The holidays are a really challenging time to stick with a low carb eating plan. There are just so many good things to eat! It can be done but it takes some planning, time and commitment.
I don't know about you but sometimes I really get in a rut with my menus. Same stuff over and over for breakfast and lunch, although I'm pretty good about mixing up the dinner options. With all the good holiday foods around, this is the time to sit down with your low carb cookbooks (hit the library!) or your favorite low carb blogs and find special recipes for desserts and low carb versions of your favorite holiday menu. Last week for Thanksgiving, I made a low carb stuffing using Sola low carb bread, onions, celery, plenty of spices and herbs, and chicken broth. It was great and really satisfied my craving for stuffing. I also made a low carb version of cranberry relish, with fresh cranberries, pecans, cinnamon and a sweetener substitute (I used allulose, which doesn't crystallize when refrigerated; it's also a natural sweetener, not artificial). For the gravy, I used xantham gum as a thickener instead of flour or cornstarch -- my family didn't even notice the difference. Lastly, I made the most amazing monster size pumpkin cheesecake with a pecan and almond flour crust, pumpkin cheesecake filling, and sweet pecan topping. I froze half and still have plenty to enjoy for a while.
There are low carb recipes for holiday cookies and other desserts and favorite side dishes, and most main entrees are easy to make low carb. With some planning and stocking your fridge and pantry, you can get through the holiday season satisfied, full and happy that you stuck with your plan!
Meatballs & Sauce
2 lbs ground beef
1 large onion, minced (if kids don't like onions or you want to avoid the extra carbs, use 1 tbsp onion powder instead)
1/4 cup chopped parsley
3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/2 cup crushed pork rinds or almond flour or fresh bread crumbs made from low carb bread, such as Sola
1 egg
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 jar Rao's Marinara
- Wash hands and set out two rimmed cookie sheets (lined with foil, if preferred). Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Put all ingredients in a bowl and combine with your hands until well-mixed.
- Roll meatballs (1 to 1 1/2 inches in diameter, or whatever size you prefer) into balls in the palm of your hands and line up on cookie sheets. Meatballs will not expand so they can be placed very close to one another, to fit as many as possible on a cookie sheet.
- Finish forming all meatballs, wash hands, then place cookie sheets in preheated oven.
- Bake for 20-30 minutes, checking after 20 minutes (smaller meatballs will be closer to 20 minutes, while large meatballs will require 30 minutes).
- These can be dropped directly into a pot of sauce, kept in the fridge, or put into a storage container and frozen.
Mix with sauce and serve in rolls as meatball subs for carb eaters or with zucchini noodles for those avoiding carbs. Rao's Marinara is the lowest carb sauce, but it's quite expensive. Feel free to substitute a different sauce if you don't mind a few extra carbs. I like Hunt's Four Cheese spaghetti sauce.
My kids love these meatballs, so I make them in large quantities and keep them in the freezer. When they were toddlers, a few meatballs with veggies and fruit were a quick and easy lunch.
Pulled Chicken & Cole Slaw
1 bottle G Hughes Sugar Free BBQ sauce (available at most local grocery stores)
3 lbs boneless chicken thighs
1/2 medium size head green cabbage, shredded
1/4 cup mayonnaise (or more if needed)
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
2 tbsp low carb sweetener (Swerve, Lakanto, allulose) or more, if you prefer it sweeter
1 tsp celery seed
1/2 tsp black pepper
- Trim chicken thighs (look for bone bits) and place in Instant Pot. Cover with entire bottle of G Hughes sugar free BBQ sauce.
- Lock lid and make sure the pressure relief valve is closed. Set on high pressure for 8 minutes. If it's taking a while for the button to pop up, try pressing down firmly on the Instant Pot lid to engage the seal.
- Allow for a 10-15 minute cool-down period and then carefully release the steam.
- Shred chicken using two forks.
- Meanwhile, mix mayonnaise, apple cider vinegar, sweetener, celery seed and black pepper. Taste to check level of sweetener and vinegar. Add salt if needed to enhance flavor.
- Place shredded cabbage in a large bowl and pour cole slaw dressing over. Stir well and refrigerate until chicken is ready.
Serve chicken with buns for carb eaters or just on its own if you're avoiding carbs.
Pepper Steak Stir Fry (another favorite recipe from George Stella's Complete Low-Carb Cookbook)
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 1/4 lbs sirloin steak, cut into strips
1 green bell pepper, sliced
1 red bell pepper, sliced
1 tsp minced garlic
3 tbsp soy sauce (use coconut aminos -- available in the Asian section of most grocery stores -- for fewer carbs)
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 tbsp sesame oil
4 scallions, sliced
- Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet until shimmering.
- Whisk together the soy sauce (or coconut aminos), onion powder, pepper and sesame oil.
- Add the bell peppers and saute for 3 minutes. Add the steak and continuing stirring for 3-5 more minutes until steak is cooked. Add garlic and sauce and saute 1 more minute.
- Add scallions and serve with cauliflower rice or regular rice for carb eaters and steamed broccoli.
Chicken Shawarma
2 lbs boneless chicken thighs, trimmed (look for bone bits)
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 tbsp ground coriander
1 tbsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground cardamom
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
t tbsp smoked or regular paprika
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
3 tbsp lemon juice, or 1 lemon, squeezed
3 tbsp olive oil
Tzatziki sauce
- Mix all ingredients except chicken thighs in a gallon size Ziploc bag. Close the bag and squeeze it to make sure ingredients are combined.
- Add chicken thighs, close the Ziploc bag (squeezing out extra air) and roll/massage the bag until all chicken pieces are well-coated in marinade.
- Refrigerate the chicken in bag for 12 to 24 hours.
- Place chicken thighs on a foil-lined pan sprayed with oil spray and bake for 20-30 minutes at 350 degrees (or grill on an outdoor grill for 15-20 minutes).
- Slice chicken.
Serve with a Greek salad of crisp lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes, and kalamata olives, and drizzle with tzatziki sauce. Carb eaters can pile chicken, salad and tzatziki on a pita.
Shopping List
2 lbs ground beef
5 lbs boneless chicken thighs
1 1/4 lbs sirloin steak
1 large onion
1 medium green cabbage
1 green bell pepper
1 red bell pepper
Scallions
Zucchini noodles
Frozen cauliflower rice
1 jar Rao's Marinara
1 jar G Hughes Sugar Free BBQ Sauce
Sesame oil
Coconut aminos (or soy sauce from pantry)
Lemon juice
Tzatsiki sauce
1 egg
From the Pantry
Parsley
Grated parmesan cheese
Almond flour (or crushed pork rinds)
Salt & pepper
Apple cider vinegar
Low carb sweetener (Swerve, Lakanto, allulose)
Celery seed
Vegetable oil
Minced garlic
Soy sauce or coconut aminos
Onion powder
Coriander
Cumin
Cardamom
Cayenne pepper
Smoked or regular paprika
Links to past weekly meal plans:
Oct 18-24 Meal Plan: Introduction, low-carb recipes and shopping list for Chili, Baked Salmon, Chicken Fajitas, Shrimp Jambalaya, and Ham, Potatoes & Beans
Oct 25-31 Meal Plan: Staying motivated plus recipes and shopping list for Roasted Chicken, Beef & Broccoli, Chicken Soup, Zucchini Lasagna, and Shrimp Scampi
Nov 1-7 Meal Plan: Carbs in healthy vegetables plus recipes and shopping list for Beef Stroganoff, Basil Coconut Curry Shrimp, Sheet Pan Chicken and Vegetables, Instant Pot Beef Pot Roast and Chicken Parmesan
Nov 8-14 Meal Plan: A little bit about dessert plus recipes and shopping list for Meatloaf, Chicken Cacciatore, Tuscan Sausage Stew, Chicken Pesto and Fathead Pizza
Nov 22-28 Meal Plan: Meal planning plus recipes and shopping list for Tacos, Lemon Chicken, Pork Tenderloin and Thanksgiving treats
Nov 29-Dec 5 Meal Plan: Recipes and shopping list for low carb versions of Chicken Marsala, Stuffed Peppers, Cranberry Pork Roast and "Breaded" Fish Sticks
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