We have a few weeks left of summer and I am taking full advantage in the kitchen.  I'm whipping up light and healthy meals that I can grill up for a fast dinner almost every night of the week right now.  With kids back at school and vacations officially over for the year, schedules are getting busier and busier and no one has the time to worry about dinner.  My grilled pineapple and shrimp skewers are super healthy and fast and you can feel great about feeding them to your entire family.  

I'm in the final weeks of pregnancy, and one of my goals has been to eat super healthy not only for the baby, but also for me!  I need my energy levels up because there is so much to do over the next month and the better I eat, the better I feel!  This is true when I am not pregnant too, especially during these last days of summer where the heat is still at a high!  

If you haven't ever grilled your pineapple, you are in for a pleasant surprise!  The natural sugars in the pineapple caramelize when cooked on the grill and the fruit gets even sweeter with a slight smoky flavor.  That paired with marinated shrimp makes for the perfect skewer!  

Dinner can be on the table in under 30 minutes and it's low calorie, gluten free, and is such a family friendly meal!  This is my kind of clean eating, where the ingredients are fresh and the flavor isn't lacking!

Ingredients:

• 1 Lb. Shrimp, peeled and de-veined

• 1 Fresh Pineapple, peeled and cored

• 1 Red Onion

• 1 Jalapeno

• 1 Tbsp. Cumin

• Juice from 2 Limes (about 1/4 Cup)

• 1 1/2 Tsp. Kosher Salt

• 1 Tsp. Pepper

• 4 Chopped Cloves of Garlic

• 1 Tbsp. Canola or Vegetable Oil

Directions:

• If using wooden skewers, soak the skewers in water for at least 30 minutes prior to grilling.

• In a plastic zipper bag, combine cleaned shrimp, jalapeno, cumin, lime juice, oil, salt and pepper, and garlic and shake to coat the shrimp well. Let marinate in the fridge while you prepare other skewer ingredients.

• Chop the pineapple and red onion into one inch pieces.

• Preheat your grill to 350 degrees, or to medium heat. You can also use an indoor grill pan as well.

• Assemble skewers by layering shrimp, pineapple, jalapeno slices, and red onion until each skewer is full. Leave about 2 inches on each side of the skewer so that no ingredients fall off.

• Spoon the leftover marinade onto the shrimp.

• Grill each skewer about 5 minutes on each side until shrimp are cooked through and you have good grill marks on your shrimp and pineapple.

• Serve immediately.

Optional:  Serve over rice or with a salad.

This meal is gorgeous, healthy, and easy.  It's a winning combination and I'm super excited for you to try it out!