Written by Jen Keck
One of the things that I always emphasize to my nutrition clients when it comes to sustainable fat loss is the importance of preparing and eating insanely delicious food. Why? Because nothing causes diet burn-out and resentment quicker than having to repeatedly gag down dry, bland meat and soggy veggies. Ew! Who the hell can stick with a plan like that? Failure is imminent when you hate what you are eating.
I am a clean eating enthusiast. For realsies. I dig whole, unprocessed foods and would much rather make my own good-for-me and responsibly sourced food at home than go out to eat any ol’ day. (Well, unless it’s for a killer filet from SW in the Wynn in Vegas.)
There is just one problem-o. I am totally inept in the kitchen. Pair that with the fact that I have the attention span of a fruit fly and there is no bloody way that I could – or would want to – spend hours preparing and cooking some big ornate meal. Seeing as how cooking has never been my forte, I am constantly searching for really easy ways to make super tasty, fat loss friendly meals, and when I find them I’m always pumped to share them with you!
Below I have listed 4 of my favorite fail-proof recipes, all of which are delicious and conducive with a healthy, fat loss lifestyle.
Bacon Wrapped Omelet Cups
I not-so-humbly declare this breakfast my most genius creation. My magnum opus of recipes, if you will.
It’s a portable omelet wrapped in… wait for it… bacon. No, seriously!
The possibilities with these are endless. Chop up sausage, chicken, beef, or whatever veg and cheese you want. Make a big batch because they reheat well and make breakfast on the go a cinch!
This masterpiece is something that I put together for Men’s Health, so rather than re-write it, I will simply provide you with a link:
http://www.menshealth.com/guy-gourmet/bake-bacon-wrapped-protein-packed-omelet-bites
Crockpot Curry Brisket
When I think of comfort food, I don’t think of biscuits & gravy or the like, but instead I think of a richly creamy and highly flavorful food, packed with nutrients and protein. This curry brisket is perfect and won’t derail your fat loss.
I adapted this recipe from NomNomPaleo.com
Ingredients:
- 2 pound grass-fed brisket
- 1 TBSP coconut oil
- 1 can coconut milk**
- 2 TBSP red or yellow curry paste
- Sweet potato
- Onions
- Carrots
- Salt and pepper
**If you like your curry extra thick and creamy, use two cans of coconut milk and just use the thick coconut cream at the top of the can. Discard the liquid coconut water at the bottom of the can.
Execution:
Peel sweet potato, onions and carrots. Chop them into big chunks and place them in the crockpot.
Dice up the brisket into bite sized cubes. Tip: easier and quicker using kitchen shears.
Place the cubed brisket into the crockpot, on top of the sweet potatoes and veg.
In a small saucepan, combine coconut milk, coconut oil, and curry paste, stirring frequently until it’s all incorporated. Pour this mixture into the crockpot, over the meat.
Shake some salt and pepper over it all.
Give it all a little stir and then turn the crockpot on ‘Low’ and cook for 7 – 9 hours.
Dump this delicious concoction over rice if that’s your gig, or just eat it as is.
Amazing!
Crockpot Spanish(ish) Brisket
I suppose this is spanish? Kind of? It has salsa in it, so I’m going with it!
I adapted this recipe from NomNomPaleo
Ingredients:
- 2½ pounds grass-fed brisket (or maybe pork? Haven’t tried it but bet it’d be great!)
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1½ teaspoons salt
- 1 medium onion, peeled and roughly cut up
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 6 garlic cloves, peeled and roughly cut up
- ½ cup roasted salsa
- ½ cup chicken or beef stock
Execution:
I throw all of the ingredients except for the brisket into the crockpot and stir it up.
Then I plop the brisket(s) in there, turn it on ‘Low’ and let it cook for at least 8 hours.
After it’s cooked, take the meat out and put it on a plate, and strain all of the bits out of the liquid in the crockpot. This will just leave you with the broth – no oniony bits or salsa.
If you are like me, and animal fat gives you the heebie jeebies, use a fork to scrape the fat off the brisket. Then use two forks to shred the beef and stick the shredded beef back into the liquid to keep it moist and warm.
I like to serve this over cauli-rice with sliced up avocado and hot sauce!
Badda-bing-badda-boom! Easy, amazing, and will last a few meals… unless you have a powerlifter in the house. Then you’ll probably need to make this again tomorrow.
Stuffed Acorn Squash
I subsisted off of this stuffed squash all winter. I could not get enough!
Ingredients:
- 2 acorn squash
- 1 – 1.5 pounds lean grass fed ground beef (or ground bison)
- 1 TBSP coconut oil
- 1 small onion, peeled and diced small
- Couple cloves of garlic, peeled and diced very fine
- 3 TBSP balsalmic vinegar
- Seasonings for the beef: garlic powder, salt, pepper, cayenne pepper, whatever you like
Execution:
Carefully slice the acorn squash in half, use a fork to scrape out the seeds, and place them face down on a baking sheet. Stick them in the oven at 375 degrees and let them back for 40 – 50 minutes, or until soft.
Heat coconut oil in a skillet until it’s melted. Add diced onion and garlic and cook until it’s golden and fragrant. Add the ground beef and season to your liking. When it’s nearly done, add the balsalmic vinegar. It gives it a bit of tang and it’s so good! When the beef is finished cooking, set it aside to prep the acorn squash.
Once the acorn squash is finished cooking, leave the oven on and use a spoon to scoop the meat out of the acorn squash into a bowl, being careful to keep the shells in tact.
Once you’ve emptied all of the acorn squash into the bowl, dump in the ground beef mixture and combine everything together. Use this mixture to re-stuff the acorn squash shells and pop them back into the oven to warm it all up for about 5 – 10 minutes.
This has become a favorite meal for my family!
If I can cook these recipes, then I promise that you can, too. Losing fat and staying lean has to be a lifestyle, which means that it’s important that you love your food and look forward to each meal. Search for recipes online, get creative, try new things, and please, I beg you, stop eating that nasty dry chicken and the limp asparagus spears! It’s not necessary!
Seeking fat loss should not feel like punishment. If it does, you are doing it wrong.
Bon appetite!
Born and raised in Salt Lake City, Jen Comas Keck is a nutrition expert and NASM certified trainer. Keck has a very diverse fitness journey, from cardio queen, group fitness instructor to figure competitor. This range of experience allows her to speak on a variety of topics facing people. In addtion to the mergers and acquisitions company Jen owns with her husband, she also operates a successful nutrition coaching business. Website, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter
