Feeding My Family a Whole Food, Plant-Based Diet, On a Budget
I’m glad you are back for Meal Planning Week here at My Plant-Based Family! Yesterday I shared part 1 from this series Meal Planning Tips that Really Work! Today I’m rounding out the list with more practical tips to help you hit the ground running. If you have questions about Meal Planning leave them in the comments and I’ll answer them this week.
[Read more…] about Meal Planning Tips that Really Work part 2
Most of us agree that Meal Planning is a good idea. Today and tomorrow I’ll pass on some Meal Planning Tips that Really Work. If you have the slightest interest in learning to Meal Plan stick around the next few days.
One of the biggest problems with making a Meal Plan is actually taking the time to make a plan. You don’t have to go crazy and plan every meal of the week, down to the side dish; just create a simple outline with at least a few meals you want to eat. If needed set aside 20 minutes when your kids are in bed or at practice, you could also have a few minutes of “planning time” during commercial breaks. Don’t wait until you have the perfect system in place, waiting doesn’t pay off in Meal Planning. Practice will make perfect so just start where you are. You can look at some of my previous Meal Plans to get ideas.
[Read more…] about Meal Planning Tips that Really Work…part 1
I hereby declare this week as Meal Planning Week! You can expect our Meal Plan Monday (below), Tips to get you Meal Planning and all of your Meal Planning questions answers. Make sure to leave questions in the comments or email them to me. You can also follow my Plant-Based Meal Plans Board on Pinterest!
Breakfast
Let it be known, I don’t cook a big breakfast every morning. I’ll cook oatmeal or something else that is relatively quick but I like to keep it simple; anything that takes a long time is made the day before.
Lunch
We like leftovers for lunch or quick things like sandwiches. I don’t mind making noodle dishes for my kids because they don’t require a lot of time an attention (the noodles, my kids require a lot of time and attention).
Dinner
I don’t mind spending some time in the kitchen preparing dinner. I’ll often cook extra food to eat at other meals, like many of the items on the Breakfast Menu.
I’ll save time this week by soaking the chickpeas and cooking them in bulk. I can easily add them to any dish including soups, salads and wraps to make them more filling.
Do you Meal Plan each week? If you have questions about Meal Planning I’d love to answer them! Just leave them below in the comments.
If you need more help check out my Custom Meal Plans, meal plans created with your specific preferences in mind.
I’ve been up to my ears in Meal Plans since I launched my Custom Meal Plan service last week. It is hard shifting back to OUR preferences when I’ve been thinking about other people’s meal plans. Some of the Meal Plans I’m designing are for families with omni members. Other plans are Plant-Based Meal Plans for people who have been eating the Standard American Diet (SAD) but are hoping to jump into a plant-based lifestyle.
Breakfast
I like to keep breakfast simple. I have a lot of leftover cooked quinoa that can be made into a quick breakfast if I’m ever unprepared.
Lunch
My kids keep me busy during the day so I opt for quick lunches, or recipes I can get started and forget about for a while.
Dinner
I spend the most time cooking dinner but I save time by cooking, at least part of it, in bulk. This week I’ll cook beans for the burritos and nachos early in the week. I may also cook enough rice for the burritos and stir fry on Tuesday.
I really wanted to make my Crock Pot Mexican Casserole this week and another secret recipe I’ve been perfecting but my Crock Pot broke this weekend! It’s so sad! I need to buy one but I’m fighting my frugalness. I’m not sure which will win out.
I’m also in the mood for muffins! If I take a break from my Custom Meal Plans I may whip up a batch or two.
I’ve been posting Free Weekly Meal Plans for 2 years! That is a lot of Meal Plans (they are archived on the “Meal Plans” Page). These Meal Plans have been a huge help to readers just starting out on a plant-based diet. These Free Meal Plans will continue, at least for a while, so you can always look to them for inspiration.
If you need a bit more help with your Meal Plan my Custom Meal Plan service may be for you. I learn about your food preferences and restrictions through a questionnaire then create a 4 week Meal Plan just for you. Each plan includes a weekly menu, shopping list and prep sheet.
If you eat a specialty diet most meal plan services wont work for you. A Custom Meal Plan is created based on your preferences and goals. It takes the guess work out of what to buy, prep and cook. It’s an investment that will pay off.
You will save money by using our Shopping List, no more buying unnecessary ingredients. You’ll also save money because you won’t rely on fast food as often. The Meal Plan suggests uses for leftovers as well, which will result in less food waste.
If you live in an omni household the Meal Plans are exceptionally helpful. Meals will be designed to be plant-based but show how meat can be added after they are cooked. It’s a win-win.
If you have questions the answer may be on the Custom Meal Plans Page.
The Meal Plan are a lot of work so I can only accept a few orders at a time. Email me to request a questionnaire and I’ll give you an estimated delivery date. You will not be billed until the work begins.
The first 10 customers will receive a FREE copy of my new ebook The Plant-Based Diet Starter Guide: How to Cook Shop and Eat Well.
Do you like my Free Weekly Meal Plans?
Join our Meal Planning conversation on My Plant-Based Family’s Facebook Page.
This month I’m skipping my Meal Plans and featuring other bloggers (and Facebook page managers) and sharing their Meal Plans. So far we have heard from Lisa of The Vegan Pact , Alison of Plant-Strong New England (a Facebook page), Poppy of Poppy’s Patisserie | Bunny Kitchen and Teresa from a Facebook community group called Healthier Living. Today we are going to hear from Jenna!
I “met” Jenna months ago and fell in love with her blog. If we lived in the same city we would totally be friends! Meet Jenna!
Hi. I am Jenna from Day of Knight. My family (including my 3 young kids) and I began our journey of becoming plant powered or Vegan, if you will, about a year ago after being transformed by the film Forks Over Knives. If you have not seen this I urge you to watch it. It is available on Netflix. My husband and I both grew up on the typical Western/Southern diet. Medium Rare Steaks, Fried Chicken, Gravy, Bacon, Cream Cheese…basically all things creamy, cheesy and favorably delicious. Back in 2009, my husband went into his Doctors office for just a routine physical. After being examined he was told that he was considered “Obese” and if he didn’t change his diet and way of eating he most likely wouldn’t reach living past his late 50’s. Being told this when you are 25 will rock your core. So things changed. Naïve and not knowing exactly what you should eat to make yourself ‘healthier’ his journey began with counting calories and exercising. Fast-forward to 2.5 years later and 100 pounds lighter to July 2012, each of us seeking a healthier lifestyle. Not one just for us to look better but to feel better too. We stumbled upon some food documentaries on Netflix that changed our lives. We watched Forks Over Knives, Food Inc., Corn King and a few more. We had our “AH-HA!” moment for how we were supposed to eat to care for our bodies. At first I was a little intimidated by this new lifestyle change. I was overwhelmed by the fears of it being expensive, time consuming and gross. Honestly, it can be all of those things but it doesn’t have to be. I love to EAT and after a lot of research I have discovered that in order to be ‘healthy’ you do in fact have to…Eat. And by eating I mean eating REAL, no processed, naturally grown and non-modified foods. Foods that the Good Lord himself gave us. As I mentioned above I have three small children, ages 7, 4 & 4. They too are plant powered/vegan. It can happen. Your kids CAN eat veggies. All of my recipes that I am sharing below are approved by them and are on our menu rotation. I hope you feel encouraged, challenged and inspired in your journey of living a plant-powered lifestyle.
Breakfast:
Breakfast in our house is all about convenience. I like to sleep and I sleep until the very last minute before my kids are awake. Once they are awake, they do not want to sit around waiting for me to prepare them a big hot breakfast. Cereal is a #1 favorite in our house. So 98% of the time we are eating cereal in the morning. Our favorite cereals are the Organic Honey Cheerios by Central Market with some granola with dried blueberries mixed in and/or the Organic Peanut Butter Dots by Central Market. Sometimes we will have Organic Frozen Waffles with 100% Pure Maple Syrup.
Lunch:
Lunch is also easy around these parts. I usually make Almond Butter Strawberry Banana Sandwiches on Whole Grain/Oat bread, or Almond Butter Agave and Banana Sandwiches. Other days I will boil some Pasta and toss in ROA’s Sensitive Formula Marinara Sauce (it has not added sugars) or I will bake some Vegan “Chicken” Nuggets with sweet potato fries.
Dinner:
Dinner is where I usually get a little creative and I get a little more detailed, but still convenient. Here is a typical week of dinners.
Monday: Thin Spaghetti with Arabiata Sauce and a side of broiled Asparagus and Zucchini
Tuesday: Grilled Veggie Skewers (Squash, Mushrooms, Zucchini, Purple Onion, Red and Green Bell Peppers) Short Grain Brown Rice, and seasoned Pinto Beans.
Wednesday: Asian Tofu Stir Fry… I created my own recipe for this… Find my recipe HERE.
Thursday: Veggie Fajitas. Simply Sautéed onion, bell pepper and mushrooms in veggie stock until soft and tender. Make some guacamole (2 avocados mashed, 1/3 c red onion, 2 tbsp. cilantro, squirt of fresh lime and some garlic salt and pepper all mixed together) and slap it all on a tortilla. Some other toppings we enjoy are: Spanish Rice, Salsa and Black Beans. You can creative here.
Friday: We usually make Homemade Pizzas and have family night on Friday nights. I found a pre-made crust that we all enjoy from HEB (our grocery store). Find one in your area that has as few ingredients as possible. Also we found a sauce we like there as well. Again, the fewer ingredients the better. Some toppings we all enjoy are Black Olives, Pickled Jalapenos, Black Beans, Mushrooms and Red Onion and sometimes Squash and Zucchini thinly sliced.
Saturday: Pot Pie. HERE is the link to my recipe.
Sunday: This is our leftover/Eat Out day.
To follow along with our family and our journey to eating our way healthy you can follow my blog HERE. I try to post a meal plan every Monday. But lets be honest, I have three small kids and some weeks, it just doesn’t happen. You can find some of my archived EAT posts on the right sidebar in the category appropriately titled…EAT. If you stop by, be sure to say Hi.
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Thanks Jenna! You can also keep up with Jenna via Instagram and Twitter!