Make the World’s Healthiest Burritos

With dropping temps, fall is in full swing here in Minnesota. Regardless of some non-accumulating snow this week, it’s a beautiful time of year to find a road race.

While you may not have as many long runs scheduled, you still need delicious, healthy things to eat. The changing season brings with it a host of tasty fall foods. Of course there are apples and pumpkins, but don’t forget squash!

One of my favorite fall recipes is butternut squash burritos. We found this recipe on the Oh She Glows food blog a few years ago. After a few modifications for simplicity and taste, we have them on our weekly dinner rotation from October through March. They are delicious, healthy and this version is super easy.

Ingredients

• 2, 12 oz steam in bag butternut squash (cubed)
• 2, 10 oz steam in bag brown rice (makes about 1.5 cups cooked)
• 1, 10 oz frozen spinach
• 1 medium, chopped sweet onion
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 red pepper, chopped
• Salt to taste
• 2 tsp ground cumin, or to taste
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper, or to taste
• One 15-oz can black beans (about 1.5-2 cups cooked), drained and rinsed
• Cheese (optional, white cheddar is nice)
• XL Whole Wheat tortilla wraps
• Toppings: (avocado, salsa, sour cream, spinach/kale, cilantro, corn, lime, etc)

Instructions

1. In a large (real big) skillet over medium-low heat, add oil, onion, and minced garlic. Sauté until onions are translucent. Stir frequently so they don’t burn. {While you wait, microwave rice as per directions, and spinach so it comes apart easier.}
2. Add salt and seasonings and stir well. May need to add a little water.
3. Add chopped red pepper, spinach, black beans, and rice. Sauté 10 minutes on low. {Cook squash in microwave as per directions}
4. Add butternut squash to the skillet and stir. Some will mash up – that’s ok.

Once it’s mixed, add to your tortilla with preferred toppings and enjoy! You can also eat it with just chips instead of a tortilla. Makes awesome leftovers.

Health Benefits of Butternut Squash

The nutritional benefits of this dish are amazing. Spinach is an easy one, but did you know about butternut squash? Not only is it low in fat, but it’s full of dietary fiber. It also has loads of potassium, vitamin B6 (which helps your nervous and immune systems), vitamin C, E, and K. It’s also a good source of magnesium, manganese, iron, copper, potassium, calcium, phosphorus and zinc.

According to WholeLiving.com, squash’s tangerine hue signals an abundance of powerhouse nutrients known as carotenoids, shown to protect against heart disease. It is also one of the highest food sources of beta-cryptoxanthin and alpha carotene. You may not have heard of these, but their antioxidant potential is tremendous. Research has shown “alpha carotene to have significantly better anti-carcinogenesis activity (the ability to prevent the spread of cancer cells) than the more well-known beta-carotene.”

Because this dish is so high in fiber, I don’t recommend you indulge the night before a long run or important race. If so, you may want to download our bathroom map.

These tasty burritos are an easy, healthy way to have a great dinner during the long winter months in Minnesota.

What would you add to our list of toppings?