Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Snacks

Books on healthy eating often show sample menus lined out you for a few weeks.  This would be real handy if my husband or kids would eat any of the stuff on the lists.  Half the things listed I didn't know how to make or sometimes even what they were.  Quinoa, anyone?  The list below can give you an idea of the kinds of things that have worked for our family, but what we eat varies depending on our mood and what's in the fridge.

This morning I had leftover pizza, a chocolate-banana muffin, and a cup of tea for breakfast.

Dr. John McDougall teaches that there are only a half dozen main meals people tend to eat over and over.  Once you identify your new favorites you will automatically rotate these meals.  It took us some time, but our new favorites look a lot like our old favorites: spaghetti, burritos, pizza, burgers.  Come to think of it - yesterday we had burritos for dinner, and the night before we had pizza.  Concentrate on making your comfort foods as nutritious and yummy as possible, and don't worry about all the exotic recipes you'll find unless you are feeling adventurous.

Breakfast	Lunch	Dinner	Treats
Smoothies with  frozen banana, fresh or frozen fruit, nut milk or juice, touch of raw sugar, greens, and flax Fruit in season fruit, bananas, apples,  grapefruit, juice, orange dream drink Bread homemade bread, regular toast, cinnamon bread, cinnamon rolls, french toast, pancakes (regular, cranberry, banana oat, blueberry), muffins (banana- chocolate chip, blueberry, applesauce, cranberry) , bagels (whole wheat, cinnamon, pumpkin, raisin, any homemade), irish soda bread Cereal hot: oatmeal, brown rice, quinoa, couscous, barley.  cold: cheerios, puffed wheat/rice, granola, cereal bars, breakfast cookies  Yogurt coconut brand, soy based, almond based, and homemade  hot tea with soy creamer biscuits and gravy (vegan) roasted potatoes hash browns  scrambled tofu favorite leftovers	Left Overs soups, mex, italian, anything in fridge Potatoes baked, oven baked, fries, sweet fries with maple syrup (Red, Yukon Gold, Sweet potatoes) Salad green, pasta, fruit, taco Sandwich pb & j, pita pocket, grilled fake cheese, non blt, leftover burger Soup miso noodle, 13 bean, minestrone,  cajun black eyed peas, chili, cream of: mushroom, potato, broccoli Wasa, crackers, with.. Pb, hummus, ranch, applesauce, breadsticks, corn chips and salsa, hummus, or white bean dip Noodles - lo mein, japanese, miso noodle soup, stir fry, etc To Go: nuts in one container, dried cereal, dried fruit in others, homemade bread rolls, salad in a bowl, fresh fruit one of my favorite lunchess is spinach and “cheese” quesadillas (Tofutti vegan cream cheese)	Italian marinara, alfredo, spinach or veg lasagna, breadsticks, pizza Mexican burritos, quesadillas, tacos, enchiladas, tostadas, taco salad, mex lasagna, enchilada casserole Soup miso noodle, 13 bean, minestrone,  cajun black eyed peas, chili, cream of: mushroom, potato, broccoli American black bean burgers, mac n’ peas, pigs in blanket, sloppy joes, red beans and rice Chinese stir fry, sweet and sour, moo sho Potatoes baked, mashed, oven, fries using Sweet, Red or Yukon Gold potatoes In Season Veggie especially corn on the cob Good Combos: soup and breadsticks salad and potato     either followed with fruit smoothie rotate dinners featuring pasta, beans/rice, potatoes	Smoothies peach, chocolate cherry, mango, strawberry, endless possibilities Fruit fresh, frozen, dried, applesauce, cobbler, muffins, breads, cereal bars Milk flavors: chocolate, vanilla, banana, eggnog, chocolate mint  bases: soy, rice, almond, oat, banana  Cookies and Bars brownies, gingerbread, monkey bars, banana, cereal bars, granola, chocolate chip, breakfast bars, energy bars Candy carmel corn, carmel apples, fudge Pudding chocolate mousse, rice pudding, bread pudding, chocolate avocado Pie fruit, chocolate mouse, chocolate lace cheesecake  Cake chocolate sheet, red velvet, white, carrot, spice, chocolate beet Salty popcorn, nuts, corn chips

Craving something in particular?  Google for it using "vegan recipe" as part of the tag.  That's how I found a recipe for carmel dip for my apples.  BTW, mac and cheese and pigs-in-a-blanket were old favorites that have not translated so well.  We've found recipes that are acceptable, and we'll enjoy them occasionally, but not as often as we did before our diet change.  However, we've found life goes on without blue box mac and cheese (which now tastes very salty and kinda fake to us).

Over time, I'll post some of our family favorites on this blog.