Healthier Chip Free Nachos

Healthier Nachos don't have to be loaded down with chips and this recipe proves it!

Who doesn't love some nachos?!! Not many would be able to refuse if they were sitting right in front of you. Not so helpful when trying to lose weight or maintain it right? Not anymore! You can still enjoy the pleasure of nacho sharing with friends when you make it at home. And C'mon....isn't it about what you put on top of chips that make the nachos fantastic?!! Skip the chips and replace with fresh veggies that are easy to hold and be happy. The end. 🙂

When I started to think about the Super Bowl coming up and game day type food, it got me thinking that finger foods are where it's at. No one wants to sit down at the table; instead they'd rather eat in front of the TV to watch the game.  Making a healthier version of nachos has always been on my mind and the Super Bowl prompted my desire to bring you a waist conscious, but still yummy recipe that you'd be happy to share with friends.

I enjoyed the crunch of the fresh cut veggies with all the nacho toppings over them. My hubby is less of a fan of the crunch from raw veggies and would have preferred if I had blanched them a  bit or even baked them. The one issue with precooking the veggies is that you don't want to over cook them and end up with veggies you can't pick up and eat with your fingers. But if that's something you don't care about and would rather eat these with a fork and knife then simply steam them untill tender or blanch them in boiling salted water for a few minutes. Then layer the filling as the recipe suggests.

If you're not a fan of fennel you could easily replace it with celery stalks instead. But honestly the fennel is the perfect scooper for nachos!

 Share these healthier nachos and amaze your friends with how good healthy can really be!

Notes on Recipe:

• Since I knew my children probably wouldn't eat the nachos (1 child out of three did)  I wanted to make sure to have enough filling so that they could have tacos instead.
• If you would like left over filling like the bowl you see in the picture to use as tacos or just to have extra filling for another day,  uses 1 ½ pounds of ground turkey with 1 (15.5ounce) can of black beans and 2 cups of salsa. Double the amount of each seasonings as well.
• Nutrition Info is without additional toppings.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe Rate this Recipe

No ratings yet

Healthier Chip Free Nachos

Prep Time15 minutes mins

Cook Time5 minutes mins

Total Time20 minutes mins

Course: Appetizer

Servings: 8

Calories: 144kcal

Author: Brenda Bennett | Sugar-Free Mom

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going to sleep

Ingredients

• ¾ pound ground turkey
• ½ teaspoon ground cumin
• ½ teaspoon paprika
• ½ teaspoon onion powder
• ½ teaspoon garlic salt
• ½ teaspoon pepper
• 1 teaspoons chili powder
• ½ cup black beans rinsed and drained
• 1 cup salsa mild or medium
• 1 cup red pepper sliced
• 1 cup yellow pepper sliced
• 1 fennel bulb outer layer removed, sliced in half
• ½ cup zucchini sliced
• 1 cup Mexican shredded cheese
• Optional: jalapeño green chilies, sour cream, avocado

Instructions

• Cook ground turkey over medium high heat until browned.
• Add seasonings. Stir to combine.
• Add black beans and salsa and cook until warmed through. Set aside.
• Place fresh cut veggies onto a serving platter that can be baked or microwaved. Top veggies with meat mixture.
• Sprinkle shredded cheese over all.
• Bake for 15 minutes at 350 degrees or until cheese is melted or microwave for 5 minutes.
• Add optional toppings and enjoy!

Notes

Weight Watchers PointsPlus: 6*

Nutrition

Serving: 4ounces | Calories: 144kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 36mg | Sodium: 515mg | Potassium: 493mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 1070IU | Vitamin C: 63.4mg | Calcium: 124mg | Iron: 1.3mg

Tried this recipe?Mention @sugarfreemom and tag #sugarfreemom, I'd love to see your dish!

About Brenda

Brenda Bennett is a certified Nutritional Therapy Practitioner, certified Sugar Detox Coach, certified Keto Coach and certified Life Coach. She has been Sugar Free & Refined carb free for 17 years and has written 2 cookbooks, Sugar-Free Mom, and Naturally Keto and her 3rd book The 30-Day Sugar Elimination Diet, is a four part program to help you detox from sugar, eliminate cravings, balance blood sugar and lose weight all while eating a delicious, nutrient dense whole foods. Meal plan offers two tracks to follow, low carb or keto. She is the founder of the Sugar Free Fresh Start course and Sugar Free Tribe weight loss membership. Learn more.