Hey everyone! Happy Monday! It’s so hard to believe it’s already February!
Like so many, we began our year with the desire to start eating in a healthier way. We’re not big into restrictions or “diets” per se, but have started to eat more whole foods, more vegetables, less carbs, and sadly – less dessert. (It’s the baked goods I’m still missing.) A little over a month into it, and we’re loving it. (And I’m down 9 lbs!)
I have been doing a lot of “veggie swaps” – swapping out foods that are higher in calories for a veggie. This menu reflects some of that, and will hopefully give you an idea or two for your coming week. Happy planning (and happy eating!)
Monday: Healthy Chicken Pot Pie
This was SO delicious! I still can’t believe I made a chicken pot pie with no butter, milk, or cream! The next time I make this, I will take pictures so I can blog the recipe! My secret? Blended cauliflower as the roux! I also omitted the bottom crust and used homemade biscuits for the top.
Tuesday: Skyline Chili Boodles
My husband is from Ohio – land of Skyline Chili. If you’ve never had Skyline Chili, it’s basically spaghetti noodles topped with chili, cheese, and other toppings. We love it. But, when you add up the calories of pasta + chili + cheese you get calorie overload. So, instead of the pasta, I used one of my new obsessions – boodles!
Boodles are butternut squash “noodles.” (And they’re amazing!!) I use my Kitchen Aid Spiralizer attachment, and it works fabulously!
I topped my boodles with 99% fat-free turkey chili and a pinch of grated cheese. Delicious!
Wednesday: Zucchini Lasagna
Zucchini lasagna gives you all the flavors of lasagna without the added calories of pasta. I sliced my zucchini lengthwise, and used the strips in place of noodles.
Thursday: Italian Baked Chicken, Parmesan Garlic Quinoa, Cabbage
I sprinkled my boneless skinless chicken breasts with Italian dressing seasoning and baked. Moist and tasty!
The quinoa recipe (link above) is one of our favorites!
I fixed my cabbage by sautéing garlic in olive oil, and adding half a head of chopped cabbage. As it began to cook down, I added a bit of salt, chicken stock, and a pinch of brown sugar. It was SO good!
Friday: Pita Pizza, Berry Yogurt Salad
We love pita pizza! The kids love picking their own toppings and putting on their desired amount of sauce and cheese.
My absolute favorite brand of pita is Papa Pita Whole Wheat Greek Pita. (They’re super cheap at Costco!) I love that the pita easily controls your portion size too!
The “salad” is a treat – and one we all really enjoy! Sure makes me long for summer days though. I’m missing fresh berries right now!
Saturday: Taco Salad with Shredded Beef
This beef is crazy easy. I put two pounds of stew meat into my slow cooker with one large can of red enchilada sauce. Boom- done! I took it out, put the meat cubes in my Kitchen-Aid, and shredded them using my paddle attachment. I put the now shredded beef back into the sauce and served it up. So good!
Sunday: Baked Chicken Sandwiches, Oven-Baked Curly Fries, Parmesan Zucchini Crisps
I make a super tasty fried chicken sandwich – but this baked version was just as good. I simply marinated my chicken breasts in pickle juice prior to cooking. (Sounds totally weird, but it’s a thing Chick-fil-A does – and it really just brines the chicken more or less.)
I am in love with oven fries! I used my spiralizer on the smallest setting and made little shoe-string curly fries. I spray a pan with cooking spray, place the fries on the pan and sprinkle with seasoning salt. I lightly spray the tops of the fries with cooking spray. Bake at 400 until crispy. I tend to put them under the broiler for a minute or two right before serving.
My Parmesan Zucchini Crisps are SO good. It really gave me the cheesy crunch I’ve been missing since ditching chips. Just super tasty little bites. (They’d be great dipped in a marinara sauce too!)
