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This is one of my absolute favorite meals when it comes to healthy dinners and finishes with a sweet treat you don’t have to feel bad about eating! It is full of flavor and my go to meal for a good pick me up and diet. I finish feeling full and energized from all the nutrients and the “full” feeling lasts for hours! I’ve dieted on and off over the years and found with age it becomes a bit harder and I have to be more mindful of what I eat. I hadn’t had much success with a lot of the fad diets, I’d lose weight but then put it back on again. I’m sure we all have heard that story. My girlfriend was talking to me a few months back knowing I was about to start dieting again and she told me not to suffer. If you diet and suffer you’ll gain it all back and maybe more, it’s not sustainable. Make small sustainable changes. It may be slower to come off, but it won’t suck or be a ton of counting and calculating and measuring and it will be more sustainable to continue as a lifestyle change. That really resonated with me and I started making small changes about 9 months ago when I was at my highest weight in years. I’ve lost 23 pounds to date and the best part is it didn’t suck. It didn’t feel like work. It was just doing small things and not being glued to results. All I can say is its worked, its slow, sustainable, and I feel a lot better. My energy levels are better, I think clearer, my self-esteem is better, my sex life is better, all in all its really help transform my life in my mid 30s! I’m looking forward to continuing the journey and looking my best in my leather armor costume for renaissance festival this year!

For this recipe, we have a lemony almond chicken served over a bed of roasted veggies. I love roasting my veggies as it really brings out the flavor, especially with the roasted cauliflower it takes on almost a sweet flavor when roasted. Today we are going to be using Brussel Sprouts, Zucchini, Cauliflower and Asparagus for our veggies, but you can make adjust this to your favorites. This dish is very versatile! I have done this recipe a number of times using different veggies. The only vegetable I have found so far that doesn’t work great with this method is broccoli as it tends to over crisp in the oven, so if I want broccoli I steam it and add it in later. Mushrooms go really well in this dish, as does a sprinkle of feta cheese! Lots of ways to get creative and switch it up a bit especially if you eat this a lot!

Before we get into the recipe lets talk about why this meal is so good for you. Besides the fact it is full of flavor, it is also low calorie and full of protein (and not the nasty tasting powder kind!). The combination of dinner and dessert packs a whopping 37g of protein for only 447 calories. It is my go to meal for a good pick me up, I finish feeling full for hours without feeling sluggish. Proteins are important for the growth and maintenance of tissues, unlike carbs the majority of the digestion takes place in the stomach leaving you feeling full longer, protein is important for your body’s hormones, and provides structure to your body through collagen, elastin, and keratin (think great hair, skin, and nails!)¹. It is recommended by the FDA that you eat 50g of protein per day for a 2000 calorie diet which is a lot of protein! this meal makes hitting that number much easier without suffering a ton of calories. On a lower calorie diet? Want to know what numbers you should be hitting? Check out this Daily Value calculator that makes it easy to put in the amount of calories you eat a day and see the recommended amounts of different nutrients you should be eating. While I have opted not to calorie count per se, part of my “not suck” diet method, I am still conscious of what I am eating. I opt for foods high in protein, fiber, and vitamin rich foods with water-rich foods for snacks. Things like grapes and celery which are made up of mostly water and are low calorie are a great snack between meals when you need something in your stomach to keep you from feeling hungry.

In addition to being high in protein, this meal is also packed with other important nutrients like Potassium, Fiber, and Vitamin A. Potassium you may know for keeping away muscle cramps, but it has a lot of other beneficial properties too! It is an electrolyte and is a very important mineral for the function of all cells, tissues, and organs in the body. It helps regulate fluid balance, maintains healthy nerve functions, and regulates muscle and heart contractions. A diet high in potassium can help to reduce blood pressure, reduce water retention, protect against strokes, osteoporosis, and kidney stones². Bananas, Zucchini, and Brussel Sprouts all are great sources for potassium. One serving of Lemon Almond Chicken with Roasted Vegetables contains 487 mg of potassium and one serving of Greek Yogurt with Banana and Honey boasts 448 mg of potassium.

Fiber is the next gift this dish offers with 7 g in the main dish and 1 g for dessert. Dietary Fiber includes the parts of plant foods that our bodies can’t digest or absorb. It helps you stay feeling fuller longer, a great tool when trying to maintain a healthy weight! fiber also promotes good digestive health, lowers cholesterol levels and helps control blood sugar levels.³.

Finally, lets talk about Vitamin A. Vitamin A is most commonly known for its ocular health benefits. Vitamin A helps preserve your eyesight and slow age-related eyesight degeneration. That is not the only benefit Vitamin A has to offer, however, it also plays a vital role in maintaining our body’s natural defense systems and promoting a healthy immune system, it can reduce acne, supports bone health, and promotes healthy growth and reproduction. The effect of Vitamin A from plant or animal sources appears to have more beneficial effects than taking it in supplement form.⁴

Okay now to the good stuff! Below is what I make for 4 people (two adults, two teenagers and yes the kids love it too!). You can adjust the recipe up or down accordingly. It keeps nice in the fridge for leftovers the next day as well. I generally take it with me to work for lunch the following day! Are you hungry yet?