3 Easy, Quick, Low-Carb Dinners

After a long day of work, we’re tired and have little brain capacity left to think of what healthy meals to make, so we often go for the easiest, quick, carb-based dishes like tortilla with cheese, or pasta, or order takeout from restaurants (which often contains processed carbs, even hidden sugars and inflammatory oils).

But these dinners can wreak havoc on our health!

Plus, we are generally more susceptible to blood sugar spikes at night, so it’s even more important to be careful with carbs at dinner time. Focusing on blood-sugar balancing meals at dinnertime is KEY for our metabolic health, our weight, our sleep and our energy levels.

The good news is, there are many healthy, delicious low-carb dinner recipes that are also super easy, quick, and loaded with flavor and nutrients to support our health, and filling enough to satisfy us after a long day.

Today I’m sharing 3 of my favorite low-carb dinners (actually 4 recipes!) that keep my blood sugar stable and are super quick and simple to make! PLUS, they are moslty detox-friendly!

  1. LETTUCE CUPS – two ways

    1. LETTUCE CUPS WITH EGG SALAD

    2. LETTUCE CUPS WITH TUNA SALAD (OR CHICKEN OR CHICKPEA SALAD)

  2. EGGS WITH GREENS AND BEANS

  3. CREAMY ONE POT CAULIFLOWER SOUP - WITH SEED CRACKERS AND VEGAN CHEESE*

*the soup is the only recipe that takes more than 10 minutes, BUT the recipe makes 3 to 4 portions so it’s great to make once and enjoy twice in the week (and its still one of the quickest soups to make, and all in one pot).

Shopping list for all 4 recipes (in case you want to make all 4 recipes this week!):

Condiments / Other:

4 EASY, HEALTHY, LOW-CARB DINNER RECIPES

Lettuce Cups with Egg salad

Ingredients (serves 1):

• 2 hard-boiled organic eggs

• 2 oz smoked salmon (ideally wild caught) or turkey slices (ideally organic)

• 1 tbsp avocado oil based mayonnaise (or vegan mayonnaise)

• handful of gluten-free seed crackers 

• Butter lettuce (to use as wraps)

• Sea salt and pepper to taste

• optional: ½ cup raw sauerkraut and a few slices of avocado to serve

 

Directions:

  1. Chop eggs and mix with mayonnaise, sea salt and pepper.

  2. Place smoked salmon (or turkey slices) into lettuce wraps, then fill with egg salad.

  3. Crunch up seed crackers and sprinkle on top of egg salad cups.

  4. Option to serve with 1⁄2 cup sauerkraut and avocado slices.

*note: I often make this same recipe but instead of eggs I use canned tuna or organic chicken or chickpeas; see below.

 

Lettuce Cups with Tuna Salad

(option to swap tuna for chicken or chickpeas)

Ingredients (serves 1):

• ½ of a 6oz can of tuna (or 1 3oz pouch) OR organic chicken OR ½ cup cooked chickpeas *

• 1 tbsp avocado oil based mayonnaise (or vegan mayonnaise)

• ½ tsp organic Dijon mustard

• 1 tsp lemon or lime juice

• handful of gluten-free seed crackers 

• Butter lettuce (to use as wraps)

• Salt and pepper to taste

• optional: ½ cup raw sauerkraut and a few slices of avocado to serve

 

Instructions:

  1. Drain tuna, and place in a bowl. Add mayo, mustard, lime, and  a pinch of sea salt and pepper to taste. Mix and adjust to taste.

  2. Place tuna salad into lettuce wraps.

  3. Crunch up seed crackers and sprinkle on top of tuna (or chicken or chickpea) salad cups.

  4. Option to serve with 1⁄2 cup sauerkraut and avocado slices.

*Note: with tuna, look for wild-caught and ideally Skipjack or canned light tuna as they are lower in mercury (vs.  albacore, yellowfin and bigeye tuna which are higher in mercury and I recommend to limit)

*For the mayonaise: look for options that ONLY use avocado oil (no highly refined canola nor soybean nor sunflower oils) and preferably with cage-free organic eggs. I like Chosen Foods, Primal Kitchen or Sir Kensington (In Nicaragua, there usually is one of these options in Balance Market)

 

Scrambled Eggs with Greens and Beans

Ingredients (serves 1):

 • 2 to 3 eggs (organic if possible)

• Avocado oil or extra-virgin olive oil (I like to use cooking spray for this)

• ¼ cup diced onion

• 1 cup chopped kale or spinach (organic if possible; i like baby leaves)

• ¼ cup cooked beans (I alternate this recipe with black beans or white cannellini beans)  

• Sea salt and pepper

• Optional: 2 tbsp ricotta or vegan creamy cheese

 

Instructions:

  1. Beat eggs with sea salt and pepper and set aside.

  2. In a pan over medium heat, add a little avocado oil or olive oil, add onion and sauté 2-3 mins.

  3. Add kale (or spinach), then sprinkle with salt and pepper and stir. Cook until onions begin to brown. Add in beans and cook for an additional minute.

  4. Pour egg mixture over veggies and scramble. During last 30 seconds of cooking, option to add in 1 to 2 tablespoons of ricotta or vegan cheese. Mix and serve.

 

Easy Cauliflower & Cashew Soup

(feel free to swap cauliflower for broccoli or zucchini or squash, or a mix of these!)

Ingredients (serves 3-4):

  • 1 to 2 tbsp ghee (or can use avocado oil or extra virgin olive oil)

  • 1 medium head cauliflower

  • 2 celery stalks

  • 1 medium leek

  • ½ large white/yellow onion

  • 2 cloves garlic (peeled, minced)

  • ½ teaspoon dried turmeric (optional, for anti-inflammatory benefits)

  • 1 cup cashews (soaked for 15min or more)

  • 2 cups of bone broth (homemade, or organic and low sodium) + 2 cups water

  • 1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

  • Sea salt and black pepper to taste, approx. ½ tsp of each to start 

    To serve (see notes below):

    • 3-5 gluten-free seed crackers *

    • 2 tbsp vegan ricotta-style cheese (or can use avocado instead) *

Instructions:

  1. In a large saucepan, heat the ghee on a medium high heat.

  2. Finely chop the celery, leek, onions and garlic, and add to the pan. Gently sauté for 5 minutes until they soften and begin to get color.

  3. Chop the cauliflower into small chunks and add to the pan, then continue sautéeing for 5 minutes, making sure not to burn.

  4. Add the liquid and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for approximately 15 minutes or until the cauliflower is tender. Add in the cashews (soaked then drained).

  5. Remove from heat and let cool slightly before mixing in the tbsp of lemon juice. Purée the soup in a blender until it’s smooth or at your preferred texture. Add in more water if needed and blend. (Or sometimes I’ll add coconut milk here for a creamier texture!)

  6. Taste for seasoning, and serve one bowl (about 1/4 recipe) with aprox 2oz seed crackers and vegan cheese (and/or avocado).

 *NOTES:

  • gluten free seed crackers: in the US I like Ella’s Flats or Top Seedz or Mary’s Gone Crackers or Flackers flax crackers; In Nicaragua “balance food galletas de semillas antioxidants”)

  • vegan ricotta: In US I like Kite Hill, in Nicaragua “balance food queso vegano”) to spread on crackers 

  • one delicious option for this cauliflower soup is to also add a cup of coconut milk, if you want a richer, creamier soup!


Please let me know when you try these recipes and how it goes! They are so simple, quick, nutritious, delicious, all while being low-carb and great for metabolic health! For more recipes like this, try joining my 10 day detox - a life changing experience that will boost your health in so many ways, in less than 2 weeks!