Adjusting to a vegan lifestyle can be overwhelming enough, but adding a family to the mix can sometimes make you want to pull your hair out. I remember those days!
Hell, sometimes I still have those days with the fam. The struggle is real!
I remember when meal planning was difficult because I couldn't figure out how to put meals together. It was hard not seeing meat as the center of a meal!
To complicate things more, I thought vegans only ate salads and smoothies. Quiet as it's kept, I wouldn't have lasted this long if we were limited to just salads and smoothies. We love variety!
I put together a vlog with 5 tips on saving a little time (and money) with meal planning for a family.
Check out the tips:
Put breakfast & snacks on autopilot-The less thinking you have to do the better! We usually have oatmeal or grits for breakfast and fruit for snacks, but there are limitless options out there for quick, cheap vegan meals and snacks. Other breakfast suggestions: pancakes, smoothies (using plant-based milk like almond or soy instead of dairy), roasted potatoes with a side of fruit, soy or coconut yogurt with fruit and waffles, & bacon and sausage alternatives. For snacks: crackers, trail mix, smoothies, pre-packaged vegan junk food (Oreos are vegan-just saying) & fresh fruit
Keep a food journal-This is a great way to keep track of the meals your family enjoys. You can refer back to the journal when you need quick meals ideas.
Take one main ingredient and make several meals out of it-As a kid, I hated leftovers, so this is a great way to jazz up meals for your family. For example, make a pot of lentils and make 3 meals out of it. On day one you can make lentils and rice, the next day make lentil soup and the third day make tacos or burritos. Of course you can also make a big batch of one of those recipes to eat over a few days.
Get your family's input-In my experience, my family became more open to this lifestyle change when I asked for their input. Find out some of their favorite recipes that you can veganize (make a vegan version of) them. People are more likely to eat what they recommend.
Be open with experimenting with new recipes-use vegan cookbooks and blogs to veganize some of your favorite recipes and to find new ones to experiment with. I tried about 4 vegan macaroni and cheese recipes before I found our favorite one. Be open to experimenting with several recipes until to find one that the majority of your family loves.
Be gentle with yourself and your family in this journey and I promise that meal planning, grocery shopping and cooking will get easier.
Here's the video....
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