And so begins Level 4! We have reached the last diet level and the bootcamp finale is in sight. The main difference with the level four diet is that protein portions have been cut, so this week and next, I'll be posting recipes that already do or can easily be made with a 2-4oz protein portion. For this week, here are two super simple recipes I use all the time that you can adjust protein protions for easily.

Chicken Gumbo

• 20-24 ounces total: diced chicken, turkey smoked sausage***, shrimp
• 2 cans no-salt-added tomatoes w/ juice
• 2 bags frozen stirfry veggies (lots of variety, very convenient)
• Water or broth
• Seasonings (garlic, onion, cayenne/hot sauce - or other Cajun seasonings, etc.)

Saute onion, garlic and seasonings in a couple Tbsp olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven. Brown chicken and sausage, if you use it. Add tomatoes and veggies. Add water or broth to preferred consistency or to stretch the soup. Add more seasonings and hot sauce. Stir together. Bring to a boil then cover and simmer for at least 20 minutes, the longer the better. If using shrimp, add it the last 10 min of cooking time. When cool enough, portion into containers. I get about 6 servings from this. The gumbo is one of my lunch go-tos. It counts as protein/veggie, and you have a protein/veggie meal each day to plan for. If you want gumbo on a carb meal, add brown rice to the portion.

*** Turkey products like turkey bacon/sausage are not great sources of protein for fuel. Use them in moderation (I never get my full protein serving just from these sources) and limit consumption to 1-2 times a week at most. ***

Stir Fry for 2

• Up to 8 total ounces of protein/serving: diced chicken and/or shrimp
• 1 bag frozen stir fry veggies
• Seasonings: onion, garlic, curry powder, garlic chili sauce - spicy, no sugar condiment in international aisle
• Brown rice or Miracle Noodle rice

Saute onion and garlic in a pan with a little olive oil. Brown chicken then add veggies and seasonings to taste. If using shrimp, it can go in with the veggies and does not take long to cook! Serve over miracle noodle rice unless it's a carb meal and you want to use brown rice. If you have this at a protein/fat meal, consider sprinkling peanuts or cashews on top for a nice crunch! This recipe can easily be multiplied for a larger group or to portion out for multiple meals. Note, do NOT freeze miracle noodle products. If you want to freeze portions, keep the miracle noodles separate!

Give these recipes a whirl - they are staples I've had in my repertoire since starting the program. They take very few ingredients and very little time to prep, but perhaps I most love them because I can make them in bulk and store portions in the freezer for later.

NGPTers, feast in a portion-controlled way, feast in a time-efficient way, and as always... FEAST ON!

~Coach Lauren