Don’t be afraid to cook outside of the box when you’re trying to lose weight. Choose ingredients that you don’t normally cook with, and make something new and interesting to keep yourself from falling prey to cravings for the comfort foods that you normally eat.

Make It Hot – Turkey Chili Dish

If you don’t have a lot of time on your hands to stand around a hot stove then using a slow cooker or crock pot can work wonders to create a great healthy chili dish. Here’s what you’ll need:

1lb Ground Turkey
1 Green Bell Pepper
1 Red Bell Pepper
1 Large Spanish Onion
4 Celery Stalks
2 Garlic Cloves
1 half tbsp Cumin
1 tbsp Salt
1tbsp Pepper
3 tbsp Chili Powder
2 Cans Crushed Tomatoes
2 Habanero Peppers Seeded (Use a milder pepper if you’re not a fan of spice)
1 Can Chickpeas

Brown the turkey ground in a frying pan on medium heat by crumbling it into the pan for the best allover color; don’t overcook your protein, you want to contain the natural juices, rather than losing them altogether. Now you can drain off any excess oil that has come out of the ground and put the meat into your crockpot. Dice onions, bell, peppers, and celery stalks into equal sized chunks rather than tiny pieces that will get lost in the meal, and put them into the pot along with the cumin, chili powder, salt, and pepper. Rinse the chickpeas before placing them into the pot along with the tomatoes, which can be added juice and all. Garlic can be peeled and thinly sliced or crushed, and the habaneros, should you choose to use them should be very finely diced. In a slow cooker, use low heat for 5 hours or high for 4, and enjoy. This should serve 6-8 people depending on portion size.

Lose the Bun: Lean Ground Beef and Turkey Dish

Another way to lose excess calories in your meals is by cutting out nonessential simple carbs. Although you should keep complex carbohydrates in your meals, you can swap out barbeque staples like buns with a different vessel.

Half lb Lean Ground Beef
Half lb Ground Turkey
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Pepper
1 Pinch Cayenne
1 Small Onion
1 Cup Quinoa
2 Cups Water
1 Lemon Wedge
1 Tomato
1 Head Iceberg Lettuce

Peel and dice your onion small then mix together the lean beef and turkey ground in a bowl. Add salt, pepper, cayenne, and onion until well mixed and form the contents of the bowl into patties. Thickness is up to yourself, but remember that the thicker the patty, the longer it will take to cook in the middle and raw ground turkey is a serious no-no. Set these in the refrigerator and turn on the barbeque to let it heat up while you start on your side dish. Add the quinoa and water to a pot, cover, and bring to a boil reduce and simmer for 20 minutes; when the quinoa is nearing the midway mark place your burgers on the grill. While everything is heating up you can cool things down by prepping lettuce and tomato. Lettuce leaves should be left as whole as possible, while tomato can be cut into slices; place one lettuce leaf per patty on each plate. When the quinoa is finished it should be tender and translucent, squeeze in some lemon and serve. Burgers on lettuce leaves topped with tomato can be accompanied by a spoonful of salsa in place of the usual accoutrements.

We are all creatures of habit. How well do I know after weighing as much as 292 pounds and out of breath with every step. It was easy for me to fill up on chocolate cake and ice cream instead eating the healthy meals mother taught growing up. Today I am still a diabetic, but it is not necessary to continue taking glyburide-metformin to control my blood sugars.