Healthy Dinner Ideas

Carnitas are the perfect Mexican street food. I make a double batch of this Low-Carb Pork Carnitas recipe when I’m making dinner for my 5 kids. I always think I’ll have leftovers, but I never do! Go the extra mile and try to find a rancher that has pasture-raised pigs, so that you know you are getting the highest quality while lowering your exposure to environmental toxins that act as endocrine disruptors. I love serving these pork carnitas as a serve yourself bar, including house-made guacamole, gluten-free and grain-free almond flour, coconut flour, and egg white based tortillas to suit everyone’s needs, grilled veggies, goat and sheep milk cheeses, and my Mexican cole slaw recipe.

This Baked Greek Chicken recipe is so easy to make and foolproof. Eating a diet rich in animal-based foods will help you reach your health goals, including growing healthy hair (amino acids), supporting your hormones (healthy fats), aid in weight loss (protein is very satiating), and your lean muscle tissue will increase more efficiently, which is our longevity organ. Always try to find organic, pasture-raised chicken from regenerative farmers so that you are eating the highest quality of chicken.

I’m always looking for delicious ways to eat for healthy hair growth. Our body needs to make energy, or ATP, in our cells to carry out all of the jobs needed to survive and thrive, such as growing hair, building lean muscle mass, and signaling our thyroid to function. Growing hair, skin, and nails need collagen, an very abundant amino acid in our body. Some people don’t manufacture enough, due to genetics or epigenetics, so eating delicious sources of protein high in collagen is very advantageous. Oxtail comes from the tail of a cow and is flavorful, fatty, and easy to cook. It’s filled with collagen and other bioavailable nutrients. Place it into the crockpot and go do your thing; 6-8 hours later you will have a scrumptious meal.

I’m always looking for easy, healthy, and delicious ways to feed my crew of five kids. We all want big flavors and sauces. This Low-Carb Chicken Bake recipe is full of protein, healthy fats, and fresh veggies. A perfect summertime recipe after a trip to the farmers market. Prioritizing to eat optimal amounts of protein is important to overall health. Protein builds lean muscle mass, our longevity organ, helping us stay strong and active. They make enzymes and hormones so that our body can function. They also provide nutrient transport to our cells and maintain pH and fluid balance. If you have been experiencing hair loss, eating more protein will help support your hair growth. Protein is essential to life and this low-carb recipe is full of nutrition.

Heading out for fajita night with your family? Think again. While ordering fajitas at your local Mexican restaurant seems like a healthy idea, it’s not. The restaurant is most likely cooking your fajitas in rancid seed oils, such as canola, soybean or vegetable oil, which we now know wreaks havoc on our mitochondrial function. My Low-Carb Steak Fajita recipe is easy to make, uses grass-fed steak and healthy oils that will support your health goals. We cannot control the cooking methods used in restaurants, but we can make healthy choices when cooking at home. And guess what? Your meal will taste even better!

My Greek Lemon-Butter Dover Sole recipe is low-carb, delicious, a rich source of essential fatty acids, protein, minerals and fat-soluble vitamins like vitamin A, E and D, and almost zero fat. The most effective way to satiate yourself is to eat more protein and some healthy fats, helping you crush your sweet cravings. Added olive oil, fresh lemon juice and butter make a savory, rich sauce. Your gut and brain speak to each other all day long and the two hormones, ghrelin and leptin (your hunger and satiety hormones), are often out of balance when eating a high-carb diet.

One dish I find myself missing the most since going low-carb decades ago is pasta. I’ve tried many different low-carb versions over the years and it comes down to texture. This Low-Carb Pasta Carbonara recipe calls for low-carb, egg-based noodles that cannot be replaced so follow the directions carefully. After boiling the “pasta” for 10 minutes, the texture tastes as close to the real thing as possible, yet provides me with protein and zero carbohydrates, the key to staying insulin sensitive and metabolically flexible. I love this simple, healthy carbonara sauce, keeping this recipe animal-based for me, which helps me maintain my lean muscle mass, our longevity organ.

Shawarma is an Arab meal that is made by grilling meat on a spit. Since most of us don’t have a spit, I created this delicious version for my family. We love topping ours with pickles, pickled red onion and olives, and sheep milk yogurt for a tangy finish, but feel free to create your own version. You can buy a store-bought shawarma seasoning mix, but I prefer to make my own, making sure I’m using pure ingredients with no fillers or additives. You can use this on beef, pork and even shrimp to change it up. Eating a low-carb diet may be very helpful in weight loss, weight maintenance and burning fat for fuel versus glucose. Low-carb diets support the mobilization of stored fat on the body to use as energy, the preferred fuel source for your heart and brain. Whenever choosing chicken, it is best to purchase pasture-raised, organic chicken to minimize incoming toxins, which ultimately lead to chronic inflammation - the root of all diseases. Enjoy!

Who doesn’t love a solid bowl of chili on a cold, winter day? Who doesn’t eat beans? I am not one to recommend beans due to their high level of anti-nutrients called lectins. All plant food have anti-nutrients, some more than others. Legumes (beans, peanuts, soybeans), and whole grains can interfere with the absorption of calcium, iron, phosphorus, and zinc. Cooking them absolutely reduces the lectin load some, but I, for one, work too hard on my daily nutrition to consume foods high in lectins. Besides, my chili recipe is full of flavor and texture - you will not miss those beans or the gas!

Low-Carb Crispy Chicken? Trust me, this will be a top 5 meal for you. Eating a low-carb lifestyle is so important for layers of reasons. Stabilize your blood sugar levels, having more energy, building more muscle and sleeping deeper are all low-carb benefits. I triple the batch just so I can use them all week in salads and sandwiches with zero carb bread. They’re great cut up into strips for kids - just add they’re favorite healthy dip. These are oven cooked, but if you have an air-fryer, that’ll work really well. If you are able to, buy pasture-raised, organic chicken to keep this as toxic free as possible. Eating clean foods helps to keep inflammation down. I look for pork rinds that are baked or cooked in pasture-raised pork fat. And, if you’re dairy free, omit the cheese - it’ll be just as delicious.

My easy Low-Carb Italian Meatball recipe is a crowd pleaser and no one will know they are eating a healthy meal free of gluten and sugar. Traditional meatballs are made using soaked bread or bread crumbs which contain gluten and carbs. Outside of those with Celiac Disease, many people have intolerances to gluten and all grains. They may cause gastrointestinal upset, such as bloating, gas, cramps, constipation or diarrhea. Beyond that, eating grains can cause large spikes in your blood glucose level leading to chronic inflammation. If you’re on a weight loss journey, grains may inhibit reaching your goals for that very reason. When insulin is constantly being produced to handle incoming sugar, your cells will eventually stop responding to the insulin causing it to become stored as body fat. If you cannot do dairy of any kind, just omit the dairy in this recipe - it’ll still be tasty , nourishing and satiating.

Cool fall and winter months mean comfort food to me. There’s nothing better than a kitchen filled with the aroma of braised meats cooking with fresh herbs. My Braised Short Ribs recipe is so easy to make and doesn’t take all day. As a carnivore, I don’t use anything except mineral salt and broth, but this recipe is designed for you to add your own personal touches that your family will love. Beef short ribs are a nutrient-dense packed meal, with healthy fats and cholesterol. We need cholesterol to make our hormones, to help convert sunlight on our skin to vitamin D in our bodies, and to protect our cells by making that protective myelin sheath around them. Serve these over my Mashed Cauliflower recipe, on top of homemade pizzas (low-carb of course), or in a bowl of broth for a nice warming soup.

The Tomahawk steak is the holy grail of steaks in my book. I’m all about marbled fat and bone-in meats. No need to be intimidated by this Flintstone cut. My Seared Tomahawk Steak recipe is foolproof and delicious every time. Eating nutrient dense animal-based food is essential for optimal human health. Eating foods that provide us with the bioavailable forms of nutrients supports our body with healthy cellular function, brain and heart health, energy production, hormonal balance, healthy hair and skin growth, and lean muscle mass, our longevity organ.

This delicious Low-Carb Lasagna dish is animal-based, full of protein and healthy fats. Animal-based protein is the healthiest way to bring in all the amino acids you need to reach optimal health. In this lasagna recipe, I use an egg-based mixture to create the low-carb noodle sheets, keeping the carb count very low, which will regulate blood glucose levels. High blood glucose levels lead to a host of health issues, including metabolic dysfunction. Eating a low-carb to zero-carb diet supports us in mobilizing stored fat to be then used as an efficient energy source instead of glucose, helping you to lose weight. The healthy fats, along with the protein, will keep you satiated for hours. Animal-based foods contain nutrients that are already packaged in their bioavailable form so that your body doesn’t have to do the extra work converting them like in plant-based foods. This ensures that you are obtaining over 60% of the nutrition supplied to your body. It’s a tasty low-carb, comfort food option.

I absolutely love prime rib. Since I was a young girl, it was my go-to menu option whenever present. My Reverse Sear Smoked Prime Rib recipe is a level-up and so easy to make. Yes, you need access to a smoker and I was fortunate enough to create this recipe with my long-time dear friends at their lake house this summer on their Traeger. This recipe serves a lot of people, making it perfect for a celebration or family feast. I used the leftovers for breakfast steak bites for the next couple of days by cubing pieces and sautéing them in grass-fed butter with more sea salt. Animal based nutrition provides us with bioavailable nutrients, like B vitamins (not found in plants), amino acids to help us build muscle and healthy omega-3 fatty acids for brain and heart health. Feeling satiated and nourished from eating animal proteins is a key component to weight loss so that we are better able to crush our sugar cravings.

My healthy and delicious Roasted Rack of Lamb recipe is easy to make and a lovely alternative to other red meats. It boasts a whopping 24g of protein per 3 ounces, which means you will hit your protein goals for a meal by eating 4-6 ounces. You’ll also be getting nice amounts of healthy omega-3 fatty acids that your brain and heart love (often more than beef), B12 vitamins that support our energy levels, zinc, niacin (B3) and selenium. Lamb also contains more heme iron than chicken and fish packaged in the most bioavailable form (plant-based iron is not in the form we need). You will absorb between 14%-18% of heme iron, compared to plant-based non-heme iron absorbability of less than 5%. My Roasted Lamb recipe is perfect for a busy evening- just season and pop in the oven.

Sauces are the stars of any dish. My healthy Low-Carb Chicken Piccata recipe is delicious, full of healthy fats, and easy to make. Skinless, boneless chicken breasts are a great source of protein, but we need healthy fats for optimal human health, and white chicken meat has none. Healthy fats, like those found in grass-fed butter, ghee and animal fats contain higher amounts of omega-3 fatty acids that support gut, brain and skin health. This healthy piccata recipe is also free of flours, making it a great dinner option for those eating a low-carb, keto, paleo or grain-free lifestyle. Eating more protein and healthy fats keep you satiated and nourished, helping you maintain stable blood glucose levels, manage optimal weight and crush sugar cravings. All of those benefits will help you avoid insulin resistance, one of the components of metabolic dysfunction.

Umami is one of the five basic tastes, characterized by savory or broth-like. My Umami Mushroom Burger recipe is healthy & easy to put together and filled with nutritious ingredients. Using grass-fed beef or bison gives you more health benefits, such as higher amounts of omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins & minerals, and zero carbohydrates. Eating clean protein greatly minimizes your toxic load.

Braising meats is a delicious and healthy way to prepare a one pot meal that’ll last for days and give you multiple uses. My healthy Braised Beef Shank recipe is easy and doesn’t require all day to cook. Most braising recipes call for dredging the meat in flour, searing both sides and then braising. We know that grains can cause a leaky gut, when molecules leach out of our gut and intestines through perforated holes in the endothelial lining caused by certain pro-inflammatory foods. In my nutritious recipe, searing the meat on both sides in ghee, grass-fed butter or tallow, creates a crispy outer crust prior to adding in the bone broth. Simmering for just three hours produces a tender, very flavorful meat that can be used shredded in scrambled eggs, used in a soup, tacos or plain with a dollop of your favorite plain yogurt of choice. The bone marrow in the bones are just an added bonus of healthy fats that’ll keep you satiated and nourished for hours.

You don’t need a fancy grill or smoker to make delicious BBQ ribs. If you’re a city dweller like me, with zero outdoor space, you improvise the way you cook meats. This healthy, slow-cooker rib recipe is easy and nutritious. Using pasture-raised pork is important to keep your food toxins too a minimum. Toxins are stored in the animals fat and who wants to give up eating that melt-in-your-mouth fat? Try this rib recipe dry (just sea salt or seasonings) or wet (add your favorite sugar-free BBQ sauce) and enjoy knowing that you stayed clear of rubs with rancid seed oils, hidden sugars and conventionally-raised pork by cooking them at home.

Pork belly cooked anyway is a decadent treat. This pork belly recipe is easy, delicious and a healthy fat powerhouse. Make sure to purchase pasture-raised pork belly leaving the toxins behind. Toxins are stored in the fat of the animal, so supporting conventionally raised animal products supports the continued use of hormones and antibiotics. Conventional pork is also full of omega-6 fatty acids due to the corn and soy feed. Whatever is in that animal gets transferred to your gut where inflammation starts. This healthy, roasted pork belly recipe gets a nice crusty outside while staying buttery soft inside. Chop up the leftovers and throw them in your morning omelet.

Beef cheeks are not the prettiest meat to look at, but they are a decadent and nutritious cut of beef that will become you're go-to once you try them. My Beef Cheek recipe is easy to make, full of collagen, healthy fat, vitamins and minerals. Beef cheeks are a muscle meat and therefore need a lot of time to cook and breakdown the connective tissue, which gives you their amazing sticky texture.

Super Bowl Sunday, or any night, means making my healthy buffalo wings recipe. I keep them paleo and nutritious by using organic, pasture-raised chicken, sugar-free buffalo sauce and by baking instead of deep frying in cheap, rancid seed oils. Using pasture-raised chicken for this Buffalo Wing recipe ensures you taking in less pro-inflammatory toxins that wreak havoc on your cellular health.

Living a healthy lifestyle means avoiding fried foods. Fried foods are most often cooked in rancid seed oils, such as canola, grapeseed, safflower and sunflower oils. Before these even hit your plate, they’ve undergone multiple industrial manufacturing processes that create an unstable food product that is detrimental to our cellular health. My Crispy Oven Baked Chicken Thigh recipe is the solve to that. Allowing your skin-on chicken thighs to air out, uncovered in the fridge overnight, you will obtain a crispier outside and moist inside finished dish. Chicken thighs are a better option than white meat chicken due to the healthy fat in the skin and meat. More omega-3 fatty acids for you mean more flavor, satiety, gut and brain healing benefits and increased sex hormone production due to the saturated fat. Don’t fear the healthy fats- we need them to reach optimal health. Enjoy my Crispy Oven Baked Chicken Thigh recipe over a fresh salad of greens, mixed in with your favorite grain-free pasta or wrapped in a low-carb wrap.

My Bolognese Sauce recipe is nutritious, delicious and has multiple uses. Starting with clean proteins, such as pastured-raised, antibiotic free pork, is important so that you eliminate toxins such as additives, hormones, antibiotics and herbicides that are used in the feed. The fat on animals is where the toxins are stored so buying clean proteins is one way to ensure the integrity of the product. The fat on clean animal proteins is also where healthy omega-3 fatty acids are. Our body, gut and brain, need healthy fats for optimal human health. Supporting farmers that raise their animals responsibly also aids in regenerative farming practices - good for the environment, good for you. This Bolognese recipe is delicious over your noodles of choice, but it can also be enjoyed over scrambled eggs, roasted veggies and in a bowl topped with chopped fresh herbs and ricotta cheese.