Football season leads right into the holidays, and sometimes it seems like we might as well give up on eating healthfully until the new year. Give these recipes a try for a lower-calorie spin on some traditional favorites.

SPICY GRILLED CHICKEN SKEWERS

PREP TIME:  10 minutes || COOK TIME: 15  minutes || Makes 10 skewers

WHAT YOU NEED:

  • 2 lbs chicken breast
  • ½ cup coconut aminos
  • 1 Tbsp honey
  • 2 Tbsp fresh-squeezed lime juice
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 2 Tbsp sriracha
  • 1 medium red bell pepper, roughly chopped
  • 1 medium green bell pepper, roughly chopped
  • ¼ red onion, roughly chopped
  • Salt & pepper to taste

WHAT TO DO:

  1. Whisk together coconut aminos, honey, lime, garlic, sriracha, and salt and pepper in a small bowl.
  2. Cube chicken into 1-inch pieces. Coat the chicken, peppers, and onion in the marinade in a large Ziploc bag. Refrigerate for 2-4 hours.
  3. Preheat grill. Skewer chicken and vegetables on 10 skewers and grill for 4-5 minutes on each side (until chicken reaches 165 ℉)

NUTRITION INFO PER 1 SKEWER:

114 calories

18g Protein

2g Fat

6g Carbohydrates

COWBOY CAVIAR

PREP TIME:  15 minutes || Makes 20 servings

WHAT YOU NEED:

  • (2) 15.5 oz cans black beans, drained and rinsed
  • (2) 15.5 oz cans whole kernel corn
  • (2) 15.5 oz cans diced tomatoes
  • 1 cup red onion, diced
  • 2 cups bell peppers, diced
  • 1  jalapeño, diced
  • ½ cup cilantro, finely chopped
  • 1 medium avocado, cubed (about 1 cup)
  • Juice from 2 limes
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Chili-lime seasoning to taste (Trader Joe’s or Tajin)

WHAT TO DO:

  1. Add drained beans, corn, tomatoes, onion, bell peppers, and jalapeño to a large bowl and mix well. Gently fold in cilantro and avocado.
  2. Squeeze in lime juice and season with salt, pepper, and chili lime seasoning to taste. Mix well and serve with baked tortilla chips or veggies, or serve as a topping for burgers or tacos.

NUTRITION INFO PER 1 CUP SERVING:

107 calories

4.5g Protein

2g Fat

17g Carbohydrates

+5g fiber!

 

TURKEY STUFFED JALAPENOS

PREP TIME: 10 minutes || COOK TIME: 20 minutes || Makes 48 stuffed jalapeños (24 servings)

WHAT YOU NEED:

  • 24 jalapeños
  • 1 lb extra lean ground turkey
  • (2) 8 oz packages of whipped Greek yogurt cream cheese
  • 1 ½ cup reduced fat shredded Mexican cheese
  • ½ tsp chili powder
  • ½ tsp cumin
  • ½ tsp cayenne
  • ½ tsp garlic powder
  • Salt and pepper

WHAT TO DO:

  1. Preheat oven to 425F.
  2. Brown turkey in a pan until fully cooked and separated into small crumbles. As turkey cooks, cut jalapeños in half lengthwise and remove all seeds and veins.
  3. In a mixing bowl, combine cooked turkey, cream cheese, ½ cup shredded cheese, and spices.
  4. Fill each jalapeño half with a generous spoonful of mixture. Place filled jalapeños on a lined baking sheet and sprinkle tops with the remaining shredded cheese.
  5. Bake for 15–20 minutes or until cheese is golden brown.

GIVE IT A TRY: If you are sensitive to spicy foods, boil the deseeded jalapeños for 5-10 minutes to give them a more mild flavor.

NUTRITION INFO PER SERVING:

84 calories

9g Protein

4g Fat

3g Carbohydrates

 

Kate Lyman, MPH, CHES is owner and head coach of an online nutrition coaching business. She and her team at KLN believe in ditching restrictive diet rules and building flexible eating habits that allow you to eat the foods you enjoy while still working towards your aesthetic, performance, and health-related goals. She provides individualize and group nutrition coaching and also instructs corporate nutrition seminars. Get in touch at katelymannutrition.com or on follow along at @klnutrition.