June 28, 2017
Taco’s a dish, that I’m sure everyone is familiar with. To the people that eat tacos weekly or to the people who have tried them once, I wanted to remind everyone that this crowd pleasing dish can be quite healthy.
“Staying Healthy with Nutrition” by Elson M. Haas, MD, speaks about the “Ideal Diet” for everyone. It consists of 5 food groups (in this order):
- Produce (lettuce, tomatoes, onions)
- Grains (whole wheat or corn tortillas)
- Proteins (ground Meat)
- Calcium (cheese, sour cream)
- Oils (olive oil, avocado)
A taco dish delivers a serving from each of these food groups. On those busy evenings, you don’t have to settle for take-out as tacos can be ready in as little as 20 minutes.
Taco Tuesday Anyone?
I like using ground beef for tacos. Beef is a great source for amino acids and vitamin B12. These nutrients have many benefits including boosting immune system and producing energy.
I like substituting chopped spinach for chopped lettuce. It is a sneaky way of getting children to eat their spinach. With all of the other toppings combined, my children don’t seem to notice the difference.
When you are looking to bring the entire family together for dinner, I recommend serving tacos. Tacos are something that all kids big and small can enjoy.
Taco Seasoning
- 1 ½ tsp chili powder1 tsp cumin1 tsp paprika1 tsp onion powder1 tsp garlic1 tsp oregano
- Optional: sprinkle
- red pepper flakes
Tacos
- 1 Tbsp. Olive Oil
- 1lb. Lean Ground Beef
- 1 Diced Onion
- 1 Cup Tomatoes
- 1 Cup Lettuce (or spinach for extra nutrients)
- Diced green onions
- 1 Cup Cheese
- 1 Avocado
- Whole wheat tortillas
Instructions
- Drizzle olive oil in frying pan. Brown meat in frying pan on medium heat; stirring frequently until juices run clear.
- Add chopped onion and taco seasoning to the browned beef; cook for an additional 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Remove beef mixture from heat.
- Chop lettuce, dice green onions, dice tomatoes, chop avocado, and shred cheese (to save time do this while beef is cooking) and place in appropriate serving bowls.
- Place meat mixture in serving dish.
- Serve all toppings with whole wheat or corn tortillas.
Extra topping suggestions: sour cream, salsa, guacamole, ranch dressing.
Enjoy!
Nicole 🙂
