A delicious and nutritious side dish or snack made with fresh corn, green onion, cornmeal, and whole-grain flour. These are perfect for cooking on a budget because each serving is less than $0.25! I think corn cakes taste great with some salsa and fat-free sour cream (or plain Greek yogurt). ​

Peanut butter cups are the pleasure we can’t get away from. Let’s be real, chocolate and peanut butter combined just hits the spot. Since I am a firm believer in eating chocolate daily (cause how else would life be AWESOME), I have made it a point to conquer a peanut butter cups recipe. Give this one a try for you and the kiddos! The sweet treat is simple and healthy. The use of agave as the natural sweetener reduces the glycemic index, meaning this is even a diabetic friendly treat. ​

​The combination of buffalo, cheese, and pasta packs a punch for sure. It is a household favorite here. However, it is hard to find this delicacy for fewer than 500 calories, balanced macronutrients (protein, carbs, and fats), and made with quality ingredients. Thanks to a dear friend, Nicole Roggow, this is no longer an issue! I slightly modified a recipe she created to make a creamy buffalo mac n’ cheese that has a great balance of macronutrients, tastes delicious, and is fairly easy to prepare. This recipe also uses lentil pasta, which is a great plant-based protein source! If you need more protein, feel free to top with shrimp or chicken.

​Lean pork, veggies, spices, and rice all combined to make a nutritious stir fry! Peppers are good sources of Vitamin A, vitamin C, and potassium. The lean pork provides lower fat but rich in protein that contains thiamine, selenium, protein, niacin, vitamin B-6 and phosphorus, and a good source of zinc, riboflavin and potassium. Of course, you can’t forget the carbs to round out the dish, so the rice comes to the rescue!

A creamy peanut sauce with peppers, mixed with chicken, and cooked slowly all day to absorb the flavor. Poured over a bed of rice or linguine whole grain noodles and garnished lightly with cilantro and peanuts. This is a Thai-themed favorite and full of protein, fiber (10 grams per serving!), B-vitamins, folate, Vitamin C, Vitamin A, magnesium, manganese, zinc, and phosphorus! ​

I am a sucker for brownie batter. Have you ever gone to the baking counter, saw that you had brownie mix, and then made the brownie mix? However, the brownies never made it to the oven! Instead, you ate all the brownie batter! Or maybe you are the person who licks the bowl clean after they go in the oven. If this sounds like you, then you need to give this brownie batter overnight oats recipe a try! Make 3-5 at a time for an easy grab-n-go option throughout the week. 

For those wanting gluten-free, opt for gluten free oats. 
For a lactose-free option, opt for a lactose-free milk and yogurt + vegan chocolate chips.

Hormone PRO TIP: add chia seed or flax seed for extra Omega-3 vitamins to support progesterone production and heart health.

Bro PRO TIP: add a scoop of protein powder or use a protein shake as the liquid base to increase the protein.