Plant Based BUILD-A-Meal JAR Swap

This is something we tried in our own local plant based community to minimize the prepping each of us has to do to keep our refrigerators stocked with fresh veggies/legumes/grains.  It operates similar to a Christmas Cookie Swap where each person brings 12 of the same item, then you trade with 12 other people and leave with 12 different prepped veggies/legumes/grains. You actually can even host one with 3, 4 or 6 people, since 12 is divisible by each of those numbers. If you can only find 3 people, each person brings 12 jars with 4 different ingredients, 3 jars of each.   One person needs to take charge, and organize the event.  Below is a copy of the flyer we emailed to select people we thought would be interested in participating.

 

Plant Based Dallas…….Build-a-Meal Swap

WHY:  Do you find it hard to cut and prepare all the fruits, veggies and whole grains you are consuming? We will help each other out by swapping!  Each one of us will choose one item off the list, and bring only that item to the swap. 

What to Do:

  1. RSVP to Event Planner with your choice of raw veggie, cooked grain or bean, or blanched potato

  2. Purchase and wash a case of wide mouth pint size mason jars (save box for transport to swap)

  3. Label jar lid with ingredient/date before filling (masking tape/sharpee)

  4. Prepare your ingredient no earlier than one day before swap.  if cooked, let cool completely.

  5. Generously fill 12 wide mouth pint mason jars with your ingredient, and let cool completely before screwing on lids.

  6. For beans and grains, cook plain, no salt or spice. Drain and rinse well and then let cool completely before putting into the jars.

  7. Bring 12 wide mouth pint jars to swap in original canning jar box and swap!

  8. Let the Event Planner know exactly how many jars you will be bringing.

  9. Arrive early, as the swap goes fast. If you are late, you will miss it!

  10. If you have MORE than 12 people, and everyone is bringing different amounts of jars, it can still work, you just need to be organized.  You need to know exactly how many jars each person is bringing, and IN ADVANCE, mark off on counters, tables etc, with masking tape, and write a number and name in each space indicating how many jars should be placed in that section.  As people come in to trade, have them put one of their jars in each of the allotted spaces until they run out of jars.  Be sure not to go over the number of jars written in each section.  This can be confusing, but if you are organized, it can work!  We just had a swap with 20 different women who brought anywhere from 10-20 jars each, for a total of 324 jars shared!!  Those that bring the most might go home with duplicate jars, but who cares?

Ingredients To Choose From:

chopped asparagus

chopped broccoli

chopped brussel sprouts

chopped blanched butternut squash

chopped cauliflower

chopped blanched new potatoes

chopped blanched sweet potatoes

chopped kale/collard greens

chopped organic celery

 chopped mushrooms

chopped red onion

chopped radishes

chopped red bell pepper

chopped yellow/orange/green bell pepper

chopped poblano pepper

chopped organic zucchini/yellow squash

thinly sliced green cabbage (not shredded on food processor)

thinly sliced red cabbage (not shredded on food processor)

sliced carrots

halved organic grape tomatoes

cooked rinsed plain black beans

cooked rinsed plain brown/black lentils

cooked rinsed plain garbanzo beans

cooked rinsed plain kidney/canellini beans

cooked rinsed plain pinto/navy beans

cooked rinsed barley

cooked rinsed brown rice

cooked rinsed buckwheat

cooked rinsed kamut

cooked rinsed whole oat groats

cooked rinsed quinoa/millet

cooked rinsed spelt