Spaghetti for Mutants

Have you heard of MTHFR? Nope, it’s not an abbreviation for a bad word (and yes that’s an overused joke). It’s a genetic mutation a large percentage of the population (estimated to be 40-60%) carries. I won’t get all science-y here since this is a recipe post, but this article breaks it down really well.

I have one copy of this mutation, and because of this, I have chosen to remove folic acid completely from my diet – and my kids’ diets. Because of my boys’ tongue and lip ties, I suspect they have it as well, so I don’t want to take any chances.

Here’s the problem – folic acid is in EVERYTHING. Bread, cereal, supplements, enriched wheat… and pasta. Even those beloved Cheerios, people!

We haven’t eaten traditional whole wheat pasta in a long time for the gluten and inflammation reason, and there are some really great gluten-free pasta alternatives out there, but I always feel like if a veggie can substitute, do the veggie.

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Philly Cheesesteak Stuffed Peppers

I spent about 36 years of my life hiding from beef, specifically steak. I am 37. So you can imagine my surprise when I discovered how much I love grass fed beef and even some types of steak. My body feels SO GOOD on beef. I know this isn’t the case for everyone, but for me, I’ve found brain food I was missing for a long time.

(Side note – benefits of grass fed beef include higher omega 3s for brain health and higher conjugated linoleic acid, which means reduced cancer risk, decreased “bad” cholesterol, improved blood sugar, and increase in muscle! It’s also high in B12, which is super important for those of us with the MTHFR mutation.)

These philly cheesesteak stuffed peppers are soooo easy to make and can be finished in under 30 minutes. They are keto-friendly for my keto-loving friends. If you don’t do cheese, no worries. They are delicious without, as my dairy-free 2 year old can tell you.

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Taco Bowls with Sneaky Veggies

My goal with every meal is to sneak as many veggies into my kids’ food as possible. This taco bowl recipe is probably the most veggie-packed meal we make. And we make it alllll the time.

Start with grass fed ground beef. I used to hate ground beef until we switched to grass fed. It isn’t as heavy in my belly and it’s packed with omega 3s and B12 for brain health!

Dump it into a pan and start cooking on low to medium heat. Don’t overcook it! Midway through cooking, I add a shredded zucchini or two. Continue reading “Taco Bowls with Sneaky Veggies” →