What to Cook? Easy Meal Ideas

I should have started this blog while we were in the Nutritional Response Testing program, but I didn't even think of it. Our priorities were to make it through the three months in one piece! What I'm sharing below aren't recipes as much as meal ideas. They are pretty simple, and since we were told to try to have vegetables with every meal, we try, even with breakfast! Even if it is an omelet with cheese cooked with a chopped onion, red pepper, spinach, kale, or tomatoes, we try to include vegetables. We also go through a lot of eggs!

I admit, when we started this "diet," I was kind of at a loss for what to cook! We had to re-think pretty much every meal. We weren't supposed to have processed or pre-packaged food, and no grains (no tortillas, bread, rice, quinoa, etc.). It was hard! We gradually started putting meals together, focusing on meat, produce, and dairy.

I went to the library and got some "low carb" cookbooks but most of them were really elaborate and complicated, and not quite what we were looking for. Dr. Mantz told us sweet potatoes were ok to have and butter was good, too. We started experimenting and one of the first dinners we cooked was shepherd's pie with mashed sweet potato instead of regular white potatoes. It was really good!

Shepherd's Pie...We make it with either ground beef or ground turkey. Brown the meat, add onions, seasonings, and I like to add a mix of frozen vegetables (carrots & peas, or broccoli, or whatever is in the fridge or freezer!). The meat & veggie layer goes on the bottom, then add your mashed sweet potato mixed with butter (I also like to switch the butter for coconut oil and add coconut milk, but you can add butter and regular milk too--my husband doesn't like coconut oil so I only use it if I'm just cooking for myself). We always add a layer of shredded cheese (any kind of cheese) and bake it until everything is hot and the cheese is starting to brown.

My sister made chicken kabobs when we visited her. I turned her recipe into a stir fry that worked really well. I think since it was for me, I used coconut oil, but butter or olive oil would work great too. Chop red bell peppers, yellow and orange bell peppers, pineapple, and cube some chicken breasts. Cook the chicken first, then put aside. Cook the bell peppers, and heat up the pineapple. Add the chicken back, and if you want, add a little soy sauce, liquid aminos, or coconut aminos (haven't tried the coconut ones yet, but it's supposed to be a little sweeter and less salty than soy sauce. Also, a lot of people avoid soy, so this is a good substitute).

A typical dinner. Baked chicken or salmon, 1/2 sweet potato with butter or coconut oil, and a vegetable (usually from a bag of frozen vegetables). We like pink Himalayan salt, pepper, or lemon pepper with everything. We also usually put butter or olive oil on the vegetables.

I'm the most proud of this one! One of my favorite places to go for breakfast or coffee in Carson City has a breakfast sandwich that has poached eggs, spinach, provolone cheese, and pesto on a croissant. I remade it at home with everything but the croissant for a good low-carb breakfast! I also love the chicken sausage links from Trader Joe's, so I get those and cook the whole package ahead of time for the coming week.