A few weeks ago I went to a 1-day conference put on by Ladies Home Journal in New York. I learned some great stuff but, more importantly, I connected with people in person. That’s always the best part of an event! One of those people was Lisa Cain from Snack Girl. Lisa is great – I could talk to her for hours! Her blog is all about eating healthy food and she breaks down the nutritional content of all the recipes on her blog. Since you totally don’t get that from me, I thought it would be fun to share a bit of Lisa with you today with a guest post! Enjoy and be sure to check out her blog!
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Snack Girl posted this chili recipe with pumpkin last year and people are still talking about it. Yes, it was a hit.
Why add pumpkin to your chili?
It’s cheap, easy, and has 763% of your daily value of vitamin A in one cup (and only 83 calories). You can sneak a bunch of nutrition into food by adding pumpkin.
After creating a no-bake pumpkin cookie and a pumpkin smoothie, I decided to try a savory dish. This chili recipe below is the healthiest chili (with meat) that I have ever made. It boasts 28% of your daily value of iron, 45% of your daily value of vitamin C, and 293% of your daily value of vitamin A per serving.
This is like a nutritional “rock star” chili. I used ground turkey breast because it is low in saturated fat, and beans, corn, and tomatoes to up the vegetable content.
I did think the flavor was nice, but missing the depth of a beef chili. I might sneak a wee bit of cheese on top of mine to make it taste a bit more luxurious. The pumpkin made it a great color and added a creaminess to the chili.
As we greet fall, it is time to stock up on cans of nutritious pumpkin.
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil (such as canola, sunflower, etc.)
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 pound ground turkey breast meat
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 small can diced green chili peppers
- 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 cup corn kernels, frozen or fresh
- 1 28 ounce can tomatoes
- 1 can cooked pumpkin
- salt and pepper to taste
- In a large saucepan, heat oil and add onion. When onion has softened add turkey and cook until cooked through (should look white). Add the rest of the ingredients and taste to adjust seasonings. Simmer for 10 minutes and seve.
- For one serving = 268 calories, 4.7 g fat, 32 g carbohydrates, 8.7 g sugar, 26.3 g protein, 10.2 g fiber, 399 mg sodium, 6 Points+
- Points+ values are calculated by Snack Girl and are provided for information only.
Hi! My name is Jane Maynard and you've landed yourself on my blog, This Week for Dinner™. Every Sunday I share a weekly menu...and count on you to share yours! You'll also find other deliciousness that I hope you'll enjoy!
My girlfriend has sent me some of her favorite food blogs. I’m recuperating from knee surgery and am off my feet. Her favorites include your and also one called “Cooking With Mr. C.” I just Liked him on Facebook so I can get daily recipes. Your blog looks sensational. I look forward to your posts. Shelly
well, that is so sweet I was on her list of favorites. thank you for your comment and your nice words!
good luck with your recovery – sending you happy, healing vibes!
jane
I add pumpkin too. =) Love the texture it gives and the kids don’t complain!
I think I need to get on the pumpkin chili bandwagon! 🙂
Adding pumpkin is such a great way to add extra vitamins to chili. This looks like the perfect cold weather meal!
This sounds amazing! Especially with the addition of pumpkin!! This chili is the perfect warmer for this time of year.
Mmmm sounds warming and comforting!
I’m sending this one to my sister. She loves to cook and this one is right up her alley. The photo makes me think of curling up by a fire. Gorgeous.
I can never get tired of ANY kind of chili! This sounds amazing with pumpkin!
I have lots of fresh pumpkins. How would 1 can of canned pumpkin transfer to fresh pumpkin?
this article and chart from better home and gardens is great for converting to fresh pumpkin!
http://www.bhg.com/advice/food/substituions/how-do-i-use-fresh-pumpkin-in-a-recipe/
Thank you for that link, that is very helpful! I know what I will be doing this week. Converting pumpkin to pumpkin puree for the winter!
you’re welcome! I bet it would freeze well, too! you’re lucky to have so much! 🙂
What is the exact portion size. 1/2 cup or 1 cup? Just curious so I can enter it into myfitnesspal.
The portion size is one cup. Sorry I forgot to include it. I hope you like the recipe!
Lisa AKA Snack Girl
Very nice!
http://www.recipeschat.com