A Healthy Spin on Traditional Nachos

It’s time for a dietitian confession: I love nachos. I mean I REALLY LOVE nachos! I love all Mexican-style cuisine, in fact. I could eat it every day, but my cholesterol panel would probably be through the roof if I did. It’s no secret that nachos aren’t generally considered healthy. Layered with mounds of fried chips, cheese, sour cream, guacamole (good fats, but none the less, fat) and meat, nachos add up in fat and calories very quickly - especially if you are eating them out at restaurants. Check out the nutrition facts below of the nachos from restaurants in the area (all nutrition info reflects the nutrition in the whole order of nachos):

Restaurant #1: 1400 calories, 76 grams fat, 41 grams saturated fat, 4220 mg sodium, 82 grams carbohydrates

Restaurant #2: 1100 calories, 58 grams fat, 29 grams saturated fat, 3000 mg sodium, 93 grams carbohydrates

Restaurant #3: 760 calories, 39 grams fat, 10 grams saturated fat, 1320 mg sodium, 85 grams carbohydrates

After seeing these nutrition facts for myself, I sought to create my own healthy version of nachos and came up with Triscuit nachos. I’m not sure if I actually created this, but I had never seen it anywhere before. All I did was melt cheese on some Triscuits and that was it. I thought it was the best thing ever; it curbed my craving for nachos and tasted pretty good, too, even though it didn’t have all of the fancy toppings that the nachos listed above had. And then I met Ned and he created an even better version of Triscuit nachos that took them to a whole new level! Check out the recipe below and try it for yourself! These are super easy to make; they only require an additional four products to be added to your shopping list, and they are light, refreshing and delicious! Oh, and did I mention one serving only has 395 calories, 19 grams of fat and 585 mg sodium (see full nutrition info below)? Yep, these are nachos that can actually be eaten as part of a healthy diet.

Ned’s Nachos:

4 oz Jennie-O 93% lean ground turkey

15 Triscuit Thin Crisps

¼ cup Hy-Vee reduced-fat Mexican shredded cheese made with 2% milk

¼ - ½ cup Fiesta fresh salsa

All you do:

1. Brown ground turkey.

2. Lay Triscuit Thin Crisps on a plate.

3. Top Triscuits with ground turkey. Sprinkle ¼ cup of cheese on top of the ground turkey and Triscuit Thin Crisps. Microwave for 20 seconds or until the cheese is melted to your liking.

4. Top with salsa and enjoy!

Nutrition information: 395 calories, 18.5 grams fat, 6.5 grams saturated fat, 28 grams protein, 24 grams carbohydrates, 3 grams fiber, 1 gram sugar, 100 mg cholesterol. 585 mg sodium.

-Dietitian Amanda