Thoughts on chilli

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keepitcroosh
keepitcroosh Posts: 301 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I love chilli. It's so hearty, lots of flavor, lots of protein, etc. But is it something that should be portion controlled? I had 2 cups ( filled with ground beef, beans, mushrooms, green peppers, little bit of corn, tomatoes etc) and mfp calculated that I had eaten roughly 700cals just from the chilli. Is there any way to cut down on those cals without having to have much less of it? Or is this wishful thinking..
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Replies

  • vivmom2014
    vivmom2014 Posts: 1,647 Member
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    Depends on how you make it. If you measure your ingredients as you cook, you can use the recipe builder to input the data and # of servings and it will give you a more accurate calorie count.
  • keepitcroosh
    keepitcroosh Posts: 301 Member
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    What about going meatless?
  • SherryTeach
    SherryTeach Posts: 2,836 Member
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    Chili (with one l). I make mine with ground turkey. And everything should be portion-controlled except maybe items that are so low in calories as to be negligible.
  • sheermomentum
    sheermomentum Posts: 827 Member
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    I make mine beanless, with lean pork and beef, and it ends up at about 200/cup. Basically its meat, tomatoes, aromatics and spices. I serve it over vegetables like squash, carrots, and mushrooms.
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,575 Member
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    You could go meatless, or you could use very lean ground turkey. You could do less beans and more...something else. Actually, I'm no help. I've never made chili but the thread was asking for thoughts and my thought is: yes.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 27,923 Member
    edited December 2015
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    keepitcroosh wrote: »
    What about going meatless?

    Sure, chili with less ground beef, or ground turkey, or meatless will be lower in calories. However, you really should use the recipe builder so you get an accurate calorie count. Since you're making it, there's no point in guessing since you don't have to.

    Here's a meatless recipe from a famous vegetarian restaurant: http://www.moosewoodcooks.com/2013/01/red-gold-black-and-green-chili/
  • vivmom2014
    vivmom2014 Posts: 1,647 Member
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    I'm a new convert to Field Roast products. (Thank you, @janejellyroll ) I used their Italian sausage in my last pot of chili and -- what a hit. So delicious. They have a website. The sausage (which is meatless) is not very caloric, and very tasty. Otherwise my chili ingredients are onions, garlic, peppers, diced tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, spices and beans.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,372 Member
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    Use leaner meat.
  • MommyL2015
    MommyL2015 Posts: 1,411 Member
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    I use 90% lean beef and the chili I make is pretty low-cal. It's good. I like it spicy. :) The heat has to burn extra calories, right? Right!?
  • Alatariel75
    Alatariel75 Posts: 17,959 Member
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    Are you putting your own recipe in to MFP, or relying on database? The database is basically useless for entries, when your chili is homemade. I make mine with lean pork mince, and bulk it with mushrooms and zucchini, along with the beans and corn.
  • snowflake930
    snowflake930 Posts: 2,188 Member
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    Ground turkey really cuts calories. I use it for everything I used ground beef in before and really, no difference in taste.
  • CurlyCockney
    CurlyCockney Posts: 1,394 Member
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    I had a mahooooosive bowl of chilli (double l, because that's how we spell it) last night, 490g! It came to 512 kcals, made with low-fat beef mince. Use the recipe builder, and double check each ingredient.
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
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    It's the fat that adds the calories. Meat is helpful because of the protein.

    https://www.pinterest.com/pin/361132463845484944/

    And yes, portion everything.
  • Pawsforme
    Pawsforme Posts: 645 Member
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    Ground turkey isn't necessarily lower in calories than ground beef. It depends on the grind. Some turkey contains skin and is higher in fat than lean ground beef. Read labels!
  • snowflake930
    snowflake930 Posts: 2,188 Member
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    Pawsforme wrote: »
    Ground turkey isn't necessarily lower in calories than ground beef. It depends on the grind. Some turkey contains skin and is higher in fat than lean ground beef. Read labels!

    You are correct. I should have said I use fresh ground turkey breast. It definitely depends on what type of ground meat you are using and labels should be read.

  • Clarewho
    Clarewho Posts: 494 Member
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    I've made it with lean pork mince at less than 300 calories (excluding the rice), I don't add beans to mine as the kids don't like them - so I pad it out with peppers and mushrooms. You don't notice it's not beef. I've tried Quorn and it's not an experiment I wish to repeat... texture was like mushy cardboard :(

  • brandi9172
    brandi9172 Posts: 61 Member
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    I don't eat beans, so I replace that with sweet potato chunks. Lean ground beef, sweet potato, tomatoes, onion, peppers, garlic, chili seasoning...it's delicious!
  • LivingtheLeanDream
    LivingtheLeanDream Posts: 13,345 Member
    edited December 2015
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    add lots and lots of veg to it, bulk it up and that'll cut way back on the calories. I grate carrot/courgette/peppers etc into most chilli's/bologneses and it bulks them up nicely and a good portion including rice/pasta works out at 530 cals.
    (If you make your own sauce that cuts out a lot of sugar/salt right away too.)
  • WinoGelato
    WinoGelato Posts: 13,454 Member
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    Make it with leaner meat (I make mily red chili with a 50/50 mix of ground beef and ground turkey), or I make a white chicken chili version as well. After thanksgiving I always make turkey enchilada verde soup with leftover smoked turkey, black beans, salsa verde, etc. I covet the leftover turkey so I can make it every year, but sadly last night was my final bowl of it!
  • mbaker566
    mbaker566 Posts: 11,233 Member
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    it can be great.
    of course, you should be portioning it so you know accurately how much you are eating
    use the recipe builder to help you figure out the true calorie amount

    my SIL made a buffalo/stout chili that was wonderful. buffalo is a lean meat

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