Taco Tuesday Goes Healthy!

As a mom, sometimes eating healthy and trying to lose weight conflicts with what everyone else in our house wants. We are a family of 5 and it’s crazy talk to even think about making separate meals. My goal for eating healthy with my family is to plan meals that can easily be modified to be healthy. One of our family’s favorite traditions is Taco Tuesday.

Taco Tuesday is a new tradition in our household. In May 2015 I was forced to make some changes in my diet. My overall cholesterol was 234 and my triglycerides were 285 (eek!) and my doctor was about to put me on meds after several warnings and threats. I refused to accept that and found a new determination to win the battle with my health. And, among other things, that is how Taco Tuesdays evolved at our house. It allows me to eat healthy, yet it allows my husband and kids to enjoy tacos or quesadillas made their way. And my cholesterol is down; way down. Last check my overall cholesterol was 188 and my triglycerides were 75. I am winning the battle!

Taco Tuesdays also serve as super easy weeknight meals. Here are a few tips and recipes for how we do it at our house, in order to keep the fun inTaco Tuesday while keeping it healthy:

Substitute ground beef with lean ground turkey breast. On occasion, I will make a double batch and we have leftovers the next night and I have it for lunch at the office.
Make your own taco seasoning and reduce your sodium intake. You probably already have all of the spices and don’t even realize it. Here is a quick recipe that I use:
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon coriander
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
The fixings:
- Tomatoes, Salad Greens (lose the iceberg and replace it with spinach or other greens that offer more nutritional value), quinoa, beans, corn, greek yogurt (this replaces your sour cream), cheese, avocado, salsa, onion, and cilantro.
Baked corn tortilla chips! Yum! I use these to make nachos or just add them to my taco salad. It’s a bit healthier and it really feels like a treat for me. Here is the recipe (you may want to make extra because your family will steal them):
- Brush 2 corn tortillas with olive oil. Using a pizza slicer, cut each tortilla into fourths to make 8 chips. Place in a single layer on pan and sprinkle with sea salt. I prefer coarse sea salt on my chips. Bake at 400 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until brown.