Chunky and Crunchy Chili
by Dr. MD
Leaving my second week of living better. It has been a little weird going through this process. I have lost 18 to 24 pounds (the last time I weighed myself it was a year ago), my mind is working better and I am learning to take time to enjoy life instead of working all the time and playing "The High School" game with adults in my small town.
I am a large guy and always been a large guy. About 1 1/2 years ago I used to go to the gym 4 - 5 times a week. I was pretty solid with a tight layer of weight here and there. But the 1 1/2 year of not eating right and not going to the gym has taken its toll. I ballooned up to 280ish pounds, I developed diabetes and my self esteem hit rock bottom. I was being played against and between a number of people in my town, my business was not going as I planned and I am a city boy who is living in a very small country town in the horribly run state of Kansas.
It was not all bad. I married my partner of 24 years in New Orleans this past July. Our relationship is great and it has always allowed me to really have two different lives in our town. Our life between us and my outside life. More about that later.
I finally found a doctor that I like in the neighboring city of Junction City about 22 miles away through vast farmland on I-70. In our state we have 2 main roads. I-70 that connects Kansas City, Missouri to Denver, Colorado and I-135 that connects central Kansas to I-35 and on to the Gulf of Mexico. Junction City is away from my local town were everyone knows your business and word of mouth spreads quickly. Do not get me wrong, the hospital is great, but they own all the doctors and everyone is related to someone else. I trust the medical staff when it comes to privacy like the laws dictates, but the people in the waiting rooms talk and they have no rules of conduct (I know this from first hand experience with a past doctor's visit). Besides, the doctor I have now is young and he did not talk down to me at our first meeting. But the best thing was he took the time on our first visit to listen to me, understand my goals, and not ASSUME that I had eating or living habits that are completely unhealthy. I am far form a stereotype. I do not drink sodas as a principle (a statement the ER doctor made), I do not eat sweets as a habit (another statement the ER doctor made), and I do not eat junk food. OK, I am not a saint, but in general I am aware of my choices.
Finished with rant.
One of the things I can remember from my childhood was my mom making chili for dinner. Yes, it is the way it smelled and the way it tasted, but it was more than just that...it was how my siblings found something in common that we all liked. I come from a family of seven; Mom, Dad, 1 younger bother and 3 sisters. We were all independent children, but we were all we had. This lasted 12 - 13 years in my eyes. But looking back, as we hit our teen years we started forging into the larger world. We got jobs, we worked, we got involved in community organizations, some of us in church, some of us in friends, but there were a few meals/dishes that seemed to bring us together in agreement. That was chili.
I love having pasta with my chili as a kid, but for now that is not an option (or until I can make a pasta substitute to share). I have exchanged thick and solid to fill me up instead of Carbs.
Chunky and Crunchy Chili
Description:A great low carbohydrate chili and replace bulky carbs with taste and texture.
Serving Size: 4 or 6 (see bottom for nutritional information)
Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- Ground beef, lean, 16 oz
- 6 oz can of No Salt tomato paste
- 1 med yellow onion
- 1 med Roma tomato - diced
- 1 stalk of celery
- 2 Tbs Chili powder or to taste
- 2 tsp Onion powder
- 1.5 tsp Garlic powder
- 1- 2 cup(s) water
Place the ground beef in the pan. Cook the ground meat on medium heat. As you are cooking, crumble the meat into medium to small pieces.
Add the tomato paste, spices to the meat and stir in a 1/2 cup of water. Mix well. Turn heat down to medium-low and add vegetable mixture and remaining water. Let cook for 5- 10 minutes.
You may want to to add or subtract water depending on how thick you would like the chili. Remember to not over cook the vegetables. Hint: the celery should be cooked yet remain crunchy.
Serving information is shown in both 4 servings and 6 servings
Nutrition Facts
4 Servings
Amount Per Serving
- Calories 493.4
- Total Fat 37.6 g
- Saturated Fat 11.4 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat 2.1 g
- Monounsaturated Fat 20.2 g
- Cholesterol 85.1 mg
- Sodium 108.1 mg
- Potassium 417.3 mg
- Total Carbohydrate 15.4 g
- Dietary Fiber 3.7 g
- Sugars 7.5 g
- Protein 22.6 g
- Vitamin A 7.9 %
- Vitamin B-12 44.2 %
- Vitamin B-6 17.1 %
- Vitamin C 9.9 %
- Vitamin D 0.0 %
- Vitamin E 9.7 %
- Calcium 4.3 %
- Copper 4.6 %
- Folate 3.8 %
- Iron 12.1 %
- Magnesium 6.0 %
- Manganese 2.1 %
- Niacin 25.9 %
- Pantothenic Acid 4.5 %
- Phosphorus 16.6 %
- Riboflavin 14.6 %
- Selenium 26.2 %
- Thiamin 4.9 %
- Zinc 29.7 %
Nutrition Facts
6 Servings
Amount Per Serving
- Calories 328.9
- Total Fat 25.1 g
- Saturated Fat 7.6 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat 1.4 g
- Monounsaturated Fat 13.4 g
- Cholesterol 56.7 mg
- Sodium 72.1 mg
- Potassium 278.2 mg
- Total Carbohydrate 10.3 g
- Dietary Fiber 2.5 g
- Sugars 5.0 g
- Protein 15.1 g
- Vitamin A 5.3 %
- Vitamin B-12 29.5 %
- Vitamin B-6 11.4 %
- Vitamin C 6.6 %
- Vitamin D 0.0 %
- Vitamin E 6.4 %
- Calcium 2.9 %
- Copper 3.1 %
- Folate 2.6 %
- Iron 8.1 %
- Magnesium 4.0 %
- Manganese 1.4 %
- Niacin 17.3 %
- Pantothenic Acid 3.0 %
- Phosphorus 11.1 %
- Riboflavin 9.7 %
- Selenium 17.5 %
- Thiamin 3.3 %
- Zinc 19.8 %
If anyone is reading this, I will be posting on a regular schedule. I will be talking about what is going on in my life, my progress and my own recipes as well as the ones I find.
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