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How to Make a Healthier Chili

If your family enjoys eating chili, but you don’t like the high amount of salt, fat, and calories, that doesn’t mean you can’t serve it. You just need to re-think how it is prepared and change a few of its components. The following tips will help you to make a healthier chili.

Use Ground Turkey Instead of Beef

An easy way to take your original chili recipe and make it just a bit healthier is to make the switch to chicken or turkey for the chili. Beef tends to be a little higher in both fat and calories, so just by switching to lean poultry, you are cutting the calorie content considerably. If you want it to resemble a traditional chili as much as possible, you can use ground turkey instead of sliced turkey in the chili. You can even do half ground beef and half ground turkey to get that beef flavor, but still make it a little healthier.

Add Lots of Veggies

Another simple way to turn your chili into one that is better for your family and more nutritious is by going with more veggies. Most chili recipes only use a small number of vegetables along with the meat and beans, but you can double or even triple the veggies. It will turn into a thicker and heartier chili. Try adding extra veggies like onions, carrots, celery, bell peppers, tomatoes, and even squash or pumpkin if you are making it during the fall season.

Double Up on the Beans

Your chili can also be made healthier by adding beans or even doubling up on them. A traditional Texas chili uses seasonings and all meat, but you can cut the meat content in half and add beans for a hearty, delicious, and healthier chili. This combined with your added veggies will give you a chili that tastes good but is better for you. It will be packed full of vitamins, nutrients, and lots of fiber and protein as well.

Try Adding Some Whole Grains

Your chili can also use some extra whole grains. The grains are going to add more protein and fiber, along with other nutrients. They help to make you feel full so you can eat less of the chili, while helping you to reduce how much meat goes in the chili. They can also replace the meat entirely for a vegetarian chili. Grains like quinoa or rice will also thicken it up.

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