Are you a fan of Mexican food? Nachos are one of my favourites and are on a regular rotation in our household.
Unfortunately, the fast-food Mexican options aren’t as great as you would expect when it comes to health. If you look at the ingredients and nutrition tables for fast-food Mexican places you will see high levels of salt and saturated fats. So even though fast food Mexican is probably better than buying fried food and burgers from some other fast food places, they can be done better and healthier when you make your own. And tastier IMHO.
I find Mexican food to be fairly easy to make as well. You may look at my long ingredients list and get a bit turned off. But it really doesn’t take very long to put it together. The other bonus is that you can make a big batch of the mince and veggies so that you have left-overs for more meals. This mix made us about 7 serves. We had 2 serves of nachos, 3 serves of chilli con-carne, and 2 serves of loaded potatoes. I was going to do tacos as another option, but I needed to use up some potatoes, so loaded potatoes was the winner.
Another thing I want to make note of is that you don’t need a lot of salt in guacamole. A white pepper can enhance the flavour, as well as the lime or lemon juice. Western society has a very unhealthy obsession with salt. I do enjoy salt, but I live without it as much as possible.
If you make this recipe, please leave a comment. I would love to hear how you made it and any changes you made.
Healthier Nachos
Quick, easy and delicious – a Mexican-inspired nachos night loaded with lean beef, hidden veggies, beans and creamy guacamole. A healthier spin on the takeaway version, with the same crunch and melty cheese the kids love.
Ingredients
- For the mince
- For the guacamole
- To serve
Method
- 1
Finely chop the carrot, zucchini and mushrooms in a food processor or Thermomix, keeping the pieces slightly chunky – a little smaller than the corn kernels.
- 2
Lightly spray a large saucepan with olive oil and brown the mince over high heat for about 10 minutes, stirring to break up any clumps.
- 3
Add the Mexican spice powder, tinned tomatoes, chopped vegetables, corn kernels, parsley or coriander and black beans. Simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- 4
While the mince simmers, make the guacamole: mash the avocado with the tomato, red onion, lemon or lime juice and white pepper.
- 5
Stir the refried beans through the mince mixture and heat for a further 5 minutes.
- 6
Layer the corn chips on a plate, then top with the cheese and hot mince mixture. Serve with the guacamole on the side, and chipotle Tabasco sauce if you like it hot.
Nutrition (per serving)
Estimated from the FSANZ Australian Food Composition Database. Actual values will vary depending on the specific products used — not a substitute for individual dietary advice.
