I don’t know about you but I definitely have a hard time with thinking of quick and delicious dinner ideas. Add healthy to that checklist and you definitely have yourself a stumper. However, I have one of the most amazing recipes that fits this bill to a T. A couple years ago I was asking my sister for healthy, easy dinner ideas and she sent me this recipe and said how incredibly delicious it was. When she told me it was Mexican Haystacks I thought, “Ehhh, how good could it really be?” Well my friends, I was truly blown away! The lady who wrote the recipe describes it as a party in your mouth, and frankly, there is just no other way to describe it. The amazing combination of flavors in this recipe is just mind-blowing. A party it is! And one of the best parts is how incredibly easy it is too. I usually make this recipe at least a couple times a month because my family loves it so much.

So without further adieu, here is your new favorite recipe for Mexican Haystacks. It is basically a layered meal starting with a layer of cilantro rice, which is just cilantro stirred into cooked brown rice. Next you brown up some ground turkey then add tons of flavor to it by simmering it with onions, garlic, and salsa. Next come the real stars of the party, the toppings: smooth, creamy avocado, crunchy red pepper, and sweet, juicy mango. Then you can finish it off with a sprinkling of cilantro and you are good to go!

In case I haven’t convinced you enough yet how great this meal is, here are some amazing health benefits from just the toppings alone.

Avocados

• Balance hormones
• Avocados have been observed to balance hormones to help with hypertension, high blood sugar and excess body around the waist.
• Moisturize Skin
• Avocados are fantastic for glowing skin when eaten or used topically because they are rich in fat-soluble vitamins and monounsaturated fats.
• Improve Digestion
• Lower Cholesterol
• It has been shown that an avocado-enriched diet can reduce your cholesterol by up to 17% in just one week!
• Improves Mood
• Fix Blood Sugar
• Healthy Pregnancy
• Avocados contain a ton of folate, which can prevent certain birth defects like spinal bifida and neural tube defects. Research has even suggested that folate-rich foods can prevent strokes.
• Great Source of Protein
• Have the highest protein and lowest sugar content of any fruit, creating a unique balance to building lean muscle mass and burning fat.

Red Bell Pepper

• High in vitamin A, vitamin C, folate, vitamin K
• Full of carotenoids, specifically lycopene
• Fights free radicals you acquire from natural exposure to environmental toxins.
• Lycopene might also prevent certain types of cancer.
• High in Potassium
• Keeps fluids and minerals balanced in your body, enhancing muscle function and regulating blood pressure.

Mango

• Rich in pre-biotic dietary fiber
• Which aids in our digestion
• High in potassium
• Great for heart health and lowers blood pressure
• Rich in copper
• Helps with production of enzymes and red blood cells
• Protects against colon, breast, leukemia and prostate cancers
• Very rich in Vitamin A which promotes good eyesight
• Alkalizes the entire body helping to maintain pH balance
• Great remedy for sun stroke and heat stroke

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