Meal Plans

This week is a crazy, busy week for us! We have so many appointments on top of our regular work and school schedules. I’m so thankful that I have a plant-based meal plan to lean on. I know exactly what we will be eating this week and I’m working to get some of it prepped before the week begins.

Not all foods lend themselves to meal prep, some things don’t reheat well. We enjoy leftover Tofu Scramble, Broccoli and Rice Casserole, and all the soups as leftovers. Our Mexican food dinner recipes reheat really well too. I’ll rely on my Instant Pot as much as possible but some of these recipes cook so quickly in a skillet that I can have them ready before my Instant Pot can come up to pressure and go back down.

Plant-Based Meal Plan

Monday

Breakfast: Tofu Scramble

Lunch: Chickpea Noodle Soup

Dinner: Green Chili Black Bean and Rice Soup

Tuesday

Breakfast: Strawberry Chia Pudding (recipe coming this week)

Lunch: Leftover Soup

Dinner: One Pot Broccoli Rice Casserole

Wednesday

Breakfast: Instant Pot Oatmeal

Lunch: Leftover Broccoli and Rice Casserole

Dinner: Lentil Tacos, Mexican Rice, Oil-Free Refried Beans

Thursday

Breakfast: Overnight Oats with Peanut Butter and Banana

Lunch: Burritos with leftover tacos, rice and beans

Dinner: Busy Night Pasta

Friday

Breakfast: Smoothies with muffins

Lunch: Leftovers

Dinner: Veggie Burgers and roasted potatoes

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We will probably skip some of these recipes depending on how much leftovers we have. We are big fans of leftovers!

We also have a lot of easy snacks on hand, freshly made Banana Bread is our favorite. I made some, this weekend with my boys help. You can check out my Instagram Highlights to see us in action. We also have a lot of fruit, popcorn, popsicles and frozen fruit for smoothies.

This week, my Plant-Based Meal Plan will focus on Instant Pot recipes and quick and easy meals. I’m a bit under the weather and have a big event at work. Both will take a lot out of me so I’ll make sure the food is easy.

If you don’t have an Instant Pot don’t worry, most of my Instant Pot recipes have stove top or slow cooker versions too. If you find one of my Instant Pot recipes you’d like to make but don’t have an Instant Pot, just send me a message and I’ll let you know if I have another version available.

I’m also thinking of making my favorite Mango Lime Ice Pops because they are so soothing to my sore throat. I can’t do artificially flavored ice pops, they trigger headaches. There are a few brands we love but I love my Mango Lime version more! I also have a delicious Triple Berry Yogurt Pop that we love!

Plant-Based Meal Plan

We usually have oatmeal for breakfast but I like smoothies when I’m going to be on the go. Sometimes the kids will pick cereal or toast. Lunches are usually leftovers but sometimes I’ll make an easy soup or salad or both! Dinner is usually the main, cooked meal. I always plan for us to eat it more than once. If I’m lucky, I’ll be able to skip cooking a meal later in the week if leftovers stretch far enough. Monday night’s dinner is one of those that we will eat at least two more times!

Monday

Breakfast: Instant Pot Oatmeal

Lunch: Mediterranean Bowl

Dinner: Enchilada Casserole

Tuesday

Breakfast: Smoothie

Lunch: Chickpea Noodle Soup

Dinner: Leftover Casserole

Wednesday

Breakfast: Overnight Oats

Lunch: Soup and Salad

Dinner: Instant Pot Black Beans and Rice (this is very mild so we will spice it up)

Thursday

Breakfast: Smoothie

Lunch: Leftovers

Dinner: Instant Pot Minestrone

Friday

Breakfast: Breakfast Hash

Lunch: Soup and Salad

Dinner: One Pot Broccoli and Rice

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If you need more plant-based recipe inspiration, follow me on Pinterest! I’m about to start pinning lots of summer recipes!

What are you cooking this week?

On Saturday I sent out my weekly plant-based tips email. I wrote about how helpful a meal plan can be to help you stick to plant-based eating. If you are struggling to stay on track, find a plant-based meal plan to help you get going. You can follow one of my weekly plans or find a plan elsewhere.

Since the weather is absolutely crazy it can be hard to make a meal plan that will appeal to people living near me where the weather is warm and perfect (don’t worry, it will change soon) and to people living in other places where it’s back to winter.

We eat the same types of food most of the year. More salads when it’s warm and more soups when it’s cold but we do eat both all year.

You’ll notice that we usually enjoy dinner leftovers for lunch the next day. It’s a great way to use leftovers and enjoy a nice meal for lunch.

Plant-Based Meal Plan

Monday

Breakfast: Overnight Oats

Lunch: Veggie Sandwich with Oil-Free Hummus and veggies

Dinner: Broccoli Mushroom Stir Fry (with noodles instead of rice)

Tuesday

Breakfast: Smoothie Bowl

Lunch: Leftovers or Baked Potato

Dinner: Black Bean Mango Salad

Wednesday

Breakfast: Instant Pot Oatmeal

Lunch: Leftover Black Bean Mango Salad

Dinner: Taco Soup

Thursday

Breakfast: Smoothie

Lunch: Leftover Soup

Dinner: Spaghetti and side salad with Creamy Italian Salad Dressing

Friday

Breakfast: Blueberry Muffins

Lunch: Leftovers

Dinner: Chickpea Nuggets, Mashed Potatoes with Brown Gravy and asparagus

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Easter Meal Ideas

We will be spending Easter with great friends. I’ll be bringing bread and some delicious sides! If you are looking for some great recipes to bring to Easter Dinner I recommend:

• Mashed Potatoes
• Brown Gravy
• Fruit Salad
• A big salad with your favorite salad dressing. I recommend Sweet and Tangy or Raspberry Vinaigrette.
• Crock Pot Broccoli and Rice Casserole

What are you eating this week?

Are you ready for the week? I’m not mentally prepared yet, but I’ve already created my plant-based meal plan for the week.

Over the weekend I did some meal prep for a birthday party and thankfully we have leftovers and a well stocked fridge and pantry. I made my Instant Pot Refried Beans and a quicker version of my Mexican Rice. I’ll either share a new recipe or update the old recipe with the changes soon. Having beans and rice in the fridge makes meals come together quickly!

When I started blogging again once my son was a year into treatment, I asked what type of recipes everyone wanted and overwhelmingly it was quick and easy recipes. I’ve been working on creating new recipes and remaking old ones so they are easier for busy families.

Quick and Easy Plant-Based Recipes

In fact, I made you a little gift for those of you who subscribe to my weekly emails! You can download my favorite quick and easy recipes if you are a subscriber. I’ve taken some time off from these emails but they are starting back up THIS WEEK! Don’t worry, you can still sign up and get my favorite quick and easy recipes and a weekly email from me with easy, actionable plant-based tips!

Sign up to get Quick and Easy Plant-Based Recipes plus free weekly tips! https://pages.convertkit.com/24e92386c0/c521864834Click to Tweet

These days, my favorite meals are ready in less than 30 minutes. If it’s going to be longer than that, it needs to be “hands off” time, like in the Instant Pot or oven.

For breakfast, I prefer super quick. We normally have oatmeal, cereal or toast. I usually skip breakfast with the kids and have a mid-morning smoothie after they are in school.

My husband and I both eat leftovers for lunch. We like warm meals. He has already requested my One Pot Broccoli Rice recipe that I shared last week! I’m happy with beans and rice, but big salads or sandwiches are good too.

Our dinners are mostly quick and easy. Once or twice a week I might make something that takes longer, especially when I’m testing new recipes or tweaking recipes to get it just right.

Plant-Based Meal Plan

Monday

Breakfast: Instant Pot Oatmeal and Smoothies

Lunch: Taco Salad

Dinner: One Pot Broccoli and Rice

Tuesday

Breakfast: Banana Nut Oatmeal

Lunch: Leftover Broccoli Rice

Dinner: Busy Night Pasta and side salad and Creamy Italian Salad Dressing (oil-free)

Wednesday

Breakfast: Overnight Oats or Smoothies

Lunch: Leftover pasta

Dinner: Oil-Free Fried Rice and Pineapple and Tofu Kabobs

Thursday

Breakfast: Instant Pot Oatmeal

Lunch: leftovers

Dinner: Breakfast for Dinner! Breakfast Hash, Tofu Scramble and fresh fruit

Friday

Breakfast: Leftover Breakfast Hash

Lunch: Beans and Rice

Dinner: Pizza Pasta

Do you know what you will be eating this week?

If not, don’t forget to claim your gift and download my Quick and Easy Recipes that are ready in 30 minutes or less!