Turkey-tastic! Simple Swaps for a Healthier New Year
These delicious turkey trade-ins make it easy to make healthful choices. Sponsored by Shady Brook Farms and Honeysuckle White.
Sponsored by Shady Brook Farms and Honeysuckle White
After the decadence of the holidays, it can be tempting to make bold resolutions in January. Radically change the way you eat! Declutter everything! Crush the other sourdough bakers on social media! But we know what usually happens: By the end of the month your sourdough is still tasty but not perfect, and it turns out no one in your household wanted to be a raw, sugar-free vegan fruitarian … not even you!
But there is a way to make healthy changes you can stick with: Shift just a little, and suddenly you’ve made a difference you can abide by, and even enjoy. Change the direction a plane flies by 1°, and in 500 miles you’ll arrive in a very different place! So this new year, instead of pork shoulder or red meat, try some turkey — especially in the delicious, simple recipes we’ve gathered below — and get a healthy meal on the table at jet speed.
Easy White Turkey Chili
Lean ground turkey, cannellini beans, and mild diced green chiles flavor this Tex-Mex dish that’s an interesting twist on classic beef chili, and a hearty enough main course to satisfy everyone at the table. A low-sodium chicken broth base helps fight winter colds. The turkey provides good-for-you lean protein — and cooks up quickly to deliver dinner fast.
Spinach & Feta Turkey Meatballs Mezze Platter
Hungry for something new? If a trip to Greece is not in your immediate future, you can still take a journey in your kitchen as you enjoy the sunny flavors of the Greek Isles with these turkey meatballs full of feta, oregano, garlic, and spinach! Mezze platters are a festive, grazing style of eating that can be a cheerful dinner variation; with purchased hummus and tzatziki, this meal can be on the table in about 30 minutes.
Turkey Burrito Bowl
Burrito bowls are big sellers at many restaurant chains, but are usually calorie bombs that leave you feeling sluggish. These better-for-you bowls have been reimagined with bright flavors and a variety of textures. They swap out plain yogurt for sour cream in a zesty sauce, and use lean ground turkey for a protein-rich dish that’s easy to customize. Pick your favorite rice as the base, and watch the bowls become a family favorite.
Turkey Curry
Get a takeout-worthy dinner on the table in the time you’d wait for delivery and save both money and your waistline. Turkey stands in for beef or lamb in this veggie-forward meal: Butternut squash, onion, and potato are seasoned with garlic, ginger, and spices from your cupboard. Plain yogurt delivers some tang, and lemon juice and cilantro brighten the final dish.
Rotisserie Turkey Breast Tenderloin with Pesto
This special pesto is worthy of Popeye with its bright, bold flavors, thanks to the mix of peppery arugula, iron-rich spinach, vitamin E-packed almonds, and olive oil. It’s easy to make the pesto while the turkey tenderloin gently roasts. Then serve it over mashed potatoes or rice for a gluten-free meal, or salad greens or veggies for a Paleo-friendly dinner.
Turkey Pozole
Pozole is a treasured Mexican soup with interesting textures thanks to hominy, which was one of the original food gifts from the Native Americans to the pilgrims. These days it's easy to find in the canned goods aisle of most supermarkets. This delicious soup is simple to prepare — if you don’t have dried chiles on hand, feel free to substitute 1 teaspoon of smoked paprika and 2 tablespoons of chili powder (or more to taste) and add them to the vegetables in the blender in the second step.
Korean Ground Turkey Rice Bowls
In this bowl that’s a lot like a layered stir-fry, ground turkey is seasoned with a sauce that's quickly made from common ingredients and gochujang, a delicious and somewhat spicy Korean pepper paste that can be found at most grocery stores or online. (Like miso paste, gochujang will last a long time in the fridge.) Feel free to swap in brown rice for white for a fiber boost, but be sure to start it about 20 minutes earlier so it’s ready by the time you ring the dinner bell.