No Sugar Added | Wholefully https://wholefully.com/recipes/no-sugar-added/ Fresh Family Meals - Made for Everyday Life Tue, 11 Jun 2024 15:53:55 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wholefully.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/favicon-150x150.png No Sugar Added | Wholefully https://wholefully.com/recipes/no-sugar-added/ 32 32 Chocolate Coffee Overnight Oats https://wholefully.com/mocha-overnight-oats/ https://wholefully.com/mocha-overnight-oats/#comments Tue, 11 Jun 2024 15:53:50 +0000 https://wholefully.com/?p=50435 I’m calling it—these are the best overnight oats I’ve ever had (and that’s saying something considering I’m a bit of an overnight oats expert)! If you’re craving something sweet and rich to enjoy for breakfast, look no further than these Mocha Overnight Oats. They are creamy, thick, and have a gloriously decadent flavor of chocolate and espresso. It’s like your favorite mocha latte packaged up in an easy-to-eat speedy breakfast! A gold spoon sits on a glass jar of overnight oats. Coffee beans surround the jar on a white countertop. Magic happens when you use cocoa powder in overnight oats. There is a chemical reaction between the cocoa powder and the acid in the yogurt, and the resulting oats are fluffy and incredibly creamy. It happens with our Chocolate Peanut Butter Overnight Oats, Chocolate Peppermint Overnight Oats (coming soon!), and our Chocolate Coconut Overnight Oats, and it happens here with these coffee-flavored oats, too! It’s a must-try for any chocolate-lover! Read the post »]]> https://wholefully.com/mocha-overnight-oats/feed/ 15 Instant Pot Shrimp Jambalaya https://wholefully.com/instant-pot-shrimp-jambalaya/ https://wholefully.com/instant-pot-shrimp-jambalaya/#comments Thu, 06 Jun 2024 15:55:50 +0000 https://wholefully.com/?p=49946 https://wholefully.com/instant-pot-shrimp-jambalaya/feed/ 2 Crispy Baked Sweet Potato Fries https://wholefully.com/crispy-sweet-potato-fries-baked/ https://wholefully.com/crispy-sweet-potato-fries-baked/#comments Wed, 05 Jun 2024 14:24:47 +0000 https://wholefully.com/?p=49090 There is nothing worse than soggy, floppy, limp sweet potato fries. And that’s exactly the result I got the first few times I tried to make sweet potato fries in the oven. I was trying to replicate the crispy, dippable, deep-fried sweet potato fries I had recently eaten from a local restaurant, and I was sorely disappointed with what came out of my oven! So I took it as my personal charge to perfect making crispy sweet potato fries in the oven. I tested different pan types. I tested different pan coverings. I tested different size fries. I tested different temperatures. I tested when to add the salt. I tested soaking versus not soaking. I tested different mix-ins. And I finally landed on the no-fail, perfect-every-time formula for crispy baked sweet potato fries! We make these crispy fries in our house at least once a week, and everyone in the fam gobbles them happily. Baked fries sit on a baking sheet next to a small ramekin of dipping sauce.

First up, let’s talk about the problem: Why do sweet potato fries get so soggy in the oven?

A lot of us think of sweet potatoes as just a sweeter, more orange version of regular potatoes, but in fact, they are a completely different vegetable with completely different composition. Because of that, sweet potatoes just don’t behave the same way regular potatoes do when baked. Regular potatoes have a much lower water content, meaning they can crisp up nicely in the oven. When you pop sweet potatoes in the oven, that higher water content tends to steam the sweet potatoes instead of roasting and caramelizing them. You know what steamed sweet potatoes are? They are soggy, floppy, and way too soft to dip in ketchup! Read the post »]]> https://wholefully.com/crispy-sweet-potato-fries-baked/feed/ 1 Loaded Burger Bowl Salads with “Special Sauce” https://wholefully.com/burger-bowl-recipe/ https://wholefully.com/burger-bowl-recipe/#comments Wed, 29 May 2024 06:59:00 +0000 https://wholefully.com/?p=49707 One of my husband’s favorite foods on the planet is a really good greasy cheeseburger. Unfortunately, he has some health issues that make him feel terrible whenever he eats one. We realized a few years back that it was the combination of the meat with the grain-filled bun that caused the issues—so we moved to bunless burgers, using sweet potato planks or lettuce leaves instead of buns. That worked, but it was messy and hard to control all the glorious burger toppings. A fork holds a bite of salad over a large bowl of a loaded burger bowl salad. Then, a few months back, I decided to put all the burger fixin’s into a big bowl salad instead. My burger-loving husband took one bite and then looked at me and said, “Can we please have these every week?” And since that day, we have! My husband gets to eat his “burger” and still feel great—the best of both worlds. So if your body feels better with a gluten-free, grain-free, paleo, or even Whole30 diet but you’re still missing your burgers—this is the recipe for you! Read the post »]]> https://wholefully.com/burger-bowl-recipe/feed/ 2 Immersion Blender Homemade Mayo https://wholefully.com/homemade-mayo/ https://wholefully.com/homemade-mayo/#comments Fri, 24 May 2024 14:57:44 +0000 http://backtoherroots.com/?p=18915 An immersion blender makes perfect, easy Homemade Mayo every single time. The best part? It only takes two minutes! Side-angle shot of Homemade Mayo getting spooned out of a glass jar If you’ve ever tried to make mayo at home, you might know that it can be finicky and time-consuming. But using your immersion blender (this is the one I have and use to make mayo weekly) takes out ALL the guesswork and ALL the time. You can literally go from no mayo to homemade immersion blender mayo in less than two minutes, just by pushing a button. After you read this post, you’ll never (EVER!) need to buy mayo again. No more shelling out $9 for a little jar of the high-end organic mayos that you use up in one sandwich-making session. You will have the knowledge to make your own homemade mayo in less time than it takes to pull off those annoying safety seals on the jars of the store-bought mayonnaise. Read the post »]]> https://wholefully.com/homemade-mayo/feed/ 32 Ranch BLT Pasta Salad Recipe https://wholefully.com/ranch-blt-pasta-salad-2/ https://wholefully.com/ranch-blt-pasta-salad-2/#comments Tue, 21 May 2024 13:38:51 +0000 https://wholefully.com/?p=45707 This creamy Ranch BLT Pasta Salad is the perfect side dish for any summer cookout. With crispy bacon, fresh lettuce, and tangy ranch, it's always a crowd-pleaser!
Close up of a Ranch BLT Pasta Salad
This is quite possibly my favorite pasta salad in the world, and that’s saying a lot, because I’m a girl who lovvveesss her some pasta salad. But I really do think this Ranch BLT Pasta Salad is the queen of them all. Because of course it is—it’s got crispy bacon, fresh tomatoes, and creamy homemade ranch dressing. It’s like all the good things in life came together in one bowl! This is the perfect picnic or potluck dish—trust me, everyone will be raving and begging for the recipe. Read the post »]]> https://wholefully.com/ranch-blt-pasta-salad-2/feed/ 2 Blueberry Overnight Oats https://wholefully.com/blueberry-overnight-oats/ https://wholefully.com/blueberry-overnight-oats/#comments Thu, 25 Apr 2024 14:15:22 +0000 https://wholefully.com/?p=50421 We have a lot of rich and decadent overnights oats recipes here on Wholefully, but sometimes you want something a little lighter and brighter for breakfast—and these Blueberry Lemon Overnight Oats fit the bill! Plump and sweet blueberries are suspended and a creamy and tangy lemon-flavored oatmeal. This lemon-blueberry combination reminds me of warm weather and sunshine! I make these oats when I’m craving a little bit of summertime (even in the middle of winter). Overnight oats are topped with blueberries and a twist of lemon.

What are overnight oats?

Overnight oats are a no-cook way to make oatmeal. Instead of cooking your rolled oats on the stove, you stir them together with liquid and other mix-ins, and let it all rest in the fridge overnight. It makes a great pudding-like porridge that you can eat cold, or warm up. For more on this grab-and-go breakfast favorite of mine, head on over to our Overnight Oats 101 post.

What makes overnight oats so special?

Overnight oats can be a meal prep staple in any busy household. Here’s why you’ll always find a stash in our fridge:
  • Overnight oats are delicious! If you’ve never had cold oatmeal before, it may sound off-putting, but trust me! This porridge is hearty, creamy, and tastes like pudding! (But if you really don’t like the idea of eating them cold, you can heat them up, too—more on that in a sec.)
  • They can be a healthy and hearty way to start the day. You get to control everything that goes into your overnight oats, so you can make them into a super nourishing, nutritious breakfast. Add some collagen or protein powder. Mix in some super seeds, like chia, flax, or hemp. Reduce the added sweeteners, or drop them completely. You can make these oats your breakfast superfood!
  • Overnight oats are super easy to make in advance. Spend a few minutes mixing up your overnight oats in the evening or on the weekend, and breakfast will be ready to grab-and-go by morning. Overnight oats aren’t just easy to meal prep—they are designed for it!
  • You can customize them to fit your dietary preferences. Make your overnight oats your own—they can be super nourishing or super decadent, vegan or gluten-free. We’re covering blueberry overnight oats here, but once you get a feel for overnight oats, you can discover your own favorite flavor.
  • They can be made in bulk. You’ll see overnight oats on meal prep menu after meal prep menu, and for good reason—you can make a full week’s worth of breakfasts at once.
Read the post »]]> https://wholefully.com/blueberry-overnight-oats/feed/ 13 Homemade Sauerkraut https://wholefully.com/homemade-sauerkraut-recipe/ https://wholefully.com/homemade-sauerkraut-recipe/#comments Fri, 12 Apr 2024 15:19:05 +0000 https://wholefully.com/?p=48573 I used to be 1000% against sauerkraut. I blame it entirely on my Dad, who regularly pulled out jars of store-bought kraut to have with his dinner when I was a kid. The smell alone was enough to make me boycott even trying the stuff for decades! Then, a few years back, I grew a few too many cabbages in the garden and needed a way to preserve the harvest. I decided it was time to get over my sauerkraut aversion and learn this food preservation technique of my ancestors. My first few attempts were lackluster—there was a mold situation—but I finally nailed down the proper technique, and I haven’t looked back since. Turns out I LOVE sauerkraut. Well, I love my homemade sauerkraut recipe that is tangy, crunchy, and chock-full of gut-friendly probiotics. And I know you’ll love it, too! A brat drizzled with mustard sits on a bed of red sauerkraut on top of a bun. Potato chips and a sliced pickle surround the brat.

What is sauerkraut, anyway?

If you didn’t grow up with a kraut-loving dad, you might not realize that sauerkraut is just cabbage mixed with salt and fermented. That’s really it! Of course, you can fancy it up however you like (and I provide some suggestions in a bit), but you really only need those two ingredients to make homemade sauerkraut.

Is fermented sauerkraut good for you?

Yes, my friends! Fermented homemade sauerkraut is packed full of gut-healthy probiotics. Having a healthy gut biome (the name for the population of bacteria and yeast that live in our digestive system) is linked to obvious benefits like better food digestion and and helping you poop regularly, but also things you might not think of—like lowered risk of mental health issues and a healthier immune system. Our ancestors didn’t take a probiotic pill each day, but they ate a bevy of fermented foods daily like kefir, yogurt, and sauerkraut!

Is all sauerkraut fermented? Even the store-bought stuff?

Yes, fermentation is what gives sauerkraut its distinct sour, tangy flavor (just like with fermenting yogurt) and a hefty dose of gut-friendly probiotics. HOWEVER (and this is a big caveat!), shelf-stable sauerkraut—often found in either a can or jar at the grocery store—has been heated to high temperatures during the pasteurization and canning process, thereby killing the probiotics. You still get some of the sour, tangy flavor, but the major health benefit is gone. And the process also makes for some seriously limp kraut—another reason I MUCH prefer homemade sauerkraut! In the past few years, we’ve seen a resurgence of fermented sauerkraut in stores that is not shelf-stable. They still have all of their probiotics intact, but unfortunately, they are pretty pricey! I’ve seen it cost as much as $7-$8 a jar! Which is really crazy when you realize you can make that size jar for pennies at home. Read the post »]]> https://wholefully.com/homemade-sauerkraut-recipe/feed/ 4 Easy Vegetable Beef Soup https://wholefully.com/easy-vegetable-beef-soup-jar/ https://wholefully.com/easy-vegetable-beef-soup-jar/#comments Wed, 27 Mar 2024 12:00:34 +0000 https://wholefully.com/?p=41440 I always make sure I have the ingredients on hand to make a pot of this nourishing, comforting Vegetable Beef Soup! This soup is packed full of flavor, and thanks to a few shortcuts (hello, frozen veggies), it comes together in just a few minutes. Combine this soup with some crusty bread and a wedge salad for a perfect nourishing meal. For me, there is something about this combo that makes me all kinds of nostalgic—it just feels cozy. Neither of these recipes are particularly fancy, and you probably wouldn’t serve them to guests. But they are warm, comforting, and über-tasty (like the best comfort food always is). A ladle holds a scoop of soup over a Dutch oven.

What kind of beef is in this soup?

To make things easy, we’re using ground beef here—it’s easy to source, affordable, and it helps you get nice beef flavor in each bite. If you prefer, you can use beef stew meat for meatier chunks.

What kind of vegetables will I need?

The biggest shortcut here? Frozen mixed veggies! They save you tons of chopping and cooking time on the soup—and bonus, they are mega-affordable. You can grab a bag of organic frozen mixed veggies for less than $2. Steal. Read the post »]]> https://wholefully.com/easy-vegetable-beef-soup-jar/feed/ 1 Crock-Pot Ham and Beans https://wholefully.com/slow-cooker-ham-beans/ https://wholefully.com/slow-cooker-ham-beans/#comments Wed, 20 Mar 2024 16:28:28 +0000 http://backtoherroots.com/?p=8466 When the pantry is bare and the grocery budget is empty, this is the meal I lean on—ham and bean soup or, as we call it in my house, ham and beans. This recipe can feed an army for just a couple of dollars, the flavor is excellent, and thanks to the Crock-Pot, the hands-on cooking time is almost nothing. Two bowls of ham and bean soup, one with a spoon in it, sit on a counter. We had ham and bean soup growing up a lot in my house, and it wasn’t until I was a broke newlywed that I learned just how magical a pot of beans can be. It’s easy on your budget, it’s filling in your belly, and it’s simple to pull together.

How do you make slow cooker ham and beans?

Thanks to your crockpot, this soup requires just a few minutes to pull together. Here are the steps:
  1. Soak your beans overnight in water.
  2. Add the beans, onion, celery, garlic, carrots, seasoning, and ham hock to the crock of your slow cooker.
  3. Cover with water.
  4. Cook for around 8 hours on low.
  5. Add in chopped ham, season to taste, and serve!
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