beef picadillo with black beans Archives

Maren Ostlund

I taught middle school band for twelve years. At 38 I started lifting weights at the YMCA down the hill, mostly because my back hurt and my doctor suggested it. Somebody at the gym told me to track what I ate for a week. I did. I was eating 58 grams of protein a day, which is roughly one chicken breast and a lot of crackers.Every plan I found told me to eat grilled chicken, rice and broccoli. I tried it for eleven days. I hated it. My husband hated it. My kids ate cereal for dinner twice.So I stopped looking for diet food and went back to what I already cooked. Shepherd's pie. Chicken and dumplings. Baked ziti. Breakfast that is not a shake. I kept the dish and changed the math: more of the protein, less of the filler, cottage cheese where it would hide, lentils in the ground meat, Greek yogurt instead of half the cream.

1 Result

Overhead shot of beef picadillo studded with black beans, olives and raisins in a black skillet on a wood board

High Protein Dinner

Skillet Black Bean Beef Picadillo with Olives and Raisins

Maren Ostlund October 31, 2026October 31, 202610 min read

Brown lean beef with olives, raisins and cumin, then simmer with black beans. This skillet picadillo has 40 g protein per serving and takes 45 minutes.