Mexican Taco Salad Minus The Extra Calories

OK, you don't need me to tell you that if your Mexican Taco salad comes in a ginormous greasy shell, it's probably not calorie-friendly and is not low in fat. Taco salads often contain disturbing amounts of calories and fat.  

       

Serving Size: 1 salad (including shell)

Calories: 945

Fat: 57g

Carbs: 72g

Sodium: 1,910mg

Fiber: 12g

Sugars: 8g

Protein: 38g

The numbers here are so staggeringly high that you may find them hard to believe. Looks like the  grease-soaked shell, heaps of fatty beef, handfuls of cheese, and gobs of sour cream add up after all. 

Bottom line: Don't order taco salads when eating out. Instead, make them at home using this delicious and healthy recipe. Your entire family will enjoy this twist on their favorite Mexican meal.  

Servings 3 (2 bowls per serving)

Prep Time - 10 min, Cook Time - 15 min, Total Time - 25 min.

Ingredients:

6 - 6” Tortillas (I used Mission Extra Thin Yellow Corn Tortillas)

Cooking Spray

½ lb Lean Ground Turkey or shredded chicken

½ packet of Taco Seasoning

1/3 c water

3 tbsp Reduced Fat Shredded Mexican Cheese

2 tbsp Tostito's chunky salsa

Shredded Lettuce

6 Grape Tomatoes, quartered

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

2. Sprinkle each tortilla lightly with water and stack them on a plate. Cover the top with another plate that is turned upside down and microwave the tortillas for 1 minute or until warm. 

3. Turn two 12 cup muffin pans upside down. Mist each side of a tortilla lightly with cooking spray and center it in the space between 4 muffin cups, creating a bowl. Repeat with the 5 remaining tortillas, forming 3 bowls on each tin. Bake in the oven for 8-10 minutes.

4. While the tortilla bowls are baking, spray a large skillet with cooking spray and add the ground turkey and brown. Add 1/3 cup of water and taco seasoning, bring to a boil and then reduce heat to simmer 3-4 minutes.

5. Let the tortilla bowls cool for a few minutes after removing them from the oven. 

6. In each bowl, layer ¼ cup of meat, 1 tbsp of shredded cheese, 1 tsp of taco sauce, 4 quarters of grape tomato and some shredded lettuce (of course in any order you choose).

Nutrition Facts:

Servings – 2 bowls, Calories - 274.0, Cholesterol - 63.7 mg, Sodium - 384.8 mg, Total Carbohydrate - 8.1 g Protein – 17.8 g