Taco night. What is better???
I don’t think I ever met a person who isn’t psyched for taco night!
As a mom, I love it for two reasons. First, it’s dang delicious! Second, it’s dang easy!! All I need is that taco kit that has everything included (shells, seasoning and sauce), a pound of ground turkey (or beef), and toppings like shredded cheddar, avocado, lettuce and tomatoes.
Complete dinner in 20 minutes.
All good, right?
Not really. I always knew in my heart that there IS a price we pay for this convenience but I kind of sort of shoved it aside and held my ears and said “la la la la” whenever the thought popped into my mind!
Buzz kill alert:
The seasoning in these taco kits contain maltodextrin and autolyzed yeast.
Autolyzed yeast is basically a less expensive form of MSG. It’s not as concentrated as pure MSG, but it still aint good!
Maltodextrin is a food additive that is approved by the FDA, but it is still highly processed.
According to healthline.com,
“Generally, maltodextrin comes from corn, rice, or potato starch. It also can be made from wheat. The starches are cooked and then acids or enzymes are added to break it down further, before resulting in a white powder.”
So although it is approved by the FDA and derived from plants, it hardly sounds natural to me!
Bottom line – these are processed ingredients which don’t do our bodies any good.
I finally bit the bullet and started experimenting with various recipes for homemade taco meat. With a little tenacity and a few bland taco nights, I came up with the perfect seasoning blend and let me tell you – it is GOOD! It’s REALLY good!!
So I broke up with taco kits. I had to. It wasn’t them. It was me. They never changed. I did. I just realized that my body and my family’s bodies deserved better. It was time for us to move on.
Are you ready to break up with them too? Give this seasoning a try and let me know!
Taco meat
Ingredients:
- 1 pound ground beef or ground turkey
- 1 can black beans (optional)
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (can omit if you don’t like kick)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1.5 teaspoons dried minced onion
- 1/2 teaspoon dried minced garlic
- 1/4 teaspoon oregano
- 1/2 cup chicken stock
Directions:
- Combine all of the spices in a bowl.
- Heat a large pan over medium heat. Crumble ground turkey or beef into the hot pan. Cook and stir until the meat is completely browned, about 10 minutes. Drain and discard any excess grease.
- Return the meat to the pan. Add the beans and combine. Pour the chicken broth and seasoning over the meat and beans and stir to combine. Bring to a simmer and cook until all of the broth absorbs into the meat, about 5 minutes.
- Serve in taco shells and add any toppings you love.
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I will try this!! You rock Laura!