Eat More Plants with These Recipes and Tips

We’ve been on a journey lately.  A healthy health journey.  More myself, than my husband really, but since I’m the cook of the house he’s along for the ride when he eats at home.  HA!  Who knows what he eats at work.  Sometimes leftovers.  So, that’s good.  The kids and I are all in, though.  And the hubs is being slowly convinced.  🙂

My journey started on January 1st of this year.  As most health journeys do!  haha.  Since the new year, I’ve been making serious efforts to eat and serve a more plant-based diet.  Actually, by now, it’s become second nature to me and I’m only 4 months in.

Eating a more plant-based diet is important!  What we eat has an impact on our health and the environment.  And it doesn’t have to be complicated!  There are so many little tips and tricks and changes you can make to get more plants in your diet.

Check out some of my faves.

Craving Buffalo Chicken Wings?  No problem.  Say hello to cauliflower!  Chop, toss with buffalo sauce and roast at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.  Simple and delicious.  They are so good!  A family favorite.  My husband even asks for them, if we haven’t had them in a few weeks.

Boost your Spaghetti Night with plant-power by subbing spaghetti squash for blood-sugar-spiking pasta!  So easy and delicious.  Pierce with a fork, roast at 350 for 45 minutes.  Let cool slightly, slice open, scoop out and discard the seeds and then scrape the sides with a fork to get the spaghetti-like strands out.  It’s much like el dente pasta.  I even prefer it over pasta now.

Appetizer and dinner.  Check.  But what about dessert?  Plant-based dessert, YES, I have that covered too!  No-Bake Coconut Almond Cookies.  Mmmmm.  These are so  amazing.  I am eating one right now, actually.

Melt 1/2 cup of coconut oil and mix with 2 cups of unsweetened coconut flakes, 6 tablespoons of peanut flour, 1/4 cup of unsweetened cocoa powder, 3 tablespoons of almond butter, a pinch of salt and 6 teaspoons (or more to your taste) of Truvia or other stevia blend.  Scoop onto parchment paper, freeze and enjoy!

Almonds and almond butter are plant-based protein powerhouses that I like to use in many meals, not just desserts.  Just one ounce of almonds packs 6 grams of hunger-fighting protein!  And they can be used in so many dishes or even all alone as a quick snack on-the-go.

They’re awesome because they pair perfectly with fruit AND veggies.  They are always on my veggie and fruit trays.

Of course, my kids favorite way to eat almond butter is inside of a good old fashioned PB&J made with almond butter instead of peanut butter for extra protein and healthy fats.  Classic.

I always have a ziplock of almonds with raisins or craisins or popcorn in my bag.  When my kids get hungry on the go, out it comes.  It’s a lifesaver and so simple.

From smoothies made with almond butter, to breads made with almond flour, to a simple handful for a smart snacking on-the-go, almonds are awesome.  California Almonds are good for you and this plant-based protein is sustainably grown.  Bonus.

Learn more about sustainable practices and the importance of plant-based protein at Almonds.com and check out the Power of Plant-Based Meals handout.  It’s good stuff.

There is a recipe there for an “Almond Noodle Bowl with Spicy Almond Sauce” that looks amazing and is making to my menu plan for next week.

Be sure to follow California Almonds on social via Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and the California Almonds blog for the newest recipes, news about almonds and information on sustainability.

Disclosure:  I’ve partnered with California Almonds on this post and all opinions are my own.