The Food Factor: Vegetable Burritos

Video by Jonathan Parrish

With all of the delicious, fresh vegetables available this time of year at great prices, vegetable burritos are a fast, farmers market-friendly meal you can whip up in no time. While Southwest-inspired recipes can hide a lot of calories, a few substitutions can keep you from breaking the calorie bank.

First, opt for reduced-fat or fat-free sour cream or even fat-free Greek yogurt. I usually spread my sour cream on the tortilla first for better coverage, but you do you! Next, look for whole-wheat tortillas to cut calories and increase fiber. Finally, consider cooking the veggies in water instead of oil. They get soft from the steam, so you may need less cooking time, but you can save a lot of calories this way.

I love to squirt a little lime juice on my vegetable mixture to give it a little extra zing without any added fat. Instead of chips as a side dish, consider some fresh corn on the cob sprinkled with spices instead of butter, a side salad, and some fruit. Now that’s what I call a healthy supper!

Vegetable Burritos

Ingredients:

Cooking spray

1 lb. fresh mushrooms, sliced

1 medium onion, chopped

1 green bell pepper, chopped

1 cup thinly sliced zucchini

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 tsp vegetable oil

1 15-oz can pinto or kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1/4 tsp. black pepper

1 tsp. ground cumin

8 8-inch flour tortillas

8 Tbsp. reduced-fat or fat-free sour cream

1 cup salsa or diced canned tomatoes

1/2 cup shredded, reduced-fat cheddar cheese

Directions:

1. Drizzle oil in a medium to large nonstick pan.
2. Cook mushrooms, onion, bell pepper, zucchini, and garlic over medium heat until tender.
3. Remove from heat.
4. Add beans, pepper, and cumin to vegetable mixture.
5. Add sour cream, salsa or tomatoes, and cheese to the tortilla.
6. Spoon about 1/2 cup of mixture down the middle of each tortilla.
7. Fold tortilla, sides first, then roll into burrito shape.
8. Coat a different nonstick skillet with cooking spray.
9. Place over medium-high heat until hot.
10. Cook filled tortillas, one at a time, seam side up. Heat through, about 1–2 minutes.
11. Serve with additional salsa.

Thanks to the folks in Foods & Nutrition Education at the University of Georgia Cooperative Extension Service for this recipe!