Turkey Chili Taco Soup...and More Real Life

Hi, friends. I hope you're well! So...since the last time I posted, there have been some substantial changes in my life, which mean I'll be making some subsequent changes here at Foodie & Fabulous.

In a dramatic turn of events, I was hospitalized last Thursday, September 5 (for the first time in my life) and left the hospital on Monday night with a brand new diagnosis of Type 2 Diabetes, an armful of medicine, and a much different lease on life.

Without entering too much detail, I'll condense the story this way: I was in critical condition when they admitted me to ICU (where I stayed for four days). I was extremely dehydrated and had unknowingly been walking around with outrageously high blood sugar levels for who knows how long. I was really, really, really sick. However, under the watchful eyes of my very attentive doctors and wonderful nurses, I improved rapidly and now have the tools to manage my condition (and hopefully avoid further hospitalization!)

As such, in order to get better and STAY better, I have to make some changes in every area of my life! It's not that I maintained a terribly unhealthy lifestyle before my diagnosis. I exercised regularly and ate food that was good for me (more often than not). It's just that my life never depended on my choices the way it does now...

While I'm not entirely sure exactly what will be different here on the blog, you can expect to see fewer sweets (or perhaps healthier ones?). Additionally, because I now have to count carbohydrates (to maintain my blood sugar) and watch my cholesterol, I'm going to try to include nutrition facts with my recipes--for my benefit and yours. I thank you in advance for your patience and support during this transition...it's going to be interesting! However, I fully believe that the payoff will be worth it.

Without further ado, tonight's recipe: Turkey Chili Taco Soup, adapted from Gina over at SkinnyTaste! Mmm. Welcome, fall! This soup is high in protein, fiber, and flavor--and comes together in about half an hour! I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. Top it with reduced-fat cheese or low-fat sour cream and serve it with multi-grain chips, cornbread, or enjoy a hearty bowl on its own! Freeze the leftovers for a quick meal later.

(Apologies for the weird photos, by the way. Fall is coming, which means I have a much shorter window for natural light to photograph the food!)

Ingredients:

• 1 lb 99% lean ground turkey
• 1/2 medium onion, chopped
• 1 bell pepper, chopped
• 10 oz can Rotel tomatoes with green chilies
• 15 oz canned or frozen corn, drained
• 15 oz kidney beans, drained
• 8 oz tomato sauce
• 16 oz fat free refried beans
• Half packet taco seasoning
• 2 1/2 cups fat free vegetable stock (you can substitute low-sodium chicken broth)
• ***RECIPE UPDATE 2/23/2015: I made this today and added the following:
• 15 oz can black beans 
• Half a packet of Ranch seasoning
• Red, orange, and yellow bell pepper

Directions:

In a large pot, brown turkey on medium heat, breaking up with a wooden spoon as it cooks. When cooked through, add onions and pepper and cook 2-3 minutes. Add tomatoes, corn, beans, tomato sauce, refried beans, taco seasoning and vegetable stock. Bring to a boil and simmer about 10-15 minutes. Garnish (optional) and serve.

Servings: 9 • Size: 1-1/4 cups • Calories: 198.8 • Fat: 1.4 g • Carb: 29.7 g • Fiber: 7.0 g  • Protein: 19.5 g