Healthy Sloppy Joes

Healthy Sloppy Joes

Want to make healthy sloppy joes? These meaty, cafeteria-style sloppy joes have all the flavor of the sandwich you grew up on, but they’re extra-lean so you can feel good about making them for your family.

I am a Certified Nutritionist in Irvine and I help clients with healthy meal planning. Here’s a recipe that I like to recommend for anyone who craves healthy sloppy joes.

Recipe: Healthy Sloppy Joes

Ingredients (makes 8 servings)

• 1 pound extra-lean ground beef (93/7)
• 1 onion, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 jalapeno, minced
• 1 red pepper, diced
• 1 can small red beans or pinto beans, preferably low sodium drained and rinsed
• 1 1/2 cups no-salt-added tomato sauce
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon molasses
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon mustard powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 8 whole-wheat burger buns

Directions

1. Brown the meat and the onion in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat for 5 minutes, breaking up the meat into crumbles as it cooks.

2. Pour the drippings out of the pan and discard.

3. Add the garlic, jalapeno, and red pepper and cook 5 minutes more, stirring occasionally.
4. Stir in the rest of the ingredients, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 5 minutes more.

5. Place a half-cup scoop of the mixture onto each bun and serve.