Whole30 Tag

Do you need a quick way to pack in the veggies in the morning? Try this smoothie! Green smoothies sometimes get a bad rap because they can taste too “earthy” but let me tell you, this recipe is far from that. It’s thick, creamy, slightly sweet, and loaded with all the greens you need to start your day off right. This a favorite breakfast of mine because it feels so good to nourish my body with veggies especially after holidays, indulgent weekends, or really any other time I feel like I need a little nutritious kick in the pants. Don’t get me wrong, enjoying life with family and friends is SO important and having pizza, beer, and a cookie or two on occasion won’t destroy your health. However when Monday rolls around and you’re feeling a little more sluggish than usual, I encourage you to start your day off with something highly nutritious to get yourself back feeling your best.

The Smoothie Formula I follow everyday

After reading Kelly Leveque’s book, Body Love, I have fallen in love with her health and wellness wisdom. Her nutrition tips are easy to implement and super customizable. She recommends every meal contain the Fab Four: protein, fat, fiber, and greens to ensure your body is getting what it needs to function optimally and support an elongated blood sugar curve. This will limit blood sugar spikes throughout the day which can leave you with certain cravings, feeling tired, and reaching for the cookies and chips which can ultimately lead to weight gain and other heath issues. Using her “Fab Four” method in my morning smoothies gives me the perfect start to the day every day.

Choosing a Clean Protein

I like to use almond or coconut milk most often as my liquid base in smoothies but water or coconut water also work well. Next, I add a good clean, high quality protein powder. My favorites are Standard Process SP Complete, (contact your nearest holistic health provider for more information on this one), Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides (Costco has a great deal on these!), or any of the Primal Kitchen varieties. (Use JOYFULLY FED at their website checkout for a discount!) You can also find it online at Thrive Market or at your nearest health food store. Many protein powders are chemically processed making them more detramental to your health than you might realize. Check out the Clean Label Project to learn more about finding the best options out there.

Adding Fat & Fiber

For healthy fats, I LOVE avocado in smoothies, hemp seeds, nut butters, and extra-virgin olive oil. MCT oil and hemp seeds are a good option if that works for you too. For the fiber boost, avocado, chia seeds, flax seeds, or additional vegetables do the job.

Greens & Fruits

For greens, I love to use spinach because it purees so well, but kale, collard, romaine, whatever you have or prefer will work. In this recipe, I add cucumbers and celery for extra flavor, fiber, and hydration. Other add-ins you could try if you aren’t a cucumber fan or celery lover is frozen cauliflower or zucchini. Both are flavorless in a smoothie, but have this magic effect of thickening smoothies making them feel so decadant. I add a small amount of fresh or frozen fruit to my smoothies to sweeten it up without spiking my blood sugar. If my smoothie recipe calls for fruit, I try to stick 1/3 of banana, half a green apple or 1/4 cup berries to keep the sugars lower without compromising flavor, but please use however much your body needs and loves.

That’s that! Add all ingredients to a high powered blender and enjoy!

Green Smoothie (3 Variations!)

Loaded with healthy fats, fiber, and all the greens. This smoothie is filling, lightly sweetened, and so so good for you!

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Prep Time 3 minutes mins

Total Time 3 minutes mins

Course Breakfast

Cuisine American

Servings 1

Equipment

• blender
• measuring cups/spoons
• cutting board
• Knife

Ingredients

  

Base ingredients

• 1½ cups almond milk
• 2 handfuls spinach or kale
• ¼ avocado
• 1 serving vanilla protein powder of choice
• 1/2 cup cucumber, sliced or 1 mini cuke
• 1 tbsp chia seeds
• superfood powder optional

Super Green

• 1 stalk of celery, diced
• ⅓-½ banana

Green Machine

• ½ Green apple
• handful cilantro stems and leaves!

Green Ginger Mint

• 1 tbsp fresh chopped ginger
• handful mint leaves
• juice from half a lemon or lime optional

Instructions

 

• Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Serve immediately and enjoy!

Keyword almond milk, avocado, banana, celery, chia seeds, cucumber, ginger, green apple, hemp seeds, lemon, lime, mint, spinach, vanilla protein powder

When you’re looking for an easy, light, and nutrient-dense dinner ready in under 30 minutes, this customizable recipe is a must. Citrus and shrimp are a perfect flavor pair and roasted vegetables are always a good idea.

Time Saving Tips

A great way to save some time in the kitchen to chop your veggies right away when you bring them home from your grocery shopping run. This will speed things up in the kitchen if you’re short on time. To save more time on this recipe, use precooked shrimp so all you have to do is thaw and add the pan to warm up. You could also use leftover rice or quinoa from other recipes. Making a big batch of quinoa or caulirice when you are prepping your produce for the week is another great meal-prepping tip. Minimizing one step of a recipe can make a big difference.

Another benefit of using leftover rice is that you are now consuming a resistant starch. A resistant starch feeds good gut bacteria and lessens the impact starches have on our blood sugar. Chilling starches like rice and potatoes before using them actually transforms the starch content into a better version for your body! I usually make a big batch of roasted sweet potatoes the day before I want to use them or to munch all on all week. Just be sure to slowly reheat for maximum benefit or enjoy chilled.

Making This Recipe

If you’re vegetables are already chopped, toss them in avocado oil, a little salt and pepper, and dump out on a sheet pan. Preheat your oven to 375. Whiles the oven is coming to temp, thaw the frozen shrimp in a bowl of cold water or place in a strainer under a a stream of cold water for 5-7 minutes. When the oven is to temp, cook veggies for 25-30 minutes or until tender. To speed things up even more, preheat the oven to 400 and and cook for 20-22 minutes.

While the veggies are cooking, dump the frozen cauliflower rice into a small pot and steam until warmed through and softened. Next, combine all sauce ingredients and stir to combine. When shrimp is thawed, add to a small pan and saute with 3/4 of the sauce stiring to coat.

When ready to serve, drizzle the remaining 1/4 cup over the shrimp, vegetables, and caulirice.

Variations

Feel free to swap out the cauliflower rice with quinoa, regular rice, zucchini noodles, or your favorite pasta. If not already prepped, it will add more time in the kitchen, but will be just as delicious. Not a shrimp fan? Try wild-caught salmon, mahi-mahi, or organic chicken breast. If you need a vegan option, throw in some chickpeas or cannellini beans. For a more exciting flavor punch, use lime juice rather than lemon, cilantro in place of the parsley, half a teaspoon of chili powder, and add 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder. A little heat with the citrus is a lovely flavor combination.

Storage and Meal Prep

Portion out into food containers of your choice and enjoy an easy grab and go lunch for the next couple of days or freeze for future use.

30-Minute Lemon Parsley Shrimp and Vegetables With Cauliflower Rice

A quick, light dinner recipe ready in 30 minutes or less.

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Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 35 minutes mins

Course Dinner, Lunch, Main Course, Salads

Cuisine American, Mediterranean

Servings 4

Ingredients

  

• 6 cups chopped vegetables of choice carrot, zucchini, broccoli, cauliflower, onion, corn, peppers, etc.
• 1-2 tbsp avocado oil for roasting
• 1 lb cooked shrimp
• 2-3 cups cauliflower rice quinoa, rice, or pasta of choice

Lemon Parsley Sauce

• 1 tbsp lemon zest
• ½ lemon, juiced
• ¼ cup parsley, chopped
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• salt & pepper to taste
• dash of chili powder optional
• extra splash of lemon and parsley leaves for garnish

Instructions

 

• Preheat the oven to 375. Toss mixed vegetables in avocado oil, salt, and pepper. Bake for 30 minutes.
• While vegetables are roasting, thaw the shrimp in a large bowl of cold water. Change out water every 10 minutes until thawed.
• Combine all the sauce ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.
• Next, add frozen caulirice to a small pot and steam over medium heat until tender.
• In a skillet, add thawed shrimp with ¾ of the sauce and stir to coat. If you prefer a thicker sauce, add 1 tsp of arrowroot flour to the sauce. Heat over medium until warmed through.
• Once vegetables are tender, plate as desired. Drizzle the remaining sauce over each plate and garnish with extra parsley or lemon. Enjoy!

Keyword broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, cauliflower rice, garlic, keto, lemon, low carb, olive oil, paleo, parsley, shrimp, whole30, zucchini

Here’s another great recipe to use up leftover almond pulp from homemade almond milk. These crackers are quick and easy to make and so tasty. They are gluten-free, grain-freel, and vegan! They can be made without oil as well. Use the recipe for your next charcuterie board or snack plate. They are a great low-carb, keto, and paleo alternative to standard crackers. They’ll taste great with cheese, meats, or any spread you like.

What is Almond Pulp?

When making homemade almond milk, after squeezing the milk through a cheesecloth, you’ll end up with a bowl of leftover crushed almonds the consistancy of wet sand. That’s almond pulp! It’s a versatile leftover ingredient that doesn’t need to be thrown away! There are lots of recipes you can make with almond pulp. Brownies, cookies, muffins, crackers, or my personal favorite: cocao bliss bites.

How to Make Crackers

simply combine with all ingredients and stir well. Pour out onto a piece of parchment paper and flatten slightly with your hand. Place onther peice of parchment paper over the dough. With a rolling pin, roll out into a thin oval or rectangle. Cut into squares with a pizza cutter and bake at 375 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until slightly golden and crispy.

If you don’t have almond pulp leftovers, you can substitute almond meal or almond flour. Feel free to add any other spices or herbs you prefer.

Grain-free Crackers (made with almond pulp!)

An easy recipe to use up leftover almond milk from homemade almond milk! Low carb, vegan, and tasty!

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 5 minutes mins

Total Time 20 minutes mins

Course Appetizer, Dips, Snacks

Cuisine American

Servings 4

Equipment

• baking sheet pan
• parchment paper
• pizza cutter
• measuring cups/spoons
• oven

Ingredients

  

• 1 cup almond pulp leftover from homemade almond milk
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
• ½ tsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp sea salt
• ¼ tsp pepper
• ¼ tsp garlic powder
• 2 tbsp ground flax or chia seed

Instructions

 

• Preheat the oven to 375.° Lay out a peice of parchment paper on the counter.
• Combine almond pulp, nutritional yeast, ground chia/flax seed, olive oil and all other seasonngs. Stir to combine.
• Dump out on the parchment paper and flattened slightly. Top with another piece of parchment paper and flattened to about ¼ inch thick.
• Using a pizza cutter, cut into equal sized squares.
• Bake for 15-20 minutes until slightly golden and crispy. Break apart enjoy! Store in an airtight container.

Notes

Original recipe from: 

https://almondcow.co/blogs/pulp-recipes/vegan-almond-pulp-crackers

Keyword almond flour, almond pulp, bell pepper, chia seeds, Crackers, flax meal, garlic, gluten free, grain free, low carb, nutritional yeast, olive oil, salt and pepper, vegan

Do you love sweet potatoes as much as I do? These deliciously sweet root vegetables are a favorite side dish when I am craving something “carby” but want to keep it as nutrient-dense as possible. I was inspired by mindbodygreen’s post about Dr. Gundry’s tip on making sweet potatoes even better for you, so I created this recipe. Unless you’re trying out a keto diet, sweet potatoes shouldn’t be demonized for their carbohydrate content. They are a nutrient dense, whole-food option that anyone can and should enjoy! An easy way to minimize carbs if you’re trying to is to stick to a 1/4 or 1/2 cup serving per meal or skip the carbs at lunch and enjoy them at dinner.

Sweet Potato 101

First, start out with a quality sweet potato such as an organic choice from your natural foods store or check out the organic section at Walmart, Target, or Trader Joe’s. They have some top-notch organic options! Although sweet potatoes are not on the “Dirty Dozen” List, which is what I use most when deciding between conventional vs. organic, I will always recommend an organic fruit or vegetable if you’re looking for the highest amount of nutrients in your foods.

If your budget doesn’t allow for organic right now, conventional produce is fine. Any variety will work for this recipe. You could even use a normal potato if sweet isn’t your thing. I added a purple sweet potato for an added powerhouse of nutrients. According to mindbodygreen, this unique potato is a common food among longevity diets of people living in the Blue Zones of the world. Pretty cool right? You can find them at Trader Joes, or your nearest natural foods store. On a side note, mindbodygreen is a great resource for all things health and wellness, check out their website.

What is Ghee?

Ghee is clarified butter. Ghee is made by melting down butter and skimming off the milk solids to make it lactose-free. Ghee is my go-to cooking fat for roasting and baking. It is one of the most stable fats with a smoke point of 450-485 degrees, meaning it doesn’t lose it’s nutrients through oxidization after a certain temperature. Extra virgin olive oil, on the other hand, is not the best choice for high heat cooking. It can actually become a harmful saturated fat when heated to 400 degrees or above because it’s smoke point is between 325-375 degrees. Avocado oil is also a good high-heat cooking choice. It’s chemical compounds also remain strong at high temperatures because it’s smoke point 520 degrees.

A Quick and Easy Recipe

I love love love roasted vegetables because they are simple to prep and easy to cook. I often make a big sheet pan full of a variety of vegetables all once so that I have them cooked and ready for quick meal prep over the next couple of days. This recipe is no exception! It requires very little effort and care. You’ll have a tasty side dish cooking while you fold laundry, finish your workout, or feed the baby.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and prepare your sheet pan with parchment paper for easy clean up. Chop the potatoes into 1-inch chunks, coat with ghee or avocado oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and bake! I like to melt my ghee on the stovetop for easier coating, but it is not necessary if you’re crunched for time. If you don’t melt it, just toss the sweet potatoes around a bit after cooking for a more evenly distributed buttery taste. Feel free to add spices to your liking! This is a very customizable recipe.

Nutrition Boosting Tip

After the potatoes have finished cooking, completely cool in the refrigerator before enjoying. Better yet, make them a day ahead of time to have enough time to chill. Chilling the potatoes significantly increases the amount of resistant starch. A resistant starch is a starch/fiber that doesn’t absorb into your bloodstream before it hits your colon. It ferments and becomes a prebiotic food that feeds your good gut bacteria. In Kelly Leveque’s book, Body Love Everyday, she says resistant starches are also contribute better blood sugar control and weight management because they don’t turn into glucose that spikes your blood sugar like normal starches do. Thanks Dr. Gundry for the cooling tip! Be sure to follow Kelly and Dr. Gundry for more great health tips!

Serve these tasty little nuggets with your favorite protein or as salad topping. Be sure to post a picture on Instagram and tag @Joyfully Fed or comment so I can enjoy your cooking adventures with you!

Simple Roasted Sweet Potatoes

An easy side dish that is just as delicious as nutritious. Paleo, Whole30, Dairy Free, and Vegan!

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Total Time 35 minutes mins

Course Appetizer, Breakfast, Dinner, Lunch, Side Dish

Cuisine American

Equipment

• sheet pan
• mixing bowl
• small pot
• parchment paper
• wooden spoon

Ingredients

  

• 3 large sweet potatoes any color or variety
• 2 tbsp melted ghee or avocado oil
• 2 cloves minced garlic optional
• 1 tsp each sea salt and pepper add more to taste
• 2 tbsp chopped parsley for garnish

Instructions

 

• Preheat oven to 400.° Prepare a sheet pan with parchment paper.
• While oven is preheating, melt ghee in small pot over low heat. Once melted, set aside.
• Peel and chop sweet potatoes in 1-inch chunks. In a mixing bowl, coat the sweet potatoes with the melted ghee or avocado oil and sprinkle with sea salt, pepper, and garlic if desired. Gently stir to evenly coat.
• Bake for 25 minutes or until potato chunks are fork tender. Sprinkle with parsley and additional salt and pepper if desired. Enjoy! (See notes for a nutritional boost idea.)

Notes

Added nutritional boost:

Cool the sweet potatoes in the refrigerator overnight before eating. This causes the starches in the potatoes to become resistant starches, meaning they pass through your digestive system without being digested fully. Resistant starches then ferment in your colon and become a good source of prebiotics, which feed your good gut bacteria. 

See this post for more information on resistant starches.  https://www.mindbodygreen.com/articles/resistant-starch

 

 

 

 

Keyword avocado oil, black pepper, ghee, minced garlic, parsley, sea salt, sweet potato

Here is another delicious recipe to add to your winter repertoire of soups! It is savory, creamy but not too thick. It is well balanced with protein, fiber, and healthy fats. I have been experimenting with new soup recipes especially on this frigid below zero Saturday and this one was a keeper.

Some recipes I find or create are based off of my holistic doctor’s recommendations on what to eat to promote the healing of certain issues I am dealing with. Leeks were one of them this month. I honestly had never cooked with leeks before until he advised me to do so. Having guidance from my doctor on how food can be medicine is so exciting to me. I encourage you to find a functional medicine doctor near you to support you on your own health journey. Privately message me for information on mine. He is incredible.

Another reason this recipe is a win is because it is seasoned with a few of my favorite condiments and spices: Coconut aminos and turmeric! I avoid soy as much as possible and coconut aminos are great replacement for soy sauce. Conventionally grown soybeans are known to be endocrine disruptors so I absolutely recommend any women (and men!) who have hormone imbalances or who are looking to optimize their hormone levels avoid soy-based products.

Turmeric is a powerful anti-inflammatory that is linked to many health benefits. I am currently taking a turmeric supplement, but before the supplement, I was drinking turmeric tea, making curry dishes, and enjoying golden milk lattes quite often.

The base recipe called for just mushrooms and leeks, but I added some white carrots and potatoes mainly for my carb-loving husband so he would eat the soup too. I also used homemade bone broth I had in the freezer and a shredded chicken pack from my favorite instant pot chicken breast recipe.

For the creamy addition, I used a cup of coconut milk from a carton because I wanted it to remain more brothy than creamy, but you can use either form of coconut milk! Canned will provide a more rich texture while the carton will give a more mellow, brothy consistency. You could also add some kale 10 minutes before serving for an added vegetable boost if you’d like. I topped the soup with bacon to give it that potato bacon soup feel and it was a perfect salty, satisfying finish to a soul-warming soup like this one.

I love soups, but I don’t love when soups are all vegetables and broth, or dairy/carb heavy. I either feel like I ate a bowl of roux or am hungry an hour later because there wasn’t much protein. Neither of which I enjoy feeling. This soup will definitely check all the boxes for a well-balanced lunch or dinner option.

Do you have any favorite healthy soup recipes? Let me know in the comments!

Mushroom Leek Chicken Soup

A comforting bowl of goodness for lunch or dinner.

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 30 minutes mins

Course Dinner, Lunch, Soups

Cuisine Paleo

Servings 4

Ingredients

  

• 2 cups leeks, chopped
• 2 cups crimini mushrooms, sliced
• ¼ cup coconut aminos
• 1½ cup coconut milk
• 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 cups chicken broth or bone broth
• ½ tsp cumin
• 3-4 sprigs of fresh thyme
• ½ tsp turmeric
• ¼ tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 inch piece of ginger, minced or a 1/2 tsp dried
• ¼ tsp each salt and pepper
• 2 cups shredded chicken breast
• 1 potato, diced optional, omit for Paleo
• 4 slices of bacon, cut into 1 inch pieces

Instructions

 

• Heat a large pot over medium heat. Add the olive oil. Saute garlic for about a minute until fragrant.
• Add leeks, mushrooms, and potatoes to the pot. Saute for 3-5 minutes. Pour in coconut aminos and stir to coat.
• Add broth, coconut milk, cumin, turmeric, thyme, salt, and pepper. Stir again. Let soup simmer for about 15 minutes.
• While soup is cooking, pan fry the bacon pieces in a small skillet over low-medium heat until crispy. Pour out bacon fat into a seperate container and save for future recipes!
• Stir chicken into soup and cook for an additional 5 minutes to heat through.
• When ready to serve, pour into bowls and top with bacon pieces. Add salt and pepper taste. Enjoy! Store leftover in the fridge for 3-4 days.

Keyword bone broth, carrots, chicken, coconut aminos, coconut milk, cumin, garlic, leeks, mushrooms, potatoes, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper, thyme, tumeric

Does anyone else out there have a serious love for avocadoes like me? I love it in a smoothie, on a salad, grain bowl, with eggs, on toast, or even just by itself as a fat-packed snack.

My husband and I make mexican at least once a week and no taco is complete without this guacamole recipe. I don’t think there is a more delicious way to top off a taco or burrito bowl than with this vibrant green goddess of a dip. I’ve always loved guacamole, but maybe it’s the memory of my luxurious Cancun beach vacation my husband and I recently had that makes it even better. When I eat it, I can almost feel the sand in my toes, the margarita in my hand, and the sunshine beating down on my skin as a I lay in my beach chair just watching the waves crash in. I say this as I sit here on my couch under a blanket on a cold, dark night of winter in North Dakota. Why do I live here you ask? I ask myself that question everyday…

I don’t know about you, but I find store-bought guacamole repulsive. I feel like I am eating green Elmer’s glue mixed with miniscule amounts of onions and tomatoes and who know what else. There is never enough cilantro in those gross packages either. If there is a high-quality pre-made guac out there, please share! I’d love to be proved wrong on this one! In the meantime, try this recipe and let me know how much you love it.

This recipe is easy to prep, quick to make, and even quicker to disappear. Fresh, healthy ingredients like red onion, diced jalapeno, chopped tomatoes, cilantro, lime, and garlic mashed together with ripe avocado makes it a healthy dip option full of healthy fats and fiber. Be careful though, it’s not light on calories if you are watching those pesky little things. Stick to a few tablespoons to give you an optimal amount of healthy fats. I am the first to say I definitely don’t do this enough. There are worse things to eat too much of right? If you’re looking for an even healthier boost, pair it with raw veggies or make your own chips like I do!

I am big believer in seasoning recipes a little more here and a little less there to fit your flavor preferences, so feel free to add or limit to your liking. Let me know how what you think of this recipe in the comments. Enjoy!

Classic Guacamole

A small-batch guacamole recipe that will leave you licking the bowl!

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 10 minutes mins

Course Appetizer, Buddha Bowls, Dinner, Dips, Lunch, Main Course, Side Dish, Snack

Cuisine Keto friendly, Mexican, Paleo, Whole30

Servings 3

Ingredients

  

• 2 medium avocados or 3 mini avocados
• ½ small red onion, chopped
• 1 roma tomato, diced
• ⅓ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1-2 tbsp jalapeno, diced
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 lime, juiced
• ½ tsp each salt and pepper more to taste
• dash cayenne and cumin optional

Instructions

 

• In a large bowl, scoop out avocado. Add tomato, onion, jalapeno, tomato and cilantro. Mash and stir until desired consistency.
• Pour lime juice over top of guacamole. Sprinkle in salt and pepper. Stir to combine.
• Add more salt, pepper, lime juice, or the other ingredients to reach desired taste. Serve immediately and enjoy!

Notes

Add a sprinkle of cayenne pepper for a touch of heat!

Keyword avocado, cilantro, guacamole, jalapeno, keto, lime, nachos, paleo, red onion, salt and pepper, sun-dried tomato, tacos, whole30