Health, Recipes

10 healthy Memorial Day recipes for your cookout

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Photo by Blessing Ri on Unsplash

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Summer grilling season has arrived, & with it, the Memorial Day holiday weekend.

While for many this is a somber occasion, but it’s also a time to gather with loved ones & appreciate the simple joys in life, like gathering for a good meal in the beautiful outdoors.

To keep achieving your summer body goals & to feel good during your cookout, check out these delicious & healthy Memorial Day recipes that everyone will enjoy!

Low-Carb Mushroom Burger

Photo from Living Chirpy

Forget the bread! Enjoy this delicious burger sandwiched between a portobello mushroom & melted Pepper Jack cheese topped with caramelized onions. Check out the recipe from Living Chirpy here.

Honey Garlic Sticky Ribs

Photo from Rock Recipes

If you’re in the mood for something other than burgers, try this Honey Garlic Sticky Ribs recipe from RockRecipes.com. The Asian-inspired glaze is finger-licking good, but it uses honey instead of sugar for a naturally-sweetened recipe. Check out the recipe here.

Healthy Crockpot BBQ Chicken

Photo from Skinny Fitalicious

Don’t have a grill? No problem! Try this easy & healthy Crockpot BBQ Chicken recipe from Skinny Fitalicious. It only has three ingredients, & all you have to do is throw them all in a Crockpot & cook it on low for 6-8 hours (or on high for 3-4 hours). It could not be simpler for a day of entertaining. Check out the recipe here.

Cauliflower Fauxtato Salad

Photo from Whole New Mom

It wouldn’t be Memorial Day without some creamy potato salad. Try this lighter recipe from Whole New Mom that uses cauliflower instead of potatoes. It’s still just as rich & filling, thanks to the vegan cashew sauce that’s used in place of mayonnaise. Check it out here.

Coconut Greek Yogurt Fruit Salad

Photo from Skinny Fitalicious

I love fresh fruit at any party – that’s always the platter I grab from first. But, if you would rather have a fruit dish than a fruit platter, try this nutty & bright Coconut Greek Yogurt Fruit Salad from Skinny Fitalicious. It combines berries with nonfat Greek yogurt & unsweetened coconut for a tasty dish that’s filled with healthy fats & protein, without adding any extra sugar! You could sub in your favorite fruits for different flavors. Check out the recipe here.

Low-Carb Greek Yogurt Broccoli Salad

Photo from Skinny Fitalicious

Broccoli salad is another one of my favorite dishes at any event. Get some greens on the table with this delicious low-carb, high-protein Greek Yogurt Broccoli Salad from Skinny Fitalicious. All of your guests are going to be asking you for the recipe. Check it out here.

Paleo Coleslaw

Photo from Paleo Cupboard

You can still enjoy coleslaw without having to layer it with endless globs of mayonnaise & cups of sugar. This Paleo Coleslaw recipe from Paleo Cupboard uses apple cider vinegar, olive oil, & raw honey to create a light & subtly sweet coleslaw recipe that everyone is going to love. Check out the recipe here.

Strawberry Watermelon Popsicles

Photo from One Lovely Life

Need to cool off during the hot day? Try these delicious, naturally-sweet Strawberry Watermelon Popsicles from One Lovely Life. It’s a vegan & paleo recipe with no-added sugar – all you need is watermelon, strawberries, one lime, & popsicle molds. Check out the recipe here.

Triple Berry Cobbler

Photo from Whole New mom

If you are in need of a red, white & blue dessert to end the evening, try this delicious Triple Berry Cobbler recipe from Whole New Mom. It uses liquid stevia instead of sugar, so the only sugar you get from this dish is from the berries themselves! And there are two topping options: One is grain-free & low-carb, & the other is egg-free. No matter which diet you are following or what accommodations your guests need, you can modify this dessert to be a dish everyone will enjoy. Check it out here.

Homemade Marshmallows

Photo from Whole New Mom

Want to end the evening with a campfire & s’mores? Try these delicious Sugar-Free Marshmallows from Whole New Mom! By using a low-carb sweetener, these tasty confections are a low-carb & Keto dream, & it gets rid of all that nasty corn syrup that is in normal marshmallows. Get the recipe here.

Thank you to our veterans & to the service men & women we have lost who have given us the opportunity to gather safely with our loved ones. Let us always remember & honor those who have courageously given their lives for us.

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Health, Recipes

Zucchini boats

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Note: This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase a product after clicking the associated link, I will earn a small commission off of that purchase.

One of my favorite things about summer is the fresh produce. I love walking into my own backyard and finding inspiration for cooking from the vegetables in my garden. And one of my  favorite vegetables is zucchini. It’s so versatile – it’s delicious baked, fried, steamed, or sauteéd, and it can be used a number of ways in dishes, from zoodles to zucchini bread.

Lately, my garden has been giving me zucchini the size of baseball bats, so I decided to use its size to my advantage and make the vegetable the star of my dish. Zucchini boats were the first recipe that came to mind. 

Zucchini boats are a favorite of mine because they can be used in any type of cuisine. The zucchini simply acts as the vehicle for whatever you would rather be eating. It’s a low-carb way to make a filling, nutritious, vegetable-packed meal.

Because I had marinara sauce sitting in my cupboard, I decided to go with an Italian spin for tonight’s dinner. Below is the recipe I created, but feel free to experiment with your favorite flavors and the ingredients you have in your cupboard. The oven temperature and cooking times should be relatively stable for just about any filling options. 

I hope you enjoy the recipe! Please feel free to leave me a comment about how the recipe turned out for you, or to share your favorite way to make zucchini boats.

Italian Zucchini Boats

Makes: 2 generous servings

Ingredients:

  • 1 zucchini (my zucchini are so big, I used half of one – like I said, they are the size of baseball bats)
  • 1 cup marinara sauce (for a low-FODMAP option, I used Rao’s Homemade Sensitive Marinara sauce – it’s so delicious, you will never miss the onion and garlic)
  • 8oz cooked chicken breast, chopped, or ground chicken (see Notes for how I baked my chicken breast)
  • 2/3 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
  • grated Parmesan cheese, for serving

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking dish with foil and spray with cooking spray.
  2. Cut zucchini in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds, leaving the ends intact to create small “boats” (this is to make sure the filling does not pour out the sides while baking).
  3. In a medium-sized bowl, combine cooked chicken, marinara sauce, and 1/3 cup mozzarella cheese. Fill the zucchini with the mixture. 
  4. Bake for 25 minutes, or until a fork inserts easily into the zucchini. 
  5. Sprinkle zucchini with remaining 1/3 cup mozzarella cheese. Bake for another two minutes, or until the cheese melts.
  6. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and serve.

Notes:

  • The best way I have found to cook moist, delicious chicken breasts is to place them in a baking dish coated in cooking spray and then cover them with parchment paper. Bake the chicken breasts at 400 degrees F for 40 minutes. It’s cooked perfectly every single time. For this recipe, I rubbed my chicken breasts with Italian seasoning before baking. 
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Health, Recipes

The best low-FODMAP turkey burgers

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I remember when the ground turkey craze first started. Finally, there was a viable, healthy alternative to eating chicken in every meal. Ground turkey became the new star of so many of my favorite dishes.

The only problem was, while ground turkey seemed to make a great substitute for beef, it just didn’t possess the same level of flavor. In some dishes, like spaghetti, I was able to mask the lack of flavor from the turkey with the richness of other ingredients. However, any dish where the turkey was supposed to be the star always ended up being disappointing. 

Burgers were the dish that disappointed me the most. I have fond memories from my childhood of lazy summer afternoons, my father grilling succulent burgers on the back deck. I wanted to be able to experience that delicious flavor again, but still be loving my body while eating it. 

Now, I have the answer. After years, I am surprised to say that I have discovered a low-FODMAP way to create the best turkey burgers I have ever tasted. 

This discovery was made with my fiancé, Joseph, while we were grilling this summer. He had decided to start eating turkey burgers as a healthier alternative, and I was attempting turkey burgers again because the low-FODMAP diet made my veggie burgers now a forbidden food (I must bid a sad farewell to my favorite MorningStar burgers). 

I found a simple burger seasoning recipe online, and after tweaking the ingredients a little, it was a low-FODMAP achievement that deserves a spot in every cookbook. The secret is this: Instead of mixing the seasoning into the meat, Joseph had the brilliant idea of using it as a rub on the already-formed, raw burger patties. The result is a spicy, flavorful, succulent burger that dares to compete with the burgers from my childhood. 

Check out the recipe below, and leave me a comment about what you think! I would love to hear how they turned out for you, and your favorite ways to use ground turkey. 

Low-FODMAP Turkey Burgers

Makes: 4 burgers

Ingredients:

  • 1 pound 93% lean ground turkey
  • 1 tbsp paprika
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

Directions:

  1. Mix seasonings together in a small bowl.
  2. Form turkey into four patties. Spread the seasoning evenly over each patty, then rub the seasoning over the surface of the meat. 
  3. Grill to your desired level of doneness. Enjoy!

Notes:

  • The thicker the burgers, the more juicy and succulent they are. We have found that making four burgers out of one pound of meat is the perfect amount. 
  • The seasoning recipe was originally inspired by the Easy Burger Seasoning Blend recipe on The Spruce Eats. If you aren’t restricted by a low-FODMAP diet, check out their recipe – it just adds a little garlic and onion, which I am sure would be a delicious addition. 

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