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Daily Dozen Meal Plan Example - Vegan Cuban Food for the Week!

Ally Fellas

Hi folks!

This week my husband and I used vegan food for our daily dozen meal plan!

For hitting the Daily Dozen, I’d rate this week’s meal plan as a 10/12. So close!

At the bottom of this post, I have included the ideal ingredient list that I think would make it a 12 out of 12.

I want to break down an average estimate on how each meal measured up to Dr. Michael Greger’s (Author of How Not to Die) recommended Daily Dozen portions.

In a previous post, I discussed that my breakfasts and lunches will now largely consist of oatmeal and salads. The main reason being it is easier to plan, more frugal, and I find it more conducive to hitting the Daily Dozen easily. For more information on that, check out my post here!

Going forward I will show how each weekly meal plan measures up to Dr. Michael Greger’s recommended Daily Dozen and where I could improve. The key difference between each week will be the dinner theme. As noted before, this week’s theme is Cuban.

Let’s get started!

Breakfast - Daily Dozen meal plan example - OAtmeal

The only food types that did not hit their daily recommended serving amount in my oatmeal were:

  • Fruits

  • Grains

Fruits

According to the Daily Dozen serving recommendations, each day someone should get 3 servings of fruit.
They define ‘fruit’ as anything that isn’t a berry, so for instance bananas, apples, figs, etc. When it comes to oatmeal I usually put in 1 small/medium banana with a good handful of frozen berries.

Grains

You might complete the whole grain section depending on how much oatmeal you eat! Fear not though, we have lunch and dinner to help satisfy the grain quota.

Lunch - Daily Dozen style Meal plan example - Salad

The only food types that did not hit their daily recommended serving amount within my salads were:

  • Beans

Beans

The main one that I find it difficult to fully complete with a salad is the 3 servings of beans recommended. However, it is very common to have beans with dinner so no need for alarm!

Fruit Bonus!

I would note, that it is possible to complete 1 or 2 servings of fruit in a salad. I do not have much regular fruit in my fridge this week, so I did not include it in my example servings completed. If you happen to have fruit in your fridge or bowl, go for it!

If we look back at breakfast, however, I have already doubled my recommended berry count.

Looking at breakfast and lunch, how many Daily dozen servings have I hit?

Dinner - Daily Dozen meal plan example - Vegan Cuban Mains

Thanks to the vegan Cuban meal plan theme, we had incredible Cuban Sweet Potato Picadillo Bowls by CotterCrunch and Cuban Black Beans by A Couple of Cooks

From the picture we can tell that the vegan Cuban meal Plan will hit my needed:

  1. Grain: 1 serving (1/2 a cup is one serving)

  2. Beans: 2 servings (1/2 a cup is one serving)

  3. Spices: 1 serving (add 1/4 Turmeric to any meal)

Lacking from this week’s daily dozen meal plan example:

Cruciferous!

  • Next time I will be sure to buy at least 1 bunch of kale to add to my salads and raw broccoli.

  • I love adding small broccoli florets to make the salad extra filling.

Fruits!

  • Next time I’m thinking I’ll find some awesome fruits to put in my salad and oatmeal that are not berries and bananas. Be sure to stay tuned as I found new recipes for salads and oatmeal that include more fruit in them!

  • I did have some fruits in my oatmeal and some of my salads, but I feel like maybe all of that added up to 1 serving a day out of the 3.

The Ideal Vegan Cuban Meal Plan Shopping List to Reach Dr. Greger’s Daily Dozen

After seeing where my week’s meal prep lacked, mainly in the cruciferous and fruit category, here is my ideal Cuban Themed Meal plan shopping list that should help you hit all of Dr. Michael Greger’s Daily Dozen categories.

Ingredients for a Daily Dozen Style Breakfast:

  • Rolled Oats

  • Plant-based milk

  • Turmeric

  • Frozen berries

  • Frozen regular fruit

  • Bananas

  • Pumpkin puree

  • Hemp hearts

  • Flax seeds

  • Nuts (your favorite!)

  • Nut Butter

  • Maple Syrup (optional, I need some sweetness)

  • Cinnamon

Ingredients for a Daily Dozen Rich Salad:

  • 2 big boxes of mixed greens

  • Some kind of cruciferous vegetables: Brussel sprouts (shaved), Broccoli (cut into small florets), massaged Kale chopped into small pieces.

  • Tomato

  • Cucumber

  • Avocado

  • Red onion

  • Bell peppers

  • Mushrooms (can optionally cook these)

  • Olives

  • Mango/ dried mango

  • Dried Cranberries

  • Papaya

  • Melon

  • Pineapple

  • Pear

  • Nuts (crushed up)

  • Toasted Chickpeas with cumin, chili, cayenne, and paprika

  • Your favorite salad dressing

Ingredients for Vegan Cuban Black Beans:

  • 1 1/2 cups minced sweet yellow onion (about 1 large onion)

  • 1/2 green bell pepper

  • 6 garlic cloves

  • 1/4 jalapeño pepper

  • 2 tbsp vegan butter

  • 1 tbsp olive oil

  • 2 15-ounce cans black beans

  • 1 tsp cumin

  • 2 tsp oregano

  • 1 1/4 tsp salt

  • Fresh cilantro, for a garnish

  • Your favorite whole grain rice!

Ingredients for Vegan Cuban Sweet Potato Picadillo Bowls:

For the Roast Chickpeas:

  • 15-ounce canned chickpeas

  • 1/4 tsp cumin

  • Pinch of sea salt

  • 1/2 tsp minced garlic

  • 1/4 tsp cayenne

  • 1/2 to 1 tbsp oil

For Vegan Cuban Picadillo:

  • 1 small onion or 1 1/3 cup chopped

  • 1 bell pepper or sweet pepper chopped

  • 1 tbsp olive oil

  • 3 cloves garlic or 1 tsp minced

  • 1 sweet potato peeled and diced in cubes. About 2 cups

  • 1 tsp oregano

  • 1 tsp cumin

  • Optional 1/4 tsp chili powder or cayenne

  • 1/4 tsp cinnamon

  • 2 bay leaves

  • 1 cup or 8oz stewed tomatoes (drained if using canned)

  • 1 tbsp red wine vinegar

  • 2 tbsp tomato paste

  • 1/2 tsp salt and black pepper

  • 2–3 tbsp raisins or dried cranberries (optional)

  • 1/2 c green olives sliced

  • 1/2 tbsp brine from an olive jar (the juice)

  • Cilantro or extra onion to garnish

Optional - Tasty Vegan Cubano

  • Sourdough bread from Portofino Bakery

  • Vegan mayonnaise

  • Vegan butter

  • Mustard

  • STRUB'S PICKLES!!! 😍

  • Vegan deli (this is turkey, it's that lazy)

  • Vegan Cheese (used Violife)

Takeaways from this week’s Daily Dozen Meal Plan Example - Cuban Style

Not every week will turn out perfect! You’ll forget things, the grocery store will be out of something, no avocados will be ripe yet, etc. Progress over perfection. Do not get distraught if you only hit 10 out of 12 for a week! You’re learning and you’re improving every time.

This week definitely taught me the value of stocking up on dried fruits that are easy to mix in salads and oatmeal! As well as the importance of having frozen kale stocked up in my freezer. This is such a healthy cruciferous veggie and it is so easy to mix with anything. If you find your daily dozen meal plan lacking in cruciferous veggies, bust out a frozen package of kale and get to work.

Happy meal planning!