Chili Changeups

 

There may be, somewhere, a few unfortunates who don't enjoy a hot bowl of chili on a cold afternoon. Pity them. For the rest of us, like pizza, chili is not always grand but it is always good. We're talking real chili here, not that canned and salt laden abomination you will find on grocery store shelves. It is very easy to make. It freezes well. And it is easily varied to suit your exact preferences.

It's not always exactly healthy though. But with just a few little tweaks, it is easily transformed into, if not a nutritional superstar, a healthy meal. Consider some of the following the next time you decide to cook up a batch.

Hot is your friend. The chili pepper adds some real health benefits as well as a spicy kick. Capsaicin - the ingredient that gives peppers their hotness - is very anti-inflammatory. It may also be mildly protective against some cancers and helps regulate blood sugar. So spice it up.

Tomatoes please. Most chili recipes already include tomatoes but you should add some even if it doesn't. Cooked tomatoes are a potent source of lycopene, a powerful anti-oxidant that studies have linked to reduced risk for cancers, diabetes and heart disease.

Beans, beans, the musical fruit*. Chili comes both with and without beans. Since beans reduce your risk of heart disease and high blood pressure and supply a lot of protein and fiber, choose with. 

Rethink the meat. Most chili is made with ground beef, which is arguably the least healthy ingredient in the whole dish. If you just must have ground beef, opt for the leanest grind you can get (90% lean or more). Or consider using a lean cut of steak cut up into small pieces. Or try ground turkey or even a plant-based meat substitute. Because the sauce is so strong, you may hardly know the difference and you will save yourself a lot of saturated fat.

Add vegetables. Really. It may sound sacrilegious to add anything more than an onion, but its not only a good idea, you may find you like it. Vegetables add more food volume with hardly any calories (beans have a lot) and also add more fiber and anti-oxidants. Celery, carrots, sweet potatoes, mushrooms, cauliflower and corn (technically a grain) are all good choices. And don't forget to top your bowl off with a few chunk of avocado (technically a fruit).

If you are not in the habit of making your own chili from scratch, here is a tasty and easy chili recipe to get you started. Experiment and make it your own.

*The more you eat, the more you toot.
  The more you toot, the better you feel.
   So eat your beans with every meal.