My Plant-Based Family

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

Vegan

Plant-Based Dinner Meal Plan Oct 26, 2015

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I’m not sure what you all love more, plant-based meal plans or free stuff but almost 300 of you have downloaded the free Cheapest Plant-Based Meal Plan (Fall Edition). A few of you even paid a little something for it so thanks for that. It’s set up so you can download it for free or pay a donation.

I’ve gotten a lot of emails from people who are so thankful because their budget is really tight right now. I’m going to write some more posts that I think will help with saving money so look for them over the next two months.

I also want to mention that you can enter a giveaway right now for the ebook Whole Food Plant Based on $5 a Day by Emma Roche or Plant Plate. In the book she creates meal plans (for 28 days) and includes shopping lists so you can eat healthy on $5 a day. The book is only $6.95.

I’m almost hesitant to even list a meal plan with such great resources listed above but I’ll relent and post a Dinner meal plan for this week.

Plant Based Meal Plan

Breakfast will be are usual which means cereal, toast, smoothies and of course oatmeal!

Lunches will be packed for the boys with sandwiches or baked potatoes as main dishes. We will also use leftovers for lunches.

Plant-Based Dinner Meal Plan

White Enchiladas with Cilantro Lime Quinoa

Hearty Lentil and Barley Stew (substitute rice or quinoa for barley to make it gluten-free)

Lentil Tacos with leftover Cilantro Lime Quinoa

Potato and Broccoli Soup (this post is from my 2nd week blogging many years ago, the pictures are awful but the soup was good. I think I need to repost this with an update…adding it to the list.)

Easy Mexican Casserole will be our standby recipe.

I have a question you can help with.

We are going to a pot luck on Wednesday night. I’m trying to decide what to bring. There will be 8-10 adults and 15 or so kids, all omni. What do you recommend?

October 5, 2015 Meal Plan…Fall is Here

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I have Facebook friends all over the U.S. It’s funny how the arrival of fall means different things to all of us. I mentioned a few days ago that “it was under 100 degrees and I’m ready for soup.” My blogging friend Jacqueline insists that it isn’t fall weather. When you live in Arizona you have to adapt.

I’m happy to report that it has cooled down even more and the temps will be in the 80s and 90s this week. I know all my mid-west friends think this is hot but I assure you it isn’t.

I already did a little cooking this weekend but it wasn’t for us. There is an elderly couple at our church. I actually used to cook for them on a weekly basis. They are sick and aren’t able to cook right now so I took them several meals. They will be enjoying Enchilada Soup and Lentil Shepherd’s Pie. I have leftovers for both that will have this week for lunches.

I’m also thinking ahead to Thanksgiving. If you need ideas be sure to check out my Holiday Meal Plan and Cook Book. It’s plant-based and gluten-free collection of Thanksgiving recipes.

Meal Plan Monday Plant-Based, Vegan and mostly gluten-free meal plans

Meal Plan

Breakfast

We’ve been changing things up in the breakfast department. Normally the kids eat while I make lunches. I’ve been making an effort to sit and eat with them. It seems weird sometimes because our mornings are so busy but I feel like it helps all of us start the day better.

  • Bagels (store-bought)
  • Cereal
  • Frozen Waffles
  • Oatmeal topped with fresh fruit
  • Toast with fresh fruit (which has been a bowl full of cantaloupes and strawberries)

Lunch

I’m starting the week with leftover Mexican Casserole, Baked Potatoes, Mexican Rice, Black Beans, Lentil Shepherd’s Pie and Enchilada Soup. I’ll rely on these for lunch and pack lunches with typical lunch box stuff for my boys.

Dinner

I’d like to use my Crock Pot and Instant Pot a lot this week. I’ve been really busy at work so I don’t want to have to be busy with labor intensive meals after work.

What does your week look like? Do you cook every day or every couple of days. If you prefer to use leftovers these soups and casseroles are a great option.

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Veggie Burrito

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I often refer to my veggie burritos as an easy lunch or a back up meal. It occurred to me that some of you may think I make a really elaborate thing. Trust me, this is not the case. I don’t really do elaborate these days. This Veggie Burrito recipe is as easy as they come.

The basic Veggie Burrito can be made with whatever you have on hand. This plant-based (vegan) recipe is quick and easy to make.

I wanted to show you just how easy this basic veggie burrito is. I’ll also point out that when I refer to an easy black bean salad it is basically this burrito with extra lettuce and no tortilla.

I make it when I have beans already cooked but I’ve been known to use canned beans on occasion.

Basic Veggie Burrito

Ingredients

  • 1 tortilla per burrito
  • lettuce
  • cooked black beans
  • diced tomatoes
  • frozen corn
  • salsa
  • guacamole

Do

  1. Heat beans and corn (and anything else you want hot).
  2. Layer all ingredients into a burrito (or ditch the tortilla and put everything on a bed of lettuce).

This is a quick and easy meal and can be made using whatever you have on hand. If you have potatoes, peppers or rice use them, if you are missing tomatoes or guacamole that’s ok. Use what you have.

For more great meal ideas check out my Recipe Page.

September 28, 2015 Plant-Based Meal Plan

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What’s for dinner? Have you full switched to plant-based fall favorites or are you still hanging on to summer?

I’ve been getting dinner inspiration from some of many of YOU on Facebook. I recently asked “What is the best (plant-based) thing you’ve cooked recently?” and I found a lot of great ideas. Feel free to hop over and add yours!

I’m going to use many of those ideas in our meal plan this week.

Plant-Based Meal Plan Monday

Plant-Based Meal Plan

Some readers have wondered if this is a daily meal plan. It is weekly. I don’t assign specific days for meals because I would get off track. I just plan out 4-5 recipes for breakfast, lunch and dinner and cook as often as I need too (expect those times I batch cook or do once a week cooking.)

Let’s start with dinner.

Dinner

These plant-based fall favorites are perfect for the cooler weather, or for those of us who are pretending the weather is cooler.

  • Enchilada Casserole, I love enchiladas but a sloppy casserole is easier to make.
  • Veggie Spaghetti with a side salad and Raspberry Vinaigrette dressing.
  • Roasted Veggies I’m thinking potatoes, zucchini, mushrooms, onions, peppers, broccoli and tomatoes.
  • Veggie Pizza or Pizza Pasta if I’m short on time.
  • Soup, either Taco Soup or Simple Veggie Soup

Lunch

I’ve been working from home most of the time so I haven’t needed to pack my lunch. We still pack a lunch for our 1st grader every day and our preschooler about half the week. I like having the ability to eat leftovers at home.

Breakfast

I really enjoy using my Instant Pot in the mornings. Though not all of the recipes use a pressure cooker I like having that option.

  • Steel Cut Oats with fruit.
  • Sweet Potatoes in the Instant Pot. We top them with cinnamon and raisins.
  • Blueberry Muffins or Banana Muffins (using my Banana Bread Recipe) and fruit
  • Cereal as a stand by

What do you have on your meal plan this week? Were you inspired by any of these plant-based meal ideas?

Check out my Plant-Based Fall Favorites Pinterest Board for even more ideas!

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September 21, 2015 Meal Plan

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Are you on the Meal Planning bandwagon yet? I always plan meals but I don’t always follow them to a T. You don’t have to either. Planning meals is a great start and will help you be more organized.

This week will be a busy one for us. My strategy will be to make a couple of things that can be reheated for leftover. I know, I normally do this but I plan to eat more leftovers than normal. I’ll keep the other meals simple.

Meal Plan Monday

September 21, 2015 Meal Plan

Breakfast

Last week I made steel-cut oats and I added several cups of chopped apples to it before I cooked it. I found out the hard way that my son does not like cooked apples mixed in his food. The apples were very soft since they were made in the pressure cooker.

Jim heated up the leftovers for you boys, it didn’t go over well. He told me they didn’t like it, then I heard my 6 year old say, “no I hate cooked apples in my oatmeal, they are slimy.”

Normally I cook the oatmeal plain then add fresh fruit.Sometimes trying something new works out, other times not so much. I love oatmeal with cooked apples.

The moral of the story is, don’t be afraid to try something new. The worse that can happen is you won’t like it.

Lunch

  • Soup and Salad
  • Veggie Wrap
  • Bake Potato or giant bowl of steamed veggies (potatoes, carrots, onions, celery, etc.)
  • Soup
  • Veggie Sandwich

I don’t want to eat as many leftovers for lunch as I normally do. I’m hoping to use them as leftover this week. To make that work I’ll make an easy soup in the Crock Pot in the morning. It will be ready by lunch time.

Last week I did this and it was so good. I peeled and chopped about 5 small potatoes, added a whole bag of frozen mixed veggies, dumped in some lentils (I didn’t measure but used about 1/2 cup, maybe), poured in a pouch of liquid concentrate stock from Massel, lastly added water. I cooked it for about 4 hours then had a great and easy lunch.

Dinner

I’m only planning 3 dinners. I’ll make extra of each so that I can avoid cooking more often. If we need extra dinners I use some of my lunch or breakfast ideas.

What is on your meal plan this week? I’m hearing from a lot of you and you are in “soup mode.” I highly recommend the Minestrone Soup in the meal plan above. If you are in the mood for something a little different check out my my favorite plant-based soups.

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The Last Back to School Giveaway

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I’ve really enjoyed the last two months of Back to School Giveaways but all good things must come to an end. Today will start our last week of giveaways but I’m actually giving away 3 separate prizes! I’ve still got some back to school tips I’ll continue to share this month!

Prize #1 Fresh & Fit Bento Lunch Kit

bento kit 1

One lucky winner will receive a Fresh & Fit Bento Lunch Kit.

The thing that really sets this lunch box apart is on the inside. The lid has built-in sections for ice packs. The ice pack are removable which make for easy cleaning and freezing.

bento kit 2

I think these are great for anyone who needs to keep a lunch cool until lunch time. The ice packs sit right up against the food which work better than ice packs that may be in your lunch bag but not necessarily near your food. We’ve been using the ice packs for years, even before we knew about the lunch kits.

bento kit 3

We’ve used these for sandwiches, salads and just snacks. The 3 compartment design keeps foods separated.

Prize #2 FLYJOY Bars

flyjoy 1

These may be my favorite bars! I love them!

I’ve loved every flavor I’ve tried. These energy bars, yes they are considered energy bars, they are made from quinoa, oats and flax. FLYJOY Bars are all natural, gluten-free, non-gmo and vegan. They contain nuts so these wouldn’t be suitable for someone with nut-allergies. (I have news about my sons oral challenge I’ll share later this month.)

flyjoy 2

Read the story about how FLYJOY bars came to be. You’ll be inspired!

Another great thing about FLYJOY is that every FLYJOY purchase donates 10% of the profit to HOPE International, making it possible for women, men and families to break the cycle of poverty and pursue their dreams through self-sustaining businesses and education.

One winner will receive a package with all six flavors. Trust me, you’ll have a hard time picking a favorite. These filling bars are perfect for breakfast or snack. I’ve taken them hiking for energy and eaten them on the way to church when I didn’t have time for breakfast at home.

Flavors include Cashew Cookie Dough, Peanut Cacao Nib, Cranberry Almond, Cherry Coconut, Coconut Almond, and Blue Berry Almond.

Prize #3 Product Assortment

I’ve given away a lot of great products over the last two month. This week I’m choosing some of my favorites to send to one lucky winner.

The package will contain an assortment of full and sample sizes of products like SunButter, Enjoy Life Food Soft Baked Cookies and Plentils, SoyNut Butter and more. I’ll have to see what all I can fit in the box.

Enter below and you’ll be entered in all 3 giveaways!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

giveaway