Today we’re going to take a look at how you can build a healthy taco recipe at home. This article is going to be full of ideas to get you started, so use the table of contents to jump around. If you’d like step by step healthy taco recipes, here are some options:
- Paleo Homemade Taco Seasoning
- Greek Lamb Taco Recipe (add a Greek yogurt topping to take this to the next flavour level)
- Healthy Chicken Taco Recipe for Kids & Adults
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Note: If you’re looking for blanket generic statements and lists of foods some people consider healthy, this isn’t the article for you. Today I’m going to break down the conventional idea of healthy and instead present you with delicious ideas, but also an individualized approach to the term healthy, because no two people are the same.
First: What is Healthy?
You’re going to hear me say this over and over: the term healthy is an unregulated term and can mean different things to different people. To some, avoiding fast food options is what makes foods healthy. For others, eliminating all unwanted additives and only eating clean/organic meals made at home is healthy.
You may meet someone with a medical condition and for them, healthy eating is high fat and high calorie foods. Rather than demonize ingredients, and even establishments like Taco Bell, we need to look at the unique needs of the individuals, and of course, the ingredient list.
If your favorite toppings are sour cream, cheese, and salsa, that doesn’t make your tacos unhealthy, especially if you’re choosing clean, basic, organic options. On the other hand, if you’re filling your tacos with food dyes, meat fillers, and so on, you’ll want to reevaluate how you build your taco.
Just remember, there’s space at the table for most ingredients, unless we’re talking about a food allergy, food intolerance, or other restricted diet. Create balanced meals that satisfy and nourish YOU, and you’ll probably be on the right path to healthy.
What Nourishes You
It’s important to remember that no two people are the same. I’m a perfect example. Traditional healthy foods can cause near-death allergic reactions in my body. Those foods simply aren’t healthy, for ME.
You should take the same approach to building healthy meals. What does your body really need? Perhaps you’re low on vitamin A, or need to increase your protein consumption. What’s healthy for you starts there.
Next, keep a detailed food journal if you’re not sure what’s working for you. Your journal should detail the positives and negatives, and over time, you’ll see patterns emerge. You may find that healthy fats make you feel AMAZING whilst some starchy vegetables leave you feeling sluggish. If you’re female, and depending on your age, you may find that some foods feel nourishing during parts of your hormonal cycle, but the same foods need to be avoided at other times.
Health is to nuanced, and we’re doing ourselves a massive disservice to keep approaching meal ideas with a one sized fits all mentality.
Choosing a Meat for Your Healthy Taco
Some will argue that skinless boneless chicken breasts, ground chicken, and ground turkey are the only meats that can be used in a healthy taco. However, that couldn’t be further from the truth. Instead, focus on the quality of the meat.
Start by choosing a clean (organic if possible) protein. Pasture raised is great. Grass fed and grass finished is even better (with red meats), and that’s because the micronutrients in those meats surpass their grain-fed counterparts.
Game meats will naturally be lean, and many can agree that they’re a healthy choice as well. However, even duck breast with a little rendered fat could be considered a healthy meat choice, especially in moderation.
With all of that in mind, here’s a list non-exhaustive list of meats that will be delicious on your tacos:
- Shredded Chicken Thigh
- Shredded Rabbit Loin
- Pan Seared or Grilled Boneless Chicken Breasts
- Grilled or Roasted Fish
- Pan Seared Shellfish
- Ground Pork
- Shredded Pork
- Grilled Beef Steak
- Shredded Beef
- Ground Beef
- Kebab Style Lamb or Beef
- Ground Lamb
- Ground Game Meat (elk, venison, kangaroo, ostrich)
- Alligator or Crocodile
- Ground Turkey
Cooking Your Meat
When it comes to preparing the meat for your next Taco Tuesday, honestly, this is where healthy can come into play. No matter which meat you select, if you deep fry said meat, it’s automatically going to be “less healthy” than any other prep method. Deep frying foods increases the caloric content considerably, and the oil you use can have a health impact over time.
Now, if you were deep frying at home in a clean/organic oil, you’d probably skirt around long term negative health impacts, however, you’re still dramatically increasing the caloric content of the meat. That can become an issue if you do this regularly and are constantly consuming more calories that you need. Healthline has a great article that talks about the long term impacts, but remember, a lot of the studies out there are analyzing commercially available deep fried foods, not something made at home.
For most meats, you’ll cook it on medium high heat on your stovetop. You can choose from healthy oils including olive oil, avocado oil, coconut oil, and even tiger nut oil (tuber, not a tree nut). You can also cook in tallow, which is becoming popular again.
If you need to avoid excess fat for health reasons, be sure to strain your meat in a colander before using it. Additionally, taste again for seasoning, as you’ll lose a little flavour when straining the meat.
Taco Vessel Options
Your healthy tacos start with the right base. Choosing the right base really comes down to your individual needs. If you need to follow a low carb diet, choose jicama or lettuce as your base. If like avoiding grains, you can purchase gain free tortillas and hard taco shells these days. Honestly, we’re living in modern times where cauliflower can be a pizza, and there are loads of tortilla options. Anything is possible.
- Corn Tortillas
- Flour Tortillas
- Almond Tortillas
- Hard Taco Shell
- Grain-Free Tortillas
- Chickpea Flour Tortillas
- Jicama “Tortillas”
- Plantain Tortillas
- Coconut Wraps
- Lettuce Wraps
Corn Shell Tip: I’ve been told by friends who eat corn-based hard taco shells that you should heat them in the oven on a baking sheet and they get super crisp. I have a severe corn allergy and have never purchased this product.
Wheat Free Tip: If you manage multiple dietary restrictions or food allergies, brands such as Hearthy sell really creative “flours”. You could experiment with them if needed to make a tortilla that meets your needs. Be sure to grab an awesome tortilla press if you’ll be doing this a lot at home.
Healthy Taco Toppings
There are SOOOOO many toppings you can lean into that are not only healthy, but have amazing health benefits. An easy way to think about health benefits is this: the more colours there are, the better. Plant diversity is known to improve gut health, which in turn leads to better overall health outcomes.
Now, this has to be done in conjunction with an overall well balanced diet (think 80/20 lifestyle). If you eat cookies, cake, and candy for most of your meals, then have one taco a week that’s full of colour, you won’t suddenly be super healthy.
Health really needs to be looked at thru the lens of weekly or monthly meal planning. Some days you’ll have more of this, and others, more of that. Overall though, you end up in a good place.
Here’s a list of taco topping ideas to get you started. Just remember, your taco night can consist of tacos made ANY which way you please, so have fun with them.
- Avocado Slices
- Guacamole
- Salsa
- Green Salsa
- Mango Salsa (and other fruit salsas)
- Grilled Peaches
- Pomegranate Seeds
- Raw Red Onions
- Grilled Onions
- Caramelized Onions
- Black Beans, Pinto Beans, Kidney Beans, etc.
- Crunchy Chickpeas (AKA garbanzo beans)
- Refried Beans (you can purchase animal based and vegan versions of this)
- Slaw
- Shredded Carrots or Zucchini
- Grilled or Sautéed Mushrooms
Creating a Healthy, Non-Traditional Taco Filling
Now, this is where I love to pull out some creativity and talk shop with you. Here’s the thing about taco filling: it’s super versatile, and you can boost the nutritional value easily.
Let’s say you’ve worked with your medical team and you find out that you’re deficient in several critical nutritional markers (Vitamin D and Vitamin A in this example). You could easily make a taco filling with a traditional taco seasoning, but include small diced mushrooms and small diced sweet potatoes to increase the Vitamin D & A content. Best part: you won’t even notice they’re there because you still have the meat and seasoning running point.
With that in mind, know that there are LOADS of fruit, vegetable, protein, and supplement powders you can add to your taco filling to increase the health benefits, or help with nutritional deficiencies. Here are some ideas to get you started:
- White Chia Seeds & Black Chia Seeds
- Protein Powder (aim for an unflavoured powder, for top 14 free check out the Zego protein powder)
- Dried Fruit (roughly chop so it’s a background flavour)
- Hemp Seeds
- Seed Meals (flax meal, pumpkin meal, etc.)
- Freeze Fried Tomato Powder
- Freeze Dried Beet Powder
- Dried Spinach & Spinach Powder
- Spirulina Powder (don’t go overboard with this one)
- Sea Kelp, Dulse, Sea Vegetables (you can get flakes or large pieces and chop it down or put it in a spice grinder)
- Mushroom Powder (there are SOOOOO many options in this category now and it’s super duper exciting, especially if you don’t like the texture of mushroom but want the health benefits)
Ideas for Healthy Chicken Tacos
Let’s take a look at some fun ways you can incorporate tender chicken into delicious tacos. These ideas will be mostly non-traditional, because if you hadn’t noticed, that’s my favourite way to go about things.
Italian Chicken Tacos: ground chicken seasoned with Italian seasoning, cannellini beans, ground chicken, caramelized onions, creamy white sauce
Classic Chicken Tacos: taco seasoned ground chicken, pinto beans, grilled corn, pico de gallo
BBQ Chicken Tacos: shredded BBQ chicken, black beans, corn, tomatoes, spicy white sauce, avocado slices
Green Chicken Tacos: grilled chicken thighs seasoned with marjoram + salt + thyme + basil + tarragon, chopped dates, caramelized onions, sautéed greens of choice
Taco Bowls: A Delicious Alternative
If you want to skip tortillas all together, or create a meal that can be easily eaten with a fork or spoon, taco bowls could be your best option. You’ll want to start with a grain base, or grain alternative. From there, add your cooked protein or plant-based protein, then add taco toppings you enjoy. Here are a few ideas to get you started:
Middle Eastern Taco Bowl: seasoned cauliflower rice, harissa seasoned ground meat, small diced + pan cooked eggplant, creamy za’atar sauce
Mediterranean Taco Bowl: seasoned zucchini noodles, grilled chicken breast, hard seared onion + broccoli, fresh diced tomatoes
Fresh Mexican Fish Taco Bowl: crispy rice made with fresh cilantro and lime, grilled fish, Mexican street corn, pico de gallo
Spicy Asian Taco Bowl: steamed brown rice (a great whole grain with fiber and vitamins), Korean short ribs (include gochujang in the sauce for the spice), Mexican seasoned corn, avocado crema
Ideas for Healthy Ground Beef Tacos
If you really want a healthy beef taco, start with lean ground beef, or a lean steak cut. Removing excess fat can reduce the caloric content of the meal. Depending on the quality of your meat, removing excess fat can also be a good thing (fat from grass fed grass finished beef will be different from the fat of a grain fed animal).
Beef is a pretty versatile meat and will pair well with just about any vegetable out there. You can also create clever sauces to elevate your beef tacos. Here are some ideas to get you started:
Asian Beef Tacos: ground beef, bok choy, kimchi, green onions, creamy white sauce
Curry Beef & Cauliflower Tacos: curry seasoned ground beef, riced cauliflower, small diced onion, shredded carrot, creamy white sauce
Beef & Beet Tacos: taco seasoned ground beef, small diced steamed beets, caramelized onions, avocado salsa
Kid Friendly Beef Tacos: lightly seasoned ground beef, chopped dates, shredded carrot or shredded zucchini, corn
Ideas for Delicious Vegetarian Tacos
Vegetarian tacos can be insanely delicious, and it starts by treating your nutritious vegetables well. Season them properly and use cooking methods that yield great taste and texture. Here are just a few ideas on flavour combinations to try:
Black Bean Tacos: scored & pan seared trumpet mushrooms, seasoned black beans, caramelized onions, pineapple & mango salsa
Veggie Tacos: grilled sweet potatoes, candied pecans + walnuts, caramelized onions, fresh quartered cherry tomatoes, spicy creamy white sauce
Spanish Rice Tacos: white rice seasoned with taco seasoning and tomato paste, sunny side up egg, avocado slices, creamy white sauce
Cilantro Lime Rice Tacos: white rice seasoned with cilantro and lime, smoked salt, seasoned & seared firm tofu, slaw
Tasty Ideas for Pork Tacos
Pork tacos can be an easy dinner packed with flavour. Here are a few tasty ideas to try the next time your taco night feature pork:
Peach & Pork Tacos: seasoned ground pork, grilled peaches in maple + balsamic, black pepper, creamy white sauce
Pork & Pepper Tacos: seasoned ground pork, fire roasted bell pepper, slaw, grilled corn, squeeze of fresh lime
Maple Pork Tacos: maple seasoned ground pork, pineapple & mango salsa, apple & carrot slaw, creamy white sauce
Pork & Mushroom Tacos: taco seasoned ground pork, small diced mushrooms, caramelized onions, pico de gallo
Ideas for Awesome Fish Tacos
Whilst fish tacos have been around for forever, they’ve gained a lot of attention in the last couple of decades. Chefs all over the world are elevating fish (even the more humble fish) and transforming them into fresh, healthy, amazing tacos.
When it comes to making a healthy fish taco, you’ll want to avoid deep feting your fish (even though this is a popular method). Pan roasted, oven roasted, air fried, and grilled fish are going to be the best cooking methods to keep this in the healthy aisle.
Here are some fun ideas to try if taco Tuesday heads to the sea:
Shrimp Tacos: shake and bake crispy oven shrimp, shredded carrots, avocado slices, fresh lime juice
Ahi Tacos: pan seared ahi (medium-high heat, develop just a crust, leave it under in the middle), teriyaki white rice, shredded carrot, spicy cream sauce
Salmon Tacos: air fried salmon (skin on is great if you like crispy skin), diced pineapple, caramelized onion, shredded carrot, spicy cream sauce
Sea Bass Tacos: pan seared sea bass strips, shredded zucchini, grilled corn, spicy taco sauce
Answering Your Healthy Taco Recipe Questions
Are whole wheat tortillas better than flour tortillas?
If we were to compare simple organic tortillas, objectively, yes, you can say that whole wheat tortillas are better than flour tortillas, for most people. There will always be outliers where a whole wheat tortilla isn’t healthy for that person’s needs.
An example is a child who struggles to gain weight. In their case, a whole wheat tortilla, and whole grains in general, may not be the best option. That’s because whole grain foods are lot more filling than their non-whole counterparts, and in turn, said child can eat less before getting full, which means less calories, which means less gain.
It’s always going to come back to a person’s unique individual needs. On top of that, we have to ask a simple question: do you even like the taste? Because if you don’t, what’s the point? Food isn’t just about the macros and calories, but also the taste and experience. If you force yourself to eat something because someone said it’s healthy, but you hate your meals, you’re a lot more likely to seek out less healthy foods for the sake of satisfaction.
Where food is concerned, there’s always going to be another way to get the same nutrients, so keep that in mind as well as you go about choosing tortillas. If you hate whole wheat tortillas, but like brown rice, eat brown rice taco bowls and call it a day.
That’s my roundabout way of saying, if we compare organic tortillas (because non-organic can have some gnarly ingredients), you’re going to find more fiber and micronutrients in the whole grain tortillas. If that’s what you need, go with the whole grain.
Is plant-based protein healthy?
That depends on who you ask, and what’s in said plant-based protein. Remember, healthy can mean different things to different people. For someone with Alpha-Gal, they may say yes, all plant-based protein options are healthy.
For someone that’s big into organic and clean ingredients, they may tell you that a lot of plant-based protein options aren’t healthy at all. Ultimately, it’s going to come down to the ingredient list.
A lot of commercial plant-based protein options contain filler ingredients that honestly, should be avoided. These products should be treated more like an occasional food, rather than an everyday food. On the other hand, there are a lot of basic ingredients that are wonderful plant-based protein options. This includes beans, organic tofu, organic soy free tofu (for those allergic to soy), nuts, and seeds. You can also use ingredients such as pulled jackfruit and mushrooms to create a meaty bite.
Essentially, when you look at the ingredient list, you don’t want to see a science experiment. The more ingredients there are, the less likely it is that you’re picking a truly healthy option versus something that should be enjoyed here and there.
Are boneless chicken thighs healthy?
When it comes to making healthy recipes, most people would say no, the only healthy type of chicken is a skinless boneless chicken breasts. I on the other hand like to push back and ask this: are organic boneless chicken thighs inherently unhealthy?
The answer would be no. Sure, there are a bit more calories from the fat content, but we’re talking about a clean organic protein. To completely dismiss it isn’t the best approach, unless you have a medical condition that requires you to have a very limited fat content.
Outside of that, I’d argue that all clean, organic proteins have a place at the table, and can make an appearance at your next Taco Tuesday. Now, there’s the question of how you cook said protein. If you were to deep fry versus grill your chicken thighs, well, we both know that fried foods aren’t something you should be eating a tonne of.
Honestly, this is what bothers me about the word healthy. Not only does it have different meanings to different people, but society and paid actors have demonized ingredients that have been around for thousands of years, and serving populations across the globe in healthy situations for a very long time.
All of that to say, pick a clean organic protein, avoid deep frying, make sure your additional toppings aren’t highly processed, and you’ll be OK.
What’s a fun way to serve tacos to kids?
There are SO many ways you can have fun with tacos and your kids. A fun way to get started is to make custom tortillas. Use cookie cutters to punch out shapes that your child will enjoy. Your scraps can be air fried to make a crispy topping for a future taco salad.
Having colourful toppings available for your child to choose from is another fun way to serve tacos. If your child is all about the colour purple right now, have some purple foods available, even if they’re not found in a traditional taco filling. Remember, food doesn’t need to follow strict rules, you just need to enjoy the taste.
Novelty tongs can help the pickiest eaters and be another fun way to serve ingredients on your next taco night.
No matter how you go about creating fun toppings and tortillas, I want to encourage you to serve the ingredients family style, rather than pre-plated and pre-built tacos. As long as your child has the dexterity, they can have a lot of fun making their own taco. Don’t be shocked when they don’t select all of the toppings, but be glad knowing that you’re providing wonderful food exposures.
Is it possible to make spicy tacos without chili powder?
Yes! You can absolutely make delicious tacos that have a spicy kick without chili powder. You’ll want to lean into cayenne pepper and chipotle powder. Each of these ground spices are made from heat-bringing peppers. If you love a good kick of spice, use at least 3/4 teaspoon of each spice in your blend that’s suited for one pound of ground meat.
What are the best types of cheese to use on healthy tacos?
When it comes to making a healthy taco, I’d avoid using cheeses with loads of extra ingredients, highly processed cheese, or low quality “low fat” cheeses. Often times these types of process foods have filler ingredients that aren’t something most would consider healthy.
In terms of flavour, great options include mozzarella, gouda, cotija (Mexican cheese), feta, and aged cheddar. You want to choose a cheese that has a basic ingredient list (milk, salt, and rennet), and something that’s traditionally made. These types of cheese, when eaten in moderation, are excellent choices. They provide a clean fat, protein, and of course, flavour.
If you’d like to avoid salty options, stay way from Parmesan, romano, and manchego cheeses.
How can I make taco seasoning without onion and garlic powder?
I’m going to assume that you need an allium free taco seasoning since you’re avoiding both onion and garlic powder. It is possible that you’ve run out, but either way, the advice is the same.
A great way to make the seasoning is to lean into nightshade spices including paprika, ancho chili, chipotle, and chili powder (single spice version or an allium free blend version. You can add extra flavor by opting for smoked paprika, rather than regular paprika.
Once you have your nightshade spices in, we’re going for the secret weapon: asafoetida. It’s a sap-based spice that you’ll see in Indian cuisine and it has the taste of onion, whilst being onion free. Add that your taco seasoning along with a little organic marjoram and you’re ready to roll.
