My Plant-Based Family

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

Vegan

Plant-Based Meal Plan

by 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.

Plant-Based Meal Plan featuring breakfast, lunch, snacks and dinner.

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
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)
$25.65
Buy on Amazon

What are you eating this week?

Tortilla Soup

by Leave a Comment

We love Mexican Food! Beans, peppers, cilantro…you name it, we love it. Plant-Based Tortilla Soup is one of those favorites that deserves a plant-based make over!

This Tortilla Soup is similar to my Taco Soup and Enchilada Soup but is different in several ways. This recipe is designed for only 4 servings and uses spices differently.

Make your own Tortilla Strips

I make my own tortilla strips using soft corn tortillas. They aren’t as crunchy as the store bought version that has oil but I don’t mind.

Don’t forget to preheat your oven because the tortilla strips will bake for about 10 minutes at 350 degrees. I don’t put them in the oven until the soup is simmering but it’s important to have your oven ready.

When the soup is simmering on the stove I’ll cut up my corn tortillas. I like to sprinkle them with fresh lime juice and dust them with onion and garlic powder, sometimes I’ll add paprika. These bake for 10 minutes at 350 degrees.

Plant-Based Tortilla Soup

I start this one off by doing a water saute of my onions, garlic, jalapenos and cilantro. I normally reserve cilantro for a garnish in most recipes but in this one, it’s one of the first ingredients.

Once this is cooking for a few minutes I normally start hearing from family members, they come from every room in the house and want to know what I’m cooking. The fragrance fills the house.

Next I add all my spices. I’m sharing the mild version today but you can spice it up by adding 1/2 teaspoon of chipotle pepper. You can also add extra jalapeno. If you really like chipotle flavor then add a chipotle pepper in adobo sauce. It will have a kick!

Dump in your black beans, corn and diced tomatoes. I’ve used fire roasted tomatoes and plain. Both are good!

Add in your lentils. I’ve used brown lentils and red lentils. Both work. The red lentils break down a bit more, creating a creamier soup. The brown lentils stay whole, creating a chunkier soup. I don’t have a preference.

Lastly, the tomato paste is optional. We’ve made this soup with and without the tomato paste. I think it depends on the flavor of your broth. I used my Dry Veggie Broth Mix! It had a nice flavor but we are a fans of tomato-based soups.

Plant-Based Tortilla Soup

The soup needs to simmer for about 20 minutes. At the 15 minute mark, the brown lentils weren’t quite ready. If you have a tendency to forget you are cooking, set a timer. This soup doesn’t have a lot of excess liquid and you’ll simmer it out if you don’t check on it. If that happens just add more broth.

You can add some tortillas to your soup as it simmers. If you do this, use small pieces to make it easier to eat.

This soup has a lot of textures but I add even more by topping it with the tortilla strips, fresh Pico de Gallo, cilantro, avocado, and anything else I have. Oh, and don’t forget the lime! Squeeze fresh lime juice over each bowl!

Yield: 4 servings

Tortilla Soup

Tortilla Soup

This hearty plant-based Tortilla Soup is filling and delicious. A few easy additions can give it extra heat if you like it spicy.

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Additional Time 10 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 cup diced onion
  • 1 sliced jalapeno (remove seeds for less spicy version)
  • 1/4 cup fresh, chopped cilantro
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 4 cups veggie broth (see note in recipe)
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon cumin
  • 1 15 ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 15 ounce can of organic corn, drained and rinsed
  • 1 15 ounce can of diced tomatoes
  • 1/2 cup dry lentils
  • 2 Tablespoons tomato paste

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees for the tortilla strips.
  2. Add onion, jalapeno, garlic and cilantro to a large pot on medium heat. Stir occasionally and as the veggies stick, add a few tablespoons of water and stir again.
  3. Cook these veggies until the onions become translucent.
  4. Add the broth, spices, black beans, corn, tomatoes, tomato paste and red lentils. All the ingredients should be submerged in broth, if they aren't add little more liquid.
  5. Bring the soup to a simmer and cover with a lid. You don't need a boil, that will cause too much water to evaporate.
  6. Simmer for 20 minutes.
  7. Cut your corn tortillas into strips, you may add seasoning if you want but it's not required. Bake for 10 minutes.
  8. Then test lentils to make sure they are done.
  9. Allow soup to cool some before eating. Top with tortilla strips. I like to top with fresh pico de gallo and cilantro too.

Notes

Want your soup to be spicier? Add 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper or more jalapenos to the soup.

© Holly Yzquierdo
Category: Soups, Stews, & Chili

Are you a Tortilla Soup fan?

Plant-Based Meal Plan

by Leave a Comment

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

Plant-Based Meal Plan featuring breakfast, lunch, snack and dinner recipes.

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
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)
$25.65
Buy on Amazon

Plant-Based Meal Plan

by 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.

Plant-Based Meal Plan

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:

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

by 1 Comment

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.

Plant-Based Apple Cinnamon Baked Oatmeal

This page uses affiliate links. 

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.

Plant-Based Apple Cinnamon Baked Oatmeal

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.

Plant-Based Apple Cinnamon Baked Oatmeal

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!

Ingredients

  • 2 Flax Eggs (2 Tbsp ground flax seeds plus 6 Tbsp water)
  • 1/2 cup applesauce
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/4 cup maple syrup
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 cup peeled, diced apples
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 2 cup rolled oats
  • 1 cup rice milk

Do

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Mix up your flax eggs and set them aside to give them time to set up. 
  3. Grab your favorite big mixing bowl and add applesauce, vanilla, salt, maple syrup and cinnamon.
  4. Core, peel and dice your apples. My apples were small so I used two but you need about 1 cup of diced apples. A little more or less is OK.
  5. Pour in your flax eggs that have hopefully set up and your baking soda. Give it all a good stir. 
  6. Add your oats and stir again.
  7. Add your rice milk or what ever kind of plant-based milk you prefer. Stir it all again and let it rest while you get your pan ready.
  8. Use an 8×8 pan. If you only have a round cake pan or a 9×9 pan that will work too. Psst…You can also use a muffin pan!
  9. If your food tends to stick in your pan, you can use parchment paper or a small amount of cooking spray and rub it around. I’ve rubbed it around with a paper towel to remove all the excess but still retain some nonstick ability. If your pan is non stick you don’t have to do anything special.
  10. Pour the oatmeal into your pan and smooth it out. Bake for 40 minutes. Allow to cool slightly before eating.

Plant-Based Apple Cinnamon Baked Oatmeal

Reheating and Storage for Baked Oatmeal

Since this recipe is plant-based and doesn’t contain any animal products, it can be stored at room temperature for a day or two. I prefer to store it in an air tight container in the fridge. We’ve eaten it cold but I personally prefer it heated up. I usually use the microwave for about 30 seconds.

This recipe makes 9 squares. If eating it for breakfast I prefer to eat two squares but one square is perfect for a snack.

(See note about substitutions and additions below)

Yield: 9 squares

Apple Cinnamon Baked Oatmeal

Apple Cinnamon Baked Oatmeal

Apple Cinnamon Baked Oatmeal is a cheap, plant-based family-friendly recipe your whole family will love.

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Additional Time 10 minutes
Total Time 1 hour

Ingredients

  • 2 Flax Eggs (2 Tbsp ground flax seeds plus 6 Tbsp water)
  • 1/2 cup applesauce
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/4 cup maple syrup
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 cup peeled, diced apples
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 2 cup rolled oats
  • 1 cup rice milk

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Mix up your flax eggs and set them aside to give them time to set up. 
  3. Grab your favorite big mixing bowl and add applesauce, vanilla, salt, maple syrup and cinnamon.
  4. Core, peel and dice your apples. My apples were small so I used two but you need about 1 cup of diced apples. A little more or less is ok.
  5. Pour in your flax eggs that have hopefully set up and your baking soda. Give it all a good stir. 
  6. Add your oats and stir again.
  7. Add your rice milk or what ever kind of plant-based milk you prefer. Stir it all again and let it rest while you get your pan ready.
  8. Use an 8×8 pan.
  9. If your food tends to stick in your pan, you can use parchment paper or a small amount of cooking spray and rub it around. I’ve rubbed it around with a paper towel to remove all the excess but still retain some nonstick ability. If your pan is non stick you don’t have to do anything special.
  10. Pour the oatmeal into your pan and smooth it out. Bake for 40 minutes. Allow to cool slightly before eating.

Notes

If you only have a round cake pan or a 9×9 pan that will work too. You can also use a muffin pan but you'll need to decrease the cook time. I recommend checking at 20 minutes.

Category: Recipes

Missing an Ingredient

This recipe is very forgiving! If you don’t have an ingredient you may be able to substitute something else. 

Don’t have flax eggs, no problem. You can use any egg replacer or leave it out. The texture may be slightly different.

Out of applesauce? Use mashed bananas or try this applesauce substitute. 

No Maple Syrup? You can use 1/4 cup of your favorite sweetener instead of maple syrup. If it’s a dry sweetener like cane sugar, you may need slightly more liquid.

No Vanilla? Skip it, you probably won’t notice.

Favorite Add Ins

There are many great combinations for flavors for this recipe. Feel free to add your own favorites, almonds or walnuts work great, hemp seeds and chia seeds add nutrition but don’t change the texture or flavor. You can also add dried fruit like dried cranberries or raisins. You can also substitute pears or other fruit that needs to be used.

Have you tried Baked Oatmeal? 

Plant-Based Meal Plan

by Leave a Comment

Has your grocery bill skyrocketed over the last month or so. Ours has gone up too. Thankfully, plant-based ingredients are budget-friendly, but making 3 meals and 17 snacks a day can add up. This week, I’ll include snacks in my Plant-Based Meal Plan.

Plant-Based Meal Plan

Well, maybe not 17 snacks a day but we had to come up with a snack schedule to keep the kids from wanting to eat constantly and ruining their dinner. They can’t have snacks after 3:30 and we eat dinner around 6:00, sometimes 7:00 depending on whose cooking and how late we have to work. We make exceptions if needed, like if they had an early lunch and forgot to snack before the cut off. 

We’ve also been on a lemonade kick which has been fun. Where we live in Arizona, it’s citrus season so it’s easy to get fresh lemons, oranges and grapefruit from neighbors. A few of our favorites are Strawberry Lemonade and Pineapple Lemonade.

Plant-Based Meal Plan

We all make our own breakfasts and lunches every day. We usually make a family dinner if we are cooking but if it’s something the kids don’t like or spicy, they will make their own. Sometimes we will have a group snack but often the kids make their own snacks. 

Plant-Based Breakfasts

We’ve been having cereal for the kids, oatmeal for everyone, and fruit for everyone. I still make a double batch of my Instant Pot Steel Cut Oats on the weekend to enjoy during the week. We just warm it up and add blueberries, bananas or diced apples. Sometimes nuts or seeds too.

Plant-Based Lunch

Since the kids normally make their own lunch, they will usually make PB&J, Peanut Butter Toast, or one of our breakfast choices. Sometimes they will have leftovers. 

All of us grownups usually have leftovers. There are three of us now, our oldest son is staying with us, and we love having him here. He cooks too! This week I plan to get back to my big salads for lunch. 

mango lime ice pop

Plant-Based Snacks

I don’t normally include snacks on the meal plan but I think I’ll include it, at least until the kids are back in school. 

Plant-Based Dinner

Monday: One Pot Broccoli and Rice is my husband’s favorite and I haven’t made it in over a month! He used to take it to work for lunch every day, but since he’s been working from home I haven’t made it.

Tuesday: Plant-Based Tostadas (just updated) made with Instant Pot Refried Beans and Pico de Gallo or Mango Salsa

Wednesday: Vegetable Spaghetti with a side salad and Sweet and Tangy Salad Dressing.

Thursday: Instant Pot Black Beans and Rice is one of my most popular recipes. It makes a ton so I’ll probably half the recipe. It’s a bland recipe so kids will eat it, then we spice up our. Anyone else have kids who are weird about spices?

Friday: Chickpea Nuggets, Oil-Free Potato Wedges, Veggies and Dip, and Brownies! We will probably rent a move and have popcorn too!

What are you eating this week? Are your kids eating 17 snacks a day or does it just feel like it?

By the way, I’m reopening my Custom Meal Plan service with limited availability. If you need a meal plan designed for you and your family take a look at the details and reach out via email.