Love Clean Eating Taco Night
Clean Eating Gluten-free Taco Night!
Well who doesn’t do taco night at their house. Around here we have to keep it gluten-free and of course try to “healthify” this fave comfort food. And making sure it is a clean eating gluten-free taco night.
I really love using ground bison more than ground beef in recipes. It’s leaner and doesn’t contain added hormones or antibiotics. I talk a little more about red meat and our gut bacteria below.
We’ve made shepherd’s pie with it, bison enchilada soup, and even Cajun dirty rice. And love it on taco night!
So even though tacos are a pretty simple thing to make – I wanted to share some of the gluten-free taco products I’ve come to love over the years, too. And how we’ve “cleaned up” this Tex-Mex favorite.
So here is basically what we need to make a taco gluten-free and a little bit healthier.
Gluten-Free Taco Shells & Seasoning Mix
So not all taco shells are created equal. We love these taco shells from Trader Joe’s! They are gluten-free, vegan and made with organic corn so you don’t have to worry about GMOs or glyphosate.
They taste great but the best part is that they don’t fall apart. A little salsa on the shell doesn’t break them. They are easy to bite into and they are super cheap. Love them.
Also, you’ll find that a lot of times when you eat Tex-Mex out, the crispy corn tortilla shells are fried in a contaminated fryer (where they also fry flour tortillas) so they are usually off limits. This way you can enjoy those delicious crispy tacos at home.
We’ve tried various gluten-free taco seasonings and even made our own blend from bulk spices. But spicy taco seasoning from Simply Organic and the Garden of Eatin’ Taco Kit seasoning (comes with organic yellow corn shells, too) are our faves.
Add-in Veggies
One of the things we also like to do to increase fiber, is to add in veggies to the taco meat.
It also stretches the taco filling so that we have lots of leftovers! Which makes for a great taco salad the next night. Or tacos for lunch.
You could probably add in any type of veggie you’d like but we love to use peppers. It adds another level of flavor and heat! Mushrooms are a great choice, too. I usually go with an organic green bell pepper, jalapeños, and a poblano pepper mixture.
We cook down the peppers first for about seven minutes before adding the bison. Then cook the meat for about 10 minutes before adding the taco seasoning. Once the meat mixture is ready, assemble the tacos. We usually add salsa, lettuce and tomatoes for me.
What’s The Beef?
Okay, like I said, I really prefer bison over ground beef because it is really lean (lower in saturated fat) and antibiotic/hormone free. And it tastes great – not gamey at all. Especially not with the taco seasoning. One of the nice things about cooking bison is that there really is never any fat to drain like there would be with beef.
Another interesting fact about fatty red meat is that it is linked to heart disease through your gut bacteria.
In The Good Gut, I learned that the more red meat you eat – the more it feeds a certain type of bacteria in your gut. Those bacteria produce a chemical called trimethylamine-N-oxide (TMAO).
The bacteria make the TMAO from a fat called phosphatidylcholine (also known as lecithin and carnitine) which is a component of meat. Researchers found that people with high levels of TMAO circulating in their blood were at a higher risk for heart attacks and strokes.
And that eating red meat all the time, can also lead to more bacteria that produce higher levels.
So we try to keep the red meat dinner limited to once a week and incorporate lots of veggies often. Unless we have some leftovers that work for a taco salad or lunch. Anyway, enjoy your healthified gluten-free taco night! 🙂
Want More Recipes Like These Clean Eating Gluten-Free Bison Tacos?
- Gluten-Free Herbed Meatballs
- “Healthified” Fried Chicken Salad
- Healthy Spinach Artichoke Dip
- Lime Pepper Beef Fajitas
- BBQ Chicken Tacos with Broccoli Slaw
- Clean Eating White Chicken Enchilada Casserole
- Bison Mushroom Burgers
- Tex-Mex Rice
“Healthified” Taco Night | Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 small green bell pepper
- 1 small poblano pepper
- 2 medium jalapeños
- 1 pound ground bison
- 1 package GF taco seasoning
- GF non-GMO corn taco shells
- 1 tomato, chopped
- lettuce, cut into ribbons
- GF salsa
- salt
Instructions
Wash and cut up all the peppers.
Pour the olive oil into a large skillet and turn the heat to medium. Add the peppers and cook for about 7 minutes so that they are tender, stirring occasionally.
Add the ground bison and break up with a wooden spatula. Cook until the meet is done, about 10 minutes.
Add the taco seasoning to water as per directions on the package, then add to the skillet. Cook until most of the water has disappeared and adjust salt to taste.
Meanwhile, heat your corn taco shells in the oven and prep your toppings. Cut the tomatoes (sprinkle with a little salt) and slice the lettuce into ribbons.
Assemble your tacos and add your favorite GF salsa.
