Another day, another healthy meal! I know, there’s nothing wrong with eating healthy. But somehow it’s harder when you have to limit fun stuff, like bread! I seriously love bread. Most people wouldn’t think of bread as being fun, but it’s so versatile and comforting.

I won’t lie, it’s been challenging to find meals to suit everyone in the house. Thankfully my husband is pretty good about eating most things and is happy with low carb (or will just go eat a bagel later on). It’s E that I want to ensure is getting a balanced diet. Kids can be picky enough as it is, depending on the day, so I want to ensure he is offered healthy food, from all the food groups.

He eats plenty of snacks in the day (muffins, apple sauce, bear paws, veggie sticks, arrowroot cookies…) so he’s not wanting for food. And he always has yogurt at breakfast, fruit at lunch and vegetables at supper. So I suppose I shouldn’t worry about him getting his nutrients. He’s generally a good little eater. Sometimes we overthink things as parents!

This meal is a hit with everyone though. And if you need to add some iron in your diet, it’s got plenty of iron rich foods (especially if you use ground beef). There’s also plenty of spices so it’s really tasty. I’ve paired it with buns in the past, or toast. Or you can eat it as is, more or less carb free!

This recipe calls for bell peppers, which I don’t add because C won’t eat them. I enjoy peppers, so I’ve kept them in the recipe (in the hopes that one day I will put them in!) I’ve also added broccoli, which is optional but since we don’t have pepper I like to add more veggies. If you want the original it’s from The Whole Cook.

Ground Turkey & Vegetable Skillet

Ingredients

• 1 lb ground turkey (or lean ground beef)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp chilli powder
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1/4 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp minced garlic

Veggies

• 1 1/2 TBSP olive oil
• 2 medium zucchini (cubed)
• 1 bell pepper (any colour, cut into same sized pieces as zucchini)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 TBSP onion powder
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp dried basil
• 1/4 tsp paprika
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 TBSP tomato paste (I’ve subbed in tomato sauce or canned tomato in a pinch)
• 5 oz fresh spinach
• 1 cup frozen broccoli (optional)

Directions

1. Add your ground turkey (or beef) to a large skillet on the stovetop. Cook on medium high heat, crumbling with a spatula until browned.
2. Stir in salt, chilli powder, oregano, paprika and minced garlic. Cook for another minute so garlic is golden in colour. Remove from pan and set aside.
3. Reduce heat to medium. Add oil to skillet with zucchini, bell peppers and frozen broccoli. Sprinkle with salt, onion powder, garlic powder, oregano, basil, paprika and pepper. Stir. Sauté, stirring occasionally until zucchini and peppers are close to tender. About 5-10 minutes.
4. Return turkey to skillet. Add water, tomato paste and fresh spinach. Stir. Cover and simmer for 5-10 minutes or until it is all warmed through and spinach is wilted. Enjoy!