Bailey Bariatrics dietitian Rene Norman, RD/LD, shares a recipe for a heart-healthy chili in time for the American Heart Association’s Heart Month and upcoming Super Bowl Sunday.
February is the month of Super Bowl and National Heart Month. This is a great time make a heart-healthy chili to enjoy for Super Bowl Sunday. The Calorie Control Council projects that the average American will consume 1,200 calories and 50 grams of fat during the Super Bowl. That does not count in the calories and fat eaten during the rest of the day. Finding healthy alternatives is a must.
Here’s a recipe for chili that will leave you feel more full and satisfied than guilty. It uses ground turkey breast, which will have less fat than ground beef. Make sure you get ground turkey breast. The phrase “ground turkey” can mean it can have some of the skin ground in which is high in fat. The fat in beef is mostly saturated fat, which isn’t healthy for our hearts. Red kidney beans have fiber and antioxidants that are good for heart health. Olive oil is rich in healthy mono-unsaturated fats and tomatoes are rich antioxidants to help with overall health. Tomatoes also are a good source of potassium, which helps with blood pressure. Chili powder and herbs contribute antioxidants as well. Antioxidants are helpful chemicals that basically slow down the aging process.
Healthy toppings include low-fat shredded cheese or low-fat or fat-free sour cream or plain yogurt.
