Easy Low-Carb, High Fat Lunch Menu

How is it June already?  It really snuck up on me which is why I am getting this out so late.  May was incredibly busy and kind of a blur with all of myraces, but I wouldn't have traded it for the world.

Are you ready for some healthy eats?  Me too! With the weather heating up this month, I tossed in some cold dinner options.  My husband also requested lots of beef and being a lover of red meat I couldn't deny him that request.

As always, tell me what you made and how it turned out!

Bon appetit!

• BLT Lettuce Wraps
• Cauliflower Crusted Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
• Baked Chicken Fajita Roll ups
• Ranch Chicken Salad
• Grilled Zucchini Pizza Slices
• Beefy, Cheesy, Low-Carb Green Chile Bake
• Philly Cheese Meatloaf
• Bacon Cheeseburger Casserole 
• One Pot Cheesy Taco Skillet

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Memorial Day Recipes for the Low Carb/High Fat Lifestyle

   

 Memorial Day is right around the corner and soon Americans will be firing up the grill in anticipation of a three day weekend.  What better way to celebrate the unofficial start to summer than by barbecuing and cooking up some yummy treats?  Just because it is a holiday doesn't mean you have to stray off your eating plan.  Listed below are some fun low carb/high fat foods that everyone will enjoy.

If you make any of these I want to hear about it so leave a comment below.  While your cooking I'll be enjoying a locally brewed beer - my adopted home town does have 5 microbreweries after all.  

Creamy Lemon Ice Cream

Low Carb Spinach and Artichoke Dip Cauliflower Casserole 

Braided Garlic Breadsticks

Low Carb Almond Porridge 

Coconut Flour Chicken Tenders

Tomato, Avocado and Salami Bites

Artisan Grilled Chicken

Marinated Beef Kabobs 

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May (Low-Carb, Gluten and Nut-Free) Menu

How is it even May?  This year is just flying by, but I am glad that summer is almost here.  My

Not a short list of allergens.  

family and I have several fun weekend trips and special events planned.  Now that I am aware of what all of my allergies are, I'm going to have to really plan on what I eat (or when I don't eat) on the road.  Staying low carb, gluten free and high fat while I traveled has always been tricky, but doable, but with so many allergies to fruits and vegetables, my options are even more limited.  Luckily, I always have intermittent fasting to fall back so if I need to fast longer than normal (16 hours a day), I can.  You can bet I'll be putting together a list (in blog form too) of what to pack so I don't cheat (too much).

May is shaping up to be an extremely busy, but fun, month for us.  I have 3 races (Cinco de Miles, Gate City Half Marathon and Boston's Run to Remember).   There is also Mother's Day and my daughter's first ever dance recital.  Not that this is any different from usual, but I am going to try to keep my recipes as easy and quick to cook as possible.

Since I do have so many races this month and the weather should be better, we'll most likely pick up some pre-marinated meats from our local butcher shop, Mr. Steer, to grill so I didn't include recipes for those nights.





Are you ready for this month's list?

• Pork Egg Roll in a Bowl
• Taco Bake
• Sloppy Joe's
• Buffalo Chicken Jalapeno Popper Casserole
• Mongolian Beef
• General Tso's Meatballs
• Beefed up Meatloaf
• Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Chicken with Vegetables
• Grilled Ginger Soy Pork Chops 

And, just to make my nutritionist happy, I'll be adding lots of vegetables to my diet as well.  Veggies, veggies and more veggies!

Here is a new one I'd like to try:  Roasted Spiced Radishes.  

Low Carb Italian, Chinese and Mexican Recipe Roundup!

As you can tell by glancing at this month's menu, my crock pot will be getting a workout!  February kicked off my half marathon training and I just barely had the time let alone energy to make dinner every night or even every other night.  Not good for me as an athlete because if dinner wasn't ready after a run then I was tempted to grab something quick and easy, and not necessarily healthy just to refuel my body.

I don't have a link for my corned beef recipe because, well, it's in my head.  It's the same one I've been using for years and I don't know measurements and such plus it is not quite low-carb.  But what are holidays if not a good time to cheat (with limits)?

Low Carb Italian Dinners

• Baked Garlic Parmesan Chicken 
• Chicken Parmesan
• Lasagna in a Bowl - Single serve recipe

Low Carb Mexican Food

• Slow Cooker Steak Fajitas 
• Mini Tex-Mex Chicken and Cheese Pies
• Southwest Beef and Bean Casserole



Chicken Tortilla Soup

• Crockpot Chicken Tortilla Soup

Low Carb Chinese Food

• Slow Cooker Paleo Sesame Chicken
• Crockpot Beef and Broccoli 

American Low Carb Food

• Knock Your Socks Off Slow Cooker Chicken and Sausage
• Texas Slow Cooker Beef Chili
• Cheese-Filled Mini Meatloaf
• Cheeseburger Soup

St. Patrick's Day Dinner (March 17)

• Corned Beef
• Low Carb Shephard's Pie 

Easter Dinner (March 27)

• (Really Freaking Good) Umami Roast Beef Dinner
• Honey Glazed Baby Carrots (Higher carb because of the carrots and honey)

Cheese-Filled Mini Meatloaf

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Stuffed Bell Peppers (Low Carb)

The basic ingredients.

About a year ago when I was re-dedicating myself to the low-carb lifestyle, I stumbled upon a multitude of recipes for stuffed bell peppers.  The recipes seemed easy enough, which as a working mom is super important to me, and none of the ingredients were exotic, another plus.  I found them great for lunches as they were easy to reheat.  Also, I played around with what I stuffed them with.  Sometimes I used cream cheese and mayo.  Other times I used cream cheese and sour cream.  I'd switch up the crumbled bacon with pepperoni if I didn't have any on hand.  Point is, once you start making these you can switch up the ingredients as much as you want and really make them your own to fit your taste.

Ingredients

• 8 Ounces of cream cheese
• 2 tablespoons of Parmesan cheese 
• 2 Tablespoons of full fat mayonnaise
• 2 Green (or really, any color) bell pepper
• 2 slices of bacon, turkey or pig, your choice
• 2 teaspoons of garlic powder (optional)
• Any additional low carb toppings that you would like!

Directions

The finished product!  Yum. 

• Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees
• Soften the cream cheese and then mix it with the Parmesan cheese, mayonnaise and garlic powder.
• Slice open and clean out the peppers of all seeds.  
• Spoon in the mixture into the open-faced peppers and add any additional toppings you might want.
• Place the peppers onto a greased cookie sheet and put into pre-heated oven for at least 25 minutes.  I like mine a little crispier so if you do too you might want to put them in for longer.  
• Let them cool down for a bit before enjoying.
• These re-heat wonderfully for lunch the next day.  

A List of Zero Carb Foods to Help Get You Into Ketosis

If you are just starting out on your low carb journey, there are many resources on the internet to help you get started.

When I first got started many years ago I printed out a handy list of foods that were allowed in the first step of any low carb diet- this step helps you get into and remain in ketosis (burning fat instead of sugar).

While the list below isn't the same, I find it to be very comparable to the one I had and a quick check of the website it is linked to, StartLowCarb, is very helpful too.

The only modification I would make on this list is to stay away from margarine, it is man-made and not nearly as good for you as butter.  As for alcohol, I would limit it to 2 drinks per day if you are trying to lose weight.

Yes, butter is good for you.  Just because a food is high in dietary cholesterol does not mean that it is going to raise your cholesterol.

Bulletproof Tea (or Coffee) and Why I Love It!

I decided to try bulletproof tea (coffee hurts my stomach) about 5 weeks ago when I did an egg fast diet for a week.  It was a suggestion as part of the diet and I wanted to do everything it entailed to experience its full effect.  I was a skeptic about bulletproof anything for a long time, but after my first sip I was a believer.

Some of the benefits of bulletproof tea/coffee:

• It keeps you fuller longer.  
• It allows you to feel full, yet remain in a fasted state for a longer amount of time.  It doesn't affect your fasting metabolism.  This is especially important if you practice intermittent fasting.

Some of the benefits of drinking green tea:

• Lowers cholesterol
• Increases blood flow
• Prevents high blood pressure
• Prevents congestive heart failure 
• Blocks the formation of plaques that are linked to Alzheimer's.  

My bulletproof green tea recipe:

Ingredients

• 1.5 cups of steeped green tea (I honestly use a generic brand)
• 1 tablespoon of grass-fed butter (I use Finlandia), softened 
• 1 tablespoon or more of coconut oil (I prefer this over MCT oil)
• Few sprinkles of Pink Himalayan salt
• 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon of unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 to 1.5 teaspoons of Stevia

Directions

Simply mix all of the above ingredients in the blender for at least 30 seconds and then serve hot in your favorite mug.  

Feel free to adjust the above ingredients based on taste.  I find I don't have time to measure everything out in the morning so I just eyeball it and I've learned how to adjust it based on my personal preference.  

The reason I prefer coconut oil over MCT oil is simply because I believe the coconut oil makes this drink nice and frothy.  I find the MCT oil just lets the butter fall to the bottom like a glob and then you miss out on all the fat content of the butter (remember fat is good for you).

Non-Scale Victory - I'm Back in My Pre-Pregnancy Pants!

Yesterday, I decided to do something I haven't tried doing in about 2 months.  I decided to see if my size 6 pants would fit again.  Now these were the smallest size pants I've ever worn as an adult and they were the last size I fit into prior to getting pregnant with my daughter 4 years ago.

At that time I had lost roughly 30 pounds following The Metabolism Miracle which is a low carb, high fat diet.  Obviously, when I got pregnant I could no longer be on such a restrictive diet any more and I had to add back in the carbs.  I also gained 80 pounds in the process!

Flash ahead to 4 years later and after following a low carb, high fat, gluten free diet while practicing intermittent fasting and running several miles a week (I logged in 18 miles this week) and I am back in my size 6 pants.

I won't lie.  It wasn't easy.  I didn't take any pills, shakes or wrap myself up in plastic wrap, but I did it.  I'm glad I did because I'm worth it.  We're all worth it.  We just have to believe it and do something about it.

As always, I'm happy to answer any questions.  I want to help.  I'm not here to sell you a product.  I want to share the wealth of information I've learned from all of the mistakes I've made over the years.

Low Carb, High Fat ,Gluten Free Super Bowl Party Recipes!

Are you ready for some football?


Let's talk about FOOD!

What will I be making this year?

For last year's Big Game I made Bacon Cheeseburger Crock Pot Dip.  It was so yummy!  I liked it so much that I'm making it again this year.  I'll be sure to serve it with certified gluten free tortilla chips (not low carb).  You could always make your own chips from cheese.  Chips from cheese?  YES!  They are so easy to make and so good.  My 3 year old loves them too.


I'll also be making Smoked Sausage Cheddar Beer Soup.  I typically use O-Mission beer when I go for a gluten free one.  This is another family favorite and so easy to make since you throw it in the crockpot.

I won't be making these this year, but these Parmesan Tater Tots with Chipotle Dipping Sauce are also really tasty although they do require a little bit more work to make.

I'd love to hear what other low-carb recipes you might be making for the Super Bowl this year!

Low Carb, High Fat and Nut Free Swedish Meatballs!

Tonight I am making these Swedish Meatballs from The Ketogenic Cookbook.  I can't wait to try them out!  I'll be serving them over zoodles (zucchini noodles).

Looks like meatloaf but tastes like Swedish meatballs!

Ingredients

• 1.5 pounds grass fed beef
• 1/4 pound ground pork
• 1 large egg
• 1/4 cup tomato sauce
• 1/4 cup minced yellow onion
• 1 tablespoon coconut aminos or wheat-free tamari sauce
• 1 tablespoon dry mustard
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons fresh ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon liquid smoke
• 1 stick unsalted butter
• 2 ounces of cream cheese
• 1/3 cup beef bone broth
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325F.
2. In a large bowl combine,  ground beef, ground pork,  egg, tomato sauce (check the carb count),  minced yellow onion,  coconut aminos,  dry mustard,  garlic minced, of fine sea salt, fresh ground pepper, and liquid smoke (not sure what this is and I haven't found it in the local grocery store yet).  Mix until well combined.
3. Shape into 1.5 inch meatballs and place on a rimmed baking sheet.  Bake the meatballs for 45-60 minutes, until cooked through and browned.
4. Meanwhile, make the sauce:  Place butter in a saucepan and heat until the butter sizzles and brown flecks appear, stirring constantly to keep the butter from burning.  Reduce the heat to low.  Stir in  cream cheese,  beef bone broth,  Parmesan cheese and ground nutmeg.  Simmer for at least 15 minutes.  The flavors open up if you simmer longer.
5. When the meatballs are done, remove them from the oven, place them on a serving tray, and serve with the sauce.  

Let the Half Marathon Training Begin!

 I START HALF MARATHON TRAINING THIS MONTH! 

This means that now my family time will be even more limited although I did use some of my Fantasy Football winnings to purchase a training plan from Another Mother Runner which will help me stay on track but allow for some downtime too, if you count being a wife and mommy as "downtime".  If you haven't heard of them, you should really check them out.  They understand the challenges of being an athlete and a mother.  I recently ordered their book Tales from Another Mother Runner:  Triumphs, Trials, Tips and Tricks from the Road.  I can't wait to delve into it!

Week 1, Day 1

Monday, February 1 was Week 1 Day 1.  My first run was a circuit run which means I did a 5-10 minute warm-up, then alternated performing 4 different moves for at least a minute before jumping back on the treadmill for 5 minutes in between each one.  The moves were squats, planks, arm circles (forwards and backwards) and push ups.  I didn't think I would like this kind of run but I really did and I'm looking forward to the next one.

Week 1, Day 2

For day 2 I had to put in 4-5 easy miles.  I decided to run on my lunch break rather than wake up at 4:30am when my alarm went off.  I'm so glad I did!  It was a beautiful, warm and sunny day out!  If you look at my splits you can see that I have no idea how to pace myself. Granted, it didn't help that I was dodging beer bottles, sticks, ice, patches of snow, puddles and just random pieces of garbage floating around Manchester, but still I think those times are horrible even for me.

Day 3, today, was a rest day except for performing a Super Short Strength Training Circuit.   The circuit consisted of performing each of 4 moves for 1 minute.  The moves were:  Push ups, leg lifts, spider man walks and of course, squats!

Tomorrow I need to run some intervals so I'll be "runching" (running lunch) it again!

For the record I am running the Gate City Half Marathon in Nashua, NH on Sunday, May 15! 

February Low Carb, High Fat, Gluten Free Dinner Menu

Happy February!

Smoked Sausage Cheddar Beer Soup .

February is a very special, very busy and very expensive month for us.  Both the Mister and I have our birthdays, there is Valentine's Day and my brother and mother-in-law have birthdays as well.  And there is the Super Bowl too which we actually get to relax and watch this year since our beloved Patriots won't be in it.  Crazy.

February also brings with it a new dinner menu.  During the last week of the month prior I sit down with my pen, paper and log into Pinterest to start planning out the next month's menu.

I started menu planning a year ago and it really has been a game changer for me.  I don't grocery shop nearly as much because I have everything I need to make dinner already.  We also don't eat out as much because frankly, if I can make it at home why would I pay someone 3 times as much to eat it at their restaurant?  Menu planning has definitely made me picky about eating out.

Now, I don't cook every night and most of our lunches tend to be leftovers from the night before.  The reason I don't cook every night is because I get such little time to spend with my family that I really can't bear to stand at the stove for an hour, hour and a half every night.  Plus, I start Half Marathon training this month!

February Dinner Menu

Super Bowl/Husband's Birthday Meal  

• Bacon Cheeseburger Crock Pot Dip:  I buy GF chips, but they are NOT low-carb so be careful here if you want to stay in Ketosis.
• Smoked Sausage Cheddar Beer Soup  

Cuban Pot Roast from I Breathe I'm Hungry.

Rest of the Month

• Tuscano Soup
• Smoked and Pulled Pork Butt
• Low Carb Chili
• Taco Soup
• Beef Stew
• Smothered Pork Chops
• Cuban Pot Rost

The Ketogenic Cookbook Recipes

The Following recipes can be found in the book The Ketogenic Cookbook.  

• Zucchini Tot Hot Dish
• Swedish Meatballs
• Easy Mortadella Ravioli
• Kielbasa and Braised Cabbage
• Herb and Ricotta Rotolo 
• Asian Lettuce Wraps 

I'd love to hear about which recipes you've tried and which ones were hits or misses!

Until next time!

Sabrina

Easy Chocolate Fat Bomb!

It's been a hell of a week and all I want to do is relax on the couch with a beer and pizza, but I know if I do I'll end up with a nasty stomach that will ruin my weekend.  

So instead, I'll pop a gluten-free pizza in the oven (not low on carbs), sip on some wine and whip up a fat bomb or as this nerd likes to call it a Fat Bob-omb!

Tonight I'll be making a Keto Chocolate Mousse.  It is super easy and equally as delicious.

Ingredients  

• Unsalted butter – 60g (2oz)
• Philadelphia cream cheese – 60g (2oz)
• Fresh double cream (heavy cream in the US), whipped – 90ml (3oz)
• sugar-free cocoa powder – 1 tbsp, I honestly just use the Hershey's unsweetened.  It is pretty low in carbs (1 net carb per serving I think).
• Stevia or another sweetener to taste – 1 tbsp

Instructions

• Leave butter at room temperature until softened (or blast in the microwave for 10-15 seconds if you haven’t got the time)
• Mix butter with sweetener, keep mixing until completely blended
• Add cream cheese, blend completely into a smooth mass
• Add cocoa powder, blend completely
• Whip double cream and gradually add to the rest of the mixture, mixing well
• Spoon into small glasses (I like to put it in wine glasses to make me feel fancy) and decorate with shavings of dark chocolate
• If you have the time, refrigerate for 30 mins or so – it will taste even nicer.

Now you might be asking yourself why I am eating a FAT BOMB if I want to lose weight?  Well, simple, fat keeps you feeling fuller longer and yes, your body needs fat.  Fat bombs are a quick snack that let you keep up your energy.  They also provide lots of healthy fat that your body needs to reduce your cholesterol and your risk of heat disease.  

As a runner, a fat bomb is a great way for me to fill up before a race but not to the point where I get sick from eating too much.  Remember, I have a sensitive stomach and I am still trying to figure out what works before a run and what doesn't in terms of energy.  For my first 10K (6.2 miles) I fasted for 17 hours beforehand.  My stomach felt great but I was EXHAUSTED by the end.  Had I indulged in a fat bomb beforehand I could have been in better shape.  

For more information on why fat is healthy check out Butter Bob and his website Butter Makes Your Pants Fall Off.  He also shares information on Intermittent Fasting which I practice and will talk about in a later post.  

Sample Low Carb, High Fat and Gluten Free Dinner Menu

A few of you have asked me to post about what kinds of dinners I make for my family of three as someone who is low carb, high fat and gluten free and I am more than happy to do so.

Most of my recipes come from the almighty Pinterest or from low-carb Facebook pages that I follow, but I just ordered the book, The Ketogenic Cookbook by Jimmy Moore and Maria Emmerich.  I've added a few of their recipes to my monthly menu plan for February.  I love the fact that this book is big and has huge, colorful pictures of the final product.  

Mind you, I haven't tried any of the recipes from this book, but they all seem to be pretty doable and you don't need too many crazy ingredients, but if you are going low-carb you will most likely need things like Stevia, MCT Oil and Xanthum Gum among others.

OK, time for what I cook for dinner!

Our January Menu included the following recipes (all pinned from Pinterest):

Enchilada Bake

Hearty Hamburger Soup - for this one I substituted the can of pumpkin with good old tomato             sauce because pumpkin sounded blech.

Italian Sausage Soup

Caramelized Onion and Bacon Smothered Pork Chops

Crock Pot Asian Pork Chops - I would substitute Stevia for Splenda and Liquid Aminos for Soy Sauce (yes, even Market Basket sells something as random as Liquid Aminos!)

Bacon Ranch Chicken - be careful of how many carbs are in each serving of the brand of Ranch you buy.  

Meatball Parmigiana

Spaghetti Squash Lasagna

Chicken Egg Foo Young

Honey Garlic Pork Chops

Lemony Chicken Stir Fry with Asparagus

Tuscano Soup - an absolute favorite of the Mister's!  

And there it is!  12 recipes from our latest month of dinner menu planning.  

Always be aware of the carb count of any ingredient you use especially pasta/tomato sauces and dressings.  And yes, there are some dressings with wheat listed as an ingredient which you will want to watch if you are trying to be gluten-free.

For breakfast, this is my favorite recipe as of late after my week long egg fast (Week long egg fast!?  Also, another blog post):

Delicate Cream Cheese Pancakes

I practice intermittent fasting which means I fast for 16 hours a day and only eat for 8.  If I say I am eating breakfast that is usually when everyone else is eating lunch around 11:30am.  I stop eating by 7:30pm the night before but that is a whole other post!

As always, please let me know if you have any questions about what I've shared.  

How to Get Started on a Low Carb, High Fat, Gluten Free Lifestyle?

After posting my weight loss results yesterday I have fielded a TON of questions about how I did it.

I am more than happy to help, but I must be fair in warning everyone that this is NOT EASY.  You didn't put the weight on in a day so you are not going to lose it all in a day.

Being low carb in the United States where everything sugar and wheat reigns supreme is flipping HARD.  Temptation is everywhere!

It also doesn't help that we grew up being told that cereal and toast were ideal breakfast foods.  How many of us had PB&J sandwiches for lunch?  A roll every night with dinner and then we scarfed down a sweet dessert.  Wheat and sugar are the norm in our society.  Our government has drilled it into our brains that we NEED it.

Well, I've got news for you.  Nobody needs wheat or sugar.

But I digress.

You wanted to know how I got started.

First, I read the book The Metabolism Miracle by Diane Kress.  It was a game changer for me.  I fit what she called "Metabolism B" to a T!  I followed all of her steps and dropped 30 pounds in 3 months!  Then I got pregnant and gained 80 but thats another story....

How do you know if you have Metabolism B?  If you have a few of these characteristics (taken from her website) then this is most likely the diet plan for you.

Do you have Metabolism B?

____ You tire easily and frequently feel fatigued, even upon awaking.

____ You feel mildly depressed.

____ You feel an energy slump in the late afternoon.

____ You frequently feel anxious.

____ You crave carbohydrate foods, such as bread, chips, sweets, or pasta.

____ Your midsection has a roll of fat., lovehandles, muffin top, or back fat

____ You gain weight easily and find it difficult to lose weight.

____ You have racing thoughts.

____ Your sexual drive has declined or vanished

____ You find it difficult to focus and concentrate and are easily distracted.

____ You are irritable and have a "short fuse".

____ You feel slightly dizzy, flushed, or "weak in the knees" after even a little bit of alcohol.

After having my daughter I went back to The Metabolism Miracle, but I had a hard time sticking to it (re:  putting myself first) juggling a baby, breastfeeding, a full time job, a household to manage and a husband.  My saving grace after having my daughter was finding low - carb recipes on the internet.  Pinterest was a God send!

If you'd like to check out what I've got pinned on Pinterest follow me here:

https://www.pinterest.com/sabby12s/      

I have more to say about how I eat on a low carb, high fat, gluten free diet and yes I feed my family on this way of life too, but I'm going to save that for another day.  My daughter is dying for some cuddle time on the couch as we watch "The Penguin" movie for the millionth time.  

As always, do not hesitate to ask any questions about what I've outlined above.  I want everyone to be happy and healthy and to enjoy LIFE!