Entree

One of the biggest struggles I hear from people is knowing what to make for meals. They desperately want to eat more veggies, fruit, lean protein and healthy fats but somewhere between this resolve and meal times, it all goes sideways.

My number one all time top tip is to make yourself a plan for success. In our home, I use a monthly calendar to keep us on track. If you don’t have a calendar handy, there are all kinds of templates available online for free.

If I can get meal times sorted, then everything else seems to fall into place a little easier. I’m not left struggling to figure out what to make on my way home from the office. When I go to the grocery store, my cart is filled with the things that I already have a plan for. This means less food waste and more money kept in my pocket. I only plan for 5 main meals a week. This leaves room for spontaneity and leftover usage.

My wish for you this new year is to be able to help you simplify life while reaching for your goals. Often we are our own biggest distractions from getting to where we want to be. Monthly supper time meal planning will help you get there!

Here is one of my favourite recipes to help you get started.

Easy Jambalaya

Course: Main

Cuisine: Dairy Free, Egg Free, Gluten Free

Keyword: Comfort Food, Feed a Crowd

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes minutes

Servings: 4 people

Calories: 593kcal

This is quick and easy and bursting with flavour! You can easily swap out sausage and shrimp for chicken breast or tilapia. Experiment with ingredients to create your own special dish. For those of you who like a little flavour adventure, feel free to add hot sauce!

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Ingredients

• 1 tbsp avocado oil
• 1 medium onion diced
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 2 medium bell peppers diced
• 2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
• 1 cup rice uncooked
• 1 cup salsa mild or spicy
• 1/2 tsp chili powder
• 5 sausages precooked & sliced into coins

Instructions

• Sauté onions, garlic, pepper and sausage in avocado oil in a large pot or cast iron skillet for 3-5 minutes. Add remaining ingredients & bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until liquid is absorbed. Your cooking time will depend on the type of rice used. If using brown rice, plan on 1 hour & you may need to add an additional cup of broth. If using basmati, dinner will be ready in 30 minutes or less! If using fish or shrimp, estimate for about 3 cups worth of either in place of the sausage. Feeling adventurous? Use both the sausage and shrimp together while trying to aim for about 3 cups of protein combined.

Nutrition

Calories: 593kcal | Carbohydrates: 50g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 33g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 77mg | Sodium: 1181mg | Potassium: 769mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 2355IU | Vitamin C: 80mg | Calcium: 60mg | Iron: 2mg

You know when you stumble across a dish that surprises you with how well it turned out? Crazy coconut curry is definitely one of those! I had a skeleton of a recipe and a few ingredients in the fridge that needed to be used up. What came out of the skillet was sheer deliciousness. Now, don’t get me wrong – feel free to ask my family and I am sure they will have a list of less than amazing culinary experiments to share with you. There have been plenty of meals that lack pizzazz and end up being a little bit more on the, ‘meh,’ side of things. Since this one turned out so well, I wanted to share with you!

Crazy Good Coconut Curry!

Course: Main

Cuisine: Dairy Free, Gluten Free

Keyword: Comfort Food

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes minutes

Servings: 6 people

Calories: 366kcal

For me, curry is one of those welcome fall flavours that I look forward to every year. I find that when Fall arrives, I begin to crave warm stews, soups and curries instead of salads and smoothies. If you are looking for a quick & easy meal that is nutritious and delicious, you've just found it! Like most dishes like this, you'll want to make a little extra because it always tastes better the next day!

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Ingredients

• 1 tbsp coconut oil
• 1 onion diced
• 1 tomato diced
• 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken cut into bite sized pieces
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 2 carrots sliced into coins
• 2 medium potatoes diced
• 2 tsp sea salt
• 2 tbsp curry powder
• 1 large can stewed tomatoes
• 1 can coconut milk
• 1 cup chicken or veggie broth
• 3 handfuls of baby spinach

Instructions

• Sauté diced onion and tomato with coconut oil in a large skillet or frying pan until soft and onion is nearly translucent. Add minced garlic, chicken and 1 teaspoon of sea salt. (You can easily swap out the chicken for chickpeas and make a hearty vegan meal.)
• Once chicken is cooked on the outside, add carrots, potatoes, remaining teaspoon of sea salt and curry powder.
• Give it a stir and add the stewed tomatoes, coconut milk and broth. Simmer until carrots are soft.
• Just before serving, add baby spinach and continue to simmer for one more minute.
• Serve with basmati, brown or sticky rice and a side salad. Need a little heat? Add a few dashes of cayenne pepper.

Nutrition

Calories: 366kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 17g | Cholesterol: 72mg | Sodium: 1026mg | Potassium: 974mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 3771IU | Vitamin C: 27mg | Calcium: 74mg | Iron: 4mg

Ah…fall days! I do enjoy the brightly coloured leaves, bright blue skies and crisp morning air! But, I do not like cold damp days that are dreary all day. Looking out my window today, all I see are grey skies, soggy leaves and there is a chill in the air, even with the furnace on. On days like these especially, I am really grateful for warm dishes that are easy and nutritious. It is days like this that my crock pot gets to come out of the cupboard and work its magic! Today I have an easy and quick vegetarian chili to warm you. The beans are a great source of fibre and protein. The tomatoes contain lycopene which has been connected to improved bone health, may lower your chances of stroke and reduce your cancer risk.

Great Vegetarian Chili

Course: Main

Cuisine: Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian

Keyword: Comfort Food, Easy

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 6 hours hours

Total Time: 6 hours hours 10 minutes minutes

Servings: 6 people

Calories: 84kcal

A perfect meal on a cool day! Growing up, chili was always made with sweetened pork & beans. As an adult, I still sometimes like a little sweet in my chili. My solution you ask? Swap out the saucy sugary beans for a little maple syrup and plain beans.

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Ingredients

• 1 medium onion diced
• 1 tbsp avocado oil
• 3 stalks celery diced
• 2 carrots diced
• 1 each red, orange & green pepper diced
• 1 19 oz can navy beans rinsed & drained
• 1 19 oz can black beans rinsed & drained
• 1 19 oz can kidney beans rinsed & drained
• 1 large can crushed or stewed tomatoes with juice
• 2 tbsp chili powder
• 2 tbsp real maple syrup
• 1-2 dashes cayenne pepper optional

Instructions

• Sauté onions in a tablespoon of avocado oil. Combine all ingredients into slow cooker and cook on low all day or high for 4 – 5 hours.

Nutrition

Calories: 84kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 227mg | Potassium: 353mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 4465IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 58mg | Iron: 2mg

We’ve all been summoned to the table by someone calling out, “Time for supper!” The question I have is this week is, are you making the time for supper? With school, work and extras in full swing, we can begin to feel that there just isn’t time for supper. We grab something quick in between events. Some nights are like that. We need to strike a balance though.
The value and importance to sitting down with your family and connecting over a meal shouldn’t be underestimated. Studies show that families who dine together tend to get so much more than a full stomach. These families more likely to feel connected, the children have improved academic performance and deal with stress better. They are also less likely to struggle with obesity or substance abuse. Think about it for a moment. Many of our major milestones involve eating together. We eat not only to fill our bellies but also to fill our souls. We gather around the table with the people who are most important to us. We crave the connection after a busy day. It doesn’t matter if you are single, married, with children or without – find someone to dine with!
One of our tried, tested & true meals at our house is tacos. We add tomatoes, olives, cucumbers, lettuce, peppers, guacamole, salsa & white cheddar cheese on top of whole grain tortilla shells. I’m thrilled because the kids are happily piling on the veggies and they are excited because they are eating one of their favourite meals. As a nutritionist, tacos meet many of my real food requirements. One area I wanted to improve on was the seasoning mix. Next time you are at the grocery store, pick up a package of taco seasoning. Do you recognize all of the ingredients? I sure don’t! Some of the ingredients are things found in my kitchen but some of them sound better suited for a chemist’s lab. I decided that there must be something better out there to flavour my ground turkey or beef with. Give it a try and let me know what you think.

Taco Seasoning In a Jar

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Candida, Dairy Free, Egg Free, Gluten Free

Keyword: Easy, kid approved, Quick

Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes

Total Time: 5 minutes minutes

Servings: 2 servings

Calories: 21kcal

Skip the store bought mix that is often high in sodium and filled with chemicals that I would rather not eat. This recipe takes about a minute to put together - why not double or triple the recipe and save some for next time?

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Ingredients

• 1 tbsp chili powder
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp onion powder
• 1/4 tsp oregano, dried
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1 & 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp sea salt

Instructions

• Combine all of the spices into a small jar. I will often triple the recipe to have some ready for next time. When using this spice to make tacos, I use 1 -2 tablespoons of the seasoning to 1 lb ground beef or 1 c lentils, for a vegetarian option with half cup water or organic vegetable broth. Simmer for 5-10 minutes to let flavours infuse.

Nutrition

Calories: 21kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 650mg | Potassium: 105mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 1469IU | Calcium: 27mg | Iron: 2mg

Black beans just don’t get the recognition that they deserve! I mean sure, they get made fun of for the bodily functions that they seem to inspire. I even have a little childhood poem going through my head as I write this. What can I say? I live in a house of boys!

Black beans are little powerhouses of fibre, folate and protein. They are actually a complete protein when paired with rice. This is good to know if you are a vegetarian! They are inexpensive and they fill you up! This is also good to know if you are a new College or University student on a budget!

Today I want to share with you a recipe for super yummy black bean burgers. They are easy to throw together and taste so good!

Black Beans Burgers

Course: Main

Cuisine: Dairy Free, Vegan, Vegetarian

Keyword: Easy, kid approved, Quick

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes minutes

Servings: 4 people

Calories: 150kcal

Super tasty quick and easy supper! Black beans are rich in fibre, folate & protein. They are also inexpensive and keep you feeling full.

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Ingredients

• 1 can black beans rinsed & drained
• 1/2 medium cooking onion finely chopped
• 1 clove garlic minced
• 1/2 lime freshly squeezed
• 1/4 cup salsa
• 1/2 cup bread crumbs whole grain
• 1/4 cup cilantro chopped, optional

Instructions

• Mash the black beans in a large bowl. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well. Form into 4-6 patties. Fry on the stove in a little coconut oil or grill on the BBQ on medium heat. They don't take long to cook - a few minutes each side. Serve with sliced tomato, cucumber cubes, fresh sprouts & guacamole.

Notes

If you are making these burgers on your grill, you may need to brush avocado oil your grill first to prevent sticking. Play it safe and do this before lighting your grill.

Nutrition

Calories: 150kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 215mg | Potassium: 315mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 145IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 52mg | Iron: 2mg