KID APPROVED! Lime Garlic Shrimp – 2 pts

As I adopted the “Skinny People Do” approach to my cooking, I noticed my daughter’s increased lack of interest in eating vegetables.

The problem was two fold.

First, she was born in the “South” and spends every summer there. Now, I absolutely love southern cuisine. But I also realize that vegetables don’t always have to be smothered, covered, chunked, or fried…especially if you want to reap the nutritional benefits of eating them! So eating vegetables that actually taste like vegetables isn’t appealing to her.

Second, she seems to have a freakishly sensitive gag reflex. Really! The irritation that I experience trying to force her to clean her plate is getting to be ridiculous! (what happens?)

Little did I know, making a small change in my meals would help change my daughter’s appreciation for vegetables.

One of my Weight Watchers group members suggested that I start eating a small salad before dinner. They said it would help cut my appetite, leading to less consumption of higher calorie foods.

Eventually, I began eating just a salad topped with whatever lean protein we were having for dinner that night. The more salads my daughter saw me eat, the more interested she became in eating salads, including the raw vegetables they were made of.

This recipe is one of her favorites.  Hopefully your kids will eat it up too!

(Adopted from Oprah’s website)

Servings: Makes 4 servings

Ingredients

• 4 limes
• 3 cloves garlic , minced
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 2 lbs medium shrimp peeled and de-veined

Directions

Using a zester or vegetable peeler, zest 3 limes (about 1 tablespoon); place in a glass dish large enough to hold shrimp. Juice same limes (about 1/2 cup juice), then pour into dish. Add garlic, ½ olive oil, salt and pepper to taste, and shrimp. Toss gently and refrigerate 30 to 45 minutes.

Add remaining olive oil to a large skillet and heat.  Place shrimp in skillet; sprinkle with additional salt and pepper, if desired. Sautee shrimp 2 to 3 minutes on each side, just until curled and pink in color, then remove them from the heat. Place 7 or 8 shrimp on top of a salad. Enjoy with your favorite dressing (dressing points not included in calculation)!