My Plant-Based Family

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

Menu Plan

Meal Plan Monday: Full House

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I’ve been absent lately but with good reason; two of our big kids are here with the third visiting next week and my first Food Demo is complete and was a success! I’ll talk more about the Food Demo later this week.

This weeks dilemma, what to feed omnivore kids for the next 5 1/2 weeks? Our daughter wants to be healthy so she is open to trying new foods. Our young teen son on the other had completely disregards food he thinks is healthy. For example, When I make “Unfried Beans” I make them the same way I always have, even when we were eating horribly. This weekend I asked him to taste test them for me. He put a bite in his mouth, he looked like we was going to vomit. I asked him what he thought, he said, “I liked how you used to make them, not this whole grainy healthy stuff, I like them like whole beans.” I told him I made them the same, I just used a food processor because I was making so many, he said, “they taste ok then.” I also stocked up on cereal to make life a little easier, the first day he didn’t want any of them because they were “weird and healthy.” While they were gluten-free they weren’t necessarily healthy, Kix, Chex, and some of the gluten-free Barbara’s Cereal.

I’ll make some of our normal favorites and try to adapt some of the kids favorites from pre-plant-based days.

Meal Plan

Breakfasts are our normal easy stuff like cereal, oatmeal, cream of wheat, and fruit with toast.

Lunches are equally easy; nut butter sandwiches, leftovers,  pasta, or other easy stuff.

Snacks are usually fruit, sometimes toast, muffins, banana bread, humus and veggies, or chips with salsa or avocado are fun too.

Dinner is where it gets a bit more tricky. I’m hoping to try some new stuff this week.

Monday: Pasta with veggies and a cashew cream sauce.

Tuesday: Baked Potato’s with a choice of steamed veggies or chili on top.

Wednesday: Tostada’s with Mexican Rice

Thursday: Brown Rice casserole with a whatever veggies are still available and some kind of “creamy sauce” to make it taste “normal.”

Friday: I’m not sure what Friday will hold but I don’t plan on cooking a big meal.

Depending on how our days go I may mix this up a bit. I can’t tell you how happy I am to have our kids here. We mostly ate out last week. Now I’m ready for a lot of home cooked meals. Plus my 30 day Fitness Challenge is almost “over” so I’ll share those details sometime in the next week. I will also be sharing a new recipe or two. Wow, I have more to do than I thought!

I hope you all have a great week full of family and good food!

Meal Plan Monday: A Different Kind of Week

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Tropical Smoothie with Hidden Greens

This will be an odd week for us. My husband was out of town last weekend, typically that means I do very little cooking, This weekend I happened to be sick, that resulted in very little eating as well. I think I’m almost back to normal. My kids survived on dry cereal, frozen waffle’s, banana’s, apple’s, strawberries, oatmeal and a few leftovers. They didn’t complain, it was all their favorite foods. 😉

On Wednesday two of our teenagers will be here for the summer! YAY! My cooking will increase substantially with their arrival. Then on Saturday I will have my first Food Demo, I have a ton of cooking to do for that.

With all of that going on I have decided not to do an official Meal Plan. So what will we eat, probably more of what we ate this weekend plus a few other things.

Unofficial Meal Plan

Breakfast will be our normal fare; oatmeal, GF waffles, cereal, etc. It’s just that kind of week.

Lunch will be equally easy; sandwiches, burritos, bean and grain bowls, wraps, and the like.

Snacks will be fruit, nut butter on apple’s or banana’s, and probably a smoothie or two or three.

Dinner will be pretty easy stuff for the first few days this week. I have some portobellos and zucchini I hope to grill along with other veggies. I’m sure we will eat out once or twice with the big kids arrival, that does not mean fancy or expensive though. Friday and Saturday I will be very busy cooking and prepping for the Demo. I’m going with a Mexican food theme. Originally I was going to do a bunch of different things but it will be easier this way. My next Demo I’ll showcase different types of food. Needless to say we will be eating lotsa Mexican food toward the end of the week.

I’m also considering blogging a little less while our big kids are here. I’m not sure what our schedule will be like so I haven’t really decided. What are your thoughts?

 

Meal Plan Monday: La Fiesta

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Avocado, what else can I say. I am diggin me some avocado these days. Thankfully they have been pretty inexpensive lately, usually 2 for $1 where I shop. I also have some prepared guacamole ready to go. So we may not actually have a party but a little avocado can turn any meal into a party worthy occasion.  Most of my meals will be inspired by the lovely avocado along with other fresh veggies.

I haven’t been in much of a breakfast mood lately. Between getting my boys fed and getting the day started I don’t want to think about getting me fed too. I know that breakfast is super important so I do not skip it. Usually I’ll start with a banana, which I sometimes have to share with the offspring, so I get another banana that also gets shared. Sometimes this continues for quite a while. That is why we purchase 4 bunches of banana’s at the start of the week then usually at least 1 more by late in the week.

I think oatmeal is one of the best things you can eat for breakfast, but truthfully I’ve been a little burned out on oatmeal, I’m thinking of trying some new combinations this week. You can check out this post about breakfast for more ideas. I usually eat twice in the morning (then sometimes have an early lunch). First is typically a piece of fruit, next I’ll have something a little more substantial.

Meal Plan

Breakfast will be toast with nut butter and fruit, oatmeal, Breakfast Rice, and an occasional bowl of cereal with fruit and almond milk.

Lunch will be leftovers, Bean and Grain Bowls, spinach and hummus wraps, and maybe even some PB&Js.

Snacks will be jalapeno hummus with fresh veggies, fruit, granola bars, and anything else that strikes my fancy.

Dinner

Monday: Tonight we are having company over and plan to make Portobello Fajita’s with Mexican Rice, Unfried Beans, grilled veggies and all of the fixings.

Tuesday: will probably be leftovers 

Wednesday: Pasta night! Last week we had gluten-free (quinoa) pasta with mushrooms that was pretty out of this world.

Thursday: I want to make a huge veggie soup to use up any veggies that may have been neglected over the week. I know we have some celery that will make it into that pot, I only like cooked celery.

Friday: Date night! We will probably be grabbing hummus and pita’s  from our favorite restaurant.

My Food Demo is coming up in less than two weeks so when I get the chance I hope to do a little extra cooking to prepare for that. There are a few recipes I want to try like a whipped coconut cream, yum! Next week two of our “Big Kids” will come for a nice long summer visit. I hope to fully convert them to be plant lovers but we will see how it works. I forsee future topics of Plant-Based Teenagers and Feeding Plants to the Reluctant. 🙂

How is your summer going? Are you in love with avocados like I am or do you have a different summer time favorite? 

Meal Plan Monday: Fueled For Fun

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I finally made it to the store this weekend. The last few weeks we have been so busy we would just run in for banana’s, almond milk, and what ever else we needed for survival. This week my kitchen is stocked with anything a girl could ask for.

Last night I made a Mexican Quinoa Dish that was so amazing my husband and I ate a huge serving bowl full. Since it was full of healthy, yummy goodness neither of us had that overeating bloaty feeling. YAY for eating plants!

While grocery shopping I had one of those experiences that only really happen a few times a year. I’m pushing my cart through the store and smell a glorious medley of apricots, nectarines, and peaches. I stopped my cart and backed it up, then filled bags with yummy summer time fruit. If you shop at Sprout’s I was the crazy lady smelling the pineapples too! This happens to me in the fall when apples catch my attention too.

Meal Plan

Breakfast this week will be bagels (I found them on clearance), oatmeal, Breakfast Quinoa, my husband likes Baked Sweet Potatoes with a little cinnamon, toast, and fruit.

Lunches will be leftovers (more quinoa), nut butter sandwiches, GF pasta with veggies, leftover pancakes (from Father’s Day), and anything else inspiration stirs up.

Snacks will be fruit since I have apricots, nectarines, apples, bananas, pineapples, cantaloupe, honey dew, oranges, blueberries and a couple of peaches. I’m sure I’ll have peanut or almond butter on the apples and bananas. I found some organic soy yogurt on clearance that my husband and boys will have. Hummus and veggies are sure to make an appearance as well. A few months ago I would set hummus and carrots on the counter and munch every time I would walk by. I came to realize my hummus addiction was out of control so I have cut back substantially. 🙂

Dinner will come in the form of “Build You Own” nights. I’ll have grains, beans, veggies, and sauces at the ready and we can pick what we want. So for Monday we may choose Baked Potato topped with spicy lentils and a side or broccoli. Tuesday we may have a wrap with quinoa, beans, salsa, diced tomatoes and jalapenos. The “Build Your Own” foods will be:

  • Quinoa
  • Brown Rice
  • Millet
  • Black Beans
  • Pinto Beans
  • Lentils
  • Baked Potatoes
  • New Potatoes
  • Bell Peppers
  • Tomatoes
  • Jalapenos
  • Spinach
  • Broccoli
  • Carrots
  • Portobello Mushrooms (these will probably be grilled)
  • Avocado

I’m experimenting with this style to see if I can save time and cut down on a little waste. My husband usually takes leftovers for lunch so this may help us be better prepared to that too.

What are you eating this week? Are there any grilled veggies in your future? Are you in love with summer fruit like I am?

Meal Plan Monday:Quick Meals

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About a month ago several friends of mine were talking about how busy there summers were going to be. I just sat back with a smirk because I had almost nothing planned, that is until my calendar started filling up. This week is a very busy week in our household. We had a much busier weekend than normal and didn’t even do our normal grocery shopping. 

My goal is to make due with what we have, maybe make a fruit and almond milk run, and have all dinner take less than 30 minutes to prepare. Breakfast and lunches usually only take about 5 minutes to make. I like to cook beans and grains on the weekend so they can be heated for a quick meal, alas I did not do that this weekend. I’ll make sure I cook these when I find spare time in the afternoon. 

Meal Plan

Breakfast will be oatmeal, toast, cereal, and fruit.

Lunch will be sandwiches, wraps, or leftovers, inventive I know. 

Snacks will be fruit, mini muffins I made over the weekend, and chips and salsa.

Dinner 

Monday: Brown rice with taco seasoned lentils, corn, salsa and guacamole.

Tuesday: Baked Potato (busy evening)

Wednesday: Veggie Stir Fry (made with spinach, carrots, red bell pepper, onions, garlic, and some frozen veggies to round things out)

Thursday: Spinach Dal

Friday: Bean Burritos 

The only thing that will take over 30 minutes to make is the brown rice. I’ll make a big batch and use the leftovers through the week to save time later. 

Do you have any tips or tricks for saving time in the kitchen? What is your favorite quick meal? 

Meal Plan Monday: It’s Hot in AZ

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I did not do much cooking last week. I believe that is two weeks in a row. I’m in a bit of a slump but I have good intentions for getting back on track. Last night I grilled some portobello’s and some other veggies. They had been on last weeks Meal Plan but got bumped although I don’t remember why.

I feel like eating a Plant-Based diet takes a bit more planning because you can’t just fall back on picking something up at a drive through. We still get a few too many bean burritos from fast food joints but since my youngest can’t have wheat we can’t depend on that to feed all of us.

I typically do less cooking in the summer so I’m always seeking quick and easy dishes that can be thrown together. If you live in a climate that is cold now take a look as some of my past Meal Plans, January through March will have better cold weather food.

Also, my boys start swimming lessons this week with lessons at 11:25 am. So lunch will be easy for the next two weeks. 

Meal Plan

Breakfast this week will be gluten-free waffles (a splurge for my boys), toast, fruit, oatmeal, and cereal. 

Lunch will be Bean and Grain bowls, sandwich wraps (I have a ton of spinach), nut butter sandwiches, all with fresh fruit, and of course leftovers. 

Snack will be smoothies (what could be better than that when the temps are over 100°F, fruit, I’m also in pretty desperate need of some new hummus which will be good with veggies.

Dinner

Monday: Gluten-Free Pasta with a Tomato-Spinach Sauce

Tuesday: Grilled Lavash Veggie Pizza 

Wednesday: Something awesome with Chickpea’s. I don’t know what yet but chickpea’s never let me down. I also need to make hummus.

Thursday:  Black Beans, Brown Rice, with grilled veggies (peppers, onions, corn)

Friday: I’ll probably make Baked Potatoes and Baked Sweet Potatoes for my boys while my husband and I enjoy take out. I make a bunch for quick meals on the weekends.

On our date nights we sometimes eat out, other times we just get a movie and takeout. Last week we went out to our favorite place, Pita Jungle. We usually start with a large hummus then get a something else to share. Last week we got a pesto pizza on a pita without cheese, we added some of our hummus to it, YUM! We’ve developed a good relationship with our server and we were there pretty late so most of the crowd was gone. We got a chance to visit more with our server, he recommend new things we might like and he brought us out new things to try. 

Do you do a date night? I think they are very important for every couple. No matter how long you’ve been together date nights are a great way to reconnect as a couple. It doesn’t have to cost a lot and you can be creative, the important part is to be intentional. What is your date night strategy?