EatingWell: Simple swaps for a healthy taco salad
Published in Variety Menu
This gorgeous and colorful eight-layer taco salad recipe is made healthier by using ground turkey in place of beef, adding Greek yogurt and bumping up the amount of vegetables. Serve this salad in a clear glass bowl, and you'll have an eye-catching party-worthy dinner or potluck side in just 30 minutes.
Eight-Layer Taco Salad
Serves: 6
Serving size: About 1 2/3 cups
Active Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 pound 93-percent-lean ground turkey
2 tablespoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
1 avocado, pitted
1/2 cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt
1 1/2 cups crumbled unsalted tortilla chips
1 cup prepared salsa
1 (15-ounce) can pinto beans, rinsed
5 cups thinly sliced romaine lettuce
1/2 cup shredded Mexican cheese blend
1 medium tomato, chopped
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add turkey, chili powder and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring and breaking up lumps, until cooked through, about 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, mash avocado, yogurt and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt in a small bowl with a fork until smooth.
Transfer the turkey and any juice from the pan to a serving bowl. Layer chips, salsa, beans and lettuce over the turkey. Spread the avocado mixture over the lettuce. Top with cheese, then tomato.
Recipe nutrition: Per serving: 383 calories; 20 g fat (5 g sat, 7 g mono); 53 mg cholesterol; 29 g carbohydrate; 0 g added sugars; 2 g total sugars; 25 g protein; 8 g fiber; 630 mg sodium; 812 mg potassium.
Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin A (95 percent daily value), Folate (32 percent dv), Iron (24 percent dv), Potassium (23 percent dv), Magnesium (17 percent dv), Calcium & Vitamin C (16 percent dv)
1 1/2 Carbohydrate Serving(s)
Exchanges: 1 starch, 1 vegetable, 1/2 lean meat, 2 medium-fat meat, 1/2 high-fat meat, 1/2 fat
(EatingWell is a magazine and website devoted to healthy eating as a way of life. Online at www.eatingwell.com.)