When I had Dani, mentally I immediately wanted to get back on my diet and get rid of the pregnancy weight. And I was more aware of what I was eating but I did certainly give myself grace the first few days postpartum.
I started surfing Pinterest whenever I was feeding Dani, getting ideas for different sides, as well as putting together some of our typical dinners, and thinking of replacing the carb with something low or no carb instead. It was a struggle at first, but over time its gotten easier. But I also can’t be the only one who’s struggled with something like this, so here are some of our favorite sides that we’ve implemented more on our meals to get rid of the extra carbs we were eating at dinner.
Deviled Eggs
Now, this may not even be an official ‘side’ to some of you, but I’m listing it because you could totally have it at a meal, and just accompany it with something else. But its a good source of protein, and kids love helping make these too.
Ingredients:
- Boiled eggs
- Mustard
- Mayo
- Salt/Pepper/Seasonings
Instructions:
Boil and peel eggs. Slice in half and take Yolk out, being careful not to break the whites. Set the whites on a plate and put yolks in a bowl, mashing them with mustard, mayonnaise and any seasonings. With a spoon or piping bag, put the yolk mixture inside the egg white. Serve.
Fruit
Typically, I wouldn’t usually serve fruit for dinner. And looking back, I couldn’t really tell you why. When I started trying to do lower/no carbs in the evening, I did this, just because what I was serving just didn’t seem like enough food. And I thought back to a few of the Chinese restaurant we had been to, and how they served oranges after the meal. I took inspiration from that, and now, when we have fruit, its always at our dinner table, just as an option.
Cucumber Salad
I learned this recipe from my aunt, and that gave me inspiration to look at different verities of this. My aunts is a mayonnaise based salad, that also includes cucumbers. But I’ve also found vinegar based salads. Both are great. I’ve even blogged about both if I recall correctly. Its a great addition to really any meal.
Spinach Salad
I recently discovered my love for Spinach salads. I will typically top mine with carrots, cheese, cucumbers and some kind of meat (bacon if I have it) and balsamic dressing. Its very simple. but my family likes it, so its made its way into the rotation of side dishes.
Veggie Sticks
Veggie sticks are another go to side dish that we’ve been doing more often. Sometimes It might be an assortment, other times it might be a specific veggie, it will vary. But 9 times out of 10 we will always pair it with a dip, typically ranch, cause, well, what kid says no to ranch.