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lunch

THM E Loaded Tuna Salad on Sprouted Bread

July 18, 2018 by Stacy Craft 2 Comments

Learn how to create a delicious THM E loaded tuna salad on sprouted bread for a simple brown bag lunch.

THM E Loaded Tuna Salad

Have you ever tried tuna with just yellow mustard? My mom claims she likes it that way but I think it is awful. I remember in my college days trying to choke down that bright yellow tinged fish.

Too afraid to “waste” calories on mayo. Thank goodness I found Trim Healthy Mama and have lost 22 lbs postpartum without counting calories!

This THM E Loaded tuna salad is creamy and full of flavor even without the mayo. And you can whip it up quickly (especially if you prep your eggs ahead of time) making it a great weekday lunch for work.

It is also budget friendly! These are the top criteria in creating lunch right? Especially if you are at work or chasing a kid around.

(Affiliate Links are used in this post. A small commission may be paid to me at no extra cost to you and that helps to support this page. Please see my disclosures page for additional information.)

Let’s Talk Budget First

If you follow THM, you know that you can spend lots of money on special ingredients.

Heck, forget the special ingredients, HELLO bacon. When did bacon get so expensive? And my husband eats bacon like water so I like to find on plan recipes that help my budget as well.

THM E loaded tuna salad is a cheap lunch or even a light summer dinner. Here is a rundown of what I spent:

Knock Your Sprouts off Bread (Aldi), 2 slices – $0.21 (check out other on plan bread options here)

Tuna (packed in water) – .79

Plain Greek Nonfat Yogurt –  .80

Boiled Egg – .08

Small Amount of mustard, dill pickles and onion – .20

Total $2.08

I eat the whole can but you could bulk the salad up and split it to make this a $1 per serving lunch! Either way, it is much cheaper than heading to your local deli to pick up a sub.

And I don’t know about you but there isn’t a deli with sprouted bread near me!

Brown Bag Vs. Deli

THM E Loaded Tuna Salad

Prep work involves simply boiling your egg. If you do this before lunch, you can make this THM E loaded tuna salad in no time.

Boil your egg like you typically would and slice in half.

Hard Boiled Egg Cut in Half

With an E meal, we want to cut out the majority of the fat because we are going to indulge in healthy carbs (sprouted bread). The problem is that I love boiled eggs in my tuna salad.

To the point that I don’t think it is real tuna salad without eggs. I found a little trick to have my eggs with less fat. Just remove the yolk!

I know, I know. Duh! I had never really thought of it before but the yolk easily pops out of a boiled egg. Simply slice your egg.

Use a spoon to gently remove the bulk of the yolk. There may be a tiny remnant of yolk but I don’t worry about that. After all, THM E meals are low fat, not completely fat free.

Hard Boiled Egg without Yolk

Don’t throw that yolk away! Save it to add to your boiled eggs S meal or snack. I usually serve it to my 8 month old to go with his breakfast or lunch. Or I give it to my dog! He loves eggs. You could also save it to add into a THM S tuna salad.

Add the drained tuna to a medium bowl. Then add the amount of nonfat greek yogurt that you like to get to the desired creaminess.

I didn’t add measurements because everyone likes their mix a little different. I usually start with a couple of tablespoons and then add more if needed.

Tuna with Greek Yogurt in Bowl

Chop your egg whites and add to the salad mix. Chop up a dill pickle or two and add.

The rest is optional but I like a tiny splash of mustard to give it a little more flavor. The greek yogurt gives you the creaminess of mayo but not quite as much flavor.

The splash of mustard amps up the flavor without giving me nightmares of the yellow bowl of tuna I tried to eat in college. A small amount of diced onion gives the THM E loaded tuna salad a little extra flavor and crunch.

Loaded Tuna Salad in bowl

Mix all of the items that you choose well. You want the ingredients to be well incorporated with the yogurt.

Healthy Tuna Salad Mixed in Bowl

Load up your sprouted bread with the creamy, tuna salad. You won’t even miss the fat that is typically associated with tuna salad.

Serve it up with some fresh veggies or a piece of fruit for a complete meal.

My Sprouted Bread Tip

If you are new to THM, it won’t take you long to realize that sprouted bread doesn’t taste like the bread that  you are probably used to. It is brown, it has some seeds, kind of chewy. I will be honest, I did not love it when I first started my THM journey.

The first tip is to try the Knock Your Sprouts Off bread from Aldi. I tried tons of different brands and it is by far my favorite. My Wonder bread husband can even eat it! Plus, it is so much less expensive than other brands. At just under $3, it doesn’t cost much more than the white, refined variety.

Here is my best sprouted bread tip: Toast your bread. Simple, right? If you toast the bread, it gives it a light crunch and takes away the chewy aspect of sprouted bread that I don’t care for.

More THM Recipes

If you want to read about some more of my popular THM recipes or ideas, check these out!

Cheesy Salsa Verde Chicken with Cauli Rice

Parmesan Crusted Pork Chops

Bacon Cheeseburger Soup (Using Leftovers!)

6 THM Lunch Ideas

Smoked Salmon Topped Jalapeno Poppers

I hope you try this THM E loaded tuna salad on your next lunch break. Do you add anything unusual to your tuna?

Filed Under: Buy Smart, Featured Tagged With: healthy carbs, low fat, lunch, sprouted bread, thm e, Trim Healthy mama, tuna salad

Simple Turkey Ham and Beans THM E Meal Under 15 Minutes

June 29, 2018 by Stacy Craft 9 Comments

 A simple THM E turkey ham and beans skillet meal that is made in under 15 minutes. Perfect for busy work week meals. 

THM E Beans and Turkey Ham Lunch or LIght dinner

Why are E meals hard? They don’t have to be, but you need a good list of easy, “go to” E meals. This ham and beans THM E meal uses lean turkey ham to stay within the fat limit of an E Meal and you can put it together in less than 15 minutes.

Another easy E meal to add to your list is this No Sugar Added Baked Georgia Peach Oatmeal.

We often eat these beansfor an easy lunch or a light dinner. I love it because not only is it quick, it is also cheap.

The turkey ham will last us multiple meals and the beans are usually less than .60 a can. So for less than $2-$3 (depending on how much ham you use), I can feed 2 adults and a child lunch. Now try to tell me Trim Healthy Mama costs too much! I love finding ways to eat healthy and cheap!    

(Affiliate Links are used in this post. A small commission may be paid to me at no extra cost to you and that helps to support this page. Please see my disclosures page for additional information.)

Ham and Beans THM E Meal

If you are from the South, a big pot of beans with a huge ham hock simmering all day is something you probably grew up watching your mama or grandmama stirring on Sunday. It is simple comfort food.

I took that memory and modified it a little to meet the THM E meal guidelines. Now I can have (turkey) ham and beans in a healthy carb setting without all the added fat.

Since the turkey ham is already cooked, you are really just warming up your ingredients. Quick and easy.

Dice the ham and turn your burner to medium/low. Spray the pan with non-stick spray and add your ham. In a separate pot, add your beans on medium/low to simmer.

Uncooked Turkey Ham

Cook the turkey ham until you get the pieces browned.

Browned Turkey Ham

Transfer the turkey ham into the pot with your beans. Add in the seasoning and cook for about 5 more minutes to allow the flavors to merry together. The seasonings just amp up the flavor of this simple ham and beans THM E Meal.

Ham & Beans THM E Meal Simmering

Serve that easy ham and beans THM E meal up to your family. My 4 year old & 8 month old both eat this with no complaints. Winner Winner ham and beans THM E meal dinner!

Print Recipe
Turkey Ham and Northern Beans Simple THM E Meal Under 15 Minutes
Course Main Dish
Cook Time 10 minutes
Servings
Ingredients
  • 1 can White Northern Beans
  • 4 oz Lean Turkey Ham
  • 1/2 tsp onion powder
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp parsley
  • salt/pepper To Taste
Course Main Dish
Cook Time 10 minutes
Servings
Ingredients
  • 1 can White Northern Beans
  • 4 oz Lean Turkey Ham
  • 1/2 tsp onion powder
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp parsley
  • salt/pepper To Taste
Instructions
  1. Dice the turkey ham into the desired bite size pieces. Open can of beans and place them into a pot to simmer on medium/low (do not drain). Spray a second skillet and add diced ham. Brown the turkey ham on medium low. This step isn't necessary but it adds a nice flavor to the dish. Add the browned turkey ham to the beans. Add in seasonings and simmer for 5 minutes or so to meld the flavors.

The only thing that would make this better is a big chunk of crusty cornbread. I may just have to try a Trim Healthy Mama cornbread soon. Did you grow up eating ham and beans?

Turkey Ham And Beans THM E Meal

Filed Under: Buy Smart, Featured, Plan Tagged With: 15 Min Meal, budget, Carb, Cheap, easy, ham and beans, healthy, Light Dinner, lunch, Main Dish, quick, THM E Meal

5 THM Leftover Chicken Lunch Ideas

May 25, 2018 by Stacy Craft Leave a Comment

5 THM Leftover Chicken Lunch Ideas

The hardest part of Trim Healthy Mama for me is coming up with interesting but easy meals. With little ones under foot, I need quick and simple meals a lot of the time. These 5 THM leftover chicken lunch ideas not only meet that criteria but they are also budget friendly! If you need more lunch ideas check out my 6 THM Work Lunch Ideas and a Protein Packed THM S Salad.

5 THM Leftover Chicken Lunch Ideas

Affiliate Links are used in this post. A small commission may be paid to me at no extra cost to you and that helps to support this page. Please see my disclosures page for additional information. 

How Do the Leftover Lunches Help My Budget?

Eating at home (or lunch brought from home) saves money. Now that is not some new phenomenon but it is so true. Since I spend a little more on certain personal choice items when following THM – hello Halo Top! – I like to save in other areas where I can.

I can buy a large package of chicken at Walmart for under $10. The breasts are so thick, I slice them lengthwise and make 2 servings from each. Then I have my husband grill it up with a simple marinade.

We usually eat a portion for dinner that night with veggies and maybe a sweet potato if we want an “E” meal. Then I package the rest up to eat through the week. Having a nice cooked protein ready to go usually solves 90% of my “what am I going to eat” dilemma. It also helps to prevent eating out or worse, falling off plan if I have something ready to use.

5 THM Leftover Chicken Lunch Ideas

My husband was out of town a good bit of this week, so I didn’t cook much. It was a really nice break to have this chicken in the fridge for simple lunches and light, summer dinner meals. Here is what I ate!

Simple Cobb Salad – THM S

Chicken Cobb Salad THM S

I love Cobb salad because you can kind of throw anything on it and call it a Cobb salad. Right? Well I think you can anyway.

Top a bed of baby spinach with your diced leftover chicken, boiled egg, some diced veggies (I used orange bell pepper), a few grape tomatoes and cheese.

Chicken Avocado Mozzarella Bowl – THM S

Chicken Avo Mozzarella bowl THM S Low Carb Keto

I actually ate this for a light dinner but it would be great for lunch. The creamy avocado goes great with the chewy mozzarella.

Reheat and cut your chicken. Cut up the avocado and tomato. Place all items in the bowl and add the fresh mozzarella balls. I drizzled the mozzarella with a little olive oil and balsamic and sprinkled it with pepper.

Chicken Alfredo Pita Pizza – THM S

Chicken Alfredo Pita Pizza THM S

I used to make these before THM so this is a modified version that still tastes yummy and not like diet food!

I place a Joseph’s pita directly on the rack of a 350 degree oven for 3-5 minutes to crisp it up a little. Then spread a thin layer of an Alfredo sauce. You can make your own but I am not a purist and I am a mom to young kids so I need fast. I use Newman’s Own Alfredo and I’m happy with it (read the label and choose for yourself).

Next, spread on a layer of shredded cheese. Then top it with your chopped, leftover chicken. I added sliced onion and fresh mozzarella and fresh basil too! Heat in the oven for about 5-7 more minutes until everything gets all melty and delicious.

Chicken Fajita Quesadilla -THM S

Çhicken Quesadilla THM S

If I was eating at a Mexican restaurant prior to THM, this is probably what you would have caught me eating. I love the taste of a fajita but the slightly crunchy shell of a quesadilla. It melts two of my favorite Mexican things together into one yummy dish.

Here I made my THM version by simply subbing in a Mission low carb tortilla (personal choice item). Inside is just the leftover chicken, cheese and sautéed onions and peppers. I cook that up in my quesadilla maker and have lunch in just a few minutes. Top with sour cream, salsa, and guacamole.

Greek Chicken Mediterranean Bowl – THM E

Greek Chicken Mediterranean BowlGreek Chicken Mediterranean Bowl

You don’t eat no meat?! Y’all don’t you just love “My Big Fat Greek Wedding?” I know it is an older movie but it still makes me LOL every time.For this lunch, I just made an all things Greek bowl using leftovers. Take some leftover brown rice or quinoa (I used a blend) and it with your chopped chicken. Warm in the microwave until it reaches the desired temp. Then top your bowl with kalamata olives, tomatoes, hummus and Tzatziki. I like having an easy way to get an E meal in me that isn’t the same ol’ sandwich. I hope these 5 THM leftover chicken lunch ideas help you to use up your leftovers and save you some money from the takeout line.

Filed Under: Featured, Plan Tagged With: budget, dinner, frugal, leftovers, lunch, Trim Healthy mama

Keto Cheesy Salsa Verde Chicken Bell Pepper Nachos

November 2, 2018 by Stacy Craft Leave a Comment

Simple Keto cheesy salsa verde chicken bell pepper nachos for a quick lunch or snack on a low carb lifestyle.

Keto Cheesy Salsa Verde Chicken Bell Pepper Nachos - Low Carb and Trim Healthy Mama S Meal - Diabetic Friendly - Easy and quick lunch or dinner for keto diet

(Affiliate Links are used in this post. A small commission may be paid to me at no extra cost to you and that helps to support this page. Please see my disclosures page for additional information.)

My most popular recipe so far has been the Keto cheesy salsa verde chicken with Cauli rice (pinned more than 100k times!). Since I usually have the ingredients on hand, I was thinking about making it yesterday. But then I saw some mini bell peppers in my fridge and another idea was born!

I decided to make some keto cheesy salsa verde chicken bell pepper nachos inspired by the original recipe. With a little meal prep that I had done earlier in the week, these came together very quick for a tasty lunch. Just because you are following a low carb diet doesn’t mean that you don’t want some cheesy nachos in your life!

Keto Cheesy Salsa Verde Chicken Bell Pepper Nachos

Just like the original recipe, you need just a few ingredients to make this easy keto friendly lunch. Mini bell peppers, cream cheese, chicken and salsa verde are all you need.

I used the microwave for the cheesy salsa sauce for this recipe but you could also use one of those small crockpots to melt it down if you wanted to throw it together earlier in the day. Melt the salsa with the cream cheese for about a minute in the microwave.

Cream cheese and green salsa verde - keto low carb recipe

For the chicken, I used my instant pot  to shred up a bunch of chicken thighs earlier in the week. If you don’t want to cook your own chicken, a rotisserie chicken would work well with these keto cheesy salsa verde chicken bell pepper nachos.

Mix the cream cheese/salsa mixture, the chicken and the shredded cheese in a medium bowl.

Add the mixture to your cut and prepared mini peppers. Bake at 375 for 10 minutes. I then broiled it for 2 minutes on high so that the tops would get a light brown crust on top!

Salsa Verde Chicken Mini Bell Pepper Nachos for an easy Keto - Low Carb lunch or snack

The cheesy chicken filling has a slight kick from the salsa verde and the mini bell peppers serve as the perfect vessel to get that yummy goodness into your mouth. Don’t forget some extra salsa verde and sour cream for dipping.

If you need some variety in your Keto or Trim Healthy Mama (S) lunch routine, I hope you try these keto cheesy salsa verde chicken bell pepper nachos. If you love the low carb lifestyle, don’t forget to try these smoked salmon, cream cheese roll ups and cheeseburger soup.

And don’t forget to make yourself a 2 minute keto breakfast in the microwave in the morning.

Print Recipe
Keto Cheesy Salsa Verde Chicken Bell Pepper Nachos
Servings
Ingredients
  • 5-6 mini bell peppers (cut lengthwise)
  • 2 oz Cream cheese
  • 1/4 cup salsa verde
  • 1/2 cup cooked chicken, shredded
  • 1/4 cup Shredded cheddar cheese
Servings
Ingredients
  • 5-6 mini bell peppers (cut lengthwise)
  • 2 oz Cream cheese
  • 1/4 cup salsa verde
  • 1/2 cup cooked chicken, shredded
  • 1/4 cup Shredded cheddar cheese
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Prep the mini bell peppers by cutting off the top, slicing lengthwise and removing seeds.
  3. Place the cream cheese and salsa verde in a microwave safe bowl and cook for 1 minute. You may want to do this in 30 second increments to ensure it doesn't burn.
  4. If your precooked chicken is cold, warm it slightly in the microwave .
  5. Add the salsa/cream cheese mixture, warm chicken and shredded cheddar cheese to a small mixing bowl and combine.
  6. Stuff the sliced peppers with approximately a tablespoon of the cheesy chicken mixture. The exact measurement will vary based on the size of your peppers.
  7. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.
  8. Broil for 2 minutes until the tops are slightly browned.

 

 

 

Filed Under: Plan, Recipes, Snacks Tagged With: bell pepper nachos, diabetic, dinner, easy, Keto, low carb, lunch, recipe, snack, THM S, Trim Healthy mama

Smoked Salmon Jalapeno Poppers

July 7, 2018 by Stacy Craft Leave a Comment

So I love the grocery store pick up options like Walmart Grocery. But sometimes the order gets lost in translation. I thought I was ordering 2 jalapenos but apparently I must have ordered 2 lbs. I needed something to do with all the jalapenos in my fridge so this recipe was born. These smoked salmon jalapeno poppers make a great keto or Trim Healthy Mama S appetizer or lunch! I had 4 of them for lunch with a small bowl of berries as a side.

Check out these Smoked Salmon and Cucumber Cream Cheese roll ups to use the rest of your smoked salmon. It is Keto/low carb/THM S too! Also try the Cheesy Salsa Verde Chicken Meal – it is my most popular Keto recipe.

Low Carb Keto THM S Smoked Salmon Topped Jalapeno Popper

(Affiliate Links are used in this post. A small commission may be paid to me at no extra cost to you and that helps to support this page. Please see my disclosures page for additional information.)

Low Carb Smoked Salmon Jalapeno Poppers

A “diet” that lets me eat things like stuffed jalapenos is something I can deal with! These yummy poppers tasted sinful yet I was actually following the Trim Healthy Mama lifestyle while eating it! Read how I have lost 22 lbs postpartum on THM (55 lbs total since giving birth in October).

Prepare your pan with a silicone baking mat or spray your pan with non-stick olive oil (I use this to make my own). Wash and slice the jalapenos lengthwise and remove the seeds.

Mix the greek yogurt cream cheese, shredded cheddar and garlic powder in a small bowl. Mix until well incorporated. I like the greek yogurt cream cheese because it adds more protein and it is much softer than regular cream cheese. If you want to use normal cream cheese, just let it soften on the counter for a bit before you mix it.

Spoon the cheesy filling into the jalapeno halves.

Bake for 10-15 minutes until the jalapeno has softened and the cheese gets ooey gooey. I love the slightly browned marks on top. I cooked mine for about 12 minutes and the jalapenos still had a bite but I like that texture with the gooey cheese and soft smoked salmon. If you want the jalapenos extra tender, go towards the 15 minute time.

Finally, just top it with a piece of smoked salmon. Such a simple recipe but the flavors are outstanding. The smoked salmon takes a standard jalapeno popper up a couple of notches!

These low carb smoked salmon jalapeno poppers fit in with a Trim Healthy Mama “S” meal or as a keto option. They would be great to take as an appetizer too!

Smoked Salmon Jalapeno Poppers

Print Recipe
Low Carb Smoked Salmon Jalapeno Poppers
Smoked Salmon Jalapeno Popper Low Carb Keto Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 10-15 minutes
Servings
Poppers
Ingredients
  • 2 oz Greek Yogurt or Regular Cream Cheese (Soften the regular cream cheese)
  • 1/4 cup Shredded cheddar cheese
  • 1/3 tsp garlic powder
  • 4 pieces Smoked Salmon
  • 2 fresh Jalapenos
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 10-15 minutes
Servings
Poppers
Ingredients
  • 2 oz Greek Yogurt or Regular Cream Cheese (Soften the regular cream cheese)
  • 1/4 cup Shredded cheddar cheese
  • 1/3 tsp garlic powder
  • 4 pieces Smoked Salmon
  • 2 fresh Jalapenos
Smoked Salmon Jalapeno Popper Low Carb Keto Recipe
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or spray with a non-stick cooking spray.
  2. Wash and slice the jalapenos lengthwise in half. Remove seeds.
  3. Combine the cream cheese, shredded cheese and garlic powder in a bowl and mix to combine.
  4. Spoon the cheese mixture evenly into the jalapeno halves.
  5. Bake for 10-15 minutes until the cheese is melted and lightly browned and the jalapenos have softened.
  6. Top each jalapeno popper with a slice of smoked salmon.
Recipe Notes

Filed Under: Featured, Plan Tagged With: appetizer, budget, easy, jalapeno popper, Keto, low carb, lunch, smoked salmon, THM S

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