Memorial Day weekend calls for backyard grill favorites, and these low-carb, bariatric-friendly recipes will not disappoint.
Shrimp and Broccoli Foil Packet
For bariatric eating plan: Recipe is acceptable for stage 4*, stage 5 and the liver shrinking diet.
Ingredients:
- 1 lb. shrimp, deveined
- 3 cups broccoli
- *Seasoning of choice
- Salt and pepper to taste
- ¼ cup butter, melted or oil
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 lemon, sliced in half
- Tin foil
*For stage 4, cut the shrimp up into small pieces.
Tips: You can use a blend of herbs like thyme, oregano and basil, or you could do some Cajun seasoning (such as Old Bay) if you like spice.
Directions:
- Toss shrimp and broccoli together in the melted butter or oil and then add your seasoning of choice along with the salt and pepper.
- Lay out about 4-5 same-size pieces of aluminum foil (roughly 8”x8”) and evenly distribute shrimp, broccoli and minced garlic onto the foil sheets.
- Cut one of the lemon halves into slices and place 2-3 slices on top of each of the sheets.
- Tightly wrap up each pack. Cook the packs either by grilling over medium heat for 10-12 minutes or baking at 400 degrees for 16-20 minutes.
- Drizzle each pack with part of the juice from the other lemon half and serve.
Nutrition per serving: Recipe yields at least 4 servings on maintenance
- Calories: 225
- Carbohydrates: 3.5g
- Fat: 12.5g
- Protein: 20g
Hot BLT Dip
For bariatric eating plan: Omit meat for stage 3 and use canned chicken/crab for stage 4. The original recipe is acceptable for stage 5 and the liver shrinking diet.
Ingredients:
- ½ lb. bacon (~8-9 slices) *may use chicken/crab also
- ¼ cup light mayo
- ½ cup light sour cream
- 4oz cream cheese (1/3 fat reduced kind)
- ¾ cup fat-free shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 tomato (seeded and diced)
- ¼ cup green onions, diced (may use yellow onion instead)
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Mix mayo, sour cream and cream cheese in bowl.
- Crumble bacon into mixture and stir.
- Add in cheddar cheese, tomato and green onion (save some tomato/green onion for garnish).
- Transfer over to shallow pan and bake for 20 minutes. Garnish with remaining toppings.
- Serve with raw broccoli, cucumber, cauliflower or cheese crisps.
Bacon nutrition per serving: (2 Tbsp) recipe yields approximately 12 servings:
- Calories: 90
- Carbohydrates: 2g
- Fat: 6g
- Protein: 6g
Chicken nutrition per serving: (2 Tbsp) recipe yields approximately 12 servings:
- Calories: 75
- Carbohydrates: 2g
- Fat: 4g
- Protein: 8g
Crab nutrition per serving: (2 Tbsp) recipe yields approximately 12 servings
- Calories: 70
- Carbohydrates: 2g
- Fat: 3.5g
- Protein: 6g
For Pimento Cheese Dip:
Stage 3, 4, 5 & Liver shrinking plan
- Omit bacon, sour cream, tomato and onion.
- Increase cheese by ¼ cup.
- Add ¼ tsp garlic powder, ¼ tsp onion powder, ¼ tsp cayenne pepper (optional), 1 jalapeno (seeded and minced, optional), 1 4oz jar diced pimento peppers, salt and pepper to taste.
- Mix everything together and serve.
Optional: Toss shredded chicken in for more protein.
Base nutrition per serving: (2 Tbsp)
- Calories: 75
- Carbohydrates: 2.4g
- Fat: 4.5g
- Protein: 5.5g
Marinated Pork Loin:
Ingredients:
- 8 cloves garlic, minced*
- ¼-cup Dijon mustard
- ¼-cup canola oil
- 2 tablespoons Italian seasoning
- 2 tablespoons Splenda
- 1-tablespoon white vinegar
- 1-teaspoon kosher salt
- ½-teaspoon ground red pepper
- 2 pound boneless pork loin (can use pork tenderloin instead if desired)
Directions:
- Place pork loin in a Ziploc bag.
- Whisk marinade ingredients together and pour over pork.
- Place in refrigerator and marinate 12-24 hours. If using pork tenderloin, do not marinate for more than four hours.
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
- Place pork loin on roasting pan and roast for one hour or until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the meat registers 155 degrees.
- Remove from oven and cover with foil. The pork will continue cooking and you don’t want it overdone.
- Let pork rest 15 minutes before slicing.
Recommendations: Place thinly sliced pork loin on top of a salad. Make a separate batch of marinade and let it simmer over low heat for 30 minutes to use as a sauce.
*Time Saving Tip: Use 1 tablespoon jarred minced garlic.
For more bariatric-friendly and low-carb recipes, visit From the Heart blog. To learn about the Bariatric & Metabolic Institute at Arkansas Heart Hospital surgical weight loss options, visit bmi.arheart.com.