Vegetarian Tacos – Nutrition Hacks

September 1, 2021by Fiona O'Donnell

Favourite Foods

There really is nothing like the sight of beef chilli spilling out over the edge of a crunchy taco. The texture, the taste, the reality that this meal should never be eaten in front of a first date – these are the attributes that make it so appealing. You might ask how I could even consider making this error in judgement and creating a vegetarian taco. Well, if I’m truthful, I was a little doubtful that it would be a success. However, with the intention of cleaning up my eating after the summer holidays and the added challenge of increasing my vegetable intake, I decided to give it a go. I’m all about the nutrition hacks and reaching my nutrition targets but the food has to be tasty too – Am I right?

Pleasantly Surprised

To say I was pleasantly surprised was an understatement. This was deeeeelicious. I didn’t even notice the lack of meat. A friend called while we were eating and as her eyes were popping and her mouth was watering, I offered her a taste of these vegetarian delights .There were 4 full minutes of silence in the kitchen while we all munched and relished the mix of flavours. Truthfully, I think life is too short for diets. I would much rather find a way of eating that suits me and continue to enjoy all the delicious foods I love. With that in mind, I’m going to share this wonderful recipe so that you can enjoy it too.

 width=Taking Shortcuts Is OK – We Are All Busy

I use Old el Paso sauces because life is just too short to pretend we don’t take shortcuts. One of these days i’ll get around to making salsa picante, but not today.

Vegetarian Recipe

Vegetarian ingredients are as follows but this recipe is very flexible – if you really must, add a little minced meat.

Chopped into small cubes: celeriac, butternut squash, green peppers, red onion and garlic.

I popped these into the Tefal Air Fryer for 40 minutes. I added a tablespoon of oil and a sprinkle of taco mix. For the last 10 minutes, I added the black beans. If you wanted to you could mix in some chopped tomatoes once they are all cooked.  I wouldn’t cook these in the Tefal though.

I popped the tacos in the oven to crisp them up with a little cheese inside them to melt. Then I wedged in some slices of avocado drizzled with lime and added some Old el Paso hot salsa. Next, spoon in your vegetarian mix and sprinkle with a little more cheese. I would have loved a dollop of greek yoghurt on top of these. We realised a little too late that the only yoghurt in the fridge was vanilla. This wouldn’t go too well with taco sauce so I reneged! width=

Keep the inspo coming. I love to hear your ideas on how to make delicious dinners that little bit healthier.  xxx

Fiona O'Donnell