My Plant-Based Family

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

Meal Plans

Meal Plan Monday: Wanna Help

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I hope you had a great Mother’s Day weekend. One of the highlight’s of the weekend was the Virtual Vegan Potluck, over 60 bloggers shared recipes. If you have some time stop by the potluck. If you’re interested in seeing my contribution check out these Gluten-Free Apple Muffins.  

Every Monday I post a Meal Plan for the week. Sometimes I stick to it and other times not so much. I occasionally get stuck in a rut and make the same meals over and over. As the temperatures increase here in Arizona I find myself wanting to cook less and less. Does this happen to the rest of you?

Some of my quick and easy (I don’t want to cook anything) meals contained wheat/gluten and I’m trying to stay away from those now. Last week I shared on My Plant-Based Family’s Facebook page how my son’s eczema had almost completely cleared up when we were both gluten-free but started coming back when I would have wheat products (I’m still nursing him). 

The goal of my blog is to chronicle our journey eating a Plant-Based Diet and to do it inexpensively. That means paying $6 for a tiny loaf of gluten-free bread is not something that can be done often. Since we are relatively new to gluten-free eating I occasionally buy convenience items that are on sale, at least until I learn how to make substitutes. 

So here it is Monday and I need to come of with a Meal Plan, and I started thinking that maybe someone else would want to help. Do you wanna help? So I’ll share what produce I bought this weekend and you can give me ideas. How does that sound?

Produce

  • Spinach
  • Carrots
  • Celery
  • Tomatoes
  • Onions
  • Jalapeno Peppers
  • 1 Red Bell Pepper
  • Limes
  • Broccoli
  • Summer Squash
  • Zucchini
  • Potatoes
  • Sweet Potatoes
  • Grape Tomatoes
  • Strawberries
  • Apples
  • Bananas
  • Honeydew Melon
  • Pear (only 1 left)
  • Oranges
  • Kiwi

I also have a big batch of cooked Pinto Beans and of cooked Quinoa along with big batch of Cilantro Jalapeno Hummus and a small batch of Spicy Hummus. My pantry is stocked with my normal go to items like rice, beans, oatmeal (but not gluten-free), and pasta (that is gluten-free). To see my normal supply click on this post about Resources.

What would you make? I’m having company on Tuesday and promised her Mexican food, she is pregnant and has 3 little one’s. Any suggestions? I’ll be posting on My Plant-Based Family’s Facebook page what we end up eating so follow it if you are curious. I’d love to say you could win a fabulous prize but sadly I don’t have any prizes to give away. But I will give you and your blog a shout out if we make a meal that you recommend! 🙂

Speaking of shout-outs, have you checked out Tia Tofu, when she gets to 500 likes on Facebook she will be giving away cookies! I can’t think of anything better than that. So run over to Tia Tofu’s Facebook page and like her. She is fabulous I promise! 

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.

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. 

Quinoa “Taco Meat”

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So we all know I’m not really talking about meat here but after all of the press about pink slime I don’t want to us the works “taco filling” because that sounds too much like filler, BLECK! 

I’m talking about seasoning up nutrient dense quinoa. If you’ve read my blog for long you know I’m a fan of quinoa. I buy a big bag at Costco for under $10. I like to use it anywhere someone would typically use ground beef so, burgers, tacos, nacho’s, and my husband LOVES it with cinnamon for breakfast (think oatmeal style). I’ve also used it in place of rice or other grains. It is also a gluten free food for those so inclined.

Quinoa “Taco Meat”

Ingredients

  • 2 cups cooked quinoa
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp granulated onion
  • 1 tsp granulated garlic
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • 1/2 tsp cumin 
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 1/4 cup tomato sauce

Do

  1. Stir all seasonings into quinoa. We like a lot of spice so feel free to pair this down if you’re not crazy about a lot of seasoning. 
  2. Stir in tomato sauce, I happened to be out so I used about 2 tsp of tomato paste and a little water. 
  3. If seasonings are not mixing well add a little water or veggie broth. 

Serve

Last night we had this on Nachos and my three teenagers, or as I usually say teenyboppers, loved it. Other places to eat this would obviously be tacos, burritos, and taco salads. I think for lunch I’ll have some on a baked potato as inspired by Laura’s Taco Potatoes over at Heavenly Homemakers. Of course her recipe has meat but I was still inspired, especially since I still have some fresh salsa and pinto beans to add to my hot potato.

Another favorite way to make this is to mix it 1:1 with cooked lentils. I love lentils in place of tradition ground beef recipes. I was planning on cooking it that way last night but alas I forgot to cook the lentils. I know they cook very quickly but since my big kids are here I’d rather visit than cook (or have an extra pan to wash).

Do you eat quinoa? What is your favorite way to eat it? Since we love Mexican food almost any new thing I try has Mexican flare, I know I should branch out but it’s hard to resist those familiar spices.