Reduced Calorie Reduced Fat Chili

I love chili. There is a local restaurant in Maryland and Virginia called Hard Times Cafe. There used to be a location in College Park, MD, and an area in Laurel, MD (both are now gone; only the Gaithersburg location remains in Maryland). They were a chili restaurant. One of the dishes they offered was cornbread at the bottom of the bowl, topped with chili. It's now my favorite way to eat chili. But I digress.

The swaps in this recipe were relatively simple. First, I replaced the regular 80/20 beef with some 95/5 beef. This increases the amount of protein while decreasing the fat (and that grease sheen that forms on the top of your chili). Additionally, I replaced the olive oil with olive oil cooking spray. The olive oil in this recipe is not primarily used for flavor - it's used to help sauté the aromatics without sticking, so replacing it with cooking spray won't detract from the final product.

I substituted Better Than Bouillon for normal chicken stock or chicken broth. It's lower in calories and fat, keeps well in your fridge, doesn't take up much space, and makes a large quantity, so it doesn't need to be replaced often.

Additionally, I often add beer to my chili. The original recipe from the Food Network is what I typically use when making chili, so I used it as a basis for my modifications. It calls for beer; however, it suggests a Stella. I can't imagine what flavor a Stella would add to chili, given the chili's intense flavors, so I always use a darker beer, like a stout. In this case, I used the non-alcoholic variety, which significantly reduces calories and unnecessary carbs. Did you know that the "carbs" in alcohol can't be used as fuel, and they turn directly into fat? (This is one of the reasons why I try to eat lower in fat when I'm planning on having a glass of wine.)

That's probably it. When I first started cooking this recipe, I always used chipotle peppers in adobo sauce. Now I use chipotle powder. It lasts longer (why on earth don't they put chipotle in adobo in a resealable jar instead of a can? Who uses the whole thing at once?), so I don't feel like I'm wasting food.

The chili comes in at 422 calories, 45g of carbs, 10g of fat, and 47g of protein. That's a decrease of 102 calories and 9g of fat. Protein and carbohydrates remain relatively constant. If your nutrition plan requires a reduction in carbs, the carbs in this recipe come from the beans, so you can always make it Texas-style.

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