MACRO-FRIENDLY VALENTINE’S DINNER FOR TWO

Any holiday is a good excuse for us to loosen up on tracking and say I’ll get back to it tomorrow. BUT, with a little bit of planning and pre-tracking, you can have a full day of eating AND a yummy home-cooked meal with your Valentine without compromising your nutrition goals.

If you’re staying in this Valentine’s and cooking for you and your honey, try this easy, 3-course macro-friendly meal for two!

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TOTAL MACROS PER MEAL (1 serving): 50.5P | 19.5F | 85C | 718 calories

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APPETIZER | BALSAMIC BLUE CHEESE BITES

PREP TIME:  10 minutes || COOK TIME:  5 minutes || Makes 2 servings

WHAT YOU NEED:

• 42g Sea Salt + Olive Oil Baguette Crisps (Kroger’s Private Selection Brand)

• 30g Prosciutto

• 50g Apple, raw (about ½ of a medium-sized apple)

• 25g Blue cheese crumbles (about 2 TBSP)

• 15g Balsamic Vinegar (about 1 TBSP)

• Salt + Pepper

WHAT TO DO:

1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; spread baguette crisps on a baking sheet.

2. Cut apple into quarters and then slice thin, creating half-moon shapes.

3. Layer thin slices of apple on each baguette crisp. Next, layer each crisp with a small piece of prosciutto and a few crumbles of blue cheese on top.

4. Broil in the oven on high for 4-5 minutes or until cheese is mostly melted. Remove baking sheet from the oven and drizzle crisps with balsamic; serve warm.

MACROS PER SERVING: 8P | 6F | 24C

You can find the recipe in the MyFitnessPal database by searching:
“KLN Recipe: Balsamic Blue Cheese Bites”.

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MAIN COURSE | SHEET PAN MEAL: MUSTARD MAPLE BACON SALMON & VEGGIES

PREP TIME: 15 minutes || COOK TIME: 40 minutes || Makes 2 servings

WHAT YOU NEED:

• 10oz. Salmon fillets, without skin (2 x 5 oz. portions, weighed raw)

• 400g Butternut Squash, cubed (weighed raw)

• 250g Brussel sprouts, chopped (weighed raw)

• 100g Bacon (2 pieces)

• 15g Maple Syrup (1 TBSP)

• 30g Creole Mustard (2 TBSP)

• 30g Coconut Aminos (2 TBSP)

• 10g Thyme (2 tsp)

• Salt + Pepper to taste
  
  
  

WHAT TO DO:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. Remove skin from salmon and season with salt and pepper; put aside in the refrigerator.

3. Peel and chop butternut squash into ½” cubes and place aside in a large bowl. Remove ends from brussel sprouts and chop in half; add to bowl with butternut squash. Chop bacon into ¼” slices and add to bowl with squash and brussel sprouts.

4. Spray chopped veggies with cooking spray (for 5 seconds) and toss with fresh thyme, salt and pepper.

5. Line a sheet pan (13”x9”) with parchment paper or tin foil and spray with cooking oil spray (you don’t have to line the sheet pan, but it makes for easier clean-up!). Spread veggie mixture on the sheet pan and roast for 25 minutes.

6. In a small mixing bowl, combine the maple syrup, mustard and coconut aminos.

7. Add salmon portions to the sheet pan and cover salmon with the sauce mixture. Continue baking for 15 minutes, or until salmon is done and veggies are cooked through.

8. Separate sheet pan meal equally on two plates and enjoy!

MACROS PER SERVING: 38P | 13F | 46C

You can find the recipe in the MyFitnessPal database by searching:
“KLN Recipe: Mustard Maple Bacon Salmon Sheet Pan Meal”.

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DESSERT | FRESH STRAWBERRIES & CHOCOLATE CHEESECAKE DIP

PREP TIME:  5 minutes || Makes 2 servings

WHAT YOU NEED:

• 70g Nonfat plain Greek yogurt (½ of a single serve, Kroger Brand)

• 2g Sugar-free, Fat-free Jello Pudding Mix, Cheesecake flavor (½  tsp)

• 8g Hershey’s Dark Chocolate Unsweetened Cocoa Powder (2 tsp)

• 40g Fat Free Cool Whip

• 250g Fresh strawberries for dipping

PRO-TIP | I love using my immersion blender for this recipe and anytime I make dips or sauces. Because it comes with a container (with a lid), it’s great for mixing and storing. It also has several attachments, including the whisk attachment, which we’ll use for this recipe. If you don’t have an immersion blender, you can whisk by hand in a small mixing bowl.

WHAT TO DO:

Add all ingredients (except strawberries) to the mixing container or small mixing bowl.

1. Using the whisk attachment on your immersion blender (or whisk by hand), blend all ingredients together until well mixed.

2. Serve with fresh strawberries for dipping.

DIP | MACROS PER 50G SERVING: 4P | 0F | 5C

You can find the recipe in the MyFitnessPal database by searching:
“KLN Recipe: Chocolate Cheesecake Dip”.


DIP + STRAWBERRIES | MACROS PER SERVING
(50g of dip + 125g strawberries): 4.5P | .5F | 14.5C

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Be sure to check out our other macro-friendly holiday themed recipes:

Winter Holiday Recipes

Thanksgiving Recipes