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This hearty comfort food classic gets a healthy makeover with lean ground beef and a whole-grain bun.










Serves 4

Ingredients

• Vegetable oil cooking spray
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 large sweet pepper, seeded and finely chopped
• 12 ounces 95 percent lean ground beef
• 1 1/4 chopped fresh tomatoes, or canned no-salt-added tomatoes
• 1 cup canned no-salt-added kidney beans, drained and rinsed, or cooked, mashed with the back of a fork
• 4 tbsp tomato paste
• 4 tbsp cider vinegar
• 1/8 tsp cloves
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp brown sugar
• 1/4 tsp salt
• Black pepper to taste
• 4 whole-wheat hamburger rolls (with about 170 calories each)

Directions

Heat a large skillet over medium heat and coat with cooking spray. Add the onion and sweet pepper. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring.

Crumble in the ground beef and cook until browned; keep breaking it apart with a spoon for about 4 minutes.

Stir in the tomatoes, beans, tomato paste, vinegar, cloves, cinnamon, sugar, salt, and pepper. Cook for an additional 4 minutes.

Divide the mixture evenly between the 4 rolls and serve.

Nutritional Information

Per serving: 415 calories, 34 grams protein, 60 grams carbohydrate, 14 grams dietary fiber, 5 grams sugar, 6 grams total fat, 2 grams saturated fat, 52 milligrams cholesterol, 72 milligrams calcium, 451 milligrams sodium.

From The Best Life Diet Cookbook by Bob Greene. Copyright © 2009 by the Bestlife Corporation. Reprinted by permission of Simon & Schuster, Inc.