Content Focus: Nutrition

As you heard we will be rotating through 4 content topics. Week 1 will always be Training, week 2 will always be Mindset, week 3 will always Lifestyle, and week 4 will always be Nutrition.

My Favorite Summer Recipes! Low Carb Pizza & Low Carb Ice-Cream!

Summertime to me always meant fun with friends and family, enjoying the weather, and not taking life oh so seriously. While I still train insane, my diet has the reigns let loose from time to time, and I enjoy eating the foods I truly enjoy most.

Below, I’ll be sharing with you my favorite ways to enjoy an otherwise “unhealthy” in a satisfying manner that doesn't put a damper on your hard work.

1.) Eggplant Pizza!

Ingredients:

• 2 eggplant

• 1⁄3 cup olive oil, for brushing and frying

• 2 garlic cloves

• 1 yellow onion

• ¾ lb ground beef

• ¾ cup tomato sauce

• 1 tsp salt

• ½ tsp pepper

• ½ tsp ground cinnamon (optional)

• 10 oz. shredded cheese

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).

2. Slice the eggplants lengthwise, about ⅓–½ inches (1 cm) thick. Coat with olive oil on both sides and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for about 20 minutes or until slightly browned.

3. Fry garlic and onion in remaining olive oil until softened, about 3-4 minutes.

4. Add beef and sauté until cooked through. Add tomato sauce, and season with salt and pepper. Let simmer for 10 minutes, or until warmed through.

5. Remove the eggplant slices from the oven and spread the meat mixture on top. Sprinkle with cheese and oregano. Place in the oven for about 10 minutes or until the cheese has melted.

6. Serve with a green salad dressed with olive oil.

#2) Low Carb Ice Cream

Ingredients

• Butter

• Heavy cream

• Powdered allulose

• Vanilla extract

• MCT oil or MCT oil powder (optional)

• Vanilla bean seeds

Instructions

1. Make sugar-free sweetened condensed milk.
   This is the longest part aside from the freezing. You’ll melt butter in a large saucepan, add heavy cream and powdered sweetener, and simmer for a long time to reduce. Reducing basically means the liquid will evaporate and the mixture will thicken, forming the condensed milk. The key here is to use a large, heavy bottom pan for even heating. A large pan means more surface area, so it will happen faster. It should be fairly thick and coat the back of a spoon

2. Whisk in MCT oil (or MCT oil powder) & vanilla bean seeds.
   I highly recommend using the MCT oil or powder if you’re not using an ice cream maker. And honestly, it’s best to include it even if you are. I only made the ingredient optional to make the recipe more accessible, but after numerous tests I can honestly say it improves texture. Go for MCT oil powder if you have a sensitive stomach, as it’s more gentle than the oil.

3. Whisk the remaining heavy cream into the condensed milk.

4. Freeze the sugar-free ice cream recipe.
   The last step is to freeze the ice cream! You can use an ice cream maker if you have one, OR follow the method for no churn keto ice cream without an ice cream maker. (below)

5. To make no churn low carb ice cream.
   Transfer the sugar-free ice cream mixture to a freezer safe container, and freeze! I like to use a glass loaf pan, or two glass meal prep containers like these. The second container option above means your ice cream will be ready sooner! It also saves me freezer space because I can get rid of one of the containers once we go through half the ice cream, instead of a larger container sitting there half full.

The key to the no churn sugar-free ice cream recipe is to take it out and stir it every 30-60 minutes, especially for the first 2 hours, and every 60-90 minutes for a few hours after that. This essentially does the work of the ice cream maker if you don’t have one. Don’t skip this step, because it breaks up ice crystals and prevents the ice cream from becoming too hard or icy.

AND THAT’S IT! Enjoy your ice cream!

These are my top two summer recipes that I think you all will enjoy!