Maybe this comes as second nature to some people, but it took me a while to figure it out. One day as I was sitting planning my meals for the week and writing out my shopping list, I got "cook's block". I could not for the life of me figure out what to make for dinner one night. I love experimenting and trying new recipes, but every meal can't be a gourmet feast. As much as I love to cook, after working long hours, sometimes you just want something fast, easy and mindless. And then it hit me: Tacos!
Who doesn't love tacos? I mean really. They're yummy, and a hit with kids and husbands alike. And now there are lots of ways to make them healthier and add some nutritional punches that no one will even notice.
I make mine with "soy crumbles", or textured vegetable protein, basically fake meat. Mostly because we don't eat a lot of meat. I'm not saying fake meat is any healthier than regular meat. We eat more vegetarian food because I don't think you need to have meat every day (you really don't) and also because I want to make sure we get the best meat out there, 100% grass fed and pastured meat, totally organic. 100% grass fed meat costs more, so we eat less meat, but the meat we do eat is wonderful.
So go ahead and pick your protein, be it grass fed beef or veggie crumbles. Tacos are a great place to use ground turkey or chicken because you season them really well. (Again I recommend pastured turkeys and chickens.) You could make them with fish or just use beans.
Skip the packets of taco seasoning you find next to the shells, most of them contain MSG and a whole lot of other unnecessary and unhealthy additives. Experiment to make your own seasoning mix or buy a good quality blend from a spice trader, my favorite is Savory Spice Shop http://savoryspiceshop.com/ and they ship anywhere.
Now you can find whole grain taco shells, and some stores carry organic whole grain shells. Or if you prefer soft tacos, finding whole grain or multi grain organic tortillas is really easy, most mainstream stores carry them now. And the plus is they don't cost that much more than generic, and they're much healthier for you.
As for toppings, be creative and do what you like, but I tend to be fairly traditional with my tacos. I like lettuce (try Romaine or something other than iceberg for better nutrition), tomatoes, salsa and cheese. Try making your own fresh salsa, so much better than jarred versions, plus when you make your own you don't have to add the sugar that most brands have in them. And if you have an avocado on hand, add some slices of that for some extra nutritional punch and taste!
It's easy to update a classic meal to be more healthy, and it couldn't be faster to make! And that's our goal right? Healthy, fast, and easy meals to feed our families.
Basic Salsa recipe:
- 6 chopped roma tomatoes (or tomato of your choice)
- 4 cloves minced garlic
- 1 seeded and minced jalepeno pepper (add more for more heat or try different kinds of chiles)
- 1 small red onion, chopped
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 lime, juiced
- Chile powder, salt and pepper to taste
- Chopped cilantro, scallions or parsley to taste
Mix all ingredients and let sit for at least half an hour for flavors to blend. Enjoy!
You can make the salsa any way you like by adding other vegetables (corn, beans, carrots, radishes) and different kinds of peppers and spice.
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