Say adios to taco salads with thousands of calories with this crave-worthy 280 calorie beauty.

I love a good taco salad, but once you realize how unhealthy most taco salads are, it’s tough to enjoy eating one without a side of guilt. By ditching the usual fried tortilla bowl and swapping in more fresh vegetables and leaner meat, I was able to slash the fat and calories and curb the carbs – and still keep the crave-worthy taste!

The creamy cilantro dressing? Well, it simply adds a big side of yum!

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients

Dressing:

1⁄3 cup light sour cream
1⁄3 cup low-fat yogurt
½ cup chopped cilantro, loosely packed
2 tablespoons lime juice (about 1 lime)
1⁄8 teaspoon garlic salt

Salad:

1 medium red bell pepper, diced
3⁄4 pound lean ground beef
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
3⁄4 cup salsa
6 cups chopped romaine lettuce
2 green onions, sliced
3⁄4 cup low-fat Mexican blend cheese
2 medium tomatoes, cut into wedges
Reduced fat tortilla strips, optional

Instructions

1. For the dressing, combine all the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.

2. For the salad, spray a large non-stick skillet with cooking spray and place over medium heat. Add diced pepper and sauté 3 to 4 minutes or until slightly softened. Add the beef and chili powder to the pan and sauté 5 to 6 minutes or until meat is well browned. Stir in the salsa and cook for one minute to combine. Remove from heat.

3. To assemble, place 1½ cups chopped lettuce on each of four plates. Top each salad with 3/4 cup of the meat mixture. Sprinkle on ¼ of the green onions, 3 tablespoons cheese, and 3 tablespoons of dressing. Garnish with tomato wedges and optional tortilla strips, if desired.

DARE TO COMPARE: I am happy to say “adios” to the Taco Salad with Beef served at On the Border restaurant with its 1,100 calories, 79 grams fat, and 2,400 mg of sodium! (Not to mention a whopping 35 points!)

NUTRITION INFORMATION PER SERVING (one salad): Calories 280 | Carbohydrate 11g (Sugars 6g) | Total Fat 14g (Sat Fat 7g) | Protein 27g | Fiber 3g | Cholesterol 45mg | Sodium 460mg | Food Exchanges: 3 Lean Meat | Carbohydrate Choices: ½ | Weight Watcher Plus Point Comparison: 7    Smart Point Comparison 8*

(*Vegetables are included in the nutrition information, but are subtracted out before calculating Smart Point comp.)