High Protein

Quick Low Carb Egg Roll Stir Fry

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top down view of quick egg roll stir fry with side of avocado and lime
 

I’m a pretty lazy cook. With the exception of a few spurts of inspiration per year, I like to keep things quick and easy in the kitchen. Most of our clients at Custom Fit approach nutrition similarly. We’re busy people. We have hectic, full lives. Sure, we care about nutrition and obviously health, but we need strategies to achieve our goals in ways that won’t take too much time away from everything else on our plate. This quick egg roll stir fry checks off all the boxes. It’s quick, it’s macro-friendly, and it tastes great as leftovers. A meal-prep dream.

 
quick egg roll stir fry in pink pan with wooden spoon
 

What is an egg roll stir-fry?

An egg roll stir fry is basically all the fillings you would stuff into an egg roll, sauteed and eaten like a stir fry. It’s low carb, high protein, and not fried in pro-inflammatory vegetable oils. In this version, we used ground pork, but you can substitute chicken or turkey if you prefer. 

What makes this recipe so great

  1. It’s a one-pan meal. This means less clean-up which is always a plus when you’re short on time.

  2. It’s protein-dense. 34 grams of protein per serving!

  3. Great way to use up any extra vegetables you have in your fridge. You can put almost any vegetable in this dish and it’ll go great. Carrots, celery, broccoli, you name it.

  4. Excellent for meal prep. This tastes great leftover and is easy to reheat.

  5. It’s relatively low calorie, but will keep you feeling full. One serving has approximately 366 calories, 34 grams of protein, 21 grams of fat, 13 grams of carbs and 6 grams of fiber. That’s a nice balance of fat, protein and fiber to slow digestion and have you feeling satisfied.

Quick Egg Roll Stir Fry

By: Marissa Mather

Prep time: 5 minutes, Cook Time: 20 minutes

Servings: 4

Approximate Calories per serving: 366

Ingredients

  • 1 8 ounce bag coleslaw mix

  • 5 ounces shiitake mushrooms

  • 1 pound ground pork or turkey

  • 4 cloves garlic minced

  • 1 tbsp fresh ginger minced

  • 3 green onions thinly sliced

  • 1 tbsp sesame oil

  • 1 tbsp rice vinegar

  • 1 tbsp tamari

    Optional Garnishes/Sides

  • avocado

  • sesame seeds

  • lime

  • cilantro

  • kimchi

Instructions

  1. Brown the pork in a large skillet over medium heat.

  2. Add the garlic and ginger and sauté for 1 more minute.

  3. Add the slaw mix and mushrooms and sauté for 5 minutes, stirring often.

  4. Add the tamari and cook for another minute.

  5. Remove from heat and add the sesame oil, rice vinegar and green onion.

  6. Optional but recommended to serve with sliced avocado seasoned with fresh lime juice and sea salt.

Low Carb Philly Cheesesteak Skillet

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Philly Cheesesteak: but make it low carb and from whole foods. It’s all the flavor, PLUS the confidence that you’re eating something that meets your macro goals. This low carb Philly Cheesesteak recipe is keto friendly, low carb and protein rich. It’s also an excellent weeknight meal because it only takes about 20 minutes to throw together. 

How to Serve Low Carb Philly Cheesesteak Skillet

Classic Philly Cheesesteak is served on a hoagie roll or other type of bread that’s typically made from refined flour. Omit the bread, and you’re working with a low-carb version of an old favorite. This recipe is great on its own, but can be served with brown rice or even cauliflower rice to make it a little more filling or to fit a more carbohydrate dense nutrition plan. To switch it up, serve leftovers in corn tortillas.

How to Make a Nutrient Dense Low-Carb Meal

It’s easy to get wrapped up in the numbers when you’re following a lower carbohydrate diet. The truth is, the QUALITY of your diet matters even more than the quantity of macronutrients. I’ve seen so many folks attempting to follow a “low carb” diet that are filling their plates with poor quality processed foods. Here are some things to keep in mind when putting together a low-carbohydrate, nutrient dense meal:

  1. Pile on the plants. It’s a given that most plant foods are nutrition powerhouses. To get a balanced array of vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients, eating several servings of vegetables and at least one serving of fruit per day is recommended.

  2. Nuts and seeds are your friend. Nuts and seeds are packed with healthy, anti-inflammatory fats, and protein. They’re a great snack or recipe topper that add practically zero carbs to your day.

  3. Healthy fats FTW. Try not to target only animal fats when following a lower carbohydrate diet. Incorporating healthy plant-based fats into your daily diet has been linked to a lower risk of all kinds of chronic diseases. Consider swapping butter for olive oil or avocado oil, adding nuts and seeds to dishes and filling your plate with fatty fish.

  4. Fiber is a must. It’s true! Women need about 25 grams of fiber per day and men need about 38 grams per day. It can be a challenge to meet this need when eating a low carb diet, so pack in the fibrous veggies along with fiber rich seeds such as chia and ground flax.

  5. Color matters. Plants contain different pigments, or phytonutrients, which give them their color. Consuming a variety of different colored plants is linked to higher levels of specific nutrients and health benefits.

  6. Boost the benefits with fresh herbs and spices. Herbs and spices are densely packed with antioxidants. They also take recipes to the next level when it comes to flavor and many of them have nutraceutical properties.

  7. Go with quality protein: Eggs from pasture raised hens and dairy and meat from pasture raised animals are more nutrient dense. Go for unprocessed meat as much as possible.

Low Carb Philly Cheesesteak Skillet

Low Carb Philly Cheesesteak Skillet

Yield: 4
Author:
Cook time: 20 MinTotal time: 20 Min
This easy weeknight Low Carb Philly Cheesesteak Skillet is a quick way to get in a more nutrient dense version of an old favorite.

Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp avocado oil
  • 1 ½ pounds top sirloin, ribeye or skirt steak sliced thinly against the grain
  • 8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
  • 1 green pepper, sliced
  • 1 red pepper, sliced
  • 1 large white onion, sliced
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • ¼ cup water
  • 1 cup shredded provolone or mozzarella cheese
  • ¼ cup fresh parsley, optional

Instructions

  1. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Sear steak on both sides, remove and set aside.
  2. Turn the heat down to medium and add the mushrooms to the skillet. Cook until all the moisture has evaporated, about 6 minutes.
  3. Add peppers, onions, salt, pepper, garlic powder and water. Scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan and cook until the vegetables are starting to soften, about 6-8 minutes.
  4. Add steak back into the skillet and cook until heated through.
  5. Top everything with cheese and cover the skillet until the cheese is melted.
  6. Serve immediately as is or with rice or cauliflower rice

Nutrition Facts

Calories

421.54

Fat (grams)

22.79

Sat. Fat (grams)

8.89

Carbs (grams)

10.26

Fiber (grams)

2.67

Net carbs

7.6

Sugar (grams)

5.01

Protein (grams)

45.98

Sodium (milligrams)

879.02

Cholesterol (grams)

129.28

Nutrition information is generated automatically by an outside source and may not be perfectly accurate.

Instant Pot Korean Short Ribs

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This Instant Pot Korean Short Ribs recipe is from Michelle Tam at nom nom paleo. I just adjusted cooking times to account for a freezer meal portion of it. Her blog has some amazing paleo style healthy recipes and she also has some great cookbooks that I often refer clients to!  I especially love her Instant Pot recipes.

These tender, melt in your mouth, short ribs, braised in a delicious sweet and spicy sauce are a dinner dream! 

The fact that this can be made as a freezer meal with no cooking required, and then it can be cooked FROM FROZEN straight in the Instant Pot just takes it to the next level...Dinner Bliss.

How to Meal Prep Korean Short Ribs

What I like to do when I make this dish is double up on ingredients. I make one portion to cook and serve that day, and while I'm prepping that, I also prep a freezer meal portion. Work once, eat twice.  

Check out this video to see how Korean Short Rib meal prep is done.

overhead korean short ribs close.jpg

Freezer meals are just such a great way to consistently eat healthy, delicious food.  

Even on the nights when you know you won't be able to cook. I can promise that you will not be disappointed to bust this out of your freezer after a long day with no dinner plans.  It's even a great meal for entertaining guests because all the work is done for you and you can just hang out with your guests and then serve them a delicious, impressive and healthy meal.

If you're not feeling red meat tonight, check out our Golden Healing Chicken Soup freezer meal recipe.

short ribs ingredients.jpg

What pairs well with Korean Short Ribs:

  • Rice or cauliflower rice (buy the frozen precooked version -you can get it at TJ,s and Whole Foods- if you really want to save time)

  • Cilantro

  • Kimchi (this is my favorite brand and I love the daikon radish one)

  • Sliced Scallions

  • Sesame seeds

  • Pickled cucumbers or sliced cucumbers

  • An Asian inspired slaw

  • Sliced avocado

  • Grated carrots tossed in lime juice and olive oil

  • A green salad

  • Roasted shitake mushrooms

  • Sauteed spinach

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Are Korean Short Ribs Healthy?

Short ribs are a higher fat cut of meat.

Ok, so we have established that these short ribs are delicious and easy.  But, let's talk a little bit about what they are doing for us. One thing to note is that they are a higher fat cut of meat which means higher calories.  However, it's important to keep your diet varied. This means eating a large variety of plant based foods but it also means keeping your protein sources varied. 

It's important to vary your protein sources.

We often see clients eating a lot of chicken breast, day after day because they know this is a lean protein. Eating the same thing every day is not only boring, but increases the likelihood that you are not giving your body the wide spectrum of nutrients that it needs to thrive! Each specific food contains different nutrients and an optimal diet includes a wide variety of foods. 

Short Ribs contain glycine and proline, which help your body build collagen.

Short ribs (as well as other cuts of meat that are typically braised) contain a high amount of glycine and proline, which are amino acids that help your body build collagen. This is great for muscle and tissue repair. Whether you are an athlete, recovering from an injury, or just had a baby, this is what you need! Also, because the ribs are attached to the bones and then braised in liquid (that delicious blended sauce), you are also getting all those amazing nutrients from the bone marrow and bones. This includes minerals like zinc, iron, selenium, potassium and magnesium.  

Lastly, short ribs and other tough cuts of meat require long but gentle cooking methods to make them more tender. The braising/slow cooking process gently breaks the meat down while still retaining much of the nutrients. One thing to note is that slow-cooking meats causes loss of some B vitamins into the cooking fluid. Use the fluid to make a sauce and this problem is solved.

Instant Pot Korean Short Ribs

Instant Pot Korean Short Ribs

Yield: 6
Author:
Prep time: 5 MinCook time: 1 H & 15 MTotal time: 1 H & 20 M
These Instant Pot Korean short ribs are tender, flavorful and super easy to make.

Ingredients

  • 5 pounds short ribs
Marinade
  • 1 apple or pear, peeled and chopped
  • 6 cloves garlic
  • 4 green onions, roughly chopped
  • 2 inches fresh ginger, peeled
  • 1/4 cup fresh cilantro
  • 1 tbsp fish sauce
  • 2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
  • 1/2 cup coconut aminos

Instructions

Meal Prep
  1. Add all marinade ingredients to a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.
  2. Pat short ribs dry with a paper towel and sprinkle with 1 tbsp salt and some fresh cracked pepper. Place ribs in freezer safe container and pour marinade all over, making sure they are fully coated. Freeze!
Instant Pot Instructions
  1. From frozen, add everything to Instant pot insert and add 1/2 cup broth of choice (I did beef broth). Cook on high pressure for 75 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally.
  2. Remove the ribs from the sauce. Skim the fat from the top of the sauce using a turkey baster or big spoon. Discard fat.
  3. Serve ribs with a nice spoonful of sauce over them along with garnishes and sides of your choosing. Here we served it with precooked frozen rice, chopped scallions, sesame seeds, kimchi, sliced cucumbers and shredded carrots.