Plant Based Diet

Name: Rainbow Veggie Pinwheels
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 15 min
Ingredients: 4 large wheat tortillas; 1 cup hummus; 1 red bell pepper, sliced thin; 2 carrots, shredded or matchsticks; 1 yellow bell pepper, sliced thin; 1/2 cup baby spinach leaves; 1/2 cup purple cabbage, sliced thin or shredded

Plant-Based Taco Bar

August 10, 2020 by Holly Leave a Comment

Back when we did potlucks, a Taco Bar was always a favorite! It’s easy, everyone can make their own, and almost everyone loves tacos. A Plant-Based Taco Bar is also really versatile because all the ingredients can be mixed and matched! Tacos, burritos, taco salads, choose your own adventure.

Whether you are feeding a crowd (whenever we get to do that again) or your family, give the Taco Bar a try!

Keep in mind that you don’t have to make it super complicated. You don’t have to have all of these options or toppings. Just in case you need it, I’m giving you permission to simplify this and do the easiest version with ingredients you already have!

Vegan Taco Meat

We choose whole food versions of taco filling. My absolute favorite is my Instant Pot Lentil Taco filling. The stove top version is really good too!

I also have a version that combines Quinoa and Lentils or a version with just quinoa.

Tortillas

Our tortilla choice varies but we usually have corn tortillas for the adults and flour tortillas for the kids. Sometimes we will use lettuce wraps or tortilla chips. We mix and match based on what we are in the mood for and what’s available.

Taco Toppings

This is where the fun begins. You can use whatever you like but my favorite taco toppings for a Taco Bar include:

Lettuce
Diced Tomatoes
Sliced Jalapenos
Corn
Pico de Gallo
Salsa (red and green)
Avocado or Guacamole
Black Beans (whole)
Pinto Beans (whole)
Cilantro
Lime

Some people like pickled onions and dairy-free cheese but we aren’t into that. I have used vegan sour cream or vegan plain yogurt for a little extra tang!

Side Dishes for a Taco Bar

I don’t think you really need side dishes when it comes to a taco bar but since I love these I’ll mention them. Plus, they go perfectly with tacos!

Mexican Rice is so easy to make. Cook it in the Instant Pot or stove top. Refried Beans are easy too, just a little time consuming to make from dry beans but don’t let that stop you. I actually prefer to follow this recipe for Instant Pot Refried Beans (oil-free of course)!

What are your must have Vegan Taco Bar options? I’d love to hear if you use the same basics or if you have other options we haven’t thought of!

By the way! I just started a Youtube Channel! I’d love it if you would subscribe! Just CLICK HERE to check it out!

Rainbow Veggie Pinwheels

July 4, 2020 by Holly Leave a Comment

These fresh and colorful Rainbow Veggie Pinwheels are a delicious no-cook meal. Choose your favorite veggies or let everyone make their own for a fun snack or meal. Vegan Pinwheels are a fun appetizer too.

The best part, in my opinion, of these Veggie Pinwheels is that you can get a lot of veggie variety in a couple of bites. The second best part is that everyone can make their own so you get your favorite veggies!

Rainbow Pinwheel Veggies

You can use any veggies you like to make these Veggie Pinwheels but I like to use all the colors of the rainbow!

My favorite veggies to include are:

Red Bell Pepper
Carrots
Yellow Bell Pepper
Baby Spinach
Purple Cabbage

I like to have other options for my kids becuase they don’t love bell peppers the way I do. Other veggie favorites include:

Tomatoes (with seeds removed so they don’t get too wet)
Sweet Peppers
Cucumbers
Avocados
Radishes

These are the complete opposite of the meat and cheese versions I made a decade ago. I called those tortilla roll ups and they were a staple for potlucks and after school snacks. These are a much better alternative, full of fiber and actually good for you!

Veggie Pinwheels with Hummus

Cream cheese is the traditional filling in pinwheels but we use hummus! My Oil-free Hummus is perfect because it’s easy to make with only a few ingredients and tastes great!

Keep Pinwheels from Getting Soggy

The only problem with with making pinwheels ahead of time is they can get soggy. It’s the high water content of veggies. Some veggies will increase the chances of them getting soggy more than others. There are a few options to decrease the chance of your pinwheels getting soggy.

Prep the Veggies but Assemble Later

You can have all your veggies washed, cut and stored separately. Then when it’s time to eat, simply smooth hummus over your tortilla and arrange your veggies. Roll up your pinwheel and slice them up for easy snacking. This is the best option!

Assemble but Don’t Cut

Another option is to assemble your pinwheel but don’t slice it. Instead, wrap it in a paper towel and carefully store it in a container. Then when you are ready to eat, slice and enjoy.

Cutting Ahead of Time

If you have to cut your pinwheels ahead of time because they are going in a lunch box or to a potluck, wait as long as you can before cutting them. If you can cut them right before you leave, you’ll have a better chance of them not being soggy. I would probably wrap them in a paper towel if possible to help absorb moisture in the container.

Vegan Pinwheels are perfect for taking to parties or get-togethers. Everyone loves finger food! You can make them more colorful by using different colored tortillas. Green, red/orange and blue are easy to find.

If you are gluten-free, choose gluten-free tortillas instead of wheat.

Rainbow Veggie Pinwheels

Prep Time 15 minutes

Total Time 15 minutes

Ingredients

4 large wheat tortillas
1 cup hummus
1 red bell pepper, sliced thin
2 carrots, shredded or matchsticks
1 yellow bell pepper, sliced thin
1/2 cup baby spinach leaves
1/2 cup purple cabbage, sliced thin or shredded

Instructions

Spread about ¼ cup hummus over each tortilla. Leave room on the edge.
Arrange the veggies on the hummus covered tortillas (in the order of the rainbow).
Roll up each tortilla tightly.
Cut crosswise into pinwheels and serve.

Notes

See posts for additional notes.

Plant-Based Meal Plan

May 18, 2020 by Holly Leave a Comment

Getting your family interested in eating better is one of the best things you can do to make feeding your family easier. Our biggest hold out, my 11 year old has made huge progress in eating healthier over the last year. In fact, I’m letting him help choose meals for this plant-based meal plan.

Like many people, he doesn’t want to feel pressured into doing something he doesn’t want to do. We let him take the lead and give lots of positive encouragement for good choices.

Plant-Based Meal Plan

I did a little batch cooking this weekend! We have Taco Soup, Baked Potatoes, Instant Pot Oatmeal, One Pot Broccoli Rice Casserole and Raspberry Vinaigrette Salad Dressing. I plan to make some Air Fryer Tofu and Overnight Chia Pudding today too.

Plant-Based Breakfast

We have all be eating a lot of Instant Pot Oatmeal! I’ve made two double batches in the last week. My son has been on a big Chocolate Overnight Oats kick! A few mornings lately, we’ve had mid-morning smoothies too.

Plant-Based Lunch

Soup is one of my favorite leftover lunches. My kids are happy with sandwiches or oatmeal they make themselves. Last week it was leftover Tortilla Soup, this week leftover Taco Soup. Our batch cooked baked potatoes will be a great addition to lunch.

Plant-Based Snack

Plant-Based Dinner

Monday: Quinoa Lentil Salad is perfect to start off the week. We have a lot of veggies from our weekend grocery delivery.

Tuesday: Lentil Tacos or Taco Salad with Instant Pot Refried Beans and Mexican Rice.

Wednesday: Leftovers!

Thursday: Vegetable Pasta using all the extra veggies that haven’t gotten eaten yet. Definitely tomatoes, zucchini, broccoli, carrots, onions, garlic and more!

Friday: Tostada’s are becoming a weekly favorite! They are so easy and everyone makes their own on our assembly line.

Last week I mentioned that I had preordered Fiber Fueled: The Plant-Based Gut Health Program for Losing Weight, Restoring Your Health, and Optimizing Your Microbiome by Will Bulsiewicz. I got it Thursday and I’m loving it! I’m learning a lot about our microbiome and how it impacts our health.

Sale

Fiber Fueled: The Plant-Based Gut Health Program for Losing Weight, Restoring Your Health, and Optimizing Your Microbiome

Hardcover Book
Bulsiewicz MD, Will (Author)
English (Publication Language)
400 Pages - 05/12/2020 (Publication Date) - Avery (Publisher)

What are you eating this week?

Plant-Based Meal Plan

May 11, 2020 by Holly Leave a Comment

This week’s Plant-Based Meal Plan features easy breakfast ideas, leftovers for lunch, simple snacks, and delicious dinners.

This page contains affiliate links. That means I may make a small percentage of commission if you make a purchase using one of my links.

My kids have gotten into a nice routine of making their own breakfast and lunch each day. Sometimes they will still ask me, “what’s for lunch” and I remind them of all the things they can make. They usually choose easy things like oatmeal, PB&J’s or beans.

Plant-Based Breakfast

This week we will be having Blueberry Baked Oatmeal (recipe coming soon), smoothies, Strawberry Banana Muffins and maybe Instant Pot Oatmeal.

Plant-Based Lunch

This week, I plan to enjoy dinner leftovers for lunch as much as possible. Soup and salad is always a favorite! My kids will love having tostada’s again. They’ve been making their own lunches every day and I love it. They’ve been eating lot’s of sandwiches and beans.

Plant-Based Snacks

Plant-Based Dinner

Monday: Hearty Veggie and Potato Soup is one of my favorites! It’s great for leftovers too.

Tuesday: Tostada’s using Instant Pot Refried Beans, lettuce, tomato, jalapenos, salsa and corn. Everyone loves tostada night!

Wednesday: Veggie Burgers with Oil-Free Potato wedges. I like to have a big salad right before or with dinner.

Thursday: As good as making pizza would be, pasta and sauce is much easier. Of course, Pizza Pasta is always an option!

Friday: Snack food night! We will have veggies and hummus, quesadillas, popcorn, potato wedges and maybe Chickpea Nuggets. The kids love eating stuff like this, especially when they get to eat in the living room while watching a movie!

I recently preordered a new book that is coming out this week! I’m excited to read Fiber Fueled! A new plant-based book all about gut health. Yes, I know I’m a geek but I’m still mentioning it in case you haven’t heard about it and want to preorder too.

Sale

Fiber Fueled: The Plant-Based Gut Health Program for Losing Weight, Restoring Your Health, and Optimizing Your Microbiome

Hardcover Book
Bulsiewicz MD, Will (Author)
English (Publication Language)
400 Pages - 05/12/2020 (Publication Date) - Avery (Publisher)

Plant-Based Meal Plan

April 27, 2020 by Holly Leave a Comment

We’ve been cooking a lot lately. This week’s Plant-Based Meal Plan will include some new favorites! Our meals will be switching from cozy comfort foods to summer foods since it’s now 100 degrees here in Arizona.

This page contains affiliate links. That means I might make a small commission if you purchase something using a link from my page.

My kids have been wanting to help with cooking. I’ve been choosing some meals and snacks that are easy for them to help with. I’m thinking about putting all of their recipes in an ebook.

Plant-Based Meal Plan

Over the weekend we were able to get all the groceries we needed and do a little cooking! I made a big batch of Mexican Rice in my Instant Pot and we still have a lot. We also have Refried Beans still but finished off the black beans.

Plant-Based Breakfast

We are loving Baked Oatmeal right now! My kids love my Apple Cinnamon Baked Oatmeal but I’m in love with blueberry. I love it for an easy breakfast but it’s also good as a snack and dessert. We’ve also been having quick and easy peanut butter toast with fruit, or just a couple of pieces of fruit.

Plant-Based Lunch

I finally started baking bread again. It’s so good and I’m letting my kids help. I use the New Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day book so I make a big batch and cook a loaf or two for a few days. This bread is perfect for Veggie Sandwiches!

My kids prefer PB&J and we usually have a lot of leftovers that we transform in to new things like Veggie Burritos.

Plant-Based Snacks

We’ve been eating a lot of snacks! Keeping our fruit and veggie favorites stocked helps cut down on the processed stuff. This week our snacks will include:

Apple Cinnamon Baked Oatmeal
Popcorn
Oil-Free Hummus with carrots, cucumbers and bell peppers
Blueberries and Strawberries
Apples with Peanut Butter and chia seeds
Mango Lime Ice Pops
Fresh baked bread

Plant-Based Dinner

Monday: Plant-Based Tostadas are planned again because we didn’t make them last week. They are so easy and will be perfect for a Monday! We will use our leftover beans and rice too!

Tuesday: Minestrone Soup is full of fresh veggies and will be delicious as leftovers.

Wednesday: Family Salad Bar with greens, tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots, peppers, and anything else we can think of. Plus our favorite salad dressings, Maple “honey” Mustard, Creamy Italian, Sweet and Tangy Salad Dressing or Balsamic Vinegar. Sometimes we will have croutons, or different nuts to add some crunch.

We will probably have this along with something else like beans and rice or bake potatoes.

Thursday: Veggie Pad Thai is one of my favorites. We may do a simple stir fry instead.

Friday: Veggie Burgers, Oil-Free Potato Wedges and baked beans.

Plant-Based Dessert

We don’t always have dessert but lately we’ve been wanting something after dinner. Me and the kids made homemade popsicles and I’ve been eating the Baked Oatmeal. I was telling our oldest son about my Chocolate No-Bake Bites that are like healthier versions of the peanut butter and chocolate no bake cookies. He’s doesn’t remember having my version so I should probably make them.

Is there a lot of variety in your meals these days? Or, are you eating the same thing every day? We are getting more variety and trying new things!

Apple Cinnamon Baked Oatmeal

April 24, 2020 by Holly 2 Comments

We love oatmeal! Lately, we have fallen in love with baked oatmeal! We have several flavor combinations we enjoy but the whole house favorite is Apple Cinnamon Baked Oatmeal.

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We have oatmeal in some form almost every day! From our Instant Pot Oatmeal that is featured prominently in our weekly meal plan, to our Overnight Oats, heck, even the Apple Oatmeal Muffins are an oaty favorite.

Apple Cinnamon Baked Oatmeal is a cheap plant-based favorite. Other than apples, the rest of the ingredients are common plant-based pantry staples. Thankfully I stocked up on our favorite oats a couple of months ago.

You want to use rolled oats. Don’t use steel cut oats or quick cooking oats for this recipe.

Choosing Apples for Baked Oatmeal

The best kind of apple to use is the one you already have! We usually have Honey Crisp apples and Gala apples in our kitchen. Crisp apples hold up well but I’ve never eaten a baked apple I didn’t like. Use whatever you have on hand.

Lately, our curb-side grocery pick up has been giving us bruised apples that my kids will not eat. Baked Oatmeal is the perfect solution for bruised apples, the kids never suspect a thing. I peel the apples and cut the bruised part off but I’m pretty sure they wouldn’t notice it after being baked. I also like to squeeze some lemon juice over the freshly cut apples but it’s not required.

Apple Cinnamon Baked Oatmeal

Plant-Based Apple Cinnamon Baked Oatmeal is perfect for breakfast, lunch or dessert! Our family loves this easy baked oatmeal recipe, even our pickiest eater!