Category Archives: Quick Meal Ideals

Creamy Crunch Bowl~Low Carb Desert

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Creamy “Power” Crunch Bowl is my new favorite low carb desert.

My family went to Dairy Queen for Blizzards last week, and I mustered up every ounce of will power I could find to not eat one.  It has been at least a year since we had visited this DQ and their icecream used to be one of my favorite “foods”.  I ordered a coffee latte instead, and took one sip and it was too sweet so I gave it to my teenage son.  He willingly accepted.  I will admit I was disappointed.

But when we got home, I got the idea to make my own creamy desert with some Greek yogurt I saw in the fridge.  My husband had bought the yogurt for one of the boys who likes it as a substitute for sour cream.  It was a big tub and he uses very little.  I will admit that I hadn’t eaten any yogurt in a long time at this point.  We usually buy the individual size sweetened yogurt (vanilla and fruit blends) each week for the younger children’s snacks, and I just skip using them partly because they are sweet, they are expensive so we get just enough for their snacks, and partly because I would rather drink a creamy coffee.

However, I made a commitment to myself last week to lower my daily carbohydrate intake.  I am still trying to put together a routine that incorporates a low carb life style and avoid foods that would sabotage my goal.  Power Crunch bars are a delicious treat I have used for the past six months or so as a desert when my family is enjoying a normal desert (like cookies, cakes, or pie).  I really enjoy having a Power Crunch bar and a cup of coffee as a desert.  So finding that big tub of Greek yogurt sitting in the refrigerator was just what I needed to create my own low carb DQ blizzard substitute.

Creamy Crunch Bowl

Ingredients:

1 cup of plain Greek yogurt

1 Power Crunch bar (flavor of choice).

(optional: sweeten with stevia or truvia to your liking)

This recipe makes 2 snack servings.  But if there is no one near by to share it with, I am sure you will want to eat the whole bowl!

Directions:

Break a Power Crunch bar into pieces and stir into Greek yogurt.

Creamy Crunch Bowl

Nutritional Data:

  • Calories: 190
  • Carbohydrates: 9 grams
  • Net Carbs: 8 grams
  • Fiber: 1 gram
  • Fat: 10 grams
  • Protein: 16 grams

Recipe Variations:

Almost DQ Creamy Power Crunch:

Freeze for a delicious ice cream substitute, like a homemade DQ blizzard.

Pecan Creamy Crunch Bowl

Just stir in – 1/4 cup Pecans, chopped (use nuts, or nutbutter of your choice).  Again, this makes two servings, so you can have one now and refrigerate one for later, or eat both servings if you wish!

Pecan Creamy Crunch Bowl

Nutritional Data:

  • Calories: 284
  • Carbohydrates: 11 grams
  • Net Carbs: 9 grams
  • Fiber: 2 gram
  • Fat: 20 grams
  • Protein: 18 grams

Amazing!

ENJOY!

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Cheesy Rice and Bean Tacos

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I usually end up with left over beans and left over rice during the week.  I usually make a pot of chili beans each week and end up with a cup or two left over.  I also usually make a meal with chicken and rice or pot stickers and rice and end up with left over rice.

One way I like to use these leftovers is to create cheesy bean and rice tacos for lunch.  These sandwiches go together so fast because all of the main cooking is done.  All I need to do is reheat the leftovers, assemble them into a tortilla, and add some fresh veggies and fresh salsa on top.

Optional: Add diced apples or other fruits or veggies for various flavors.

This meal is packed with nutrition and full of flavor and textures.

I like to serve it with a side of tortilla chips and cheese sauce for even more delicious flavors and textures.

This meal is a family favorite at our house.   Hope you will give it a try too.

Be blessed!

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ABC Oatmeal

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ABC Oatmeal

This is a delicious way to boost your nutritional intake.  It is like an “alphabet soup” of oatmeal.

Get your kids busy in the kitchen making this delicious simple meal.  Challenge your kids to add various ingredients that start with different letters of the alphabet.  You can set out the ingredients ahead of time, or let them go on a search in the kitchen to see what they can find.  It’s a fun way to get your kids to learn to make an easy but nutritious meal and learn to enjoy different flavors and textures.

To your favorite oatmeal recipe, add:

A:

apple, diced

almonds, slices, 2 Tbsp

B:

blueberries (dried, fresh, or frozen), 2 Tbsp

butter or coconut oil, 1 Tbsp

C:

cranberries (dried, fresh, or frozen), 2 Tbsp

chia seeds, 1 Tbsp

F:

flax seeds, 1 Tbsp

H:

hemp seed hearts, 1 Tbsp

S:

sea salt, just a pinch

W:

walnuts, 2 Tbsp

This oatmeal is rich and delicious and full of vitamins and minerals that will get you going and satisfy your hunger anytime of day.

Be blessed!

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Turkey Mayo Sandwich With Sprouts

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Oh my goodness!  This meal is so delicious!  It is quick and makes a perfect lunch or meal anytime of day!

A few special ingredients went into making this sandwich:

  • Artisan Italian Round Bread from Le Brea Bakery is made with a special sourdough starter they proof the bread dough with for at least 24 hours before baking.  The result is a bread that is soft with a delicate texture and flavor, and the crust is golden brown and crunchy.  This bread is perfect for savory sandwiches and sweet delights. In this picture, my family has already eaten half the loaf. 
  • Broccoli Sprouts are one of the most nutritious foods available.  Other sprouts such as alfalfa, are jam packed with nutrition too.  You can buy sprouts in most grocery stores or sprout the seeds yourself right on your kitchen counter.  I will share more about methods for sprouting your own nutritious greens such as broccoli, alfalfa, sunflower seeds, wheat, nuts, mixed seeds, and more in a future story.
  • Vegenaise is absolutely delicious!   Vegenaise is Non-GMO, Gluten Free, and Egg-Free.  I am not sure what other brands of egg-free Mayo are out there, but this one is easily available at finer grocery stores.  I would like to find an egg-free mayo also made without soy, but so far, this is the only egg-free brand I have tried so far and I am thrilled with the flavor.

Vegenaise and is made with canola oil, lemon juice, mustard powder, apple cider vinegar, brown rice syrup, soy protein, and sea salt.  It comes out smooth and creamy and really does taste better than traditional mayonnaise.

Ingredients

  • Artisan Italian Round Bread
  • Veganase
  • Turkey breast, oven roasted
  • Romaine Lettuce leaf
  • Broccoli Sprouts
  • Avacodo 1/2 cut into slices

Directions:

Use 2 slices of bread, or 1 slice cut in half, and toast if desired. Spread 1 tablespoon of Veganase onto bread. 

Add sliced Turkey breast.  You could use store bought deli meat, or use your leftover Turkey from your recent holiday meals.  Then top with romaine lettuce, avocado, and broccoli sprouts (or alfalfa sprouts, or sandwich sprout mix of your choice).  You could also add in other options like a slice of tomato, or red onion if desired.

I pared this delicious sandwich with cut up fresh veggies of red bell pepper, celery, carrots, sliced avocado, and yellow cherry tomatoes.

Nutrition Data for Sandwich and Veggies:

458 Calories, 28g Fat (0 transfat),  44g Carbs, 14g Fiber, 14g Protein, 19043IU Vitamin A, 51.9mg Vitamin C,  227mcg Folate, 3mg Iron, 125mg Calcium, 1488mg Potassium, 88.2mcg Vitamin K, 864mg Omega 3 Fatty Acids, 90.1mg Magnesium, 2.1mg Zinc, 9.4mcg Selenium.

This was a super quick and easy lunch to prepare and would be great to pack and take with you if you were on the go during meal time, or if you need to take lunches to work.   This is definitely a nutritious sandwich that could be enjoyed everyday of the week.

Enjoy!

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