Special thanks to SMEG for sponsoring this post
I’ve been talking quite a bit lately about how I’m incorporating more plant based meals into my diet, so I thought I’d go into a little more detail on the blog today! A few months ago, I started focusing more on fruits and vegetables when meal planning. It definitely feels good knowing I’m getting proper, healthy nutrients each day! With that said, making plant based meals can seem a little overwhelming at first, so here are some food storage tips and three meal ideas to get you started!
Keeping an organized fridge is the key to cooking healthy meals in my opinion. When we have lots of fruits and vegetables readily available and easy to grab, I’m able to cook healthy meals quickly and easily! We recently upgraded our kitchen appliances and have the SMEG French Door Refrigerator. The size and layout make it so easy to keep clean and organized! I’d have to say all of the SMEG appliances have improved my cooking quality. now that everything works so well, our food is cooked to perfection! 😉 Here are a few tips I follow to keep our fridge tidy:
Food Storage Tips
1. Use Bins or Baskets
I opt for clean bins so I can easily see what I have… plus they look good too!
2. Remove Food from Original Packaging
Removing fruits and vegetables from their original packaging cuts down on prep time and encourages you to use up everything you have since it’s all easily accessible!
3.Organize in Categories
Storing food by category allows you to take a quick mental note of what items you have on hand. I like to organize by food type and keep similar items together on a shelf or in a drawer! The SMEG refrigerator has lots of shelf space and spacious compartments with labels, making categorizing a total breeze!
Three Easy Plant Based Meal Ideas
1. Fruit Smoothie
We make a fruit smoothie every morning in our SMEG blender! I simply blend together some of our favorite fruits, and it makes three servings! Here is the recipe I use:
- 2 cups unsweetened almond milk
- 1 cup frozen strawberries
- 1 cup frozen blueberries
- 1 cup frozen pineapple
- 1 frozen banana
- 1 cup power greens
Serve as a smoothie or smoothie bowl topped with your favorite granola! Add peanut butter or blend with Ripple milk for added protein.
2. Veggie Pasta
This is an easy cooktop meal that can be made so many different ways, and also stored to eat as leftovers! I sauté a variety of veggies in olive oil and garlic, add a pasta sauce, and toss with gluten free or vegetable noodles!
3. Plant Based Taco Salad
This is basically taco salad, minus the meat! For this meal, I combine greens with black beans, corn, kidney beans, tomato, and avocado. Top with corn chips and salsa or your favorite salad dressing!
Hope that helps give you some ideas for staying organized and eating healthy. Let me know what other questions you have and I’ll be sure to share! 🙂
