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Celebrate President’s Day with a Presidential Bowl of Chili

Insider's Viewpoint: Carrie Taylor, Big Y Foods, Inc.

Looking for a way to get more vegetables into your diet? Take a cue from President Barack Obama— make a pot of homemade chili! More than just a party food, chili can be a healthy meal chock full of colorful veggies and protein from legumes (dried beans, lentils, etc.) and lean meat. A great thing about chili is that it is easy to make and adaptable to varying tastes and ingredients you have on-hand.

When asked about his favorite potluck dish in an interview with Ari LeVaux for North Coast Journal, the then presidential candidate shared a chili recipe (below) that has been part of his culinary repertoire since college. Enjoy President Obama’s chili recipe as is or boost the nutritional benefits even further with a few additions.

  • Increase vegetable content with red, yellow and orange bell peppers or zucchini and summer squash.
  • Liven up legumes by adding an assortment of black, pinto, kidney and garbanzo beans.
  • For a heart-healthy punch, replace turkey with soy protein crumbles. This substitution can increase each serving’s soy protein content to about 11 ½ grams!

Barack’s Chili
Serving Size: 1 cup Serves: 9
Ingredients:

  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 1 green pepper, chopped
  • Several cloves of garlic, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 pound ground turkey or beef
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
  • ¼ teaspoon ground oregano
  • ¼ teaspoon ground basil
  • 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • Several tomatoes, depending on size, chopped
  • 1 can red kidney beans
Directions:

  1. Sauté onions, green pepper and garlic in olive oil until soft.
  2. Add ground meat and brown.
  3. Combine spices together into a mixture, then add to ground meat.
  4. Add red wine vinegar.
  5. Add tomatoes and let simmer, until tomatoes cook down.
  6. Add kidney beans and cook for a few more minutes.
  7. Serve over white or brown rice. Garnish with grated cheddar cheese, onions and sour cream.

Whatever your favorite veggie, legume and lean meat combination, a tasty cup of homemade chili is a sure way to warm up your President’s Day celebration.

Carrie Taylor, RD, LDN
Corporate Dietitian
Big Y Foods, Inc.

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