I’m steering us a little off course this week – apologies in advance. I’ve decided to make this week’s meal plan mainly plant based. Please don’t immediately go unfollow and unsubscribe from DWTD – I promise, it will only be one week. I’m just really interested to see what all of the hype is about and I figure one week won’t kill us. Obviously, all of my meal plans are saved and easily accessible under the “meal plan” tab so if plants aren’t your thing, just pick a week from the meal planning vault!
If you are anything like me, you probably assumed plant based meant only eating vegetables and mostly raw ones at that. And the idea of only eating raw veggies, every night, had me none too thrilled. But like me, you’d be wrong. A plant based diet actually consists of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and legumes. So, potatoes, chick peas, black beans, quinoa, whole wheat, nuts – all of these are OK. Sounding better, right? And most nutritionist will tell you you should still continue to add in healthy protein even if you are full on “plant based.” But the main food group on your plate should be the plants.
There are many health benefits to eating a mainly plant based diet but the biggest one for me was the discovery that it’s the only diet consistently proven, over two decades, to reduce your risk of cancer. Other health benefits include a stronger immune system, reduced inflammation, help maintaining a healthier weight, improved gut and it reduces your risk for heart disease, stroke and diabetes.
I have no intention of becoming completely “plant based” but if after a week I’ve trained myself to reach for a banana instead of a bag of cheez-its, I feel like that’s a win. One week. Let’s just give this plant based-ish diet one week and see how we feel. After that we can at least say we’ve tried it and then go back to our regularly scheduled low carb, low calorie, more family friendly meal plan!
Sunday, March 1st // Crockpot Quinoa Chicken Primavera // I said plant based and right out of the gate I’m throwing in a chicken recipe. It’s Sunday people and I’m all about comfort food Sundays. This was as “plantie” as I was willing to go. Cheese, asparagus, peas and pesto – the perfect balance between plant & delicious.
Monday, March 2nd // Mexican Quinoa Stuffed Sweet Potatoes // Truthfully, I’m not a huge sweet potato gal. Patrick loves them but I’ve never been a big fan. But I’m going to give this recipe a try. Hoping the sweet mixed with the spicy will create a yummy balance. KID TIP – Serve the kids some sweet potato with cinnamon butter (softened butter with some cinnamon mixed in), set aside some plain quinoa and plain black beans. If you need to toss in some cheese or something else you know they will eat, do it. I’ll probably add a pickle and some apples to Regan’s plate and call it a day.
Tuesday, March 3rd //Easy Spicy Tuna Poke Bowl // Love the use of canned tuna in this easy poke bowl recipe. Who wants to drop $30 on fresh tuna for a weeknight meal? Not I. This recipe calls for a lot of ingredients we don’t normally use but we can improvise. Just sub with ingredients you already have in your pantry. Use regular soy sauce, sugar, light mayo, rice wine, cucumbers, carrots and omit the seaweed. I will. I don’t have time for all of that. And sub and take out veggies you like/dislike.
Wednesday, March 4th // Chopped Grilled Vegetable Bowl // Once again, the long list of ingredients may annoy you but this recipe is ridiculously easy. If you aren’t familiar with farro, it’s a grain, shaped like rice, with a nutty flavor. It’s delicious and really healthy. This recipe calls for you to make your own tzakiki but purchase if you don’t have time. And, if you aren’t up for grilling, just saute your veggies on the stove!
Thursday, March 5th // Black Bean and Zucchini Tacos with Cilantro, Avocado Slaw // Really quick and easy weeknight option. If you think your kids (or husbands) will be complaining, after three nights of veggie forward dishes, add a rotisserie chicken to your Sunday home shop order and sub for the zucchini. TIP – prep and double this recipe on Sunday for an easy lunch idea. Instead of wrapping in a tortilla, top over brown rice, slaw and all. Delicious.
Friday, March 6th // Homemade Vegetarian Chili // Looks like chili, tastes like chili, the kids will think it’s chili but it’s really loaded with healthy veggies and beans! 99.9% of the time when recipe creators say “the kids will never know” I just chuckle because it’s not true. But, this one actually holds because it looks like every other ‘ole chili they’ve ever eaten.
This Week You Will Need
Instant Pot (On Sale for $69.99) // My Dream Cast Iron Skillet // Baking Sheet // Collapsible Colander Set // Grill Pan // Glass Mixing Bowls // My Favorite Dutch Oven //
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