This fruit-and-nut granola bar recipe is versatile, nutritious, and delicious. Make it with ingredients you already have – clean out that pantry and save money!

This delicious dish is a copycat of a breakfast from a favorite restaurant of ours – the Ironwork Grill at McMenamin’s Grand Lodge in Forest Grove, Oregon. The original is made with a dill sauce but I always swap it for this dijon aioli, and I’ve never been disappointed!

The salmon, veggies, and potatoes make this a complete, protein- and potassium-laden anti-inflammatory power meal. Plus, it is so, so tasty and very easy to make!

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Salmon and Red Potato Hash with Dijon Aioli

This dish is a complete dinner - it's loaded with omega-3, antioxidants, and other anti-inflammatory power punches. It's also very easy to make!

Total Time 35 minutes

Servings 4 people

Ingredients

Salmon and Vegetables

• 4 fillets salmon
• 1 diced red bell pepper
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 10 spears asparagus, cut into 2" lengths
• 1 Tbsp canola oil
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp black ground pepper

Dijon Aioli

• 1/4 cup avocado oil mayonnaise
• 1 Tbsp dijon mustard

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. 
• Place fillets skin-side down in a greased 9 x 13" baking pan. Surround with vegetables.
• Drizzle with canola oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• Bake for 25 minutes or until thickest part of salmon measures 145 degrees.
• While salmon is baking, whisk together mayonnaise and dijon mustard.
• Serve salmon with aioli spread on top.

Notes

Each portion contains 499 calories, 29 g carbohydrate, 32 g protein, 3 g saturated fat, and 458 mg sodium.

My favorite breakfast on the Trim Healthy Mama Plan was this banana split oatmeal recipe from Oil of Joy. I tweaked the recipe a tad from the original, partly for taste and partly to improve the nutrition to better meet the Trim Healthy Mama guidelines.

Here’s what I did: cut the chocolate chips in half, removed the salt, and used fresh mashed strawberries instead of strawberry jam. I also added 2 scoops of plain whey protein to boost satiety and help regulate blood sugar. The vanilla in the oats really helps to make this oatmeal rich and delicious. It definitely feels like a dessert (it doesn’t have to just be for breakfast!) and it is so, so sweet. I have continued to make it even after finishing Trim Healthy Mama!

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Banana Split Oatmeal (THM E Meal)

This decadent oatmeal is rich, delicious, and filling. It is easy to make and satisfies your sweet tooth in minutes!

Cook Time 5 minutes

Servings 1

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup quick oats
• 1/2 cup water boiling
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1 tsp stevia
• 2 Tbsp plain whey protein
• 2 strawberries, mashed
• 1/2 banana, sliced sliced
• 1/2 Tbsp dark chocolate chips

Instructions

• Combine oats, water, vanilla, stevia, and protein.
• Top with strawberries, banana, and chocolate chips.

Notes

Contains 275 calories, 45 grams carbohydrate, 16 grams protein, and 5 grams fat per serving.

Recipe adapted from the blog Oil of Joy.

This soup is one of my favorite S meals I’ve eaten so far in the last 2 weeks. It pairs nicely with a little bit of brown rice for an S helper if needed. The cashews on top give it a perfect crunch!

If you prefer a slow cooker version, skip the coconut oil and add all ingredients (except basil and cashews) to a slow cooker and cook for 4.5 hours on high. Enjoy this warm, comforting soup around a warm, comforting table!

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Red Curry Soup

This delicious low-carb soup has a little bit of crunch and a lot of flavor.

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Servings 6

Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp coconut oil
• 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into 1" cubes
• 1 crown broccoli cut into florets
• 2 carrots sliced
• 1 onion diced
• 1 medium zucchini sliced
• 2 Tbsp red curry paste
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 2 (15 oz) cans coconut milk
• 1 (15 oz) can low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 handful fresh basil leaves chopped
• 1/4 cup unsalted cashews for garnish

Instructions

• In a large pot, brown chicken cubes in coconut oil over medium heat.
• Add remaining ingredients, except basil and cashews. Turn heat to high and bring to a boil.
• Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
• Add basil and cook for 5 more minutes.
• Serve in bowls with cashews on top.

Notes

Contains 294 calories, 21 g fat, 10 g carb, and 16.5 g protein per 2-cup serving.

We LOVE pizza at our house – especially as Super Bowl season draws near! Unfortunately, our Seahawks didn’t make the playoffs this year, but we can still enjoy the spirit of the game with a few slices of pizza pie. Store-bought pizza sauces can sometimes contain added sugar or, more often, high levels of sodium. Not to mention the sodium in everything else that goes on your favorite pizza!

If you’re looking to eat less sodium or simply cook more from scratch, this pizza sauce recipe is a great option! It’s very easy and fast to make – just stir it up in 5 minutes and spread it on your favorite pizza! The tomatoes, herbs, and spices add an antioxidant punch to any pizza-flavored dish.

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5-Minute Heart Healthy Pizza Sauce

If you're looking to cut sodium or simply cook more from scratch, this pizza sauce recipe is a great option! It's very easy and fast to make - just stir it up in 5 minutes and spread it on your favorite pizza! The tomatoes, herbs, and spices add an antioxidant punch to any pizza-flavored dish.

Cook Time 5 minutes

Servings 8

Calories 16kcal

Ingredients

• 15 oz. canned tomato sauce (no salt added)
• 1/2 tsp oregano
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp dried thyme
• 1/8 tsp ground red pepper
• 1/4 tsp garlic salt
• 1/8 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp basil

Instructions

• Add all ingredients to a small saucepan and heat over medium-low heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Notes

Contains 4 g carbohydrate, 1 g protein, 0 g fat, 63 mg sodium per 1/8 cup serving.

My dairy-free friend Valerie made a recommendation for an alfredo sauce recipe from Silk’s website. She came over today and we made it!

It came out deliciously – almost better than my normal dairy-inclusive version! It smelled and tasted just like regular alfredo. We made the pasta with cashew milk and took the liberty of a couple of adjustments. Here’s the modified recipe I made (you can add any kind of meat or fish for protein as well!):

Ingredients

• 16 oz fettuccine
• 3 Tbsp canola oil, divided
• 1/2 sweet onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 Tbsp flour
• 4 Tbsp chicken or vegetable stock
• 2 cups unsweetened cashew milk (or soy milk)
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp white pepper
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 2 Tbsp cornstarch
• 1/4 cup vegan mozzarella shreds (I used Trader Joe’s)
• Fresh chopped parsley for garnish

Instructions

1. Prepare fettuccine according to package directions.
2. While fettuccine is cooking, saute chopped onion and garlic over medium heat in 1 Tbsp oil until fragrant and translucent.
3. Remove onion and garlic to separate dish and reserve.
4. Add remaining oil to pan and stir in flour and stock. Simmer for 2 minutes.
5. Stir in cashew milk, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, white pepper, and nutmeg.
6. Whisk cornstarch into 1/4 c. cold water and stir into sauce.
7. Add vegan cheese and return to simmer. Allow to thicken, stirring constantly.
8. Stir in onion and garlic and pour over prepared fettuccine and stir well. Top with chopped parsley for garnish.

Recipe modified from https://silk.com/recipes/fast-easy-fettuccine-alfredo.

I love pumpkin in the fall. Love it. Stereotypes be darned, I do not care. This scrumptious squash finds its way into curries, soups, muffins, cookies, pancakes, and steamers around my house as soon as the leaves start to turn.

Pumpkin takes a front seat in this seasonal smoothie that is filling, nutritious, and delectable. I started with the Pumpkin Pie Smoothie recipe here and modified it to boost the protein, control the carbs, and add some greens, because if you’re making a shake, why not add greens? You can’t taste them and it’s an easy-as-pie (…see what I did there?) way to get an extra serving of veggies.

Try it for a tasty breakfast that is (bonus!) carb-controlled, heart healthy, and contains servings from 4 different food groups.

Ingredients:

1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk (you can definitely use dairy milk but carb-counters be aware it will add about 12 grams of carbohydrate)

1 handful spinach or kale

½ cup pureed pumpkin

¼ cup light vanilla Greek yogurt

1/8 cup plain whey protein (I love the bulk whey protein from Winco!)

½ medium banana

½ tsp pumpkin pie spice

1 tsp honey (or your sweetener of choice)

Instructions:

1. Add almond milk and greens to blender. Blend for 30-60 seconds or until leaves have been completely blended and the mixture looks like green, frothy milk.
2. Add remaining ingredients. Blend until smooth. Enjoy!

Makes 1 16-oz serving. Contains 303 calories, 35.1  g carbohydrate, 14.6 g protein, 2.9  g fat, 0.1 g saturated fat, and 251 mg sodium. Includes 1 serving dairy, 1 serving fruit, 1 serving vegetables, and 1.5 oz protein.