Honey Garlic Shrimp

Why Shrimp?

It’s a low calorie, protein- and nutrient-rich option. Four ounces of baked or broiled shrimp provides about 25 grams of protein, 135 calories and only 2 grams of fat. Not to mention it contains selenium, vitamin B12, phosphorus, choline, zinc, omega 3 fats and more.

Try this for an easy weeknight meal. You can adjust a few ingredients to make this work with your Paleo or Vegetarian eating plan

Worried about cholesterol?

The 220 milligrams of cholesterol contained in a 4-ounce serving of shrimp may be a concern if you have high cholesterol, but it doesn’t mean you should avoid shrimp. Dietary cholesterol doesn’t affect our cholesterol levels like we once thought. Go ahead and enjoy shrimp in moderation with reasonable portions.

What about mercury?

The Environmental Working Group has a nice guide for safe seafood consumption and classifies shrimp as a low mercury choice. So again, moderation is key.

Ingredients

• 1 pound medium raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1/3 cup honey (or coconut nectar)
• ¼ cup reduced sodium soy sauce (or coconut aminos) 
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Optional: 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
• Optional garnish: chopped green onions

Instructions

1. Whisk the honey, soy sauce, garlic, and ginger (optional) together in a medium-sized bowl
2. Place shrimp in a large zip-lock bag. Pour ½ of the marinade on top, seal and shake, and allow shrimp to marinate in the refrigerator for at least 15 minutes.
3. Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Place shrimp in skillet, cook on one side until no longer pink, about 45 seconds, then flip over. Pour in the remaining marinade and cook until shrimp is cooked through, about 1 minute more.
4. Top shrimp with the optional green onions for garnish.
   

We recommend enjoying this with a 1/3 – 1/2 cup serving of brown rice and 1 cup steamed vegetables for a Well Balanced Meal!

ALTERNATIVES:

• For a Paleo dish use coconut aminos in place of soy sauce. 
• For vegetarian use the honey ginger marinade with tofu instead of shrimp!
• If you don’t like fish use the honey ginger marinade with chicken breasts cut into small bite-size pieces and sautee in the pan.