Take Them a Meal: Plant-Based Recipes (2024)

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It happens to all of us at some point. The people we care about go through a crisis–serious sickness or an extended stay in the hospital–and we want to do something to help. Taking a Plant-Based Meal is a wonderful act of love and can be a catalyst for healing as well.

Take Them a Meal: Plant-Based Recipes (1)

There is even a free meal scheduling service called Take Them a Mealthat provides a wonderful platform for friends and family members to coordinate meals to help people during their time of need. I am so excited that TTAM has asked me to share some recipes for those who would like to provide healthy plant-based options. 12 of my favorites are listed below.

Providing Healthy Food Can Be a Catalyst for Healing

From personal experience, as someone who has suffered from multiple chronic medical issues, I can testify to the healing power of food. For over a decade, I dealt with painful and swollen joints, high blood pressure and cholesterol, sleeping issues, obesity, and a host of other medical conditions.

Only by changing the foods I ate, was my body able to heal and allow me to become healthy and medication-free after years of taking prescriptions and declining health. My health journey has led to many changes in my life, as you will see from reading my story.

Food truly is medicine!

As a Food for Life instructor with the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, I get to see people regularly who are preventing and reversing diseases with a whole food plant-based diet. This includes myself and the students I teach in classes. Chronic medical issues like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and even some autoimmune diseases are no longer controlling the lives of many former sufferers.

What is a Whole Food Plant-Based Diet?

Eating plant-based, whole foods means fueling your body from the following food groups:

Take Them a Meal: Plant-Based Recipes (2)

WHOLE GRAINS– This group includes brown rice, millet, oats, barley, corn, bulgur, and all products made from whole grains including bread, cereals, pasta, and more. Whole grains are filling but have very little fat. In countries where whole grains are staples, such as rural Asia, diabetes, heart disease, and certain cancers, are much less common than in the States and Europe.

LEGUMES– This group includes beans, peas, and lentils. They are hearty, high protein foods that are rich in calcium, iron, cholesterol-lowering soluble fiber, and even traces of omega 3 fatty acids.

VEGETABLES– These foods are loaded with vitamins and minerals, are very low in fat, and like all plant foods, have no cholesterol at all.

FRUIT – These are vitamin-rich and have no cholesterol. They do have natural sugar but are low on the glycemic index, except for watermelon and pineapple.

For more information about how diet influences our health, this article, What is a Plant-Based Diet, can help.

When loved ones suffer from illness, it’s a perfect time to surround them with love and healing. Trust me when I tell you that we are not talking about taking them endless bowls of salads and fruit trays.

There are so many delicious recipes to choose from. These are some of my favorite healthy dishes that are great for sharing with those you love.

12 Take Them a Meal plant-based recipe ideas

Plant-Based Casseroles

  • Hash Brown Casserole
  • Broccoli Rice Casserole
  • No-Meat Loaf
Take Them a Meal: Plant-Based Recipes (4)

Healthy Soups

  • Dairy-Free Broccoli Cheddar Soup
  • French Onion Soup
  • Vegetable Barley Soup

Side Dishes

  • Broccoli Slaw
  • Easy Bean Salad
  • Orzo Basil Veggie Pasta

Desserts

  • Glazed Carrot Cake
  • Chocolate Mousse
  • No-Bake Chocolate Pie

How Does Take Them a Meal Work?

The free service is a true blessing for anyone trying to schedule meals for families who are struggling with illness, adjusting to a new baby, or going through difficult circ*mstances.

Our church uses the Take Them a Meal program to create a customized online sign up sheet that makes it easy for church family members to take meals to those in need. Each person taking part simply picks a day and types in what they are bringing.

The organizing group–support group, church, etc– lets everyone know if the family has any allergies and helps coordinate food drop-off times.

TTAM does all the work by sending out invitations and reminder emails. What a wonderful way to love on people when they need it the most!

What a perfect way to say, “I love you and want to help you get healthy!”

Article on Take Them a Meal website, Take Them a Plant-Based Meal.

This is not a sponsored article, and I received no compensationfor writing this piece. Just happy to share the information with those interested.

About Terri Edwards

Hi guys! I am the content creator behind EatPlant-Based and a licensed Food for Life instructor with the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine.I am passionate about sharing healthy recipes and tips to empower others to get healthy. I’m so glad you’re here! Read More…

Take Them a Meal: Plant-Based Recipes (2024)

FAQs

How does take them a meal work? ›

How are meals provided through Take Them A Meal? Most meal providers prepare meals in their own kitchens or order local carryout/delivery for the meal recipient(s). We also offer meals that can be shipped to the meal recipient if you live out of town or prefer to have a meal delivered.

What is 1 meal a day plant based? ›

The Bounty of Plant-Based Eating.

Through small shifts big change can happen. One Meal a Day, or OMD, believes that every meal is an opportunity to nourish your body, your community and our wild living planet one delicious plant-based meal at a time.

How to make a complete plant-based meal? ›

Make sure your meal contains these components: dark, leafy greens, whole grains and/or starchy vegetables, a small amount of unprocessed fat, a wide variety of colors and textures, and protein in the form of legumes, tofu, or tempeh.

Is Take them a meal app free? ›

Take Them A Meal is an easy (and free!) online tool for coordinating the delivery of meals to loved ones. If a friend is ill, elderly, or welcoming a child, you can rally their community to take them meals.

Which is better, take them a meal or Meal Train? ›

If you're looking for a simple solution to organize and coordinate meals after having a baby, Meal Train or Take Them A Meal are meal registries that will easily meet your needs. Take Them A Meal is probably best for people with a big local network, as it does not have many options to send digital food cards or money.

How many times in a day do you take meals? ›

The Theory: Nutrition experts tend to recommend eating 3 balanced meals (350 to 600 calories each) and 1 to 3 snacks per day (between 150 and 200 calories each). The calories for each meal and snack depend on a variety of factors including, height, weight, age, gender and activity level.

Is peanut butter on a plant-based diet? ›

The bottom line. Most types of peanut butter are free of animal products and can be enjoyed as part of a vegan diet. However, some varieties are made in facilities that also process animal products or contain refined sugar that was produced using bone char or non-vegan ingredients like honey or fish oil.

Can you eat eggs on a plant-based diet? ›

In other words, plants were paired with protein sources, like eggs, to make a nutritious and well rounded meal. Eggs can and should be part of a plant-based diet, and these five suggestions showcase how easy it is to incorporate the incredible egg into your plant-forward dishes.

Is oatmeal part of a plant-based diet? ›

Generally, it is an eating style that emphasizes real, whole foods that come from plants, including: Vegetables: kale, spinach, tomatoes, cauliflower, potatoes, squash, etc. Whole grains: brown rice, oats, quinoa, barley, etc. Legumes: peas, chickpeas, lentils, peanuts, beans, etc.

Can I eat bread on a plant-based diet? ›

At its core, a bread recipe contains four simple ingredients: flour, water, salt, and yeast — a type of microscopic fungus used to help bread rise. Therefore, the simplest form of bread is vegan. However, some types include additional ingredients like sweeteners or fats — both of which can be of animal origin.

What is the downside of a plant-based diet? ›

Some studies have shown that those on a plant-based diet are found to have lower plasma vitamin B12 levels and higher levels of vitamin B12 deficiency than those who consume animal products. Vitamin B12 is an important cofactor in DNA synthesis, and deficiency can lead to anemia and severe neurological dysfunction.

Can you eat cheese on a plant-based diet? ›

Following a plant-based diet means saying goodbye to all animal products — including lean meat and dairy products such as milk, yogurt, cheese and ice cream.

What is the best free meal tracker app? ›

A quick look at the best calorie counter apps
  • Best overall: MyFitnessPal.
  • Best free features: Lose It!
  • Best fully free: FatSecret.
  • Best for specific diets: Cronometer.
  • Best for weight loss: Noom.
  • Best for building healthy habits: Lifesum.
  • Best for diet quality: MyNetDiary.
  • Best for simplicity: Calory.
Mar 7, 2023

What is the difference between takethemameal and meal train? ›

If you want to organize more support, MealTrain offers an upgrade that requires a monthly fee. Take Them A Meal (TTAM) offers a free, no-frills meal coordinating calendar. While TTAM is limited to just a meal delivery schedule, it's a straightforward site that is easy to navigate.

Which is the best food train website? ›

IRCTC eCatering is the perfect companion for your train journeys. It is the best way to order food in train. With the eCatering website https://www.ecatering.irctc.co.in and the Food on Track official app, you can order food in train online.

How much should I donate to a meal train? ›

On Tuesdays our menu also changes and they will now have a whole new list of options to choose their meals for the following week. How much should I contribute? Is there a minimum contribution? When donating to a meal train wallet there is no minimum and most participants donate between $20 and $50 dollars.

What does take with a meal mean? ›

Medication directions to "take with food" simply mean you should not take the medication on an empty stomach. It means you can take the medicine just before, right after, or while you are having a meal.

Is a meal train safe? ›

All payments are securely processed using industry-standard Secure Socket Layer encryption, or SSL. A small security indicator, usually a lock icon or green bar, will appear in the web browser you're using to verify the security of the transaction.

How to accept a meal train? ›

You must be invited by the organizer, recipient, or a participant who will provide you the unique web address that links to the specific Meal Train page (Example: www.mealtrain.com/qyqn9).

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