Are you home more and as a result... snacking more? This stew will help!
If you're practicing social-distancing, or even just new to working-from-home, sometimes staying away from the snacks can be a challenge. After chatting with a good friend and giving her one of my other tips (keep food in the cupboards, any visible food will just make you hungrier), I reminded her that meal prepping is a great way to stay on track! Looking for more tips? Check out this handy article!
Inspired by our chat, I whipped up this stew yesterday and thought I'd share! It's a hearty, comforting recipe that's keto, gluten-free, nut-free, packed with veggies and sure to keep your bellies full and satisfied!
Slow Cooker Butternut Squash & Sweet Potato Keto Chicken Stew
I hadn't planned on making a stew when I went grocery shopping!
It was a happy accident that I ended up coming home with both butternut squash AND sweet potato! Slightly higher in carbs, sweet potato is something I typically keep as a 'treat' - but I couldn't help throwing a couple of cups into this recipe.
You can substitute other vegetables if you're not a fan of butternut squash, but if you haven't tried it... I highly recommend it. It took on the flavor of the chicken, without the slightly-sweet, nuttiness of the squash. Commonly used as a spaghetti replacement, squash made the perfect base for this stew!
I knew I wanted it to be packed with bright, colourful veggies
One of my favourite things about prepping for a healthy meal is how beautiful the food looks! You can't tell me that fast food looks even CLOSE to this gorgeous!
Not typically a stew fan, I wanted to make sure that I had lots of large, pretty chunks to look forward to when enjoying it.
After 6 hours in the slow cooker... the smell alone made my mouth water!
I was honestly pretty proud of how this turned out. I've made a couple of soups from recipes I've found online before, but I've never created my own recipe. I was wishing I would have made a loaf of cheesy coconut bread to go with it, though.
Overall I gave it 4.5 stars out of 5. I would definitely make it again!
Adding Natural Nutralean made it SO much more filling!
Having very little stew-making experience, I wanted to make sure I was adding the Natural Nutralean at the right step, and putting the right amount in. Being unflavored, our Natural whey protein is perfect for blending into your meals and giving them a healthy boost of protein and fiber. Plus, the best part? Your family won't even know!
Do you know why the fiber is SO important?
Our prebiotic fiber is our secret weapon for feeling full! I can explain why. (I'm sure there's a more scientific way to explain it, but this is the best way I can understand it!) Prebiotic fiber naturally slows your body's protein absorption rate, this means while you're enjoying something packed with Natural Nutralean, your tummy gets to use more of the protein before it's digested.
And since protein is the most filling macronutrient, your food instantly becomes more filling. Which means you also eat less, naturally! YAY! Food savings, healthy food, AND yummy recipes.
Natural blends perfectly into your favourite recipes and foods like: macaroni and cheese, chili, creamy sauces, salad dressings, mayonnaise, stews, and more!
Speaking of stews... let's get to the good stuff!!
Can you tell the difference?
Looking at the images below, one has Natural mixed in, and one was before I added the Natural!
As you can see both look mouth-watering and packed with yumminess... and neither look like they've had protein added to them!
The answer? You probably CAN'T tell!
Even I had to go back through my camera roll and make sure I had the right bowl. As you can see, the biggest difference is that the veggies are a little more cooked on the right.
The photo on the right-hand side is the one with Natural (and it was also taken the next day, hence the veggies looking more cooked!). I didn't purposely wait a day to add the Natural, the stew just ended up finishing late at night, so I turned it off and went to bed instead of finishing it.
Slow Cooker Butternut Squash & Sweet Potato Keto Chicken Stew
INGREDIENTS:
- 2-4 scoops Natural Nutralean
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1 ea. red/yellow/orange bell pepper
- 1 cup chopped carrot
- 1 cup diced celery
- 1 medium onion
- 2-4 chicken breasts (boneless, skinless)
- 2 cups raw cubed butternut squash
- 2 cups raw cubed sweet potato
- spices to taste: oregano, salt, pepper, garlic
Directions:
- In a frying pan, sauté onion in olive oil until slightly translucent. Optional step, but will add flavor to the stew!
- Combine remaining ingredients (except Natural Nutralean) in slow cooker and cook on low for 6 hours, or high for 4 hours.
- Remove chicken, shred, and add back into slow cooker.
- Turn on low (or if already on low, keep on low) and stir in Natural, one scoop at a time.
- Enjoy!
Tips:
- When adding the Natural you may need to increase the salt in the stew. It's important to add it at the end so the protein doesn't cook!
- If desired, add cauliflower when you add in the Natural and let cook until cauliflower is.
- For a vegetarian version, use vegetable broth and forego the chicken.
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Thanks for reading! If you have a homemade Nutra-recipe you'd love to submit, I'd love to hear about it! E-mail me personally at tracy@nutracelle.com to submit your delicious creations! ♥
