Dietitians Dish – November 09, 2020
Take the Chill Off… with Chili!
Chili is another seasonal favorite comfort food that can be made healthier. All it takes is simple swaps or the right recipe to follow. With the right combination of ingredients mixed into the chili, you might only need a serving of fruit to create a MyPlate balanced meal.
• Add a variety of beans
• Choose a lean (90% or higher) ground meat
• Make it blenditarian by cooking ground meat with finely diced mushrooms
• Add extra veggies to increase valuable nutrients that benefit immunity
These are just a few ideas for making this comfort food better-for-you. Did you know that cooked tomatoes are one of the best sources of lycopene; an antioxidant that helps to protect against environmental damage to body cells? With the variety of veggies, beans and tomatoes in this lean turkey chili, you’re sure to please everyone around the dinner table.
Hearty & Healthy Turkey Chili
Ingredients:
- 2 Tbsps. olive oil
- 2 green or red bell peppers, chopped
- 2 medium celery stalks, chopped
- 2 medium yellow onions, chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/4 cup chili powder
- 4 tsps. minced jalapeño pepper
- 1 tsp. ground cumin
- 1 tsp. ground red pepper
- 3 lbs. 93% lean ground turkey
- 1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste
- 1 can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes
- 2 cups less-sodium chicken broth
- 1 can (15.5 ounces) no salt added cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 can (15.5 ounces) no salt added red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- Optional garnishes:sour cream or plain Greek yogurt, shredded cheese, diced avocado
Directions:
- In a large saucepot, heat oil over medium heat. Add bell peppers, celery and onions; cook 8 minutes or until vegetables begin to soften, stirring frequently. Stir in garlic, chili powder, jalapeño, cumin and ground red pepper; cook 1 minute.
- Increase heat to medium-high. Add turkey and cook 8 minutes or until browned, breaking up meat with side of wooden spoon. Stir in tomato paste; cook 1 minute. Stir in tomatoes and broth; heat to simmering. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover and cook 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in beans and cilantro; cook 5 minutes. Serve chili topped with garnishes, if desired. Makes about 16 cups so plenty of lunchtime leftovers!