Tacos are so bad ass, aren’t they?! They have a day of the week named after them, they have t-shirts, they have food trucks, and for most people – they have their hearts!
I think tacos are one of almost everyone’s favorite foods, or on the top 10 list. Small little street tacos full of carnitas on grilled corn tortillas, or the double stuffed tacos I used to be in love with at a spot growing up in Northwest Indiana where they took 2 small flour tortillas and stuffed them with cheese. I got the steak with sour cream and I can seriously still taste it – sooooo damn good! UGH!
While dairy doesn’t love me like I love it, I do tough it out from time to time and throw down on things like I mentioned above. It comes at a price for my body, so I try to spread out the fun, yet booooy do I love it and miss it!
In my latter and healthier years here, I still have an affinity for tacos, and I’ve gotta say – the creativity that I have brought to taco seasoning and ways to make them healthier, is bomb.
Not only do I use my grass-fed (and/or organic) ground beef to make some delectable meat filling, I have also started adding veggies to the meat. I eat it with or without tortillas (regular or in chip form), and love it just the same.
During my paleo and AIP days, I found Siete Family Foods’ products. They sell their products at Whole Foods, Thrive Market, Publix, Target and natural grocers here and there. They’re a family business started by a girl named Veronica who struggled with autoimmune disorders as a child, and their products are the jam! They’re made with minimal ingredients and have no junk or BS in them as the whole point was to help heal her from her autoimmune issues attacking her body. They’re all gluten and corn free and they use cassava and almond flours as a replacement. Siete has all things Mexican, and if you’re not familiar with them, you need to join the familia ahora!
I use their chips to make nachos, or just eat as a snack, and their taco seasoning IS THE SHIT! No seriously, I have never enjoyed any tacos as much as I have using their seasoning. I get mild cause I’m a wimp, they do make a spicy option for those with a more sophisticated pallet. They also make dairy free queso dip that’s cashew based. While I have to watch the amount of cashews my stomach ingests, it is pretty freaking good. And if you suffer from autoimmune diseases or issues, rest assured that you can bring Mexican back to your life thanks to Siete Family Foods!
Some ways I’ve made healthier tacos are listed below. Try them and let me know your thoughts….
- Add raw green cabbage – I do this two ways. 1) I chop up raw cabbage and use it as a base to top with taco meat and any taco topics that you want or are allowed (cheese, tomatoes, onions, jalapeños, etc). The cabbage doesn’t have a ton of flavor, and it actually almost mimics tortilla chips as it provides a major crunch effect! 2) I chop the raw cabbage and pop it into the taco meat after it’s done cooking. I generally let the meat cool down a bit so that the cabbage doesn’t cook down too much – yet either way?! The cabbage just mixes right in with the taco seasoning and pics up the flavoring perfectly! It’s a great way to get in a very beneficial veggie. *No lie – I barely ever ate cabbage my entire life until the last 2 years…and now, I love it!
- Add riced cauliflower – I actually just discovered this this week. I added plan riced cauliflower to my leftover taco meat and stirred it all up. Not sure why I never considered it before, yet it just picked up the taco seasoning and you’d never even notice it’s in there! For those with families trying to make meals healthier for their kids, adding cauliflower is perfect as it adds a veggie and helps you save money by making the taco filling go further.
- Add onions and carrots – I’m sure this goes without saying, yet I almost always add diced onions to the ground beef as it browns. I’m sure you do, too! I also have added in finely chopped carrots, as well. Ever thought of that?! They just cook down and even add in a bit of sweetness?!
- Black beans – For those of you that don’t eat meat, or for a meatless taco option, I actually love seasoning black beans with taco seasoning! It’s perfect to cook them with some taco seasoning and onions. You can do the same things mentioned above by serving them over cabbage or Siete chips, etc.
As always, please do your best to eat organic foods and high quality meats. If Siete isn’t an option for you (even though you can buy directly from their website with a discount for your first purchase), please choose a taco seasoning WITHOUT sugars or gluten. You can surely find one at your local natural grocer or Target, Whole Foods, Lucky’s, Sprouts, etc!
Cheers to healthy-ish taco night! Nothing to feel guilty about anymore…