in advance if a pack-up is required)

Dinner – Lemony pan-fried courgettes with new potatoes, peas and vegan-friendly sausages – gently pan fry the courgettes in garlic and olive oil. Squeeze the juice of one lemon into the pan and cook until tender. Boil the new potatoes separately. When  cooked, drain and slice and add these to the courgette pan.

Snack Carrot-Quinoa Muffin (these can be frozen for use in packed lunches at a later date – but leave some out for tomorrow!)

Carrot Quinoa Muffin

Thursday

Lunch –Green Bean & Potato Salad dressed in Mustard (using the rest of the potatoes you cooked last night)

Dinner – Simple Vegetable Sushi

Veggie Sushi

Snack – Carrot-Quinoa Muffin (if there’s some left from yesterday!)

Friday

Lunch – 100% Plant-based Ocean Paté on toast, with cucumber

Ocean pate

Dinner – Sweet & Sour Stir Fry with rice

Snack – – a glass of Beetroot-Berry Juice Boost (or make a little into Pink Milk for the kids)

 

 

Bekky Yates started her website Entering Vegan Territory in April 2014 as a way of sharing all the new stuff she found herself learning after she and her family decided to go from veggie to vegan earlier that year. Having previously spent time living in France, Austria & Russia, she now lives in Leicestershire, England with her two gorgeous girls, where she works as a freelance translator and editor. When she’s not in the kitchen or dreaming up recipes Bekky likes to work up an appetite by going out running with friends. She loves being vegan and can’t wait to explore further into vegan territory in the years to come. Like her Facebook page Entering Vegan Territory or follow her on Instagram or Twitter.