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| Mar 07, 2014
Happy National Nutrition Month! Every March we get the opportunity to remind you of the importance of eating right. The theme this year is "Enjoy the Taste of Eating Right," which is so important, isn't it? Everyone wants to enjoy the food that they are eating, and I think many people incorrectly assume that eating healthy means their food won't taste good. Oh man, I'm so glad that's not true. I love food, but I want to feed my family well, so healthy AND tasty are equally important.
Consumer research shows that taste is the number one reason that one food is purchased over another. Other social, emotional and health factors also play a role, but people prefer to eat the foods they enjoy. It IS possible to eat healthy foods that are delicious! It just takes a little work to find some healthy recipes that you enjoy, which, lucky for you, is one of my favorite hobbies!
Two of my favorite things are Chipotle (the restaurant) and the slow cooker. In fact, I'm having Chipotle for a friend's birthday lunch tomorrow, and last week I made FOUR dinners in the slow cooker. LOVE them both. I was so excited to run across and try this new recipe. It's basically making your own burrito bowl (a la Chipotle) at home. Did you know the flour burrito shell at Chipotle is 300 calories and 690 mg of sodium? And that's without anything in it! Try this recipe to enjoy the flavors of Chipotle, but for fewer calories, much less sodium, and enough food for plenty of leftovers (you can even freeze it for another time). Adjust the spices to please the kids, as needed. I recommend using brown rice and reduced fat cheese, for an even better nutrition profile and equally delicious taste.
Thanks to the blog Budget Bytes for this delicious and budget-friendly recipe. Before I give you the recipe, keep in mind that I would love to talk nutrition with you, as would my colleagues at the LifeCenter. Please join the GLC dietitians at the annual Nutrition Fair on Saturday, March 22 from 9:30-11:30 in Studio 3. We'll have lots of healthy eating information for you, some healthy snacks and raffle prizes. If you prefer to meet with a dietitian individually, we are offering $10 off a nutrition consultation in March as well. Hope to see you soon!
Prep time 10 mins
Cook time 8 hours
Total time 8 hours 10 mins
Total Cost: $10.66
Cost Per Serving: $1.33
Serves: 9
Ingredients
- 1½ lbs. chicken breasts $2.90
- 1 (16 oz.) jar salsa $1.99
- 1 (15 oz.) can black beans, drained $1.19
- ½ lb. (8 oz.) frozen corn $0.57
- 1 Tbsp chili powder $0.15
- ½ Tbsp cumin $0.07
- ½ Tbsp minced garlic $0.10
- ½ tsp dried oregano $0.03
- ¼ tsp cayenne pepper $0.02
- ¼ tsp salt $0.02
- to taste cracked pepper $0.02
- 2 cups dry rice $0.66
- 8 oz. shredded cheddar $2.49
- ½ bunch cilantro (optional) $0.45
Instructions
- Add everything except the rice, cheese, and cilantro to the slow cooker along with ¼ cup of water (for good measure). Give everything a good stir and make sure the chicken is covered in the mixture.
- Secure the lid on your slow cooker and cook on low for 8 hrs.
- Near the end of the cooking time, cook the two cups of rice according to the package directions (Bring the rice and 3 cups of water to a boil in a medium pot with a lid in place, as soon as it reaches a boil, reduced the heat to low and let simmer for 20 minutes. Fluff with a fork before serving).
- After 8 hours of cooking, carefully remove the lid of the slow cooker. Stir with a fork to shred the chicken (it should be super tender and will shred easily). Build the taco bowls by placing rice on the bottom, then the taco chicken mix, shredded cheese and fresh cilantro.
Healthy Regards,
kate
