Healthy Tacos with Ground Beef, Turkey, and Veggies

Serves 6 (4 tacos per serving)

Here’s a meal you can feel good about serving. It’s loaded with lean protein, healthy veggies, and lots of flavor. Once you taste it, you’ll know why it’s a favorite at my house.

Instead of using premade taco shells, I suggest oven baking low-fat corn or gluten-free tortillas for more healthful shells. Preheat the oven to 350°F, lightly spray olive oil on both sides of each tortilla, and drape each shell over two metal strips on the oven rack (so they fold like a taco shell). Bake them for 8 to 10 minutes or until just crispy. Keep an eye on the tortillas because they can go from crispy to burnt quickly.

Taco Filling

Ingredients:

• 8 ounces extra-lean ground beef
• 8 ounces extra-lean ground turkey breast
• 1/2 cup sweet onion, finely diced
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup zucchini, shredded
• 1/2 cup carrots, shredded
• 1/2 cup cauliflower, shredded or finely chopped
• 1/2 cup mushrooms, shredded or finely chopped
• 1 10-ounce can diced tomatoes
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

Directions:

1. Put beef, turkey, and onions in a large skillet over medium heat.
2. Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally while breaking up chunks of meat.
3. When meat is thoroughly cooked, add garlic, and cook for 2 more minutes.
4. Add zucchini, carrots, cauliflower, mushrooms, tomatoes, and seasonings to the meat and onion mixture. Continue cooking over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for an additional 4 to 6 minutes, until most of the tomato liquid is gone.

Additional ingredients for tacos (choose your favorites):

• 3 cups shredded romaine lettuce
• 3/4 cup shredded reduced-fat cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese (approximately 3 ounces)
• 3/4 cup diced fresh tomatoes
• 3/4 cup prepared, low-sodium salsa
• 1/4 cup diced red onion
• 1 10-ounce can fat-free refried beans

Assemble tacos by filling each shell with 2 to 3 tablespoons of the meat mixture and 1 tablespoon or so of your favorite toppings.

Nutritional information per serving: 156 calories, 7 g fat (3 g saturated), 6 g carbohydrates, 2 g fiber, 17 g protein, 41 mg cholesterol, 131 mg sodium, 3 g sugar (Nutritional values are calculated for taco filling, not including additional ingredients.)

Note: Nutritional values are estimates only and may vary according to freshness of ingredients, methods of preparation, and other factors.