Shrimp Tacos

We are big fans of tacos made with seafood (ie. fish, lobster, shrimp), and order them at restaurants all the time, but I've never attempted to make them at home.  We had some shrimp in the freezer, so I made these easy and super healthy shrimp tacos tonight. They were amazing (if I do say so myself :)!  I topped mine with a small amount of sour cream - and my husband also added some hot sauce to his. I am going to be making these again soon for sure.  

Shrimp Tacos

Makes ~4 servings

Ingredients

1 pound pre-cooked large shrimp, tails removed and diced into thirds

1/4 tsp salt (optional)

1/4 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp garlic powder

2 tsp olive oil

1 large tomato, seeded and diced

1 avocado, diced

1/2 cup organic green onions, chopped

1/2 cup fresh organic cilantro, chopped

1 cup canned organic black beans

Multigrain or whole wheat tortillas (make sure they are whole grain)

Organic sour cream, for topping (optional)

Directions

1. Heat olive oil in pan over medium heat. Add shrimp, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Stir and cook until shrimp heated through - about 3 minutes.  

2. Place black beans in a microwave-safe bowl and heat in microwave until hot - about 2 minutes (or heat in a pan on the stove). 

3. Fill tortilla with 1/4 cup black beans and 3 oz shrimp. Top with avocado, tomatoes, green onion, and cilantro.  Also top with a small amount of sour cream, if desired.

What are the nutritional benefits of this meal? Shrimp are an excellent source of protein, providing 18g of protein in a 3oz serving. Shrimp are also a good source of vitamin B12 and omega-3 fatty acids. Avocados are rich in monounsaturated fats that have been shown to boost HDL (good cholesterol), and are an excellent source of vitamins C,E and carotenoids lycopene and beta carotene, as well as the minerals selenium and zinc. Tomatoes are an excellent source if vitamin C and lycopene. Cilantro is packed with vitamins C, A and K, and provides a small amount of B vitamins. Onions are rich in quercetin, a type of antioxidant, as well as vitamins and minerals, including vitamins C, K, folate, thiamin, and minerals calcium, magnesium, potassium and manganese. Black beans are high in protein and fiber and are a significant source if iron, magnesium, phosphorous, manganese and B vitamins thiamin and folate. Multigrain tortillas (if they are whole grain) are rich in omega 3 fatty acids, B vitamins and fiber.