Tiny Meals - Dessert Edition - Pumpkin Chia Protein Pudding

 

Hey Guys, 

Creating in my kitchen again, and you know when the weather cools off, I start craving that cozy, pumpkin-spice kind of comfort — but in a way that still fits my goals. This Pumpkin Protein Chia Pudding has become one of my favorite little fall treats. It’s creamy, lightly sweet, and tastes like a spoonful of pumpkin pie filling — just chilled and protein-packed.

What I love most is that it’s made with simple ingredients I usually have on hand: pumpkin purée, a splash of vanilla protein shake, and chia seeds. It’s bariatric-friendly, easy to portion into 4-ounce cups, and feels like dessert without any guilt. You can meal prep a few at a time, top with sugar-free whipped cream, and have a ready-to-grab fall treat that’s full of flavor and comfort.

And honestly, if pumpkin pie used to be your weakness — this is the swap you didn’t know you needed. It gives you all the warm, cozy flavor of pie season, but in a way that leaves you feeling satisfied and light instead of weighed down. One spoonful and you’ll realize: you’re not missing out at all — you’ve just upgraded it.

🎃 Pumpkin Protein Chia Pudding Cups

A soft, high-protein pumpkin dessert that’s light, creamy, and perfectly portioned for post-op needs.

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🧡 Ingredients

• 1 (15 oz) can pure pumpkin purée

• ⅓ cup vanilla protein shake

• 3 Tbsp sugar-free maple syrup (adjust to taste)

• 4 Tbsp chia seeds

• 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
  (or ½ tsp cinnamon + ¼ tsp ginger + ¼ tsp nutmeg)

• ½ tsp real vanilla extract

• Pinch of salt

• Topping (optional): sugar-free whipped cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon

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🥣 Instructions

1. Mix: In a medium bowl, whisk together pumpkin, vanilla protein shake, syrup, pumpkin pie spice, vanilla, and salt until smooth.

2. Add chia: Stir in chia seeds thoroughly so they don’t clump.

3. Chill: Cover and refrigerate at least 3 hours (overnight for best texture). Stir once halfway through if possible.

4. Portion: Spoon into six 4 oz cups (about ¾ full each).

5. Top & serve: Add sugar-free whipped cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon just before serving.

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📦 Yield

• Total batch: ~24 oz pudding

• Servings: 6 (4 oz each)

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⚖️ Macros

Nutrient	Per Batch (24 oz)	Per 4 oz Cup
Calories	~480	≈ 80
Protein	~39 g	≈ 6.5 g
Total Carbs	~36 g	≈ 6 g
Fiber	~9 g	≈ 1.5 g
Net Carbs	~27 g	≈ 4.5 g
Fat	~18 g	≈ 3 g

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✨ Notes

• The real vanilla gives warmth and balances the spices — don’t skip it!

• Naturally thick from chia — add 1–2 Tbsp more shake if you prefer it creamier.

• Keeps up to 5 days in the fridge.

• For a “cheesecake” twist, mix in 2 Tbsp light cream cheese before chilling.  The little things we make for ourselves matter — especially when they remind us that healthy can still feel comforting and real. This pumpkin chia pudding is one of those recipes that helps me enjoy the season without stepping backward. It’s proof that you can still have your “pumpkin pie moment” — just with a little more balance and intention behind it.

  If you try it, make it your own. Add extra spice, adjust the sweetness, or top it with a swirl of sugar-free whipped cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon. Save this one for those cozy fall evenings when you want something simple, nourishing, and a little bit special.

Always and most importantly — thank you to my family and friends for all the love and support that has carried me this far. I will be back for me in the days ahead. This is just the beginning. 💛

Let’s Connect

Have an idea?
Share it in the comments — I’d love to hear what’s working for you during your different phases 💛

Till we meet again

love and find joy in your day 

Louise

Tiny Meals - Sweet Potato Tuna Melts

 

🍠 Sweet Potato Tuna Melts — A Tiny Twist on Comfort Food

I’m still walking through my bariatric real-food phase, and every week feels like a new chapter in rediscovery. The challenge now is learning how to build real meals — soft, protein-forward, and easy on my new stomach — while still finding a little spark of comfort and creativity in each bite.

Right now, I’m working with about 4 oz portions, aiming to slowly reach 8 oz (about one cup) in the next month. Every meal is a lesson in balance, patience, and portion awareness. Some days, I hit that perfect mix of flavor and fullness — and other days, I’m simply grateful for progress, not perfection.

That’s how this one came to be — my Sweet Potato Tuna Melts. It’s one of those “tiny but mighty” meals that delivers warmth, comfort, and a little bit of nostalgia, all within a few small bites.

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Why I Love This Tiny Meal

There’s something about melted cheese, seasoned tuna, and roasted sweet potato that just feels homey. This version came together when I wanted something warm, filling, and soft-textured — but still protein-rich and mindful of portion size.

Each little round feels like its own mini meal. They’re easy to hold, chew, and digest, and they give that “real food” feeling without overdoing it. You can start with just a few — and later, as tolerance improves, stretch it into a full plate or even make them toast-style using longer slices of sweet potato.

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🍴 Sweet Potato Tuna Melts (Tiny Meals)

Makes: 1 serving (about 3.5–4 oz total)
Prep Time: 10 min Cook Time: 10–12 min Total: 20–25 min

Ingredients

• 1 small sweet potato, sliced into rounds (each about ½–¾ oz)

• 1 (5 oz) can tuna, drained to 4 oz

• 1½ tbsp plain Greek yogurt or small-curd cottage cheese

• 1 tbsp finely minced carrot

• 1 tbsp finely minced celery

• 1 tbsp finely minced onion

• ½ slice American cheese (or a small sprinkle of shredded cheese — use your favorite)

• Seasonings to taste: salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika, lemon pepper or Old Bay

• Optional (later stages): 1–2 thin slices of cherry tomato

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Instructions

1. Prepare the Sweet Potato:
   Slice the sweet potato into ½–¾ oz rounds. Leave the peel on while cooking — it helps the rounds keep their shape.

2. Cook the Rounds:
   Lightly spray with oil or cooking spray.
   Air fry at 390 °F for 8–10 minutes, turning once halfway through, until tender and lightly crisped on the edges.
   (You can also bake or toaster bake due to the small size.)

3. Make the Tuna Salad:
   In a small bowl, combine the drained tuna, Greek yogurt (or cottage cheese), and minced vegetables. Season with lemon pepper or Old Bay to taste. Mix well.

4. Assemble the Melts:
   Use about 1–1½ oz of cooked sweet potato rounds as your base.
   Top each disc with a small scoop of tuna salad (about 2–3 oz total, depending on your stage).
   Add a small piece of cheese (I used ½ slice of American) or a light sprinkle of your favorite shredded cheese.

   Tip: If you’re early in recovery or sensitive to skins, peel the sweet potatoes after cooking and before eating.

5. Melt & Serve:
   Return to the air fryer (or oven/toaster oven) for 1–2 minutes, just until the cheese melts and turns slightly golden.
   For later stages, add a thin cherry tomato slice under the cheese before melting.

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🔢 Nutrition Estimate (3.5–4 oz total)

Nutrient	Amount
Calories	≈ 150 kcal
Protein	≈ 16 g
Carbohydrates	≈ 7 g
Fat	≈ 5 g
Fiber	≈ 1.5 g
Sodium	≈ 370 mg

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💡 Bariatric Real Food Note

This recipe is portioned for one — perfect for early real-food stages.
As your tolerance and needs increase, you can make a few extra rounds or slice the sweet potato lengthwise to create toast-style bases for larger “melts.”
It’s a natural way to grow your portions while keeping the focus on protein and balance.

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A Little Reflection

When I first imagined “tiny meals,” I thought I’d feel deprived — but it’s the opposite.
I’ve discovered that food, even in its smallest form, can still be satisfying, meaningful, and full of grace.

Each meal is a reminder that healing takes patience — and that even small bites can hold big progress.
One round, one melt, one mindful moment at a time.

Always and most importantly — thank you to my family and friends for all the love and support that has carried me this far. I will be back for me in the days ahead. This is just the beginning. 💛

Let’s Connect

Have an idea?
Share it in the comments — I’d love to hear what’s working for you during your different phases 💛

Till we meet again

love and find joy in your day 

Louise

Spicy Tuna Sushi Roll

 

I have been obsessed with finding a good quick way to create that same sushi, California, spicy tuna roll taste at home and without all the work and fuss. I think I may have found a way. I happened upon this package of 60 seconds cauliflower rice. The first one that was not really wet inside. It is made my Natures Intent. Definitely will buy over and over. 

A few weeks ago, we went to public and they are selling their sushi for 7-9 dollars a roll. Yes, good and a nice lunch. But I decided to change it up and make at home. 

Here are my little hacks to lower the carbs and make it fit my WW diet. Also making at home made 6 of them for less than one at publix. 

I enjoyed them right away, fresh is best. I will be making these again. Just wanted to share. 

Spicy Tuna Sushi Roll 

 With Quick and Easy Hacks

Ingredients

Sushi Rice

• 2 - 90 second bags of Jasmine Rice (4 cups - 2 cups per bag) (or if you prefer any rice you like. You can also just make your own white rice. )

• Or if you like the lower carb hack  I used 90 bag of Riced Cauliflower in place of one of the Jasmine Rice.

• ¼ cup Rice wine vinegar

• 1 tbsp spoon of sugar (or a lower carb hack use 1 tablespoon of your favorite sweetener, I use truvia)

Spicy Tuna

• 1 can of drained tuna

• Squirts of sriracha (as spicy as you like)

• 1 teaspoon Mayo 

Sushi Paper (or if you want a really quick hack you can just make it like a bowl with the rice on the bottom and build up, you can either use the sprinkle furtake or the sea weed snacks and place the bits in a single sheet for that little bit. Less mess rolling it. )

• Shredded Carrots (fast hack - they come pre shredded in the store)

• 1 cucumber

• Then what else you would like rolled in it. You can put thin sliced green onion, avocado, and even change up the protein.

• I have used crab meat, I have used a breaded shrimp (cooked in airfryer- crispy) I have also used regular shrimp. 

Preparation

1. Prepare the rice. If you are using the bag then microwave per instructions.
   I used one jasmine rice and one cauliflower rice.

   
   
   

2. When done, pour out into a wide mouth bowl, so you can mix the two together and then spread out to cool. 

3. As cooling pour over the vinegar and the sweetener / sugar. 

4. Mix gently and as you mix spread it out, very gently to cool. Set in the fridge while you prep the rest. You could also just prep this and put up for a later time in the day. 

5. Then do the Spicy Tuna. Open can and drain, break up, put in sriracha and then the mayonnaise and carefully mix. Put also in the fridge until ready. 

   
   
   

6. Cut up the rest of what you would like in your sushi roll or bowl.

7. When ready, lay down you seaweed paper -nori and lay the rice as a thin layer and then right below the middle you add your filling, thinly and evenly all the way down, Then start to roll. I just free rolled. starting from bottom up, come up over the tuna and then roll forward. Placing seam side down.

   
   
   

8. Like I said before I have also been know to just make it in a bowl and use the seaweed snacks as a little single sushi bites.

This all turned out really delicious and so affordable. It is just the prep time that takes the most. A Lot can be prepped and put up for when you are ready. I can last maybe a day. So eat it fresh. 

WW Notes

For those on WW this hack of half rice and half cauliflower really cut my points.  For me this was 3 points a roll.

Living Your Best Life and doing what feels good for you and your family is the secret to a beautiful life.

Keep it simple.

Stay well and safe

Welcome to my journey

Louise

Collard Greens with Italian Sausage and Black Eyed Peas

 

Collard Greens with Italian Sausage and Black Eyed Peas

Ingredients

Collards - I used 1 large already prepared collards in the bag. If you buy them un-prepped just cut out the spine and cut into bite size pieces. Remember they shrink as they cook. 

Italian Sausage - 1 package of 5-6 ( mild or spicy) I find spicy to give a better taste.

Black Eyed Peas - 2 cans (no need to rinse) *you could also use your favorite bean

Chicken Broth -  4 cup container (or 4 cups of water and a little more chicken bouillon)

Onion - ½ cup minced

Garlic - ¼ cup minced (I always use more)

• Optional - Red Pepper Flakes - sprinkle just a bit for spice

Apple Cider Vinegar - ¼ cup

Chicken Bouillon - 1 tablespoon of Better than Boullion or 2 bouillon cubes

How to Cook

There are two processes that you can cook these. One is in the Instant Pot or the Crockpot. I will do both

Both are the same load in. Do Not Stir Yet

Pour in Chicken Broth.

Mix in your bouillon.

Pour in your Collards (they will fill to the top).

Pour in minced Onion.

Pour in minced Garlic.

Pour in your Black Eyed Peas.

Pour in your Apple Cider Vinegar.

Lay your Italian Sausage right on top and push down. 

For the Crock Pot

Lay your Italian Sausage on top and push down. 

Get Lid on.

High for 6 hours. Low for 8

A few hours in the beginning you can go in and stir this up because it will be all melted down. 

About an hour before remove the sausage and break up. It should just fall apart. Stir back in.

For the Instant Pot

Lay your Italian Sausage in and push and push. Needs to be near the fill line on the pot.

Then you can close it up.

Close Vent 

Pressure cook for 25 minutes

When finished release pressure.

Remove sausage and break it up and put back in.

Stir everything up.

*** Taste either way you cooked them. Sometimes, it needs a bit of spice, lemon, salt, or even a bit more of chicken bouillon.

I serve mine with a little more hot sauce. I love it with spicy sausage also. Ham or bacon works really well in these also.