Very Veggie Ground Turkey Dish

For lunch today, I was really craving something involving ground turkey. I try to eat animal protein a few times a week, but I keep it in moderation. There are numerous health benefits to eating meat.  Animal protein contains all the essential amino acids that our bodies need.  Meat has a high phosphorus content that is easier for the body to absorb.  Meat is also a great source of  iron, vitamin D, protein, zinc, and the b-complex vitamins.

That being said, meat should be eaten in moderation as there are downfalls to eating too much meat such as inflammation, increased risk for certain cardiovascular diseases, and the like. Also, there is good meat and bad meat.  One should look for organic, grass fed, and free range meat when shopping, and processed or preserved meats, such as ham, bacon, salami, bologna, lunchmeats, etc.  should be avoided if possible, as they contain some harmful ingredients such as nitrates, added salt, unhealthy fats, etc. So, basically, just keep it in healthy moderation and choose your meats wisely.

Anyway, back to my craving. I decided to put together veggie and ground turkey skillet casserole, and it turned out AWESOME! As an added bonus, it’s SO easy – the hardest part is just the chopping of the veggies, and that’s only because it takes a little time. Other than that it’s pretty straight forward. My husband declared this one as one of his favorite dishes that I make, so you know it’s good (ahem…I’ve got a picky eater on my hands in the spousal department 😉).

VERY VEGGIE TURKEY DISH

Ingredients:

• 1lb. ground turkey
• 2 Tbsp. Olive oil
• 1 red onion chopped
• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
• 1 medium yellow squash
• 1 tomato, chopped
•  1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 carrot chopped
• 2 cups quinoa (cooked)
• 4 cups baby spinach

Directions:

1. Cook turkey in a skillet, over medium-high heat, stirring to break up the meat.  Do this until the meat is  no longer pink.
2. While the turkey is cooking, chop up all the veggies.
3. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil.  Add the onions and cook till tender.
4. Add the squash, tomato, bell pepper, carrot, and garlic powder.  Cook till the veggie are tender and crisp.
5. Add the quinoa, cooked turkey, and spinach.  Mix well and cook till the spinach is wilted.
6. Serve seasoned with sea salt and pepper.

Enjoy! 🙂