Slow Cooker Taco Soup

I made this the other night and it just might feed an army! If you're not one that can eat leftovers for days, then you can freeze this for a quick meal later. I used what I had on hand, but you can improvise with fresh/cleaner ingredients by nixing the canned stuff.


Ingredients

• 1 lb ground turkey
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 cups, dry black beans
• 1 can (14.5 oz) whole tomatoes, undrained
• 1 can (14.5 oz) corn, undrained
• 1 can (14.5 oz) tomatoes with peppers (Rotel or something similar)
• 1 package taco seasoning mix (I used McCormick's)
• 1 1/2 cups water
• Suggested toppings: avocado, cheese, plain Greek yogurt, corn tortillas, hot sauce

Directions

1. Brown meat in a large sauce pan; rinse and drain.
2. Add meat and the remaining ingredients (except toppings) to a large slow cooker.
3. Cook on low heat for 6-8 hours, or on high heat for 3-4 hours.
4. Serve warm with any of the suggested toppings.

Nutrition (per serving)
Makes 12 servings.
Calories: 168
Fat: 3
Carbs: 24
Protein: 14
Sugars: 6
Fiber: 5

The nutrition info doesn't include any toppings. I added sliced avocado and hot sauce to mine, but the kiddo isn't a soup fan; so he enjoyed having cheese and tortilla slices in his. Greek yogurt is also a great, high protein and low fat alternative to sour cream.

Breakfast: My Top 5 Picks

 

Breakfast is by far my favorite meal of the day. If I could eat breakfast for each meal with out feeling guilty, then I would certainly do it. Breakfast is also "the most important meal of the day," so I guess I'm lucky to love it so much! If you aren't convinced that breakfast is the most important meal, then here's a way to understand it. Breakfast is just what is says, breaking the fast. Your body has just undergone hopefully a 7-9 hour fast while you were sleeping. We have learned that "fasts" can actually slow our metabolisms. Of course you can't and shouldn't eat while you are sleeping - rest is essential to your health. But you should eat breakfast within an hour of waking up. Some have the misconception that skipping breakfast will help cut their caloric intake for the day, but it actually does more harm than help. Aside from slowing your metabolism, skipping a meal will also increase your risk of overeating throughout the day. Not to mention, you're body and brain can't function as well without the nutrients it needs from breakfast. Can a car run without gas? Of course not! So, why should you expect that your body can run without the fuel it needs?

If you are in a breakfast rut, or think that a bowl of Lucky Charms will be the breakfast cure, then here is a list of my top 5 breakfast picks. Enjoy!

1. Blueberry Almond Oats
 

 

Oatmeal cooked in unsweetened vanilla almond milk (or water), topped with almond butter, ground flax, and blueberries.

• 1/2 cup oatmeal
• 3/4 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk (or 1 cup of water)
• 1 tb almond butter
• 1 tb ground flax
• 1/3 cup blueberries

2. Cran-apple Oats

Oatmeal cooked in unsweetened vanilla almond milk (or water), topped with almond butter, ground flax, sliced apples, and dried cranberries.

• 1/2 cup oatmeal
• 3/4 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk (or 1 cup of water)
• 1 tb almond butter
• 1 tb ground flax
• 1/2  sliced apple, (cooked to soften, sprinkled with cinnamon)
• 1/2 - 1 tb dried cranberries

3. Banana Peanut Butter Oats
 

Oatmeal cooked in unsweetened vanilla almond milk (or water), unsweetened cocoa mixed in, topped with peanut butter, ground flax, and sliced banana.

• 1/2 cup oatmeal
• 3/4 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk (or 1 cup of water)
• 1 tb almond butter or peanut butter
• 1 tb ground flax
• 1/2 sliced banana
• 1 tb unsweetened cocoa

4. Breakfast Protein Quinoa
Quinoa cooked in unsweetened vanilla almond milk, cinnamon, vanilla shakeology and egg whites, then topped with any of the above choices.

• 1/2 cup uncooked quinoa
• 1 cup almond milk 
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 2 egg whites 
• 1 scoop vanilla shakeology

5. Breakfast BET

  This is a bit like a BLT, but with egg instead of lettuce.  Toast with turkey bacon, scrambled egg whites, and tomato. You can load it up like a sandwich, or like pictured below. Also try adding salsa or avocado.

• 1-2 slices gluten free toast
• 2 egg whites, scrambled 
• 1 slice turkey bacon 
• 1/2 sliced tomato