Looking for some low carb, low fat, lean protein dinner ideas!

Also type 2, used to have the beginnings of liver disease, reversed by diet and weight loss.

Pork loin and tenderloin are lean meats. Given what you have mentioned about your health I don’t see a reason you would need to eat lean pork any less often than chicken. My lazy meal involves plopping a pork loin on a sheet pan with some root vegetables or squash, sprinkling herbs, and roasting until done.

Also, no need to torture yourself eating only chicken breasts. The thighs are more flavorful and barely different nutritionally. If you want the crisp skin without the fat, one of my favorite techniques is called “seething.” Basically you put the thighs in a shallow pan, skin up, and pour marinade over until it covers the lower half of the meat, with the skin above water. My favorite simple marinade is Wicker’s with spicy v8 but anything works if it isn’t full of sugar. When it cooks the fat will render right out into the liquid and leave a perfectly crisp skin, without the fat layer beneath. If you chill it overnight the fat can be removed completely leaving flavorful gelatin for soups.

Also, don’t forget plant proteins such as legumes.

If you are bored flavor-wise look into recipes from other cultures such as Indian, Japanese, or Chinese food. When you get away from the Americanized version of these cuisines and into what they really eat to be healthy at home, there’s a lot to learn.

rieraclaelin wrote: »

Ohh, I didn't know that about the chicken thighs, and what you described sounds so good! I used to just get the boneless skinless thighs back before I started dieting, maybe I'll look into that again. Luckily, though, I love chicken breasts, and I know it's so very versatile, I just worry about burning out.

Also, I'm not a huge pork fan, but I know the weight management told me I could get pork loins, too. Maybe I can find some good recipes for those that might help mask some of the, uh, porky taste.

Oh, yes, I forgot to mention that chickpeas and low sodium black beans are a huge staple in our house! Or hummus, I like to have two tablespoons of hummus to dip baby carrots and sliced peppers in as a nice snack here and there.

I also keep some low fat string cheese on hand for a quick no carb snack with some protein.

Tenderloin doesn’t have a super strong pork flavor, but citrus-based recipes would make it even less strong. Just simply putting slices of lemon on the top while roasting would be easy.

There’s a low fat baby feta which goes really well with hummus and is low in calories.

Also: eggs. Hard boiled for quick snacks, poached if you want to be fancy.

https://refugeekitchen.com/2014/04/04/khmer-lok-lak/

You might find other ideas for protein here:
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10247171/carbs-and-fats-are-cheap-heres-a-guide-to-getting-your-proteins-worth-fiber-also/p1

Personally, I love shrimp as a lean source of protein.

rieraclaelin wrote: »

@acpgee that sounds delicious, thank you! Do you think stevia would work in place of the sugar?

Haven't tried that myself but I don't see why not. Stevia can be tricky for baking but can't imagine anything going wrong with a stir fry.

We actually made beef lok lak tonight. The recipe I normally use is from a cooking class I took while on holiday in Cambodia. Excuse the state of the well used recipe card.

If you are making a curry, replace rice with cauliflower rice in any asian meal to make it low carb. Blitz cauliflower in the food processor to rice sized grains. I like this raw but you could heat up in the microwave. If going 100% cauliflower rice is too radical substitute half the normal rice (which will absorb more sauce) with cauliflower rice.

I made this today. Its a stuffed large tomato with imitation crab meat.
To make four, here's the recipe.

1 lb imitation crab meat (flaked)
1/4 cup each: chopped celery and red onion (finely chopped)
3 tbsp light mayonnaise
3 tbsp 0% Greek Yogurt
3 tbsp chopped or sliced black olives
celery salt, dry fennel, to taste

To prepare four large tomatoes:

Cut the tops off, horizontally, and using a sharp paring knife, cut around the interior. Empty out any juice and then reach inside, down to the bottom of the core, and twist and lift to pull out the core. If need be, cut out any thick, internal veins. Scoop out any remaining meat/seeds/juice. Place a balled-up paper towel inside and turn upside down as you prepare the stuffing.

If the crab meat isn't already well flaked, either send through, in batches, in your processor for a few short pulses or mash and shred with a fork.

Mix all of the ingredients together in a bowl.

Remove the paper towels and return tomatoes to an upright position on a plate. Stuff with the stuffing and serve.

I am allowed up to 50 grams carb per day, so I enjoyed 3 whole-grain crackers with mine. This makes a very refreshing salad option on a hot summer day!

317 CALORIES EACH
17 CARB *without crackers
10 FAT
23 PROTEIN
(grams per)

Flavoring helps make chicken taste different depending on what you add to it. I have amassed a gazillion spices but you can start slowly. Head to you local hippy healthfood store to find loose spices that are very cheap. Also, spices among the Latinx foods tend to be cheaper than elsewhere in the grocery store. Consider things like garlic, lemon, parsley, cilantro, onions/shallots, etc. to be weekly staples on your grocery list. You'd be amazed what a dollop of mustard can do. Jarred pesto, culantro (Puerto Rican pesto), anchovy paste, capers, etc. can live in you fridge for ages. Soy, Worcestershire, Fish Sauce, various vinegars, all add flavor with few calories.