Wellness Wednesday: Turkey Taco lettuce Wraps!

Turkey Taco Lettuce Wraps

Love Taco Tuesday but don't love all the carbs? Check out this simple and healthy way to get your taco fix any day of the week! 

Ground Turkey: Substituting ground beef for turkey changes up the flavor of your meal. Ground turkey is low in calories but high in protein, it also contains less saturated fat and cholesterol then ground beef. When cooking with turkey make sure that the meat is cooked thoroughly with a temperature of 165 degrees F. Subbing ground turkey for beef also helps us enjoy our favorite foods while cutting down on red meat. 

Ingredients:

• 1 lb ground turkey (leaner the better. Look for 95% lean ground turkey)
• 3/4 cup yellow onion (green onions add a fun taste as well)
• 1-2 cloves of garlic (depending on your preference)
• Jar of chunky salsa (homemade is always better but for a quick meal grab a jar at the store)
• 1/2 packet Taco seasoning (low sodium)
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 Tbsp olive oil or avocado oil
• Iceburg or Romain lettuce leaves (please wash!)

Toppings: Add anything you like on your tacos here are some suggestions.

• Shredded cheese
• dices tomatoes
• avocado
• cilantro 
• light sour cream (optional) 
• Lime

Instructions: 

1. In a medium skillet turn on medium heat and put olive oil in the pan. After pan is heated put in ground turkey. Break up the turkey with a wooden spoon to consistent size pieces to insure even cooking. After a couple minutes add in garlic, cumin, and taco seasoning. Add some water if needed. 
2. While turkey is cooking cut up topping for the tacos and wash and dry lettuce leaves (set aside). 
3. When the turkey is almost done drain excess water and oil and stir in 1/4 or 1/2 of the jar of salsa. Cook for a couple minutes and remove from heat. 
4. Place lettuce wraps on a plate or platter and start with a spoonful of mixture and spread evenly along the lettuce wrap. (Don't fill it too full of meat because you still have all your toppings!)
5. Add toppings like onion, diced tomatoes, cilantro, cheese, avocado and a small dollop of sour cream or more salsa depending on preference. 
6. Lastly squeeze some lime on top and serve!

Serve tacos with a side of black beans and some sweet corn. Black beans are high in protein as well as fiber, folate, potassium, and vitamin B6 to support digestive and heart health. 

Another thing that is great about this recipe is it can be transformed in many ways. For example if you don't want to use the lettuce as a wrap chop it up into a salad and top with your turkey mixture and top with additional toppings. This is also a great idea for leftovers. 

Try this and let us know what you think! 

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