Recently, we’ve gotten back into doing meal plans - a little easier now for us empty nesters, and a tool that has always worked extremely well. It takes the guesswork of the dreaded question "What do you want for dinner? ", plus, we waste fewer groceries this way, by just buying what we need. Whether it's workdays or a weekend, I still struggle with lunches. Speaking to many other families about what they do for lunches, this seems to be a common thing. Sandwiches are always the go-to, but when you are trying to each less bread, and less salt - it's hard to find a substitute.
Sean loves chili, but I wanted to find a way to make it much healthier for us. Chili is not only great to freeze ahead for other meals but something that is superb for lunches when we are at work.
If you are wanting a comforting, and oh-so-yummy dish - give this healthy chili a try.
Healthy Sweet Potato Turkey Chili
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 375 cal /serving
Ingredients:
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 small sweet onion
2 cloves garlic
1 lb ground turkey
4 cups sweet potato
2 tbsp. chili powder
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp paprika
2 tsp salt
3/4 tsp pepper
1/8 tsp cinnamon
28 oz crushed tomatoes (canned)
1 cup chicken broth
15 oz sweet whole kernel corn (canned, drained)
15 oz black beans (canned, drained)
Tortilla chips
Cilantro
Sour Cream (optional)
Cheese (optional)
Instructions:
1. In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, drizzle with olive oil. Add in the onions and garlic, and sauté over medium heat for 2-3 minutes. Then, add in ground turkey to the onions and cook over medium heat for about 6-8 minutes, or until the turkey is almost cooked through.
2. Add the sweet potatoes and sauté for another 2 minutes.
3. In a small bowl combine the chili powder, cumin, paprika, cinnamon, salt, and pepper. Mix to combine.
4. Pour crushed tomatoes, chicken broth, and seasoning ingredients into the chili mixture. Mix chili thoroughly and reduce to low.
5. Cover pot and let simmer for 20-25 minutes
6. Mix in drained corn and black beans. Cover and simmer for an additional 5-10 minutes
7. Serve chili alone, or over rice with tortilla chips, cilantro, and sour cream.
Try it for lunches. It makes for a filling meal and an easy heat up in the microwave.
Apple Walnut Quinoa Salad
We love this dish as a stand-alone for lunch or the perfect side dish for dinner. A wonderful addition to your thanksgiving supper.
Ingredients:
For the dressing:
1/3 cup olive oil
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp pure maple syrup
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 clove garlic, minced
Salt and pepper to taste
For the salad:
3 cups fresh spinach leaves
1 cup cooked quinoa
1 1/2 cups chopped apples (we like Honeycrisp)
1/3 cup cranberries
1/3 cup crumbled goat cheese (or feta)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions:
1. Make the maple mustard dressing. In a small bowl whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, mustard, garlic, salt, and pepper. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, add the spinach, cooked quinoa, apples, dried cranberries, goat cheese, and walnuts. Toss until salad is combined.
3. Drizzle dressing over salad, and toss.
I hope you love these recipes as much as we do. Try them out! Take them to work for a healthy lunch or an easy meal on those busy work nights.
Enjoy!
Tracy x
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