My husband began a health journey in February of 2023, resulting in a weight loss of about 120 pounds. He did this with a program that promotes discipline, determination, healthy habits, and a support network that helps a person find success. He was so successful that he became a coach…, and then I signed up.
At my heaviest, in March of 2023, I weighed over 250 pounds, and by eating one meal a day, the meal that my husband got to prepare himself, on his plan, when I started the same program in May 2023, I weighed 250.7 pounds. Fast forward to December 2023, and I lost about 80 pounds. I am just over halfway to my goal weight of 130, and most days, I feel like I’m going strong. When I am discouraged… I have that support network to help me out.
But this post isn’t really about “the plan.” This post is about making one of our favorite meals with healthier choices.
During the fall, I started to get cravings, for lack of a better way to put it, for favorite meals that were not “on plan.” Rather than letting this derail us, I couldn’t help but wonder if I could modify/adapt the recipes and make them “on plan.” I don’t really know if my choices are precisely correct since I am not a nutritionist or dietitian, but I know that what I am about to share are healthier choices than the original.
I was craving sloppy joes. When my husband and I married over 25 years ago, we were in college and poor as church mice. Sloppy joes became an inexpensive meal that we both loved. We like the Dole brand canned sloppy joe mix best, and all was right with the world until I discovered The Pioneer Woman’s sloppy joe recipe. This recipe was from scratch (basically) and didn’t take any more time to make than the canned variety. So, we moved away from canned sloppy Joe and enjoyed The Pioneer Woman recipe for years.
The Pioneer Woman’s Sloppy Joe recipe uses ketchup, brown sugar, and, of course, buns, so after our health journey began, bread was out, brown sugar was not an option, and ketchup has sugar in it, so the quantity needed for sloppy joes was simply too much to count as a condiment.
So, how did I make our sloppy joes healthier? By using sugar-free ketchup, brown sugar substitute, and bell peppers!
I use the G. Hughes Sugar-Free ketchup and Truvia Brown. I like G. Hughes Sugar-Free ketchup because it uses stevia, and I have found that for me, other non-sugar sweeteners are either too intense or give me headaches (I’m talking to you, aspartame). Truvia Brown is, obviously, stevia as well.
Here is the original sloppy Joe recipe by The Pioneer Woman. Without her, and it, I would have never thought to make my version of sloppy joes… Sloppy Joe Stuffed Peppers. My version is below.
Sloppy Joe Stuffed Peppers
Serving Size – 8 (1 stuffed bell pepper)
Prep Time: 15 min.*
Cook Time: 30 min*
*All Times Are Approximate
Ingredients
2 1/2 pounds of lean ground beef or extra-lean ground turkey (7% or less fat)
1 package of pre-diced yellow onion
1 package of diced bell pepper (I like the tri-color but you can stick with green pepper if you like)
5 cloves of garlic, minced
12 oz, or 1 13 oz bottle of G. Hughs sugar free ketchup
2 tbsp of Truvia Brown
2 tsp. Chili powder
1 tsp dry mustard
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1 c. Water
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tbsp tomato paste
Worcestershire sauce, to taste
8 whole bell peppers
1 package of frozen steam-in bag of riced cauliflower
Choice of shredded cheese
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
- In a large skillet or Dutch oven, dry-brown your ground meat. Drain off any fat if needed.
- Add the onion, bell pepper, and garlic and cook until slightly softened
- Add the G. Hughes ketchup, Truvia Brown, chili powder, dry mustard, pepper flakes, water, salt, pepper, tomato paste, and Worcestershire sauce. Taste it and make sure your seasonings are good. Simmer for 15 minutes.
- Prepare the bell peppers by cutting off the tops and cleaning out the insides. Stand them on a baking pan.
- Steam the riced cauliflower, then divide evenly among the bell peppers
- Spoon the sloppy Joe evenly into the bell peppers and over the riced cauliflower.
- Top with shredded cheese.
- Cook in oven at 350 degrees until the peppers are as soft as you like them and the cheese is melted.
- Serve.
Lounge Time With Liz 