This week’s menu of easy dinner recipes features mostly low-carb choices like thai salmon salad, bacon-wrapped stuffed chicken, and easy taco salad.
How is it Friday? I really don’t know where this week went. My boys were in camp for a half day all week, so I feel like I really should have gotten more done than I did. I’m going to blame my lack of productivity on my lack of sugar. Remember last week when I told you I had done a lot of vacation eating and needed to make up for it? Well, I’ve been trying to strictly limit my sugar and carb intake all week. I didn’t think I even ate that much sugar until I started looking at things a little more closely. The “Belly Fat Cure” diet I’m trying suggests only consuming 15 grams of sugar each day. That’s nothing! I typically drank that much sugar in my morning coffee, and that was just getting my day started!
Anyway, I’ve survived the past five days with hardly any sugar at all and pretty minimal carbs like bread, rice, corn and that sort of thing. Since I’ve been watching my carb intake, I thought I would let that show in today’s menu. I’m not going to turn this into a diet blog or anything, and honestly this probably won’t last much longer. Many of you ask me for healthier recipes though, so I hope you won’t mind a carb conscious menu this week! Oh, and if you are interested in the books I’m reading, here are some affiliate links for Amazon.com. Both books are by Jorge Cruise and are called Happy Hormones Slim Belly and The Belly Fat Cure. If you are following either of these  or another low-sugar diet, email me and we can commiserate!
- BBQ Turkey Lettuce Wraps – I love this easy meal, but BBQ sauce can be loaded with sugar. If you care about that sort of thing, just check the labels and look for a low-sugar version. You could also try the tuna salad version instead.
- BBQ Chicken Quinoa Skillet – Speaking of BBQ sauce, this meal might not be low carb, but it’s still healthy and a crowd pleaser. It’s ready in 30 minutes or less too!
- Bacon Wrapped Stuffed Chicken Breasts – No one feels like they are dieting when their dinner has bacon and cheese. Serve this up with some steamed broccoli or a simple salad.
- Slow Cooker Chicken Adobo – The sugar in this tasty chicken recipe is pretty low. Serve it with a modest amount of brown rice or quinoa and bok choy or broccoli on the side for a filling meal.
- Thai Salmon Salad – This is one of my very favorite recipes. I hope you will try it if you haven’t yet!
- Easy Taco Salad – I can never get enough Mexican food, and this salad is a healthy way to enjoy it.
- Sriracha Chicken Salad – I love this recipe. Try it on lettuce leaves or as a sandwich. Serve it up with fresh fruit and veggies or chips, whatever you like. Great dinner for hot days!
If you are firing up the grill this weekend, don’t miss the collection of grilling recipes I shared earlier this week!
Melissa says
Hi Andi! Love your recipes! One of my favorites is the cucumber-tomato salsa, YUM! My husband and I have been slowly changing our lifestyle and eating habits since April. The weight loss was pretty slow at first, but since we’ve started adding paleo as our main meal of the day (dinner), the weight has really been coming off. I’ve lost almost 25 pounds and 35 for hubby! The only down side of paleo is all the prep work! I do cut some corners, like oj out of the fridge instead of hand squeezing oranges. It can also get expensive in a hurry since we don’t have access to the great fresh fruits and veggies you have in CA. Anyway, have you tried the paleo route and do you have any recipes you could easily recommend?
Thanks!
Andi Gleeson says
Thank you so much for sharing your story, and I’m sorry for taking two weeks to reply! I realized I didn’t really know the difference in paleo and low carb and wanted to read more about it before writing back, but then I got distracted as usual ;) I’m proud of all your weight loss! I still need to research paleo more, but for now I’m still limiting added sugar and refined carbs but have added back whole grains and fruit. My weight is very, very slowly going down. I guess if it’s real weight loss and a lifestyle change I can maintain for a long time, it takes time. Thank you for your story, and I’ll let you know if I find or come up with some good paleo dinner ideas!