Food for Fitness: Vegetarian Chili
As I have written before, nothing sounds better to me than a thick and juicy cheeseburger. My fiancé Jon shares my same sentiments towards the ground beef patty snuggled between to buns. Unfortunately, if we ate this tasty treat every day, our hearts and arteries would surely hate us.Therefore I try to substitute ground beef with ground turkey or chicken because they are both much leaner meats and both an excellent source of protein. We have encountered some brilliantly sunny days this spring, and we have taken full advantage of the incredible weather we have been given. We try to go hiking in the illustrious Blue Ridge Mountains at least twice weekly, and as of this week, Jon pulled out the grill I bought him last year so that we could start grilling out while on our natural adventures. As I have mentioned we love burgers, but another favorite of ours is a juicy out-of-the-park hotdog. Unfortunately, hot dogs have no nutritional value at all. However, there are alternatives; Smart Dogs by LightLife have zero grams of fat, 8 grams of protein, and at only 45 calories per serving make eating healthy taste great! One thing that is a must for our personal hot dog consumption is a savory chili. I have devised a vegetarian chili that is incredible. My meat loving fiancé loves it, and completely enjoys it on a vegetarian hot dog saying that he can hardly tell the difference! The tomatoes in the chili are an excellent source of antioxidants due to the amounts of lycopene which helps to protect the cells in your body and it has also been linked to the reduction of the risk of heart disease. The kidney beans in the chili are high in protein and fiber. The fiber available in these little red beans aid in stabilizing blood sugar while providing energy for your body to burn slowly. Here’s what you need to get started: 1 can of stewed tomatoes 1 small yellow onion 3 tbsp. Tostitos medium chunky salsa 1 can of red kidney or pinto beans 1 tsp. chili powder Splash of Tabasco sauce Pinch of salt Pinch of freshly ground black pepper Directions Open the can of stewed tomatoes and dice each individual tomato. You could use fresh tomatoes, but I prefer using stewed tomatoes because they have been stored with celery and bell peppers which give them a little extra zing. After you have diced them place them in a pot with the juice that is in the can and let them simmer on the stove top for a few minutes. Next, slice a couple of pieces off of your onion then finely dice them. Place them in the pot to simmer with the tomatoes. Take three tbsp. of salsa and mix it in with the tomatoes and onions. This adds additional flavor, and is easier than having to buy other veggies that you may not otherwise use. You can use any salsa that you prefer. Sprinkle a tsp. of chili powder into the pot followed by a splash of Tabasco. You can add more or less of these two ingredients to suit your taste. Add a pinch of salt and some freshly ground pepper. It’s better to use fresh pepper because it adds a savory punch to the chili. Let the chili simmer for about 10 minutes stirring from time to time. This chili has about 145 calories in a half cup serving, and is a great addition to a summer time, cookout staple. Bon Appetit! Fatima Meadows attends Appalachian State University. She made this chili by accident one evening when she was attempting to make a ratatouille. Her meat loving fiancé fell in love with it at first bite.
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