Nourishing Taco Bowls

My journey to becoming a Natural Food Chef was deeply personal and very enlightening. Chronic illness led me to discover the world of nourishing food that includes bone broth, fermented foods, high quality fats and properly-prepared legumes, to name a few.

The Weston A. Price Foundation (WAPF) was introduced to me during my time at Nutrition Therapy Institute and it made total sense. I think our culture tries to over complicate diet and nutrition to an extreme, and I appreciate how WAPF recognizes it more as addition rather than subtraction.

One of the most common questions I get asked is how to eat healthier and sustain it. I know the word “healthy” is thrown around a lot and people have different definitions of it, but I think at the core, if we go back to basics before processed food, what were our great-grandparents eating?

I like to think of eating healthy as getting more nutrient-dense foods in my diet rather than calorie counting.

The 11 Dietary Principles on WAPF’s website, is a great resource that highlights the most nutrient-dense foods that are available to us.

It’s a little counterintuitive to the messaging we’ve gotten by our culture for decades, but I think that’s why I gravitate towards it so much. Eating healthy does not have to be complicated and I say that as someone who grew up with no cooking or kitchen experience, eating a standard American diet. 

How do I implement more nourishing foods into my diet?

I encourage people to take what they are already cooking and make swaps from there. You don’t need to find new recipes or completely overhaul your pantry at the beginning. While some thrive on doing that, I encourage people to take it one step at a time. Let’s take a simple, weeknight taco bowl recipe and break it down into a more nourished version. 

Rice

I typically use white rice when I cook most things simply because it cooks faster. Instead of using water as the liquid, you could substitute bone broth.

You can either make it from scratch or use store-bought broth. The most cost-effective option is homemade, but I like the brands Kettle & Fire or Pacific.

I prefer to buy organic white rice to minimize pesticide residue. Lastly, I always rinse my rice (until the water turns clear) to remove any impurities and extra starches. This also helps the rice stick less once done cooking. 

Protein

Changing the quality of your animal protein is important. We are consuming what the animal is eating and if their diet is not their traditional diet, it can affect not only their health but ours too. This article goes more in-depth on why quality matters.

Wild Pastures, US Wellness Meats and Rep Provisions are great options if you are looking for your meat to be delivered to you.

Furthermore, you can add organ meats to your taco bowls to enhance nutrient density. The above companies listed sell ground beef with organs mixed in, or you can just use organ meats as your source of protein.

Force of Nature also has options with organ meats mixed in and can be found at Whole Foods, Sprouts, and Natural Grocers. I recently found Pluck, which is an organ-based seasoning blend you can put on your food to enhance nutrients as well. 

LISTEN >>> NTI PodTalk episodes with Chef James Barry, the owner of Pluck and Autumn Smith, co-founder of Paleovalley and Wild Pastures.

Beans

I did not eat beans for the longest time because they made me feel sick. It wasn’t until I fully understood how to prepare beans properly that I could eat them without feeling that way.

Beans should be soaked before cooking and then slowly simmered until soft. Dry beans are arguably one of the most affordable foods out there. Preparing them just takes a little forethought but they are so tasty when homemade. This recipe outlines how to make beans from scratch if you are interested.

If you don’t want to make beans from scratch, that’s okay! I am so grateful we have so many choices when it comes to what’s available at the grocery store. There are two brands I use frequently that use the proper preparation methods for beans; Jovial and Eden. Both of these can be found at Natural Grocers or Whole Foods.   

Vegetables

Choose organic vegetables when possible. I highly recommend going to your local farmer’s market because the prices can be more affordable than grocery stores, even for organic. In my experience, I’ve been able to buy flats of produce at a discounted rate at the farmers market because it didn’t sell or it won’t last until the next week. I could do a whole other blog post on the importance of knowing your farmer and how that can help you not only save money but also know where your food comes from.

You can also use the Environmental Working Group’s Clean Fifteen list if organic is not in your budget. The other thing I would suggest with vegetables is to cook them or ferment or pickle them. In this recipe, I used onions and red bell peppers and added pickled onions.

Cooking, fermenting, or pickling helps to break down dietary fiber in plant foods to more digestible elements. 

Hopefully, these suggestions inspire you to try swapping ingredients in recipes you are already making. We don’t have to be all or nothing when it comes to eating more nutrient dense foods. I recommend trying one of these suggestions when you make your taco bowl. Plan to make your rice in bone broth and see how it goes. This is a process and it can take time, but it’s so worth it and so tasty! 

Homemade Nourishing Taco Bowls

Serves 4

Ingredients: 

• 1 cup dry white rice, rinsed and drained 
• 1 Tbsp oil of choice (I recommend avocado oil or tallow for this recipe)
• 1 yellow onion, diced 
• 1 red bell pepper, sliced 
• 1 lb grass-fed beef with organ meats
• 1 Tbsp chili powder
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 2 tsp ground oregano 
• 1 tsp paprika
• 2 cups beans (I like black or pinto beans)
• 1 cup grated cheddar cheese (I like Kerrygold brand)
• Toppings: pickled onions, sour cream (sub plain greek yogurt), guacamole, cilantro, fermented hot sauce, lime wedge 

Directions: 

1. Make rice accordingly to package instructions. Use bone broth for the liquid instead of water and add a pinch of salt to enhance the flavor even more. 
2. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Once the skillet is hot, add your choice of oil to coat the bottom of the pan. Add onions and bell pepper and saute for about 5 minutes until soft and fragrant. Then, add the ground beef and all the spices through paprika.. Cook until the beef is no longer pink. 
3. I like to add my beans in with my meat and veggies and mix it all together, but you can serve them separately if you would like. If you plan to combine them, add beans now and mix until well combined. 
4. When ready to serve, place rice on the bottom and top with meat, bean, and veggie mixture. Add cheese, pickled onions, sour cream, guacamole, cilantro, lime wedges and fermented hot sauce. 
5. Enjoy! 

About the Author: Meghan Marsh is a graduate of NTI’s Certified Natural Food Chef program as well as an Integrative Nutrition Health Coach. She believes food is the most powerful catalyst that brings people together. Sitting around a table, enjoying a nourishing meal with strangers or friends is her absolute favorite thing to do. Her mission is to inspire others to take control of their health.  You can find Meghan’s personal chef and other services at megsnourishedkitchen.com.

Photo by Meghan Marsh