Cajun Lime &Honey Pork Tenderloin

Inspired by a pintrest pin from: Don't go Bacon my Heart

What makes this a light bite?

• Butter → minimal olive oil + cornstarch slurry (huge cholesterol & sat fat drop)

• Honey → monk fruit blend or reduced honey (cuts sugar dramatically)

• Less oil overall, same cooking method

• Pork tenderloin stays — it’s already a lean, high-protein win

After a long weekend living at the rink, I’m officially ready to reset.

If you’ve ever survived a hockey tournament weekend, you already know how this goes. Early mornings, late nights, vending machines, snack bars, fast food between games… basically all the food that does absolutely nothing for your health goals. I stepped on the scale yesterday and—much to my dismay but honestly with zero surprise—I was up 1.5 lbs.

Moral of the story?Hockey tournaments are terrible for healthy eating… or at least make it incredibly hard to make good choices.

That said, I’m not throwing in the towel. Not even close. This is just part of the journey, and one weekend doesn’t undo all the work that came before it.

So this week, it’s back to simple, balanced meals that feel satisfying without completely derailing progress.

I also realized I haven’t posted much in the way of pork lately, and there’s a pretty simple reason for that—my son isn’t a huge fan. But every now and then, I like to shake things up, and this time I thought, why not give it a try?

This Cajun Honey Lime Pork Tenderloin checked a lot of boxes for me:

• Big flavour

• A little heat (because I love Cajun seasoning)

• Lean protein

• And easy enough for a weeknight reset meal

To keep things aligned with my goals, I swapped the honey for a honey alternative I picked up on Amazon, which cuts back on sugar without sacrificing that sweet balance. That said, if you’re not into sugar substitutes, no worries—this recipe already significantly reduces the amount of honey, so feel free to go that route instead.

Served up with mixed vegetables and roasted baby potatoes, this dish felt like a proper meal—comforting, flavourful, and still very much “on track.”

So yes… the scale went up. Yes… rink food wins sometimes.But we move forward, we adjust, and we keep cooking.

Because giving up was never on the menu. 💪🥘

Ingredients (Serves 4)

▢ 2 × 500g / 1 lb pork tenderloins, room temp

▢ 1½ – 2 tbsp Cajun seasoning (choose low-sodium if possible)

▢ 1 tbsp olive oil, divided

▢ 1 cup (240 ml) low-sodium chicken stock

▢ 2 tbsp honey OR 2–3 tbsp monk fruit/erythritol blend

▢ ½ lime, juice only

▢ 1 tsp cornstarch + 1 tbsp cold water (optional, for thickening)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 200°C / 390°F.

2. Pat pork dry and season all over with Cajun seasoning, rubbing it in well.

3. Heat ½ tbsp olive oil in a large oven-safe pan over high heat.Sear pork on all sides until lightly charred (about 4–5 minutes total).

4. Transfer pan to oven and roast for 12–14 minutes, until internal temp reaches 145°F / 63°C.Remove pork to a plate and let rest.

5. Place pan back on medium heat.Add chicken stock and simmer 1–2 minutes, scraping up all those flavour bits.

6. Stir in lime juice and sweetener (honey or monk fruit).If you want a thicker sauce, whisk in the cornstarch slurry and simmer 2–3 minutes until glossy and lightly thickened.

7. Add resting pork juices back into the pan, simmer 30 seconds.

8. Slice pork into ¾-inch pieces, coat with sauce, drizzle extra on top, and serve.

Serving Ideas (Keep It Light)

• Steamed green beans or broccoli

• Cauliflower mash or roasted zucchini

• Simple side salad with citrus vinaigrette

  
  

Approx Nutrition (per serving, no sides)

Calories: ~345–370 kcalProtein: ~48 g

Fat: ~9–11 gSaturated Fat: ~1.5 g

Cholesterol: ~95–105 mg

Carbs: ~6–8 g

Sugar: ~4–6 g (near zero if using monk fruit)