Make Healthier Choices

Helping people Make Healthier Choices about real-food choices for optimal heath.

Recipes

My Metabolic Meals – My Favorite Stress Reliever!

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My Favorite Stress Reliever!

Feeling overwhelmed with your to-do list? I totally get it. That’s why I’m so grateful for My Metabolic Meals—they’ve taken over some of the meal planning and cooking for me each week, and it’s made a huge difference. Less stress, more time, and food I can actually feel good about eating. I’ve tried other meal delivery services before, but they never felt quite right. With these meals, there’s no guilt—just high-quality, delicious food I can trust.

💸 Get $20 Off + Free Shipping on Your First Order!

Use my affiliate link to get $20 off your first order and free shipping. And yes, if you use my link, I’ll earn a small commission—so thank you! It helps keep this site running and supports the content I share.

 

✅ What’s Not in My Metabolic Meals (The “NEVER” List)

I love that every Metabolic Meal is 100% gluten-free and made with clean, high-quality ingredients. Here’s what you’ll never find in their food:

  • Artificial flavors or dyes

  • MSG

  • Soy, wheat, rye, barley, malt, or triticale

  • Brewer’s yeast

  • Low-grade proteins

  • Processed vegetable oils (like canola, cottonseed, soybean, safflower)

They also use grass-fed, grass-finished meats and wild-caught seafood—which makes a real difference in both taste and nutrition.

 

✅ A Few of My Favorites

I’m new to this company, but I already have a few favorites:

  • Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce
  • Pulled Chicken with Tangerine-Maple BBQ Sauce
  • Pepita Crunch Winter Squash.
  • And my newest favorite is: Grass-Fed Bison Baked Ziti Casserole. I’ve  tried several gluten-free pastas through the years and have never been a big fan, but Metabolic Meals‘ Grass-Fed Bison Baked Ziti Casserole proves pastas have come a long way!
Chicken Satay

✅ A Few Tricks I’ve Learned

Trick #1 – Some, but definitely not all, of the meals that contain sauce have been a little too dry for me. I taste the sauce ones after heating for a couple minutes and if they’re too dry, I add a tablespoon or two of water, and then they’re perfect. Easy-peasy fix!

Trick #2 – These meals always fill me up, but not so much for my husband. I either order the larger meals for him, or add an inexpensive bag of organic frozen vegetables.  I love vegetables, so it works out great for me, too. Those take about the same amount of time to heat up as the meals take in my air fryer, and it’s not that much work to heat them in a pan or pot on the stovetop. I recently paid $1.79 for a bag of frozen organic broccoli at Hannaford’s Supermarket. 

Trick #3 – I ordered 10 or 11 meals the first three weeks. It didn’t take long to realize that I needed to order enough for two weeks, so that I had less boxes, insulation, and gel ice packs to dispose of. I now order no less than 15 meals, usually every other week, which gives me free shipping and less boxes. I quickly get about half of them into my freezer, and the remainder in my refrigerator. They keep nicely in the freezer for several weeks. I like to keep a few in my freezer in case I need extras for friends who might stop by unexpectedly. Some of the meals that go into my freezer get vacuum-sealed, in either my Foodsaver or my Chef Preserve, so that I know they’re safe for an extended period. If I have a holiday coming up where I know I’ll be cooking and will likely have leftovers, I put more of My Metobolic Meals into the freezer. Those, too, usually go into vacuum-seal bags in case they don’t come out of the freezer as quickly as expected.

Trick #4 – Most times I eat directly from the 3-cup casserole dish that I’ve heated the meal in! Of course, if you’re heating in a microwave, you can eat from the same “dish” the meal arrived in!

I Don’t Own a Microwave

I know, call me crazy, but I gave up my microwave many years ago. It no longer made sense for me to radiate my food. I can’t say for sure, but I’d guess that it’s been at least 10 years!

After I defrost my meals (if necessary) in my 3-cup, glass Pyrex mini casserole, I then heat them in my air fryer. It takes about 5 minutes on 350° F in my Emeril Lagasse Extra Large French Door Air Fryer. Have I mentioned that I ABSOLUTELY LOVE this air fryer? I had one before this that was too small and we never used it. I heat everything in this and especially love it for My Metabolic Meals!

Insulation?

I plan to do a little more research into what is used in the box for insulation, and hope to find an alternative use rather than sending to a landfill. 

 

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Katherine’s White Chicken Chili

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I don’t know where my niece, Katherine, found the original White Chicken Chili recipe, but after tweaking it a bit, it is now a family favorite!

Katherine's White Chicken Chili
 
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Ingredients
  • 1 Medium Onion, diced
  • 1 Large Chicken Breast (Boneless)
  • 1 15-Ounce Can Black or Kidney Beans (Drained and Rinsed)
  • 1 15-Ounce Can of White Beans (Drained and Rinsed)
  • Corn removed from 3 cobs (or 15-ounces frozen)
  • 1 10-ounce can Organic Diced Tomatoes (or Rotel diced tomatoes with Green Chilis)
  • 1 Cup Chicken Bone Broth or Chicken Broth
  • 1 8-Ounce Package of Organic Cream Cheese
  • OPTIONAL:
  • Chili Powder to taste
  • Small can of Chili Peppers
Instructions
  1. Sauté diced onion on stovetop or in Instant Pot. (I sometimes don't bother to sauté first.)
  2. Add raw chicken cut into bite-size pieces (or plan to shred it later) and brown for a couple of minutes.
  3. Add bone broth and tomatoes; simmer for about 10 to 15 minutes or until chicken is done.
  4. Add remaining ingredients and heat through.
  5. NOTE: If your chicken is already cooked, there is no need to "cook" anything; just heat it all up!

 

Instant Pot or Stove Top

When I make this recipe, I don’t usually measure anything; I guestimate and it all goes into my Instant Pot. Cooking it on the stove top also works well. I always cook my bone-in, local chicken in my Instant Pot which makes beautiful bone broth. Cooking it ahead of time, and freezing both the broth and the deboned chicken, saves time when I’m ready to make this recipe. I always strain the bone broth to be certain there are no bones.

Is BT Corn Safe for Human Consumption?

I have not used canned corn in about 15 years since I learned that corn is regulated by the EPA, not the FDA. Canned corn is usually BT corn, unless it’s organic. BT is short for Bacillus thuringiensis, a toxin extracted from soil. It was genetically modified into the corn so that pesticides would not need to be used on the outside of the corn. BT pokes holes in the insect’s stomach and causes their gut to explode, thereby killing them. Is it safe for humans? You’ll have to decide that for yourself. BT corn has been around for such a long time that insects are now becoming immune to the BT toxin.

 

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Audrey’s Pine Needle Tea

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UPDATE: I didn’t get to know Audrey too well, because I only met her twice. In those brief visits, it was obvious to me that she was one of the kindest people I had ever met. Even though I didn’t know her well, I was saddened to learn that she passed away on April 14, 2024. Personally, I think that earth lost an angel that day.

My friend, Audrey Heath, not only shared her Pine Needle Tea recipe with me, she was kind enough to drop off her finished product for me to try. She definitely kicked it up a notch or three! I’ve made pine needle tea for many years, but found mine to be quite boring. You won’t find Audrey’s tea boring!

Use ONLY Eastern White Pine Needles!!!

There are lots of pine trees in North America, so please be CERTAIN that your tree is, in fact, an Eastern White Pine. Using the wrong needles, or drinking too much, could make you quite sick or could even be deadly. If you are unsure, find your county forester or contact your cooperative extension service to help you identify yours. Then check with your doctor before drinking!

You can find more information at Nature.org and Farmer’s Almanac. Found on nature.org: “Fun Fact: White pines are the only five-needle pines found east of the Rocky Mountains and get their common name from the number of needles in each pine: W-H-I-T-E!”

Does Suramin Come from Pine?

Somehow, a rumor started that Judy Mikovits said Suramin came from Pine. Do pine needles or Pine Needle Tea contain Suramin? Absolutely not! according to Judy Mikovits.  Suramin is a synthetic drug that doesn’t come from pine. Here’s exactly what she said:

“I didn’t say pine needles. I talked about a 100-year-old essential medicine, a synthetic drug made by Bayer-Monsanto, called suramin. And suramin is a synthetic drug, but it’s known to stop the expression of retroviruses, and viruses . . . Suramin does not come from pine needles, but there are terpenes. That’s a class of chemicals where we get turpentine that will stop a lot of toxins and pathogens, but it’s also very toxic.  . . . . ” ~~ Judy Mikovits

Hear What Judy Mikovits Said about Suramin (at 9:50 Minutes)


Audrey's Pine Needle Tea
 
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Please check with your doctor before drinking this tea.
Author:
Recipe type: Tea
Ingredients
  • 2 Gallons of Clean Water
  • Large Coffee Can of Eastern Pine Tree Needles cut into 1" lengths.
  • 20 to 25 Star Anise
  • 2 Tablespoons Cardamom
  • 2 Tablespoons Fennel Seeds
Instructions
  1. Bring water to a boil, turn off.
  2. Add remaining ingredients and let sit for 20 minutes.
  3. Re-heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
  4. Cool, strain, bottle, and refrigerate.
  5. Make certain you strain; you don't want to swallow any pine needles!

Remember that boiling releases the terpenes and over 116° kills the Vitamin C. 160° causes Vitamin C to explode. If you are interested in keeping the Vitamin C in tact, bring the water to a boil, let it cool to 115°, and then add the ingredients and let steep.

DO NOT DRINK THIS TEA WITHOUT FIRST CHECKING WITH YOUR DOCTOR!!! 

Cut Eastern Pine needles.

If you have a chance, look up what benefits might be found in star anise, cardamom, and fennel.

Statements on this page and website have not been evaluated by the FDA and are NOT intended to diagnose, prescribe, treat, prevent or cure any disease, condition, illness, or injury. Please do not use any information on this website in place of a doctor. Please consult a doctor before making ANY dietary changes.

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Thai Soup – Immune-Building Soup

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A friend, Lynn Parker, gave me the ingredient list for this recipe. She calls it Thai Soup, but I call it Immune-Boosting Soup.  I cook all of my bone-in chicken in my Instant Pot, which gives me a beautiful bone broth.  If I use my Instant Pot, pot, there’s no need to further cook the bones. Chicken cooks in about 25 minutes, and produces a beautiful gelatin.

 

Make it Strong or Weak

I made an extremely strong batch of this soup using water instead of chicken stock/bone broth, and froze it in small batches in 16 oz freezer-safe canning jars. When I make a bigger batch, I use the larger freezer-safe canning jars. After thawing, I added the fresh bone broth and then heated it–YUM. If you find you made your batch too strong (too much garlic, ginger, lemongrass, or cayenne), just add more chicken stock/bone broth or even some water.

I bet you’ll want to double or triple this recipe and freeze it or can it. If you freeze it and plan to use glass jars, be sure to use ones that are safe for freezing. The freezer-safe jars are the one that are completely straight and don’t have a shoulder.

I’ve added Thai Soup #2 with the amounts I used in my latest batch. This batch could have been a little stronger–maybe less water.

Thai Soup
 
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Ingredients
Instructions
  1. After cutting up ingredients into bite size pieces, slow simmer in a pot for about 45 minutes, being careful not to boil the broth/stock away.

16 oz and 24 oz Freezer-Safe Jars:

16 oz Freezer-Safe Jar

24 oz Freezer-Safe Canning Jar

Recipe With Ingredient Quantities – Thai #2

You might want to adjust quantities in this recipe, but this gives you a good starting point. I’ve specified Shitake Mushrooms in this recipe, because they are known as the best for the immune system, but any mushroom will do.

Thai Soup #2
 
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This recipe includes the quantities I used in my soup.
Author:
Ingredients
  • 32 ounces homemade chicken broth, or 2 16.9 oz Boxes of Bone Broth (or Chicken Stock)
  • 6 Garlic Cloves, pressed
  • Thumb-size Ginger Root (about 3 tablespoons, sliced or shredded)
  • 1 Teaspoon Organic Dried Turmeric Powder (or 3-inches of fresh)
  • *3 Medium to Large Tomatoes, blanched with skin removed and diced, or a 15-ouce can of Diced Tomatoes
  • ⅛ Teaspoon Cayenne
  • 1 Medium to Large Diced Onion
  • 1 Cup Shitake (or any) Mushrooms
  • 3 Carrots, sliced
  • 2 Tablespoons Dried Lemongrass or ½ cup chopped fresh Lemongrass
  • Extra tomatoes or water can be added if soup tastes too "hot."
Instructions
  1. After cutting up ingredients into bite-size pieces, place all ingredients in a medium size pot and slow simmer for about 45 minutes. Stir occasionally and be careful not to boil the liquid away.

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Peanut Butter Dog Treats (Bisquits)

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No Toxic Ingredients

This dog treat recipe doesn’t contain propylene glycol, caramel color, or sodium nitrate, unlike so many commercial dog treats. Many “vitamins” found in dog treats aren’t really vitamins at all; they’re drugs that can come with side effects. If you’d like to learn why I would never give “vitamins” to my dog, and how those drugs are made, check out this article by Dogs Naturally Magazine.  If you’d like to delve even further into the world of “vitamins,” check out this article: The Truth About Vitamins in Nutritional Supplements.

PLEASE CHECK THAT YOUR PEANUT BUTTER DOES NOT CONTAIN XYLITOL!!! 

 

Peanut Butter Dog Treats (Bisquits)
 
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Ingredients
  • 1 Cup Brown Rice Flour
  • 1 Cup Freshly Ground Oat Flour
  • ¾ Cup Freshly Ground Flaxseed
  • 2 Tablespoons Nutritional Yeast
  • 2 Tablespoons Brewer's Yeast
  • ½ Teaspoon Garlic or Onion Powder
  • 1 Teaspoon Parsley
  • 1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
  • 1 Cup Peanut Butter
  • 2 Slightly Beaten Eggs
  • ½ Teaspoon Sea Salt
  • About 1 Cup Liquid--bone broth, apple juice, apple cider, or water. PLEASE NOTE: You may or may not need more or less liquid depending on how much oil is in the peanut butter.
Instructions
  1. Add all dry ingredients to mixing bowl (stand mixer works great)
  2. Mix thoroughly.
  3. Add peanut butter and egg.
  4. Mix together, then add enough liquid to make into a ball.
  5. Roll out onto floured pastry board.
  6. Use cookie cutter to cut into dog bones or cut into squares.*
  7. Bake at 350° for 25 minutes.
  8. Flip bones over and bake for 25 more minutes.
  9. Reduce oven to 175° and bake for 6 to 8 hours or dry in a dehydrator overnight at 155° or until completely dry.
  10. Dehydrate longer, if necessary, making certain treats are completely dry. (Moisture will cause them to spoil quicker.)
  11. Leave out enough for the week, and store remaining in an airtight container in freezer.
  12. * I have a tiny dog and lightly score dough into tiny pieces before baking, which is quicker and makes it easy to break when they are dry.

Please Be Sure To Properly Dehydrate

As with any dry dog treat, beware that they can be a choking hazard, especially if they are too large. Please give them small, bite-size pieces appropriate for your size dog.

Did you know you can get a dog bone cookie cutter with your dog’s name personalized on it? Personalized Dog Bone Cookie Cutter.

When I don’t have time to make these, I purchase made-in-New-Hampshire Casey Jones Bones. In my local area they sell for about $5.99/box. UPDATE: I know Casey Jones Bones was sold, but I can no longer find any information about the company.

Source: How To Detox Your Dog

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Quick and Easy Macaroons

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3-Ingredient Macaroons

When I’m craving something sweet, or when I have leftover egg whites from making Hollandaise sauce I usually make these macaroons. These gluten-free macaroons can are made with only three ingredients–the vanilla and Himalayan salt are optional.

Macaroons RecipeRenegade

 

Macaroons
 
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Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
These delicious macaroons are quick and easy to make.
Author:
Serves: 15
Ingredients
Instructions
  1. Pre-heat oven to 350° F
  2. Place all ingredients in bowl.
  3. Mix until well blended.
  4. Drop onto cookie sheet using small, old-fashioned ice cream scoop.
  5. Bake at 350° for 15 minutes or until tops are lightly browned.
Notes
To keep macaroons from being sticky on the bottom, flatten before baking; flip after baking 15 minutes and cook for another couple minutes.


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