Healthy Homestyle Mac and Cheese

I'm over the moon excited to share this recipe with you all! It's the perfect winter comfort food - and it trumps traditional mac and cheese by a landslide in terms of nutrition!

What I love about this recipe is that is FLEXIBLE. You can choose your pasta, cheese, and milk. So, if you are vegetarian, vegan, low carb, or gluten free, you've got options!

This recipe has both cauliflower rice and also my beloved acacia fiber to increase the filling power even more - the acacia mixes into dishes so well and isn't the least bit gritty. Combined, these power foods add an additional 9g of fiber per serving! #fibergoals

This recipe serves 2 but what you see in the picture is ONE serving. Yes it makes a lot and its so satisfying - I know because I ate the whole bowl right afterwards :) :)

Yes, this contains carbohydrates. Carbohydrates are NOT going to cause weight gain if eaten in the proper proportions and if you are within your required daily calories. I have seen too much carbohydrate restriction lead to cravings and overeating, which is counterintuitive obviously! If you are unsure of how many carbohydrates you can tolerate, or are scared to eat them, please let me know if I can help you in any way!

For most of my weight loss clients, taking a moderate approach is insanely effective. This generally translates into ONE serving of starch per day. So, if you have this meal for lunch, the rest of your meals would be lower in carbohydrates and higher in protein, non starchy vegetables, and healthy fats. Make sense?

If you try this recipe please let me know! You can hashtag #jmrecipes on Instagram if you post a picture, I would love to see. Now for the recipe!

Healthy Homestyle Mac and Cheese

Serves 2 (can divide in half for 1 serving; double for 4 servings)

Ingredients:

1 cup dry pasta of choice (I used Barilla gluten free elbows)

2 tsp butter

2 Tbsp Anthony's acacia fiber (optional but recommended)

2 cups milk of choice (I used unsweetened almond milk)

2 cups frozen riced cauliflower

1 cup shredded cheese (I used GoVeggie dairy free)

salt and pepper to taste

pinch of turmeric for color (optional but fun :))

Directions:

Stir milk, butter, acacia fiber (if using) in a pot and bring to a boil. Add dry pasta and cook for 7 minutes. Add in cauliflower rice, and cook for an additional 3 minutes. Add in cheese, salt, pepper and tumeric and stir well until cheese is fully melted. Enjoy!

Notes:

1) If you are not gluten free, I also highly recommend Barilla Protein Plus pasta.

2) If the cauliflower rice bothers anyone in your family (ahem, picky kids), you can puree the it with a little milk in a food processor or blender before adding it to the pasta.

Calories: 425 (using listed ingredients)