Easy, healthy Taco recipe

School started today for my littles so I’m officially back in the swing of things. I started my morning by cleaning out my desk, printing out new calendars and creating a plan for the next few months.

Speaking of plans, creating one for easy school lunches and dinners always feels like it needs to take on more of a priority this time of year – like I need to step it up, in a big way. Ahem, I’m officially boycotting the peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Let’s see if my kids survive….

I spent a long time yesterday updating my Pinterest page with healthy dinners that I can pull together quickly. New recipes like that are great but when it comes down to it, the best ones are the tried and true, like Tacos. Who doesn’t love taco night? But please, do me a favor and leave the days of Old El Paso behind …

Here are some great add-ins to make taco night healthier and more delicious:

  • First off, homemade taco seasoning is the way to go. If you’re not making it, you’re missing out. It’s way more flavorful and doesn’t have that strange orange color and the over abundance of salt. I use this recipe and love it.

  • Eat it as a salad or use a 100% corn tortilla wrap and you’re making another healthy choice. If you need that crunch, add a few chips to the side, but you’re better off not going with the store-bought taco shell.

  • Add in healthy greens like chopped kale or swiss chard instead of iceberg lettuce

  • Take the flavor up a notch and add in some extras like sweet potatoes, corn and black beans.

  • Top with salsa and chopped avocado and you’ve got a healthy, filling and delicious taco!

Here’s the recipe I use in my house and it’s a huge hit in my house:

Taco night recipe

Easy Healthy Tacos

Ingredients

  1. 1 pound high quality ground beef (or turkey)

  2. 1-2 cups chopped kale

  3. 1 sweet potato, cooked and diced

  4. 1 cup of sweet corn (or corn from 1 ear)

  5. 1 can black beans

  6. 2 Tbsp homemade taco seasoning

  7. 100% corn tortilla shells

  8. 1 avocado, chopped

  9. jar of salsa

Instructions

  1. Cook ground beef in large skillet over medium heat until browned. Add in 1 Tbsp of water, chopped kale, sweet potato, corn and black beans and cook until healed through. Stir occasionally to keep from burning and add more water if the mixture seems dry. Add 2 Tbsp of taco seasoning and stir to evenly coat.

  2. Divide among tortilla shells or eat as a salad. Top with salsa and avocado.

Kathryn Postulka