Sausage Dump & Bake

This sausage dump & bake dinner could not be easier to make, which is why it's the perfect winter meal! It requires 5 minutes of prep and works for 3-4 servings. It has 33g of protein per serving, is high in fiber from the chickpea pasta, is gluten-free, and won't spike your blood sugar. So I guess you could say this is the perfect winter dinner... and speaking of winter, this is for the winter of our body aka the menstrual phase.

This recipe is perfect for the menstrual phase because the star of the show is sausage (kale is also wonderful for menstruation), but also because of the cooking method. During your menstrual phase, you want to focus on warm, comforting cooking methods to warm up your uterus. From the nutrition side, you want to stock up on micronutrients that are the building blocks of blood. Your hormones are at their lowest levels and energy is low, so keep your blood sugar steady with low GI foods.

I typically like to cut down on my red meat consumption, but I do eat it when I’m on my period. Pork is a great source of iron, vitamin B12, and protein which are important to consume at this time. Iron and B-12 are essential for healthy red blood cells, and when you bleed, your body loses iron very quickly so you want to make sure to replenish these nutrients.

Kale is high in vitamin E which helps flush out estrogen and is an antioxidant that calms inflammation. I typically prefer to cook it because otherwise it contains goitrogens (which suppress thyroid function) and can contribute to PCOS. Vitamin E also contributes to healthy progesterone levels, which is important at this time of your cycle.