I am a sucker for Taco Tuesday, or should we say Taco every day? Why? Because tacos are tasty AND are one of the easiest meals to prep in a pinch. You just need some meat, veggies, salsa, rice, beans, and BOOM, dinner is served. This time around I decided I would try my hand at stuffed peppers. It seemed like a good idea to get my tacos with some extra veggies this week because we all could use more of those in our lives, you know?
These stuffed peppers were super easy to make and delicious even microwaved the next day. They are gluten-free, can be Whole 30 approved (omit the cheese & beans) and all around just real (good) food. The best part is, most of the ingredients will be in your house, fridge or pantry unless of course, you leave your cabinets and refrigerator empty, and then I fear for your last minute dinner needs. Perhaps you need a Sassy pantry staples list? Maybe if you tell me you’re interested I’ll make you one.
I am not usually a fan of ground turkey, but when used correctly it can be a tasty meal with a high protein kick. Turkey is a lean meat that is found in most grocery stores and freezes well so you can always have it on hand for dinners like this one!
Lean Meat You Say?
It may be obvious that I eat meat, and I do. However, I do not eat meat at every meal ( I know, disappointing!). It would be expensive for sure BUT it’s mostly because I can’t always stomach meat at every meal, and that’s okay. I do strive to get protein at every meal, which we can talk about at a later date.
For a while, I was not into ground turkey. Mostly because when I think of ground turkey I think of dryness and sadness, which is sometimes the case. I made a turkey burger a few weeks back (it’s delicious by the way) and ever since have decided to give it a second chance.
Turkey is an excellent source of protein, something that everyone tends to need more of (myself included). It is also a relatively LEAN meat. This means that the meat is not high in fat and contains more protein per bite, which is excellent news. The other good news is that animals tend to store toxins in their fat and thus the quality of meat matters far more when we are buying cuts of meat that are high in fat. While quality IS important no matter what, it is known that fat is where a lot of the issues lie (no, fat is not bad, just quality of fat is important)
Now, this does not mean you always have to buy lean meat and avoid fattier cuts, it just means that when your budget and/or your resources are lacking, a lean cut of meat is going to be a healthier way to go. If you can find it locally from a farm, even better, but sometimes reality is you have 5 minutes to pop into your local grocery store and rush home to your hangry family, and it’s okay. Lean meat fills you up and is easy to find, win-win.
Veggies At Every Dang Meal
Aside from these stuffed peppers being a good source of protein, they are also packed with veggies. The best part is that these veggies are masked by spices, salsa & meat. For those that don’t love veggies, this might be a nice foray into the veggie kingdom. Everyone loves taco, so why not make a taco healthier by adding veggies and putting it IN a veggie? Mind blown.
Ideally, we should all be eating more vegetables. That is one area across the board that we can agree upon no matter what diet philosophy you follow…unless of course you’re into that new Carnivore diet, which I have a lot to say about, but not right now.
So, eat your veggies at every meal but find ways to do so that are enjoyable. Make vegetables work for you instead of working for your vegetables, you got it?
Cook Once, Eat Twice
Sure, it would be nice to cook a new meal every night, but who has the time? If you do, then more power to you! The reality is most of us are strapped for time and we need real food to be fast in order for it to be sustainable. We forget that sometimes we should cook once and eat twice by doubling a recipe or just finding a recipe that makes more than we are used to.
These peppers lasted us 3 nights, and we eat a lot! They are rich in protein and fiber that are satiating. I topped mine with some avocado to increase the fat & fiber content and JJ ate his with a side of rice for more carbs, because he’s a growing boy, just kidding 😉
Pro tip: You can make the turkey mixture of this recipe and put it in taco shells, in a taco salad or combined with rice and it makes an easy and tasty weeknight meal! Don’t have cauliflower rice? No big deal, just omit it or use regular rice instead. I buy my cauliflower rice in the freezer section because ain’t nobody got time for the mess of making it.
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