Healthy Nachos – Plant Based Recipe

Healthy Nachos – Plant Based

It’s holiday and football season and when I think of those two things, I think about gathering with friends, family, and food! There’s nothing like a group of people huddling around a table of delicious snacks and finger foods, and one of my favorites go 2 (see what I did there?) foods is nachos! I know what you’re thinking though, how can nachos be healthy? If you make a few adjustments to your ingredients, you can definitely make a healthier version of this classic party food.  The three ingredients we are going to be tweaking are the meat, cheese, and chips in a traditional nacho recipe, so let’s get to it!

First off all, you have to start with a good chip. Everyone knows the chips are the foundation to the nachos and we want to start off with chips that are grain free. I personally love Siete chips because they are made from cassava flour and are gluten free, vegan, non gmo, dairy free, and all around delicious! They come from a family run company out of Austin, Texas and I love all of their products! You can choose a different brand of chip, but just try to look for something that is grain free or gluten free.

Next, let’s talk about the meat. Typically nachos usually have some sort of meat on them like ground beef. You could use ground chicken or turkey, which would be an improvement, or you could take it a step further and make some roasted cauliflower that simulates the tastes of ground beef! Crazy, right? Crazy good that is! I have found that cauliflower tends to take on the flavors of the spices and sauces you cook it in, so it makes for a perfect blank canvas and an awesome meat replacement. Cauliflower also is a cruciferous vegetable which is so good for the body. Cauliflower really has become the “it girl” of the foodie world lately because it’s so versatile and, when you use it in the way I show you in this recipe, it really stands out and makes these nachos delicious and healthy! 

Now on to everyone’s favorite ingredient, cheese! Most nachos are literally smothered in cheese and it’s usually that fluorescent yellow liquid cheese. Let’s get real for a minute here; that yellow color isn’t a color in nature right? This is an issue I’m always educating people on but real cheese is white. Real cheese that has not been processed should be white, not yellow. We know we always want to eat foods that are as natural as possible and the least processed, so for my nachos today I’m using a raw jack cheese. Raw cheese are even better than any processed cheese because they still contain their enzymes which help the body digest the cheese! I recommend purchasing raw cheeses only if you are going to opt to eat dairy cheese! 

So now that you’ve learned the tricks behind these nachos, let’s get to making them! I know you and your whole crew are going to love them and they won’t even miss the meat! Make sure you tag me at Go2Kitchens everywhere on social media so I can see your smiling faces as you eat these nachos! Nachos are still on the menu if you just make a few small adjustments!

Copy By Marci West

Recipe by Leslie Nance