Protecting Your Pennies

Buy Smart. Plan. Play

soup

What To Eat When Sick On THM

by Leave a Comment

Find a list of what to eat when sick on THM to keep you on plan while you recover from an illness.

There are lots of Trim Healthy Mama store bought and homemade options to help you feel better quickly when under the weather.

THM Sick Kit - How to Stay on Plan when Under the Weather (1)

With everything going on lately, sickness has been top of mind for a lot of people. 

As COVID-19 continues to rise, making a plan for yourself if you have flu like symptoms seems like a prudent decision. And preparing for what to eat when sick on THM is probably easier than you might think. 

(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.)

Medical Disclaimer: I am not a doctor or medical professional. If you are ill, seek the advice of your doctor. 

What To Eat When Sick On THM

When you are not feeling well, cooking up a meal in the kitchen is probably the last thing on your mind. But you have to eat and stay hydrated! 

Here is a big list of store bought on plan approved items and recipes to make homemade soups and more to get though through a couple of sick days. 

Store Bought THM Sick Kit Options 

These store bought options will help to keep you hydrated.

If you have been suffering from a stomach virus, you may want to follow a BRAT diet. And lucky for you the BRAT diet has all the THM staples on it. 

So what does BRAT stand for? Bananas, Rice, Applesauce and Toast.

B – Bananas (E fuel)
R – Brown Rice (E fuel)
A – Unsweetened Applesauce (E Fuel)
T – Sprouted Toast (E Fuel)

THM Cookbook or THM Blogger Recipes

Of course, if you have some energy, plan ahead or are taking care of a sick family member, you can make some recipes from the THM cookbook or from your favorite Trim Healthy Mama bloggers for your “sick day.” 

Trim Healthy Mama and OTC Medications 

Over the counter meds and the THM plan cause questions for a lot of beginners. 

Because guess what? There is sugar in a lot of these meds. You know, they put sugar in everything! 

Here are a couple of options that can be used on plan: 

  • Manuka Honey – Natural remedy that may help a sore throat. Manuka is the recommended choice of honey for medicinal purposes by the sisters.
  • XLEAR Cough Drops – Sweetened with Xylitol and Stevia

Keep reading for my personal thoughts on OTC meds and staying on plan. 

Illness and Staying On Plan 

Whether you are sick with a stomach bug, an upper respiratory infection or maybe suffering through the early stages of pregnancy with a bad case of morning sickness, being sick and staying on plan is definitely doable but it can be tough. 

If you have read the 5 THM things I don’t do, you know that I am somewhat of a THM rebel at times. I do what works for me and thanks to following the plan *most* of the time, I lost the 60 lbs that I gained while pregnant with my second child. 

And for that weight loss I am so thankful for this plan. However, I believe that when you are sick, you can get a hall pass of sorts. 

So if you can stay on plan doing the things mentioned above, you go girl! 

But if you are struggling to keep things down and the thought of a piece of sprouted bread makes you want to vomit, by all means don’t eat it. If a big piece of white bread is literally the only thing that your 9 weeks pregnant body can tolerate, feed that baby. 

Don’t get dehydrated or further your misery just to stay on plan. 

If you can stay on plan while ill, great. If you need to drink a Gatorade or eat a saltine to get better, do it. Then get back on plan as soon as you are feeling up to it. 

Need a XO? Eat one. Again, don’t beat yourself up while you are sick. Give yourself grace, nourish your body the best you can and heal.

Remember to always check with your physician if you are concerned about symptoms, an illness or your diet. 

THM Sick Day on Plan food to stock up on (1)

Healthy Buffalo Chicken Chili – THM E

by Leave a Comment

A delicious healthy buffalo chicken chili that is packed with flavor, easy to make and a great make ahead freezer meal. 

Trim Healthy Mama Buffalo Wing Chicken Chili

Buffalo wing sauce is an ingredient that I love to cook with, especially when cooking low fat dishes (like Trim Healthy Mama E meals). Why? Because wing sauce adds tons of flavor to a dish without adding a lot of extra fat or calories. 

I like wing sauce on wings of course but there are so many more options. A favorite of mine is to cover shredded chicken in this yummy sauce. Then I use the chicken in quesadillas, wraps, on top of salads and even stuffed into a baked sweet potato (don’t knock it until you try it – the sweet and spicy is amazing). 

So since eating buffalo chicken is kind of a way of life, of course adding it to a big bowl of chili seemed like a good next step. This healthy buffalo chicken chili is packed with veggies, white beans, ground chili and spicy wing sauce!

(The recipe isn’t overly spicy to me but I LOVE spicy – so you can adjust the amount of sauce down if you are worried about the heat level).

(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.)

Healthy Buffalo Chicken Chili – THM E

Healthy Chicken Hot Wing Chili - THM E

You could use this wing sauce chili on most low fat diets or healthy lifestyles that you follow. We eat by the Trim Healthy Mama plan in my house so if you are a fellow THM (welcome!), this is a THM E meal. 

Since school just started back for my daughter, busy nights are something that comes with this time of year. And if I don’t plan appropriately, I’ll end up in the Wendy’s drive thru after getting her from dance.

Since I know how to eat fast food on plan, that is fine but it gets expensive and sometimes you just want an easy home cooked meal but without a bunch of work. 

And this chili can be made in 3o minutes so it works well for work week dinners. Even better is to make it, freeze it & then just warm it up for busy nights. See below for freezing instructions. 

What You Need:

Ingredients for Chicken Chili

Cooking the Chili

Healthy Chicken Wing Chili

The best part about chili is how easy it is to make! Brown some meat, chop a couple of veggies, dump a can or two & simmer. Dinner done! 

I think that is why I love soup weather so much. That and you cook once and eat for multiple meals or stock your freezer! 

Toppings for Buffalo Chicken Chili 

Dumping a bunch of cheese and crackers on top of a big bowl of chili is something that I started doing as a kid. And old habits die hard. 

But thankfully, you don’t have to give up on topping your healthy buffalo chicken chili! To keep it in E mode for THM, you will just want to use the right toppers so that you don’t move into a XO (crossover) unless you want to. 

“E” approved Chili Toppings:

  • Light Laughing Cow Cheese Wedge (good to melt into the chili for a creamy bowl of chili)
  • Fat Free Greek Yogurt (Plain yogurt is a good sub for sour cream) 
  • Very small amount of Low Fat Cheese (I ususally just skip this & I’m a cheese lover. It really doesn’t need it)
  • Baked Tostitos (On plan & Great to dip with too!) 

Freezer Hot Wing Chicken Chili - THM E

Freezing Chicken Wing Sauce Chili 

Making this healthy buffalo chicken chili is quick and easy to make fresh and the best part is that it freezes really well. So you can make a big batch and freeze part of it for a simple meal at a later date. 

To make it for the freezer, just follow the directions in the recipe. Once it is cooked, you want to let it cool. 

When the soup is cool, fill labeled gallon zip lock bags with the amount of chili that will feed your family a meal. Seal and lay flat in your freezer.

To use: thaw the chili for at least 8 hours in your fridge. Pour the thawed chili into a pot and warm it up. It is already fully cooked so it won’t take long. 

Print Recipe
 Healthy Buffalo Chicken Chili
Servings
Servings
Ingredients
  • 1 tbsp Butter
  • 1 lb ground chicken
  • 1/2 cup baby carrots chopped
  • 1/2 cup celery
  • 1 can white beans (drained)
  • 1 can Rotel or diced tomatoes (undrained)
  • 1/4 cup Wing Sauce
  • 2 tbsp Homemade Chili Seasoning (scroll up for recipe) (Or a McCormick Chili Packet)
Servings
Servings
Ingredients
  • 1 tbsp Butter
  • 1 lb ground chicken
  • 1/2 cup baby carrots chopped
  • 1/2 cup celery
  • 1 can white beans (drained)
  • 1 can Rotel or diced tomatoes (undrained)
  • 1/4 cup Wing Sauce
  • 2 tbsp Homemade Chili Seasoning (scroll up for recipe) (Or a McCormick Chili Packet)
Instructions
  1. Start by melting the butter in a large skillet or dutch oven over medium heat.
  2. Add in the chopped carrots and celery and saute for about 5 minutes until they start to soften.
  3. Add the ground chicken and cook until browned and cooked. through.
  4. Combine the remaining ingredients with the meat and vegetables already cooking.
  5. Bring the chili to a boil then reduce heat to low and cover. SImmer for at least 15 minutes (longer if you like).
  6. Top with desired toppings (Greek yogurt, additional hot sauce or baked tortilla chips) & Serve.

Freezer Meal Buffalo Wing Chicken Chili

Low Carb Bacon Cheeseburger Soup

by 12 Comments

A creamy and rich low carb soup that comes together in just a few minutes using leftover grilled cheeseburgers. 

The Best Bacon Cheeseburger Keto Soup

Leftover Low Carb Keto Cheeseburger Soup - THM S Meal for a Healthy Lunch or Dinner
Leftover Low Carb Bacon Cheeseburger Soup Cover

(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.)

Burgers are a staple of summertime. Soup usually makes me think Fall and Winter. But when I am eating low carb, soups are such an easy way to get a satisfying and simple meal.

So I broke the rules and ate soup in the 90 degree heat. I have air conditioning and I lived through it (and loved it)!

This low carb bacon cheeseburger soup was made even easier and more flavorful by using leftover cheeseburgers from the night before.

My husband grilled cheeseburgers the night before and we had one of our staple dinners, Cheeseburger Salad. The next day at lunch I was trying to find something quick and tasty. I saw the leftover burgers and it hit me. I could make a low carb bacon cheeseburger soup, use my leftovers, and have a yummy meal. Win.

Low Carb Bacon Cheeseburger Soup

We follow the Trim Healthy Mama plan at our house so this is a THM S Meal because of the cheese, cream and red meat. If you follow another low carb plan, this will fit within that or your Keto lifestyle. (See how I lost 22 lbs postpartum in 3 months with THM)

While looking at recipes, I first saw a cheeseburger soup on i Save A 2 Z. I made some small modifications and added in leftovers to make this soup delicious and budget friendly by using leftovers.

Start by prepping your bacon. Make this even easier by using bacon bits that you already have or cook your bacon in your soup stock pot to make it a one pot meal like I did.

Uncooked Bacon

The Leftovers

Chop your leftover cheeseburgers up into bite size pieces.

You can use cooked ground beef in the soup but the leftover burgers really amp up the flavor of the soup. Plus you get to use up leftovers from your bbq! Don’t let your money get tossed out by not eating your leftovers.

Chopped Leftover Grilled Cheeseburger

Add your butter, seasonings, bone broth, marinara and shredded cheese. I use the Bone beef broth from Walmart as an easy way to increase the nutritional value. Add your cream cheese.

Low carb bacon cheeseburger soup simmering

My cheese grater broke recently so I had to get creative with my pot strainer to get my cheese shredded! It wasn’t easy but it worked. There is a hack for you if yours breaks too! Do what you have to do to get dinner on the table! #momlife

Low Carb Cheeseburger soup with Grated Cheese

Add your chopped burgers and bacon bits. Next, add in your heavy cream and simmer it all together. (Don’t mind my amazing clip on spoon that is taking up 1/2 the picture!)

Cream added to Cheeseburger Soup

Cheeseburger Soup Toppings

Top the soup with your choice of dill pickle slices (sounds weird but so good), more shredded cheese and sliced jalapenos.

Low Carb Cheeseburger Soup - Keto - THM S Meal Using Leftover Burgers

Your leftover low carb bacon cheeseburger soup is rich and decadent. The leftover burgers really give this soup a burger in a bowl taste. I hope you try it to use your leftovers and have a yummy lunch or dinner for the family. Don’t forget to see the can’t miss cheesy salsa chicken recipe that also fits with Keto/low carb/ THM S. And if you are looking for more ways to use your leftovers,  here are 5 ways to use your chicken.

 

 

Print Recipe
 Low Carb Bacon Cheeseburger Soup
Leftover Low Carb Bacon Cheeseburger Soup Cover
Course Soup
Cook Time 30 minutes
Servings
Ingredients
Course Soup
Cook Time 30 minutes
Servings
Ingredients
Leftover Low Carb Bacon Cheeseburger Soup Cover
Instructions
  1. Cook your bacon until desired consistency. (I did this until cooked through but not completely crisp). Tear or chop into bacon bit pieces.
  2. Chop your cooked cheeseburgers into bite sized pieces. If using ground beef, cook and drain off any fat.
  3. Add butter, spices, bone broth, mustard, shredded cheese and marinara and simmer over medium heat for about 5 minutes.
  4. Add cream cheese to the mixture and allow it to melt into the soup for about 5 minutes or until completely melted. (You can let this simmer longer to allow the flavors to develop more if you would like).
  5. Add the heavy cream.
  6. Add the cheeseburgers and bacon bits.
  7. Simmer for 10 minutes.
  8. Garnish with additional shredded cheese, jalapeno slices, and dill pickle slices.