Chili is a warm food on a cold day. Ordinarily, the calorie count in a bowl of chili is quite high, thanks to its meat content. Otherwise, chili can be a nutritious, low-salt, high-fiber meal for someone trying to lose weight. What goes into chili and how can this meal be altered so it is good for someone on a diet?

The Usual Chili

Chili con carne is the full name of a traditional “stew” which contains meat and beans. The meat will typically be ground beef or pork. Kidney beans are ordinarily added plus tomato sauce, some chili peppers and/or powdered chili, and chopped tomatoes. If the chef uses canned tomatoes, there is bound to be sugar and salt in a dish of chili con carne. A cheap version utilizes ground meat with a high fat content rather than lean or even medium-lean meat. Chili is served over rice or with garlic bread in many homes and restaurants. How does this favorite supper become a filling but healthy diet chili recipe?

Diet Chili Recipe

The first thing to go will have to be the meat. While ground beef or pork is not bad in its own right, full-fat versions cost less than lean cuts. You notice it in the leftovers as fat congeals and floats to the surface. The very least one has to do in order to cut calories is swap fatty meat for lean ground meat and drain off any fat that appears. Changing beef or pork for ground chicken or turkey is an even better option; a way to slice some calories from the mixture.

Protein Packed

Many people would suggest cutting out meat altogether. Kidney beans contain a lot of protein and fiber, but they are somewhat acidic. Another protein supplies contrast to this acidity, so if you want additional protein try one of these:

• quinoa
• tofu
• tofu-based ground “meat”
• textured vegetable protein

All of these will provide plenty of low-fat, low-calorie protein. Although it is a grain, quinoa is packed with protein, so if soy is a problem you can still enjoy a toothsome treat.

High-fiber Blend

If you don’t want to add soy, grains, meat, or any other meat substitute, consider blending more than one sort of bean: kidney plus black and navy beans, for instance. Open a tin and rinse the beans until your water runs clear, or soak beans overnight and cook your chili over a long time in a slow cooker so as to soften them fully.

Chop up fresh tomatoes rather than opening a can of chopped Romas or supplying a jar of tomato sauce. You are sure to find sugar and salt in the canned recipe. With fresh tomatoes, you supply whatever variety in season or the sort you like best and can also throw in herbs like cilantro, basil, and parsley for a fabulous aroma.

Try diet chili recipe, more filling and full of fiber by chopping up several vegetables for the blend such as carrots, zucchini, onions, and possibly squash or pumpkin. More color shows this chili contains lots of vitamins. Avoid sweet corn which is a form of starch like potatoes. If you want starch, try Melba toast.

Spice up your Chili

With or without meat, the spices in chili are great for someone on a diet. Spice activates a metabolic reaction, heating up your system and promoting fat burning. With more spice you will drink extra water with your meal. Before long you will feel full but have eaten less.