Plan an easy Cinco de Mayo meal that fits into your healthy diet. Full of fresh flavors and clean ingredients, these recipes will not disappoint. Each of these is easy to adapt to Whole 30, keto, or low-carb lifestyles.
Click on the links below to download the printable PDF recipes, or read on for step-by-step instructions.
Fresh Guacamole
For starters, whip up this Fresh Guacamole to munch on while you cook. I use three medium avocados in this recipe. No matter how many avocados I use, we never seem to have leftover guacamole. It’s always gone!
This recipe hinges on good avocados. You can tell if an avocado is ripe when the stem piece at the end comes off easily. They should also be a little soft when you squeeze them. You can ripen avocados in a paper bag, or store them near bananas. The bananas release a gas that helps them ripen. Once they are ripe, move the avocados to the refrigerator until you are ready to use them. This will help them last much longer.
To begin the recipe, cut the avocados in half, and remove the seed. Then, slice the avocados in grid (shown above), and use a spoon to scoop the pieces into a bowl.
Mash the avocados with a potato masher. Add juice from 1/2 a lime, salt, pepper and garlic powder. Mix those ingredients together.
Cut a handful (6-8) cherry tomatoes into quarters. Place them inside two folded paper towels, and gently soak up the excess juice and seeds. Add these to the mixing bowl.
Next, remove the cilantro leaves from the stalks, and chop the leaves. You should have about 2 tablespoons of chopped cilantro leaves.
Mix the ingredients and serve with tortilla chips or veggies to dip.
I usually eat this dip with celery sticks or colorful bell peppers cut into slices. Of course the rest of my crew likes it with chips.
Easy Shrimp Fajitas
Up next for our Cinco feast, we are making Easy Shrimp Fajitas. These are completely from scratch, and easy to adapt to Whole 30, Keto, and low-carb.
This recipe is so simple because the fajitas are made completely in the oven on one sheet pan, making cleanup a breeze.
To begin, preheat the oven to 375, and slice a red onion and two bell peppers into strips. I prefer to use red, yellow, or orange bell peppers, but green would also work. This picture below shows how I slice an onion. I’m not sure if it’s the “right” way, but it works for me. If you leave the roots on the onion until the end, it stays together better and doesn’t smell as strongly.
Once your onions and peppers are ready, line a sheet pan with foil. Drizzle olive oil over the foil to keep your veggies from sticking. Spread out the peppers and onions on the pan, and place in the preheated oven for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, prepare the fajita mix in a small bowl. The recipe calls for sugar and cornstarch. This part is not technically keto or Whole 30, but it’s a very small amount in the total recipe. If you’re being super careful, you could omit these.
After 10 minutes, take the peppers and onions out of the oven. Make sure the shrimp are thawed and ready. If you need to, use a few paper towels and pat them dry. Spread the shrimp over the veggies and sprinkle with the seasoning. Top with two more tablespoons of olive oil and toss to mix. Spread it back out onto the pan, and cook for 12-14 minutes. You can tell the shrimp are done when they are firm and no longer pink.
While the shrimp cook, prepare the fajita toppings. I like to serve shrimp fajitas with flour tortillas, shredded cheddar cheese, diced tomatoes, sour cream, guacamole, and shredded lettuce. Usually, I will eat this as a salad (shown below) or over cauliflower rice.
Add some black beans or corn as a side to finish off the meal if you’d like. It’s also great with steamed vegetables.
Fresh, Simple No-Sugar Margaritas
These aren’t exactly Keto or Whole 30, but they are pretty close. If you’re looking for a sugary, sweet frozen margarita, this isn’t the recipe for you. Note: This recipe is for one cocktail.
I use fresh citrus juice, natural sweeteners, and tequila for a refreshing cocktail that is full of vitamin C.
To make these, a cocktail shaker and some type of citrus juicer are really needed.
To begin, roll the citrus fruits onto the counter under your palm to soften them and make them easier to juice. Slice each fruit in half, and reserve a lime slice to garnish. Next, use a juicer to squeeze the fruit juices into a bowl or large measuring cup. Add three teaspoons of monkfruit sweetener (more if you prefer a sweeter drink) and two ounces of tequila. Fill the shaker almost completely with ice, and add the drink mixture. Cover and shake the cocktails for about a minute. This is actually the secret to the best cocktails — it gets them really cold and mixes the flavors.
I use monkfruit sweetener in this recipe because it’s all natural, zero calories, and doesn’t have an unusual aftertaste. If you’d rather use real sugar, a mixture of simple syrup is also fine.
I typically buy Hornitos Plata Tequila, but you can use whatever you prefer. This recipe makes one large margarita. Garnish with a lime slice, fun straw, and a drink umbrella topper to make it more festive.
I hope you have an amazing Cinco de Mayo, and let me know if you try these recipes! I’d love to hear your feedback.
Never miss a post! Subscribe below for new blog posts to be delivered straight to your email.
Leave a Reply