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Stacy Craft

THM Tacos in a Bag

January 25, 2021 by Stacy Craft Leave a Comment

Looking for a fun & healthy family meal that your entire Trim Healthy family will enjoy? Stop your search you found it – THM tacos in a bag will make everyone at the table happy (even those that are off plan). 

Low Fat - THM E Tacos In a Bag

You might call them “walking tacos” but around here we call them THM tacos in a bag. A little bit of nachos, a little bit of tacos and a whole lotta good. 

Save a plate tonight and eat your Trim Healthy Mama dinner out of a chip bag! The kids think it is hilarious, you do less dishes and everyone likes the way it tastes. 

(Affiliate Links are used in this post. A small commission may be paid to me at no extra cost to you and that helps to support this page. Please see my disclosures page for additional information.)

THM Tacos in a Bag

Tacos are kind of a universal favorite. I mean everyone loves tacos right? I know my family does & it is such a simple  meal that doesn’t require a ton of effort from me. 

Win!

THM Tacos In A Bag - E Meal 

Trim Healthy Mama Taco In a Bag Ingredients 

Here are the items that you need for your taco dinner in a bag.

The Base: 

  • An Individual Bag of Baked Tostitos (E) (These often come in and out of stock on Amazon. Join my THM Deals group – I often update when they are back in stock and on sale!)
  • Lean Ground Turkey (E) Make it like this in the Instant Pot for the most flavorful taco meat ever!

The Toppings:

Walking tacos toppings - THM E

  • Diced Tomatoes (FP)
  • Non-Fat Greek Yogurt (FP)
  • Jalapenos (FP)
  • Salsa (FP)
  • Diced Onion (FP)
  • Shredded Lettuce (FP) 
  • Corn (E)
  • Black Beans (E)
  • Pinto Beans (E)
  • Fat Free Refried Beans (E)
  • Brown Rice (E)

Adding the following toppings would make this recipe a delicious & on plan crossover (XO):

  • Full Fat Cheese (S)
  • Avocado (S)
  • Sour Cream (S)
  • Olives (S)  

The fun thing about walking tacos is that you can customize the bag exactly to your liking and your family can make their dinner just the way they want it. 

And that is even more important on Trim Healthy Mama because no one wants to make multiple meals. Since you choose your toppings, you can make this work for off plan family members or those that want a different fuel than you.

How To Make Your THM Walking Taco Bag 

Tacos in a Bag - Filled - Fun Family Dinner

Making the THM tacos in a bag is an easy weeknight dinner that is fun to eat. My 7 year old thinks it is an incredibly fun way to eat her dinner. 

Here are the items that you need to prepare.

  1. Cook your ground meat, drain grease and season with THM Taco seasoning. (I like this Instant Pot method for the meat) 
  2. Warm or cook any other toppings that need to be prepared (rice/beans/corn). 
  3. Place bowls out with the remaining toppings that you have chosen.

Building Your Taco Bag 

Open an individual bag of baked Tostitos and crush the chips lightly. You just want to break the chips up gently but don’t reduce them to crumbs! 

Start scooping the toppings that you want right into the bag! The chips are an E so if you want to keep it that fuel, only use FP or E toppings.

What’s in My Bag 

I crush my chips a bit and then add in a tablespoon or two of corn and probably around 1/4 cup of fat free refried beans. I don’t measure the beans but that is roughly the amount. 

Next, I add in the turkey taco meat. Then I add the Greek yogurt as a sour cream sub, diced tomatoes, onion, salsa and jalapenos.

With whatever space I have left, I pile in a bunch of chopped baby spinach. As listed, this would be an E meal. 

Full disclosure: I love adding a big sprinkle of shredded cheese for a XO to make this meal even better!

Eating Tacos in a Bag

Now for the fun part! Eating your THM tacos in a bag. 

Grab a spoon and mix your taco meat, veggies and chips together. Scoop up a big spoonful and enjoy eating your dinner right out of a bag. 

Hey – whatever we have to do in order to do less dishes on THM right?!

Avoid Overdoing the Carbs

I listed multiple E toppings that you can throw in your chip bag. But it is important to remember that the chips already have 19g of carbs so you don’t want to go overboard with too many additional E toppings. 

Counting and measuring is something that I despise in a way of eating so you won’t often see me saying that I measured 1/4 a cup of beans and 1/3 a cup of whatever. It isn’t how I eat & thankfully it isn’t what THM preaches. That being said, just be mindful. 

As an example, one bag of chips with 1/4 cup of black beans and 1/4 cup of corn will keep you under the recommended carb limit of 45 grams per meal.  

Last note is for the Trim Healthy Husbands! One bag does not fill my husband up so he eats two. While eating two bags of the chips is not ideal in my eyes, I’m not his keeper! He does go heavier on meat and FP toppings though so numbers wise, it really works out. 

If I am still hungry after eating my taco bag, I usually just make a little side salad with lettuce, meat and FP toppings. 

Want an “S” Walking Taco Bag? 

Not tested yet (tell me if you try it) but I’m thinking an individual bag of pork rinds could work here! Pile it high with cheese, ground beef, sour cream, avocado and black olives. Sounds pretty good to me! 

Or if I want an S meal while my family in having THM Tacos in a bag, I will just make a big salad with the taco meat and toppings. 

Taco Salad THM S

Print Recipe
THM Tacos in a Bag
Servings
people
Ingredients
Base for
  • 4 Individual Bags Baked Tostitos
  • 1 lb ground turkey taco meat prepared and divided
Toppings
  • Shredded Lettuce or Baby Spinach (FP)
  • Black Beans (E)
  • Whole Kernel Corn (E)
  • Non-Fat Greek Yogurt (FP)
  • Salsa (FP)
  • Fat Free Refried Beans (E)
  • Olives (S)
  • Sour Cream (S)
  • Cheese (S)
Servings
people
Ingredients
Base for
  • 4 Individual Bags Baked Tostitos
  • 1 lb ground turkey taco meat prepared and divided
Toppings
  • Shredded Lettuce or Baby Spinach (FP)
  • Black Beans (E)
  • Whole Kernel Corn (E)
  • Non-Fat Greek Yogurt (FP)
  • Salsa (FP)
  • Fat Free Refried Beans (E)
  • Olives (S)
  • Sour Cream (S)
  • Cheese (S)
Instructions
  1. Open an individual bag of the baked Tostitos and gently crush the chips. Don't crush them to crumbs, just break them up a bit.
  2. Start adding in toppings. Add a portion of cooked ground turkey taco meat and then whatever toppings that you like.
  3. *Remember that if the chips are an E fuel, so if you want to avoid a XO, you will want to add toppings that are either an E or a FP.
  4. Once you have added all of your toppings, use a spoon to gently incorporate everything together. Enjoy your THM Tacos right out of the bag!

Filed Under: Main Meal, Plan, Recipes, Trim Healthy Mama Tagged With: E Meal, tacos in a bag, THM, walking tacos

Trim Healthy Mama Meal Plan 1/24 – 1/31/21

January 24, 2021 by Stacy Craft Leave a Comment

Welcome to the Trim Healthy Mama Meal Plan for 1/24 – 1/31/21.

1-24-21 - 1-31-21 THM Weekly Meal Plan (1)

Hi! If you are looking for a weekly Trim Healthy Mama meal plan, you have come to the right place! First let’s talk about my meal planning style. 

I create a plan for breakfast, lunch, dinner & snacks by day for the week. But then when Monday rolls around, I don’t necessarily eat for breakfast what I had planned for Monday. In fact, I might eat Saturday’s breakfast on Monday if it sounds good. I use the plan as a general guide for what I will eat in a given week but don’t force myself into it. 

I freely mix and match throughout the week according to what my body is craving. By planning, it helps me to ensure I have 7 dinners planned out to make the evening rush easier. It also helps me to make sure I don’t skip out on my E meals! 

Meal Plans are one week behind. Just to clarify, I release my meal plans the week after I eat them. This is done so that I can include more photos of the meals that I eat because I know some of you love pictures! They should still be seasonally appropriate. 

New to THM? Here is a brief summary of the plan and a guide to fuel rotations (like what the heck is an S, E or XO and when do I eat those letters?!).

Grab a free THM Meal planner here. 

(Affiliate Links are used in this post. A small commission may be paid to me at no extra cost to you and that helps to support this page. Please see my disclosures page for additional information.)

Trim Healthy Mama Meal Plan 1/24 – 1/31/21

Let’s jump right in! Here is the Trim Healthy Mama meal plan 1/24- 1/31/21. 

Monday

Breakfast: Peanut Butter & Jelly Pressed Wrap (S)

Wrap Hack Quesadilla with PB&J

Lunch: Loaded Tuna Salad on sprouted bread with Celery (E)

Snack: Homemade P3 Snacks (S) 

Homemade P3 Snacks

Dinner: Take out (Wendy’s Avocado Chicken Salad + Small Chili – (XO) Fast Food Guide to THM

Wendy's Salad & Chili - THM XO

Tuesday

Breakfast: 2 Boiled Eggs with Everything with the Bagel Seasoning, Greek Yogurt & Berries (S)

BOiled Eggs & Strawberries - S

Lunch: Progresso Light Soup (FP)

Progresso Light - THM FP

Snack: Cottage cheese, berries and pecans (S) (5 Cottage Cheese Bowls) 

Dinner: Walking Ground Turkey Tacos or also called Tacos in a Bag – A fun family meal (E) 

If you have kids, make this for your family! They will think you are the coolest. Here is the Tacos in a Bag recipe.

THM Tacos In A Bag - E Meal

Wednesday

Breakfast: Breakfast Burrito – Eggs, bacon bits and cheese on low carb tortilla (S)

Lunch: Taco Salad with sour cream and cheese (S)

Taco Salad THM S

Snack: Homemade P3 Snacks (S)

Dinner: Steak, Smashed Gold Potatoes and Broccolini (XO)

Steak Broccolini And Smashed Potatoes XO

Thursday

Breakfast: Baked oatmeal (E)

Lunch: Lunch out at Chicken Salad Chick (Eating on Plan @ a Restaurant)

Snack: Greek Yogurt, Spoonful of PB with Chocolate Chips (S)

Dinner: Meatball Subs and Green Beans (S) I use this recipe, cook at freeze them ahead of time. Then I can pull just what I want out, warm in some pasta sauce and serve with a Joseph’s Pita. 

Friday

Breakfast: Cottage Cheese & Frozen Pineapple, Sprouted toast with 1/2 laughing cow and Simply Fruit (E)

Fruit & Cottage Cheese with Sprouted Toast E

Lunch:Tortilla Pizza  and salad with ranch (S)

THM S Tortilla Pizza

Snack: Homemade P3 Snacks 

Dinner: Frozen Burger patty cooked with mushrooms and salad (S) 

Saturday 

Breakfast: Leftover Baked Oatmeal with Greek Yogurt (E)

Baked Oatmeal Sugar Free with Greek Yogurt

Lunch: Chick-Fil-A Style Wrap Hack & Veggies (Yes I’m a little obsessed) (S)

Chick-Fil-A Wrap Hack

Snack: Lean Turkey deli meat and 2 Cutie Oranges (E)

Dinner: Grilled Chicken Quarter and Cheesy Zucchini (S)

Sunday

Breakfast: One Eye with sausage (S Helper) Here is a link to a kid’s holiday one eye that I make for my kids. Just use sprouted bread. I’m not even sure this qualifies for an S Helper because I don’t eat the middle of the bread that I pull out. It could just be an S but we will call it an S Helper to be safe.

Lunch: Homemade Lunchable

iHomemade Lunchable

Snack: Greek Yogurt, Spoonful of PB with Chocolate Chips

Dinner: Grilled Pork Tenderloin, Smashed Gold Potatoes and Green Beans (E) As long as you cook your food with minimal fat, this can stay in E territory. 

I don’t normally eat potatoes twice in one week but the smashed potatoes have been tasting so good lately!

Desserts:

Toffee Pecans (recipe coming soon) 

Two Good Yogurt and Lily’s Chocolate Chips

Jif Peanut Butter (the best sugar free peanut butter ever created!) & Bake Believe Chocolate

Jif PB & Chocolate

Click Trim Healthy Mama in the menu bar to check the “What I ate Wednesday” series which is a fun daily meal plan to give you meal ideas. 

Want More Meal Plans? 

Weekly Meal Plan 1 

Weekly Meal Plan 2

1 Rotisserie Chicken, 5 THM Lunches

Lunch On THM – Tons of Easy Ideas

Join me on Instagram for daily food inspiration! And join our closed group on Facebook that is all about saving money on THM & daily deals! I’d love to have you! 

-Stacy

 

Filed Under: Featured, Meal Plans, Trim Healthy Mama Tagged With: meal plan, THM, Trim Healthy mama

27 THM On Plan Chips and Crackers

January 24, 2021 by Stacy Craft Leave a Comment

Discover 27 THM on plan chips and crackers that you can grab from the grocery store for an easy and healthy snack (with a couple homemade options too). 

27 On PLan THM Chips & Crackers

Clean snacks made from good, whole foods are becoming more of the norm at online grocers and even local supermarkets. Hallelujah, Amen!

It is such a breath of fresh air for those of us that don’t want to dehydrate our own carrot chips or roll out sourdough crackers. And all of these store bought THM Drive Thru Sue snacks will satisfy your need for crunch that so many of us want.  

You can have some chips with a sandwich or low carb roll up. And Crackers and Light Laughing Cow cheese are a delicious snack option. A bowl of popcorn with a movie is a great treat that feels oh so normal. 

Regardless of how you choose to enjoy these Trim Healthy Mama crackers and chips, I know you will feel good choosing a healthy option for you and your family! 

(Affiliate Links are used in this post. A small commission may be paid to me at no extra cost to you and that helps to support this page. Please see my disclosures page for additional information.)

27 THM On Plan Chips And Crackers

Here you will find a comprehensive list of Trim Healthy Mama on plan salty, crunchy and crispy options! These 27 THM on plan chips and crackers will help you to stay on track by giving you the snack that you crave but keeping it healthy. 

THM On Plan Chips

Pork Rinds (S) – Pretty much any brand will work, just avoid flavored options like BBQ because they may have off plan ingredients. Check out these on plan dips to scoop up with your pork skins. 

Baked Tostitos (E)

Bare Sweet Potato Chips (E)

Sprouted Pretzels (E) Try this “Doritos” Style Cheesy Pretzel recipe.

Beet Chips (E)

Plantain Chips (XO)

Falafel Chips (XO)

Quest Chips (NOP / PC) Some people use these for a chip option. They have some off plan ingredients and are not as ideal as the other cleaner options, however, I like them & eat them on occasion but they are not endorsed by THM. 

THM On Plan Crackers

THM Shameless Crackers (S)

Ryvita Crackers (FP)

Finn Crisp (E)

Wasa Crackers

  • Sourdough (E)
  • Light Rye (FP)
  • Multigrain (E)
  • Fiber & Flax Seed (FP)

Try this Wasa Cracker Toffee or Wasa Puppy Chow!

Trim Healthy Mama - Wasa Cracker Guide

Mary’s Gone Crackers 

Flackers – Cinnamon & Current (XO), all other varieties (S)

Crunchmaster Crackers (E) – make sure to keep to the serving. These are right at the fat limit so don’t add additional fat or cut the serving in 1/2 if you want to add any type of fat. 

Other THM Crunchy Snacks

Sea Salt Popcorners (E) (Avoid other flavors)

Thin Stackers Brown Rice Cakes (E)

Skinny Pop (E) – Avoid flavored options. Salt & Pepper is ok. 

Whisps (S) – Many grocery stores now offer their store brand of this also. 

Moon Cheese (S) 

Homemade Crunchy THM Snacks

Store bought snacks are wonderful to have but if your budget prevents you from purchasing some of these pre-made options, you can certainly make your own. 

And these homemade crunchy THM snacks are easy and relatively inexpensive to make. 

Lavash Chips

Pepperoni Chips 

Corn Tortillas (Spray lightly with oil & Bake)

Low Carb Tortilla Chips 

Crispy Addictions (Trim Healthy Cookbook PG. 458)

Need More Store Bought On Plan Foods for THM? 

THM On Plan Store Bought Bread

THM On Plan Store Bought Peanut Butter

THM On Plan Store Bought Wraps & Tortillas 

THM On Plan Store Bought Sweets / Desserts

Approved Alcohol for Trim Healthy Mama

Filed Under: Featured, Plan, Trim Healthy Mama Tagged With: chips, crackers, THM

What I Ate Wednesday – 1/20/21

January 21, 2021 by Stacy Craft Leave a Comment

Get ideas for your next Trim Healthy Mama meal plan by looking at What I ate Wednesday on THM – 1/20/21.

1-20-21 What I Ate Wednesday - Trim Healthy Mama

“What I Ate Wednesday on THM” is a series of posts that are a daily meal plan meets food diary. You can see exactly the portions I ate for the day, the fuel type and meal ideas for your Trim Healthy Mama lifestyle. 

Here are my Trim Healthy plates for 1/20/21. 

Need help understanding what S, E, FP & XO mean? Check out this post that explains it all. 

(Affiliate Links are used in this post. A small commission may be paid to me at no extra cost to you and that helps to support this page. Please see my disclosures page for additional information.)

What I Ate Wednesday on THM – 1/20/21

In this post you will find meal ideas, see foods separated by fuel and find budget tips to keep your food budget low & your life in the kitchen simplified. 

Breakfast: Peanut Butter & Jelly Wrap Hack (S)

I hopped on the TikTok bandwagon and tried the tortilla wrap hack that has been floating around. I made mine THM of course with on plan peanut butter, on plan jelly, low carb tortilla and peanuts. 

Wrap Hack Quesadilla with PB&J

Inside of PB&J Crunch Wrap

Lunch: Taco Salad with Leftover taco meat from our Walking Tacos. (S) 

I made the taco meat in the Instant Pot with homemade THM taco seasoning – amazing!

Taco Salad THM S

Snack: Homemade P3 Snack Pack (S)

Homemade P3 Snack Pack

Dinner: Steak, Sauteed Broccolini and Parm Smashed Roasted Gold Potatoes (XO) 

According to my meal plan, we were supposed to have breakfast for dinner. But at 5:15 my husband declared he was headed to our favorite meat market for a steak because “I seemed stressed” and he wanted to make dinner. 

He was right, I was stressed. And I’ll never turn down dinner made for me or a steak! It is nice for someone else to take on the dinner burden once in a while! 

*The fats from the steak, olive oil on broccolini and parm combine with the carbs from the on plan potatoes making this meal a crossover. I don’t mind a XO once or twice a week & I can still lose weight. Just watch your body & if you stop losing, cut back on XO’s.

I also did not eat this entire monster sized steak so it will make  at least two meals which helps to make an expensive cut of meat a bit more reasonable. 

Steak Broccolini & Smashed yellow gold potato

Thanks for reading What I Ate Wednesday – 1/20/21! Check back next Wednesday for another edition & pictures of my meals. 

Love seeing photographed meal plans and food diaries? Let’s be Instagram friends! @Protecting_your_THM_Pennies is where I show my THM food as I eat it. 

 

Filed Under: Featured, Plan, Trim Healthy Mama, What I Ate Wednesday Tagged With: THM, What I Ate Wednesday

Low Carb Peanut Butter & Jelly Wrap Hack (THM S)

January 20, 2021 by Stacy Craft 3 Comments

If you love PB&J, you need to make this low carb peanut butter & jelly wrap hack quesadilla right now!

Low Carb_THM S PB&J Wrap Hack

I finally downloaded TikTok a couple of months ago after resisting the app for a few reasons. #1. I didn’t need yet another social media time suck in my life & #2. I felt too old!

I’m only in my mid-thirties but it seemed like every tween and teen that I know was spending their time on TikTok so I just decided it wasn’t for me. But peer pressure took over and I wanted to see what it was all about.

And while I’m honestly still not 100% in love, they do have some cool food videos. The latest one is the TikTok tortilla wrap hack. It is basically a tortilla that is cut and wrapped into the cutest little quesadilla that you have ever seen.

But don’t make the mistake that these quesadilla wraps are just for Mexican food. You can put anything into your tortilla. Wrap it, press it & done. A fun meal for the entire family.

(Affiliate Links are used in this post. A small commission may be paid to me at no extra cost to you and that helps to support this page. Please see my disclosures page for additional information.)

Low Carb Peanut Butter & Jelly Wrap Hack (THM S)

Inside of PB&J Crunch Wrap

Peanut butter and jelly roll ups are something that I make pretty often when I am craving comfort food but want to stay on plan.

By making that classic childhood favorite into a pressed wrap, you transform the sandwich into a gooey, melty delicious mix of peanut butter, jelly and a little bit of crunch!

What You Need for a TikTok Inspired PB&J Wrap Hack

  • Sugar Free Peanut Butter – this is by far the best option out there
  • Simply Fruit Jelly
  • Peanuts
  • Frozen mixed berries
  • Low Carb Tortilla

Peanut Butter & Jelly Low Carb Wrap Ingredients

Steps to Wrapping the Quesadilla

Wrap Hack Quesadilla with PB&J

There are 5 steps to properly prepare a low carb peanut butter and jelly wrap hack quesadilla.

  1. Find the center of the tortilla with the tip of a knife. From the center, cut down to the end of the tortilla.
  2. Fill each quarter of the tortilla with a different filling. For this pb&j wrap, these are the steps.
    1. Start in the lower left quarter and apply a generous spread of peanut butter.
    2. In the top left quarter, apply a thin spread of peanut butter (this helps the toppings stick ) and a handful of peanuts.
    3. In the top right quarter, add a thin spread of peanut butter and a tsp of Simply Fruit jelly. Spread the peanut butter to the edge but keep the jelly in the middle to eliminate spilling when cooking.
    4. For the bottom right quarter, add a small handful of frozen blueberries or mixed berries. You can smear a light peanut butter layer on this section prior to the berries to help seal the wrap.
  3. Starting with the bottom left quarter, fold up over the top quarter. So your peanut butter will lay on top of the peanuts. Next, fold the two triangles on the left over onto the jelly quarter. Finally, fold the three quarters over the frozen berries which will result into one triangle.
  4. Place the wrap into a skillet or a panini press and cook until warm and the outer tortilla has browned slightly.
  5. Enjoy!

Quesadilla Last Fold

Tips for Making the Best Wrapped Quesadilla 

  • This PB&J wrap is best made in a skillet. I love using my panini maker but it makes a pretty big mess pressing out the jelly and fruit. 
  • Consider using these tortillas. They are a little more pliable and easier to fold. 
  • Don’t add too much of any topping. If you overfill, it will spill out and make a big mess! 
  • Considering skipping the peanuts? Don’t! I don’t even like crunchy peanut butter but these add a crunch that makes this wrap amazing. 

PB&J THM S Quesadilla Wrap

Want More Easy Low Carb/THM S Ideas? 

  • Lazy Keto Cheese Enchiladas
  • Buffalo Chicken Dip Casserole for 2 
  • Chicken & Creamy Queso Cauli Rice

Filed Under: Featured, Main Meal, Plan, Recipes, Trim Healthy Mama Tagged With: low carb, peanut butter and jelly, quesadilla, THM S, wrap hack

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