Nutrient-dense and delicious recipes
Oatmeal is a classic breakfast food with so many flavor variations. Whether you like it fruity, sweet and spiced, or seasonally flavored, it’s pretty tasty any way you make it. However, it’s easy to overdo it on the sugar when making oats which can send …
Thai food has always been a favorite of mine. I love curries, chicken satay, and naan SO much. Although eating out at my favorite Thai place has been a treat, I rarely do it anymore because of the sneaky oils that are added to most …
Do you love sweet potatoes as much as I do? These deliciously sweet root vegetables are a favorite side dish when I am craving something “carby” but want to keep it as nutrient-dense as possible. I was inspired by mindbodygreen’s post about Dr. Gundry’s tip on making sweet potatoes even better for you, so I created this recipe. Unless you’re trying out a keto diet, sweet potatoes shouldn’t be demonized for their carbohydrate content. They are a nutrient dense, whole-food option that anyone can and should enjoy! An easy way to minimize carbs if you’re trying to is to stick to a 1/4 or 1/2 cup serving per meal or skip the carbs at lunch and enjoy them at dinner.
First, start out with a quality sweet potato such as an organic choice from your natural foods store or check out the organic section at Walmart, Target, or Trader Joe’s. They have some top-notch organic options! Although sweet potatoes are not on the “Dirty Dozen” List, which is what I use most when deciding between conventional vs. organic, I will always recommend an organic fruit or vegetable if you’re looking for the highest amount of nutrients in your foods.
If your budget doesn’t allow for organic right now, conventional produce is fine. Any variety will work for this recipe. You could even use a normal potato if sweet isn’t your thing. I added a purple sweet potato for an added powerhouse of nutrients. According to mindbodygreen, this unique potato is a common food among longevity diets of people living in the Blue Zones of the world. Pretty cool right? You can find them at Trader Joes, or your nearest natural foods store. On a side note, mindbodygreen is a great resource for all things health and wellness, check out their website.
Ghee is clarified butter. Ghee is made by melting down butter and skimming off the milk solids to make it lactose-free. Ghee is my go-to cooking fat for roasting and baking. It is one of the most stable fats with a smoke point of 450-485 degrees, meaning it doesn’t lose it’s nutrients through oxidization after a certain temperature. Extra virgin olive oil, on the other hand, is not the best choice for high heat cooking. It can actually become a harmful saturated fat when heated to 400 degrees or above because it’s smoke point is between 325-375 degrees. Avocado oil is also a good high-heat cooking choice. It’s chemical compounds also remain strong at high temperatures because it’s smoke point 520 degrees.
I love love love roasted vegetables because they are simple to prep and easy to cook. I often make a big sheet pan full of a variety of vegetables all once so that I have them cooked and ready for quick meal prep over the next couple of days. This recipe is no exception! It requires very little effort and care. You’ll have a tasty side dish cooking while you fold laundry, finish your workout, or feed the baby.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and prepare your sheet pan with parchment paper for easy clean up. Chop the potatoes into 1-inch chunks, coat with ghee or avocado oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and bake! I like to melt my ghee on the stovetop for easier coating, but it is not necessary if you’re crunched for time. If you don’t melt it, just toss the sweet potatoes around a bit after cooking for a more evenly distributed buttery taste. Feel free to add spices to your liking! This is a very customizable recipe.
After the potatoes have finished cooking, completely cool in the refrigerator before enjoying. Better yet, make them a day ahead of time to have enough time to chill. Chilling the potatoes significantly increases the amount of resistant starch. A resistant starch is a starch/fiber that doesn’t absorb into your bloodstream before it hits your colon. It ferments and becomes a prebiotic food that feeds your good gut bacteria. In Kelly Leveque’s book, Body Love Everyday, she says resistant starches are also contribute better blood sugar control and weight management because they don’t turn into glucose that spikes your blood sugar like normal starches do. Thanks Dr. Gundry for the cooling tip! Be sure to follow Kelly and Dr. Gundry for more great health tips!
Serve these tasty little nuggets with your favorite protein or as salad topping. Be sure to post a picture on Instagram and tag @Joyfully Fed or comment so I can enjoy your cooking adventures with you!
Since it’s now Lent and I just got home from a Florida vacation, I have been experimenting in the kitchen with different fish and seafood recipes to help me feel like I am still sitting on the beach in the Florida Keys eating endless shrimp …
A few years ago, I stopped eating tuna. Absolutely avoided it like the plague. I think it was a mix of how much I ate as I child and the science telling me it contains high levels of mercury, which freaked me out enough to …
So, I’m really into beets right now. Red, golden, white, all of them. The earthy flavor mixed with olive oil, salt, and pepper–yum. Since I’ve discovered Costco’s pre-cooked pack of beets, I’ve been downing them like candy. This salad recipe is so quick and simple. It’ll make a great side dish for the every day dinner or cook-out as well as a holiday. It’s around 7 ingredients (not counting salt and pepper) and comes together in minutes.
The first step is to always massage your kale with olive oil before assembling. This makes the kale more tender and easier to digest. What is massaging kale you ask? It’s simple coating in olive oil and squeezing the kale like your mixing a bowl of dough by hand until each piece of kale is coated and shiny. You’ll feel the leaves soften as you go. That’s what you want! Let that sit for a few minutes and then massage again.
Next, chop your beets and slice your onion however you like. Add those to your bowl of kale with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar and toss again. Sprinkle with walnuts, feta (or goat cheese), salt/pepper, and hemp seeds if you like. If you have any basil lying around, throw that in too!
If you’re wanting to make this salad a meal, top it with quinoa, eggs, sliced chicken, lentils, or salmon! Best served immediately, but will last in the fridge for a few days.
My husband started a new job in the insurance business and spends most of his early hours of each day hopping in the car before 7am to meet with business owners all around the state. In his typical fashion, he wakes up 10 minutes before …
I found myself with a few too many ripe avocadoes yesterday so I headed to my pinterest boards for inspiration on how to use up them up. In the midwest, avocadoes are not cheap, so I was not about to throw these gems out. I …
I’ve been on the hunt the past few months for the perfect peanut butter protein bite recipe. I hadn’t found “the one” after many tries, so I decided I would create my own based off a few recipes that were close to what I was looking for. Every recipe either had a few too many oats, which I was trying to avoid to keep it lower in carbs this time around, or it had gobs of sweetener added. Defeats the purpose of a healthy snack bite in my opinon.
So, here it is. Super simple and quick to whip up. Peanut butter, almond flour, coconut flour, vanilla, collagen powder, chocolate chips, and dash a maple syrup. Mix it all together, roll into balls, pop in the freezer for 10 minutes, and devour these tasty little gems.
I could spend another five paragraphs telling you all about protein bites, swaps you could use, or what I did last summer, but I honestly too tired for that and would much rather you just go make these delicious bites and trust me when I say no. swaps. needed.
That’s it friends. Whip up a batch and let me know what you think!
Do you need a quick way to pack in the veggies in the morning? Try this smoothie! Green smoothies sometimes get a bad rap because they can taste too “earthy” but let me tell you, this recipe is far from that. It’s thick, creamy, slightly …
When you’re looking for an easy, light, and nutrient-dense dinner ready in under 30 minutes, this customizable recipe is a must. Citrus and shrimp are a perfect flavor pair and roasted vegetables are always a good idea. Time Saving Tips A great way to save …
I was hunting for a low sugar, chocolatey protien bite to add to my meal prep menu a few months ago. Naturally, I turn to Pinterest and Google for inspiration. I came across a recipe from one of my favorite food blogs, The Real Food Dieticians. (They make some pretty fantastic recipes that you should check out!) Their Paleo Almond Joy Protien bites checked all those boxes and then some.
They are chewy, chocolatey, just the right amount of sweet, and well-rounded with protien, fat, and fiber. Simple and quick to make is also plus. For the kids’ backpacks, swap out those fruit snacks and individual bags of cookies and chips for these protein bites. A little fat and protien will keep them energized much longer than only sugar and carbs. Serve these bites as a healthier treat after dinner, or a bridge snack to help you make it between meals. They taste indulgent, but are loaded with good things!
I adapted the original recipe from The Real Food RDs by adding less maple syrup, chocolate flavored collagen powder, and an additional half teaspoon almond extract. They turned about lovely.
Paleo treats are naturally dairy, gluten, and refined sugar free. However, be sure to check your chocolate chips if you are sensitive to dairy or trying to avoid 100% refined sugar. I highly reccommend, Hu, Lily’s, and Bake Believe Brands for a healthier chocolate option. You could sub cocao nibs or just leave the chocolate chips out completely.
If you want to make these keto friendly, use monkfruit maple syrup and your favorite sugar-free chocolate chips. Looking for a vegan option? Use a plant-based protein powder and dairy free chocolate chips.
I used almond flour, but almond meal would also work well. Do not sub coconut flour as you won’t get the same dough consistency! (Coconut flour absorbs alot more liquid than almond flour.) Unsweetened shredded coconut adds a great texture and while the extracts give a candy-like flavor. Almond butter provides the cookie-dough consistency and the chopped almonds give these bites a good crunch along with those tasty chocolate chips. A little vanilla and almond extract elevates these bites into an even more decadent treat.
In a large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients and mix by hand or using a wooden spoon. Using a cookie scoop, scoop out into a rounded balls and pop in the freezer for 15-20 minutes to harden. After that, store them in in airtight container in the fridge or freezer.
After making homemade almond milk last week, I had all this leftover almond pulp. I don’t like wasting food so I scowered the internet for inspiration. One of my favorite food bloggers, Minimalist Baker, popped up on my search so I decided to give this …
