Home-cooked vegan meals... without losing your mind

Get organized to nourish and delight your family

Are you losing your mind trying to feed your family healthy vegan meals… that they will actually eat?

I hear you. I always enjoyed cooking for myself and also having friends and family over for meals. But cooking for my husband and our children every single day is a lot trickier.

Of course, I want the food to taste good – otherwise even I will be reluctant to eat it. But that’s not the only thing!

Nutrition: Iron, calcium, omega 3s, fiber, vitamin, protein… are they getting enough? All moms worry about this but vegan moms perhaps more so.
Picky eaters: My children are still discovering the wide world of ingredients, so nearly every meal I make can be deconstructed to let them taste components separately.
Whole foods: I cook with whole grains, beans, vegetables, fruit, nuts and seeds as much as possible, avoiding prepared and processed foods.
Diversity: We enjoy a variety of meals and cuisines. It’s also a way to ensure we get the whole spectrum of nutrients.
Avoiding food waste: Rotting produce and uneaten leftovers are a waste of money and effort – both the farmers’ and my own!
Time: Cooking is not the only thing I have or want to do in life.

Plus, I want everything to be vegan.

In our home, not everything is perfect. There are compromises made at times. But I have discovered that it doesn’t need to be such a massive puzzle.

You, too, can adopt a few simple routines to plan, prepare and serve vegan meals that will nourish and delight your family every day.

Get some help with vegan meal planning and preparation

Recent posts and recipes

“My husband doesn’t want to raise our kids vegan”: What’s a mom to do?

"Help! My husband doesn't want to raise our kids vegan!" "My partner refuses to hear anything about the health benefits of eating plant-based whole foods. He says that food is food and that our kids should be allowed to eat whatever they want." "When I am away my...

How to prevent a pantry moth infestation

A few years ago, I started seeing tiny little gray moths on the walls of my apartment. It was September and getting cool outside, so I thought maybe they were seeking shelter. No big deal, I am a pacifist, right? After a few weeks, the kitchen was overrun by moths. I...

Mama Food, Toddler Food: What’s on the table of nutrition practitioner and plant-based mom Laura Ashbaugh

I was thrilled to interview Laura Ashbaugh, a plant-based mom, who advises moms and dads on matters of nutrition. This is the second post in my series on how real-life vegan parents make it work to eat (mostly) whole foods at home. Laura was vegan before having...

Vegan meal plan template: Load up on Spring greens!

The arrival of Spring is celebrated with an explosion of green vegetables at farmers' markets. Maybe you have munched on big leaves of cold-resistant kale and collard greens all winter to accompany your root vegetable stews. Now is the time to switch to the fresh,...

An ode to She who decides what’s for dinner on International Women’s Day

If you are reading this, chances are: you are a woman. Ninety seven percent of my readers are. Today is International Women's Day, and I wanted to take a moment to acknowledge and celebrate the role of women in making a most important decision every single day:...

When your whole family doesn’t go vegan – An interview with Sarah Hayes from Bad to the Bowl

What to do if your whole family isn’t vegan? There are more women than men who are vegan, and also more women than men who are in charge of cooking dinner. As vegan and plant-based diets become more common, we shouldn’t be surprised when this family situation arises:...

Seven ingredients for successful vegan meal prep sessions

Meal planning and weekend meal prep sessions are the top two systems that can save you time in the kitchen. They'll also save your sanity! For anyone who wishes to eat more home-cooked meals and less processed food and take-out, vegan meal prep is a game changer. For...

Your next 10 dinners covered: free 2-week vegan meal plan

I know what you want: a ready-made meal plan, and to some help so that you can organize a prep session on the weekend. I can't go and babysit your kids while you cook, but I can at least help you out with a meal plan. Enter your email address below and you'll receive...

Vegans eat better pizza (with my basic dough and pesto potato pizza recipes)

I have never made so much pizza at home as since going vegan. The first reason is that I really LOVE pizza, and so does everyone in my family. Is it pizza that I love, or a slice of warm, golden bread with some luscious toppings? After a couple of years of trials and...

What to do when you crave cheese?

One only needs to participate in any online forum for vegan beginners for about an hour to see THE question come up: “What is the best vegan cheese?” (Often followed with: “I tried XYZ brand and hated it.”) Here is my answer. The 30-day Cheese Detox Dairy cheese is...

Vegan pesto to use all those greens

Spring brings an explosion of greens that can make even the most veg-friendly cook get a little dizzy. Here is the content of my CSA box last week. This week's was very similar, although consisting of some different varieties, with the addition of four cute little...

Meal planning around picky eaters in 7 loving steps

"I have never had a single concern about my child's eating" said no parent, ever. There are worries at all stages of life, from infancy ("is she getting enough milk?") to teenage ("too much junk food!"), with many years in-between spent bemoaning picky eating habits....

Vegan Bolognese Sauce: Every Mom’s Bolo

Growing up, my favorite dinner was always spaghetti. Actually, it was my mom's version of spaghetti bolognese, but to me it was just spaghetti. I could not even imagine that spaghetti noodles could be served with any other sauce than my mom's. It was red, it was rich,...

Quit eating from a package: three easy homemade vegan staples to get you started cooking from scratch

Whether you are trying to avoid allergens or additives, making your own staples from scratch at home is a great way to gain more control over what goes into your body. But forgoing the convenience of ready-made items has a cost: it takes time. On the flip side, it...

How to do a vegan pantry challenge

The goal of a vegan pantry challenge is not to find out how many days or weeks your family can last on a year-old bottle of ketchup and a bag of pearl barley. It's a learning experience. If you invest a little bit of time upfront, and commit to cooking mindfully, you...

11 tips for vegan families to eat better on vacation (video)

Just like many other vegans with families, I prefer renting a cabin or condo when going on vacation. That way, I have a full kitchen to prepare our meals instead of depending on dubious (and expensive!) restaurant fare. In this video filmed on premises in Hawaii, I...

Vegan parm nuts: it tops it all!

It's such a simple thing, but this little topping can take a pasta meal from plain to fabulous. It adds a little crunch thanks to the nuts and depth of taste thanks to the nutritional yeast and, if using, olives. You can also use it on casseroles, salads, or anywhere...

Vegan meal planning 101 (and a basic template)

If you are a busy parent, and want to feed your family whole foods based on plants cooked at home most nights of the week, there are not two ways around it: you have to become adept at vegan meal planning. (And also meal prep - but that's a topic for another day!)...

Join me in the Vegan Family Kitchen!

Every week, I share new strategies, templates and stories that will help you feed your family more home-cooked vegan meals made from wholesome ingredients.

Please confirm your subscription. See instructions in your inbox.

Name