Bariatric Friendly Gumbo! (Rice Free)
Bariatric Friendly Gumbo! (Rice Free)
Weight-loss surgery patients are going to LOVE this recipe! Warm, hearty and protein packed! Whether you’ve had (or will be having) Gastric Sleeve, Gastric Bypass or other Gastric surgeries…be sure to save this one for good!
Pregnancy cravings are the real deal. And my craving for a thick and hearty Gumbo the other day was a force to be reckoned with!
There were two things I didn’t want to deal with when it came to making Gumbo:
Lots of carbs and fat.
Lots of time and ingredients.
Neither of those things make me happy.
So I tweaked things up a bit to make the recipe healthier and more simple! I skipped rice completely (why? Rice is PACKED with carbs and will increase hunger and slow down weight-loss!) I switched sausage to turkey kielbasa sausage and I trimmed as much fat as possible off of the chicken thighs.
The result was delicious and absolutely hit the spot. For post-op Bariatric Surgery patients, focus on the dense protein in this dish (there is plenty!) and keep the Gumbo very thick instead of liquid based. Take small bites, eat slowly and stop at the first sign of fullness!
This recipe will make PLENTY for you. You may be feeding a family so no problem there! If you are feeding just yourself or you and a spouse, you will want to either cut the recipe in half OR freeze half of it for an easy reheat dinner in the coming winter months!
Rice Free Gumbo
Ingredients
- 2 (14.5 oz) cans stewed tomatoes, undrained
- 1 (10 oz) can tomato paste
- 1 lb skinless, boneless chicken thighs, trimmed of fat and diced
- 1 turkey kielbasa sausage link, diced
- 1 lb frozen medium shrimp, thawed, tails removed and diced
- 1 green pepper, chopped
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 2 stalks celery, chopped
- 1 tbsp Cajun seasoning
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
Instructions
- Add tomatoes, tomato paste and raw chicken thighs to a large stockpot. Cook on medium high until chicken is cooked through.
- Add turkey sausage, shrimp, green pepper, onion, celery, Cajun seasoning, garlic, black pepper, and cayenne pepper to the pot. Stir gently to combine all the ingredients.
- Cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Let cool slightly and serve.