When I’m craving comfort food, sometimes I go for the real deal, and sometimes I want a healthier, lighter option. Using sweet potatoes as the replacement for the tortilla chips adds nutritional value and a healthier source of carbs and fiber to the nachos. I went light on the cheese and upped my protein by using steak instead of beans or chicken.
These nachos are such an awesome lunch, dinner, party snack, late night snack, whatever you need it to be. They are filling, healthy, full of protein, veggies, and fiber.
RECIPE
Carne Asada Nachos (serves 2)
Preheat oven to 400. Meanwhile, slice 1 sweet potato into 1/8 inch rounds. Put on prepared baking sheet spaced apart and spray oil and salt and pepper on top. Bake for 22-25 min, flipping halfway
The steak: I used a sirloin filet. Season it with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and cumin. Broil for a couple minutes on each side, or until internal temp reaches at least 145.
When the sweet potatoes are done and browned, place them all touching. Sprinkle on queso fresco and/or shredded Mexican blend cheese, the steak chopped up, and sliced jalepeños if you like spicy like me! Black beans are also really good on this.
Bake for an additional 5-8 minutes at 400.
Take out, top with pico de gallo and scallions. Enjoy!
Step by step photos below!
Let me know your favorite nachos toppings! I’m always trying new things. Leave it in the comments or on Instagram @healthfulchel❤
I am surprised to say that I am sorry that my vegan week is over. For those that don’t follow me on Instagram, I challenged myself and my husband to go 7 days of eating purely vegan foods. The purpose of this experiment was not because I wanted to become a full time vegan. I just wanted to try new recipes, new proteins, and learn something about the way my body reacted to a week of purely plant based living. We already eat very healthy, and this experience was for curiosities sake as well! Here is my experience.
It was nice having a label to the week, although I don’t like labels. The reason I say it was nice having a label is because it was easy to pin down what recipes I wanted to make. Instead of just looking up “healthy recipes”, I could type in vegan Asian food, or vegan Mexican food, or whatever I was in the mood for or whatever I wanted to plan for the week. It really narrowed down my choices and helped me to find flavors and ingredients that I would enjoy.
I noticed that I was full more quickly after meals then I was normally. My husband and I were both surprised by that, seeing as we didn’t feel that we were eating as much protein. However the vegetables were very filling and there were more of them in each meal then we were used to. Also, I notice that I was snacking a lot less. Usually around the 3 or 4 o’clock mark of the day I am ready for a snack. I need something small to make it to dinner. However during this week I did not snack nearly as much. This sometimes became a problem because I felt like I should be eating more. Yes the vegetables were more filling, however sometimes I needed more calories in my day since I lift weights almost every day. If we were to do this again which I would like to, I would definitely want to add even more protein than I did this time period or come up with some quick vegan snacks I could have during the day.
Over the course of the week I made stir fry with a delicious sauce over rice, vegan curry with sweet potatoes, tofu sofritas bowls, banana bread muffins, a vegan oatmeal ,vegan egg rolls, homemade vegan burgers, and a vegan chili. (Recipes are all at the bottom of this post.)
I can honestly say I have never liked tofu but using it in my vegan egg rolls and sofritas this week was a game changer. I love to crumbling it up and having the sauce soak in to each and every tiny crumbled. It was so flavorful and the texture was perfect. That is something I will be adding to my meal prep going forward.
I also learned that I really didn’t miss meat dairy or eggs as much as I thought I would. I didn’t crave any of those things and I enjoyed the challenge of looking for something different to add as my protein.Now I don’t think my husband, the avid hunter, would agree with that statement for himself. However I am very proud of him for embarking on this week long challenge with me.
I would say that my favorite recipes that I made were the vegan curry, and the sofritas bowls. We had never added sweet potato to curry before and it’s soaked up the curry sauces so nicely and made it really filling. I loosely based my curry off of Cookie and Kate’s recipe. The Chipotle sauce for the sofritas bowls was absolutely delicious. I got the recipe from A Pinch Of Yum. I will definitely be making that again. I dare say it was better than Chipotle.
I feel like this is something I would like to do once in a while, just to try new things as I said before as well as challenge myself to Add more plant based recipes into my day-to-day life. If you have any plant based or vegan recipes that you love please email me at healthfulchel@gmail.com, or DM me on Instagram @healthfulchel. I look forward to learning more about a vegan lifestyle and incorporating it into my life in my own way.
When I have been reading about self-care lately, I can’t help but think…how do these people afford this EVERY Sunday? Fancy non-toxic manicures, 8$ matcha lattes, massages, collagen eye masks, the list goes on and on.
Don’t get me wrong, I love all of those things! BUT! It IS possible to create self-care without breaking the bank.
So, here are some ideas to treat yo’ self. I believe that self-care doesn’t always have to be about BUYING things, or have to be super time consuming. It’s about making some alone time for just you, even if it’s just 5 minutes.
Bathtub, and wine.
Coffee by yourself outside with a book or podcast.
DIY facemask – just honey! Or if you’d like to purchase a super affordable one, my favorite is Aztec Healing Clay. I got it on Amazon for 6 bucks. It lasts forever.
Play an instrument.
Take a solo walk through a new trail or park WITHOUT headphones.
Coloring – a great meditation technique as well.
At home yoga practice.
Write down 10 things you are grateful for.
Spend time making a healthy meal for yourself or your family that YOU enjoy.
Watch that movie/show on Netflix you’ve been meaning to dive into.
Blast some music
Read wellness blogs for new ideas 😊
What are your favorite affordable self-care ideas?
These one bowl dinners are easy to make, can be meal prepped ahead, and are relatively low in carbs, higher in healthy fats. Hopefully these combinations of ingredients will help you to implement something new into your meal prep routine.
Enjoy!
Organic spinach topped with sliced chicken sausage, chopped then roasted yellow beets and sweet potatoes, some goat cheese, and a homemade tahini dressing.
Organic spinach topped with quinoa, homemade guac, mango salsa, black beans, edamame, and fresh jalepeños.
Organic kale and spinach topped with microgreens, pumpkin seeds, diced red onion, diced bell peppers, and hemp seeds.
Organic chopped kale topped with shredded carrots, sliced red onion, pine nuts, and a fancy avocado rose.
Organic chopped kale topped with a skin on, bone in chicken thigh, roasted asparagus, and roasted carrots, with a homemade tahini dressing.
Organic chopped kale topped with walnuts, shredded carrots, sliced red onion, and dried cranberries.
Organic spinach topped with sauteed eggplant, roasted delicata squash, roasted sweet potatoes, avocado, sesame seeds, and a homemade sriracha tahini sauce.
Notice a pattern? I ALWAYS start with a base of leafy greens in my bowls. It just adds volume and extra vitamins and nutrients to my meal.
Tahini dressing recipe: equal parts tahini and lemon juice (about 1-2 tbsp), dash of olive oil, salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
If you’re reading this, you’re probably a mom, looking for a way to make some extra $$$ while you take care of your little human.
So you can do things like this:
Personally, as a military spouse and a mama, it can be challenging to follow your spouse around the world following their dreams/career, and to keep reinventing yourself and your career if you choose.
First, identify your needs and goals. For me, I knew I wanted to leave my job as an early childhood consultant and stay home with Odin. However, I also wanted to contribute financially to the family, but only if I could do it using my talents and passions, and not use a babysitter. Seems impossible right? It’s not. Here’s what I did:
1. Establish community: I made friends, signed up for a kids yoga teacher training, joined a fitness studio, and the YMCA. I made myself known for exactly who I am with no BS, and the magic started to happen.
2. Identify your passions: I realized if I wanted to do something special with my life, I had identify those things I am good at. Teaching is my passion so I started there.
3. GO FOR IT: I made flyers to teach piano, with a very honest approach stating that my son would be present. People were SO supportive of my goal to teach and care for my son. I quickly had many students lined up! I also reached out to the local Yoga studio and started a kids yoga program which I teach, AND I can bring my son with me if I need to. Additionally, I babysit 2 mornings a week at my house for my lovely friends children whom I adore. It is a win win for everyone. I make a little extra cash, they get to work without a toddler in their grill.
I hope this helps you recognize your amazing talents and passions, and know that you have SO much to offer. A stay at home mom side hustle can be done, no pyramid scheme needed!
Healthful Chel 