How healthy is beef chili?

Traditional beef chili can be decently healthy but also high in saturated fat, depending on what type of ground beef you use or if it uses other high-fat meats like pork sausage and bacon. This healthy beef chili recipe calls for lean ground beef (90/10) and beans to add protein but keep it low in fat!

What can I add to chili to make it healthier?

I love sneaking veggies into chili to make it healthier. This recipe uses shredded zucchini and finely diced mushrooms but you wouldn't even know they're in there! Other ingredients you could add include shredded sweet potato or carrots.

Can you taste the extra veggies in this chili?

Not at all! With the amounts in the recipe combined with how finely they're diced/shredded, they basically "melt" into the chili and you don't even know they're there.

Healthy Beef Chili Recipe - The Perfect Pear

Healthy Beef Chili Recipe

Print Recipe

5 from 2 reviews

Everyone needs a good healthy beef chili recipe to look forward to on those chilly fall and winter days, right?! This chili is packed with veggies that you won’t even realize are in there! Plus it’s high in protein and fiber, which will keep you full for hours.

Author: Lauren
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 60 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Yield: 6 cups 1x
Category: Lunch, Dinner
Method: Stovetop
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Units Scale

1lb lean ground beef (90/10)
1 medium yellow onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 large zucchini, finely shredded
1 cup mushrooms, finely diced
1 bell pepper (any color), seeded and diced
1 jalapeno, seeded and diced
2–14.5oz cans kidney beans, rinsed and drained
2 cups vegetable broth (chicken or beef broth work too!)
1 cup (197g) lentils, rinsed
2 Tbsp chili powder
2 1/2 tsp cumin
2 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper

Instructions

Brown ground beef in a large pot over medium high heat.
Add onion, garlic, zucchini, mushrooms, bell pepper, and jalapeno. Cook until veggies have softened.
Stir in seasonings.
Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat and simmer for an hour, or until chili has reached desired thickness.
Enjoy!

Notes

Toppings: low-fat sour cream or plain Greek yogurt, reduced-fat cheddar cheese, lime wedges, and/or green onions
Keep the jalapeno seeds for a spicier chili (or even use a spicier pepper if you like it really spicy!)
You can use another cup of lentils in lieu of beef to make it vegan!
Store in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 cup
Calories: 333
Sugar: 9
Sodium: 1459
Fat: 10
Saturated Fat: 3
Unsaturated Fat: 7
Carbohydrates: 40
Fiber: 13
Protein: 28
Cholesterol: 47

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Find it online: https://the-perfect-pear.com/healthy-beef-chili-recipe/