10 Keto-Friendly Dinners (Delicious, Low Carb & Easy to Prepare)

The Ketogenic diet is a hot topic as of late. Some people use it as an approach to weight loss, while others use it as a way to balance hormones and heal their body. A keto diet can be incredibly helpful for balancing insulin and blood sugar levels, which in turn will lead to better overall hormonal health (and yes ladies, that means less PMS and PCOS symptoms for you!)

If you’ve been thinking about going Keto, I’m hooking you up with 10 Keto-friendly dinner ideas! Below are a mix of recipes with dairy, and some without. I often find there are a lot of keto recipes smothered in dairy and although I love cheese, it’s not something I eat often and can be quite inflammatory for some people. Everyone is different so I wanted to provide you with options. 

If you’re looking to try the Keto approach to weight loss, check out my 12 week online weight loss program specifically designed to help women burn fat (with delicious food of course!). This program is not about deprivation, but about supporting women’s hormones with healthy high fat foods. Click here to learn more about my fat burning program.

 

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Salmon & Endive Salad Boats

I get asked all the time… “Samantha, what do you eat?!”

Telling people I eat healthy, or organic or gluten free for some reason makes them think I’m deprived or eat a boring diet, which is sooo not the case!

If you follow me on Instagram you’ll get a pretty good idea of what’s on my plate everyday as I’m always sharing videos + posts about food!

I love food. But more importantly, I love really good food. 

Back in the day, I definitely didn’t look at food as the way I do now. It used to be just about filling up. Feeding my hunger. Whatever is convenient and quick. 

Now, it’s a different story. A much different story. Food is about fuelling my body. Supporting my hormones. Supporting detoxification and gut health. Beautifying my skin. 

I know how I feel when I eat like crap. And it ain’t pretty. 

And I know how I feel when I eat well. 

My healthy-eating journey has been a 10+ year process, if not longer! I didn’t just wake up one morning and magically decided to give up grains, gluten, dairy, sugar and only eat organic, non-gmo and do it with a big smile on my face and unicorns coming outta my ass! 

Let’s get real for a minute…

It’s been a process and it always will be a process. And I’m human. I don’t have a perfect diet. There are slip ups, date nights out, events, parties, etc, but as I become more aware of what works with and against my body, those slip ups happen less frequently. 

Bottom line, wherever you are on your journey with food, health, hormones, weight or whatever it may be, you need to be gentle on yourself. You need to let go of judgements. You need to go slow. And more importantly, you need to stop undermining the success you ARE achieving with your nutrition and body. 

For the most part, my meals are very simple. I don’t overcomplicate them. I make sure I have quality protein at each meal (which is key for balancing blood sugar and keeping you satiated) and get lots of vegetables on my plate. Plus, I make sure to add in some good fats. 

As for carbs, I don’t eat them often. I choose more fibre-rich and nutrient rich starchy vegetables such as, sweet potato, squashes, plantain and some fruits here and there. 

Grains have gotten the boot, and the odd time I’ll indulge in some yeast free, wheat free rye toast (my fav!). 

And so, when someone asks about my diet and I share with them some insights, it’s often followed by “Samantha, what do you eat?!”

Which brings me to these simple and delicious Salmon & Endive Salad Boats. They take only minutes to prepare, are loaded with healthy omega 3 fats, which fuel your brain and hormones, plus, it’s served in delicious and refreshing endive leaves that replace heavy carbs. 

Enjoy!

Salmon and Endive Salad Boats
Serves 2
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Prep Time
5 min
Prep Time
5 min
Ingredients
  1. 1 can of sustainably caught salmon, drained (I like RainCoast Brand)
  2. ½ stalk celery, diced
  3. ½ green apple, diced
  4. 1 teaspoon capers
  5. 1 tablespoon hemp seeds
  6. 2 tablespoons parsley, chopped
  7. 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  8. Sea salt and pepper to taste
  9. 4 -6 Endive leaves
Instructions
  1. Mix all the ingredients together, except the endive leaves.
  2. Divide mixture evenly into endive leaves and serve.
Holistic Wellness https://holisticwellness.ca/
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Garlic Chili Shrimp with Pesto Zoodles

I love a quick and healthy meal. And by quick, I mean a meal you can whip up in 10 minutes! 

This was my lunch the other day. Busy with client calls and lots of writing, I quickly got into the kitchen, perused through the fridge and my eyes landed on the pesto, the zucchini and the bag of shrimp I was defrosting.

I think it can be easy to over complicate food. 

I remember back in my 9-5 work days I would bring in my own lunch to work and everyone would always be peering over my shoulder talking about my ‘gourmet’ lunch. 

Umm… gourmet? Not really. I would just whip together leftovers, like roasted veggies and grilled chicken and apparently it looked gourmet. 

Well, considering that most people in the office were eating fast food and well… crap; my meals looked pretty fancy. They also looked vibrant! You know, real food, real colours and not beige nutrient-less junk. 

Anyhow, you can image some of the ‘health’ conversations that would get stirred up at the office. 

I mean, I was eating real food people. Ain’t nothing wrong with that!

Anyhow, I digress…

Let’s get to this incredibly tasty 10 minute meal. The smell of fresh parsley mixed with garlic and chili is so good. You’re gonna want to eat the shrimp right outta the pan (I sure did!).

Best part is, this meal is incredible for balancing out your blood sugar levels. Ain’t no insulin spikes happening here! You’ve got a bowl full of veggies (zucchini), protein from shrimp and healthy fats. No starchy carbs, just real, simple whole foods. This meal will keep your mood stable and support your energy levels. 

Also, shrimp (make sure to get wild caught) is loaded with selenium, which is an important mineral for supporting the thyroid. 

Ok, let’s get cooking…

So first, you’re gonna need to start with some spiralized zucchini noodles. This is the spiralizer I have here.  If you don’t have a spiralizer, don’t fret! You can simply use a vegetable grater and grate thin slices of zucchini or use a knife to slice it into thin strips, your call.

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If you are using a store bought pesto, make sure it’s organic or at least contains only natural ingredients. If you prefer to make your own, try my detox pesto recipe here. If you’re making it from scratch, now’s the time to whip it up before you get cooking. 

Once you’re pesto is ready to go, chop up 2 garlic cloves, a small bunch of fresh parsley (roughly 2-3 tbsp) and measure out 1 teaspoon of chili flakes. Prepare your shrimp by peeling them and leaving them aside. I used one whole bag (roughly 30 shrimp).

Heat olive oil or grass fed butter in a cast iron pan and once hot, add in shrimp, garlic, chili flake, parsley and fresh cracked black pepper. Cook for 2-3 minutes on each side until shrimp turn nice and pink. 

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Once shrimp are cooked, remove from the pan and set aside into a bowl.

To the same pan, add in zucchini noodles and pesto and cook on medium-low heat until cooked through, roughly 6-7 minutes. The time it takes to cook your noodles all depends on your preference. You might like them on the softer side or slightly harder and on the raw-er side with a bit of bite. Your call. Cook them to your desired preference. 

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Once cooked, add zoodles to a bowl, top with shrimp and sprinkle fresh parley on top. 

DONE and DONE!

This meal is finger-lickin’ good, healthy and a huge time saver when you feel strapped to get something quick and nutritious on the table. 

As much as a delicious bowl of pasta can be, I really don’t miss it. The zucchini noodles are really filling and satisfying and you can top them with you favourite sauce. 

Hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do!

Garlic Chili Shrimp with Pesto Zoodles
Serves 2
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Prep Time
5 min
Cook Time
5 min
Total Time
10 min
Prep Time
5 min
Cook Time
5 min
Total Time
10 min
Ingredients
  1. 2 large zucchini's, spiralized
  2. 1 large bag frozen shrimp, defrosted (I used wild caught)
  3. 3 tbsp pesto
  4. 2 garlic cloves, chopped
  5. 1 tsp chili flake (or more if you like it hot)
  6. 2 tbsp fresh parsley, roughly chopped
  7. Black pepper
  8. Olive oil, for sautéing
Instructions
  1. Spiralize zucchini's and set aside (I used the 1/4 inch blade for a thicker noodle).
  2. Prepare pesto and set aside (make your own or use store bought).
  3. Defrost shrimp and remove shells.
  4. Heat a cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add olive oil. Once hot, add in shrimp, garlic, chili flake parsley and black pepper.
  5. Cook for 2-3 minutes on each side until cooked through and nicely pink. Remove from the skillet and place in a bowl.
  6. To the same skillet, add in zucchini noodles and pesto. Cook for roughly 5-7 minutes until desired texture is reached.
  7. Add noodles to a bowl and top with shrimp and fresh parsley.
  8. Eat and enjoy!
Holistic Wellness https://holisticwellness.ca/
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