Meatless Tex-Mex Bowls
While I am a carnivore at heart, I do love a good meatless meal. The American Heart Association’s recommendations with meat, poultry, and, eggs are 8-9 servings a week. If you are eating 3 square meals daily, then you have to go without meat or animal proteins for more than half of your meals to have a well-balanced diet.
If you consume a breakfast burrito one morning that has both eggs and sausage, that is 2 servings of animal protein and you’ve already eaten 1/4 of your weekly recommended animal protein intake.
The science behind this is that animal proteins tend to be higher in saturated fats, which is one of the leading causes of obesity and heart disease. Even lean meats such as skinless chicken and salmon have small amounts of saturated fats.
So, when I find a good meatless meal, I grin from ear-to-ear. Now, this Tex-Mex bowl can easily be made with animal proteins such as chicken, or lean ground beef that has been seasoned with taco seasoning. BUT…in my humble opinion, this meal is tastier without any animal proteins.
Meatless Tex-Mex Bowl
Ingredients
- 6 cups sweet potatoes skinned and chopped
- 10 oz black beans drained and rinsed
- 3 cups corn frozen
- 1 large jalapeno diced
- 1½ cups quinoa cooked
- 2 medium avocados sliced
- 2 Tbsp taco seasoning
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 2 Tbsp onion bits dried
- avocado oil
- salt and pepper
- black olives optional
- cheese optional
- salsa optional
- tomatos optional
- lettuce optional
- cilantro optional
- tomatillo dressing optional
Instructions
- On a baking sheet, scatter the sweet potatoes and the jalapeno. Drizzle avocado oil over top and sprinkle the taco seasoning over that. Toss to combine. Place in a preheated 400°F oven and bake for 20-30 minutes until the sweet potatoes are soft.
- While the sweet potatoes bake, in one pan on the stove, add in the black beans, the garlic powder, and the dried onion bits. Let warm and then add 1/3 cup of water. Simmer and stir occasionally until the beans have absorbed some of the water. In another pan, drizzle with avocado oil and add in the frozen corn. Stir occasionally while the corn begins to toast.
- When the sweet potatoes are finished, begin adding ingredients into the bowl. Potatoes on the bottom then top with desired toppings. Serve immediately.
Nutrition
I enjoyed this meal so much, I’m already planning on having it for lunch. It does take some time to prepare, but once it is all pulled together it is extremely easy to assemble.
Do you have a meatless meal that is a favorite? If you recreate this recipe, tag me! I’d love to see your take on this meal. Hope y’all are having an amazing week!
