Snacking in Sneakers

Spaghetti Squash Taco Boats

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Spaghetti squash taco boats are tasty, nutritious, and perfect for a family dinner! Instead of using shells for your tacos, you simply add the meat and homemade salsa on top of roasted spaghetti squash. And at under 400 calories each, it’s a filling meal you can feel good about eating! Gluten free and dairy free options available.

Do you ever see someone’s meal and think “how are they going to be full with just that?!”  I don’t at all mean that in a judgmental way; rather just in a surprised way.  I think my reaction is a combination of the fact that in this country we’ve been chronically exposed to really large portions, but also because the hubby and I tend to eat quite a bit since we stay pretty active.

The problem, of course, is that if I eat big portions of heavy, calorie-dense foods – I’ll start to gain weight and feel uncomfortable.  So there’s a careful balance between eating enough to fuel activity, yet staying at a comfortable weight.

That’s why I love meals like these spaghetti squash taco boats.  You get a giant portion, yet it’s still under 400 calories (woowoo!).  Plus, there’s less than 10 ingredients in this easy recipe.

With less than 10 ingredients, healthy spaghetti squash taco boats make an easy + tasty dinner!

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Spaghetti squash taco boats are tasty, nutritious, and perfect for a family dinner! Instead of using shells for your tacos, you simply add the meat and homemade salsa on top of roasted spaghetti squash. And at under 400 calories each, it’s a filling meal you can feel good about eating! Gluten free and dairy free options available.

Spaghetti squash taco boats are tasty, nutritious, and perfect for a family dinner! Instead of using shells for your tacos, you simply add the meat and homemade salsa on top of roasted spaghetti squash. And at under 400 calories each, it’s a filling meal you can feel good about eating! Gluten free and dairy free options available.

If you’ve never had spaghetti squash before, you’ll quickly see that it’s named that way since the squash forms strands like “spaghetti.”  Don’t get me wrong, the texture is different.   It’s not like you could switch this for pasta and no one would notice.  But this stuff is amazing because it’s versatile for use in many types of recipes, and it’s super low in calories.  One cup has just 40 calories, compared to about 200 calories in a comparable serving of pasta.

In this case, the squash becomes a perfect vessel for taco fillings.  Rather than using shells or tortillas a la traditional tacos, I’m boosting the veggie content by serving ‘em in the spaghetti squash.  This means a big ol’ filling serving for your meal that still fits perfectly with your fitness goals.

Plus, these spaghetti squash taco boats can be modified to fit many dietary needs.  If you’re dairy free, you can leave out the cheddar cheese (and add in some instead avocado for healthy fats).  If you’re gluten free, you can make this by grabbing gluten-free taco seasoning or making your own seasoning.  If you’re vegan, you can skip the ground turkey and cheese, and instead use seasoned black beans for your filling.

As a helpful note, at the time of writing this recipe, Ortega taco mix was free of gluten, dairy and soy.  (I used it all the time when I was dairy-free for nursing).  But you can also easily make your own mix.  

Enjoy this yummy meal!

Spaghetti squash taco boats are tasty, nutritious, and perfect for a family dinner! Instead of using shells for your tacos, you simply add the meat and homemade salsa on top of roasted spaghetti squash. And at under 400 calories each, it’s a filling meal you can feel good about eating! Gluten free and dairy free options available.

Spaghetti Squash Taco Boats
Serves 4
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Ingredients
  1. 2 spaghetti squash, smaller-medium sized (about 4 pounds each)
  2. 2 tsp olive oil
  3. 1 lb ground turkey
  4. 1 packet taco seasoning (preferably lower sodium; if gluten-free or dairy-free be sure to look for clearly labeled variety OR make your own)
  5. 1/2 to 2/3 cup water (according to taco seasoning directions; if using homemade seasoning skip or use a few spoonfuls)
  6. 1 1/2 cups chopped tomatoes
  7. 1/4 cup finely diced red onion
  8. 1 lime, juiced
  9. 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese (optional)
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  2. Slice both spaghetti squash in half. Scoop out and discard the seeds. Rub the olive oil on both the inside and outside of the squash, then place cut side down on a baking sheet. Bake for 40-50 minutes, or until a fork easily pierces the outside skin of the squash.
  3. Meanwhile, brown ground turkey in a skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in taco seasoning and water (add amount of water called for on taco seasoning directions) and cook for another few minutes, until the mixture has thickened and all the meat is well coated. Remove from heat.
  4. In a bowl, mix tomatoes, onion, and juice of the lime to create an easy salsa. Set aside for a moment.
  5. When spaghetti squash has finished cooking, let cool for a few minutes. Then take a fork and scrape down the inside of each squash, creating long strands of “spaghetti”.
  6. Divide the ground turkey, salsa, and cheddar evenly among the four halves. Enjoy!
Nutrition facts (per serving)
  1. 365 calories, 17 g fat, 6 g sat fat, 430 mg sodium, 28 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 3 g sugar, 26 g protein, Vitamin A: 22%, Vitamin C: 36%, Calcium: 20%, Iron: 16%, Potassium: 23%
Snacking in Sneakers https://www.snackinginsneakers.com/

Share with me:  Have you ever made spaghetti squash taco boats?  Do you love tacos?  What’s your favorite way to use spaghetti squash? 

Chrissy Carroll

Chrissy Carroll

Chrissy Carroll is a Registered Dietitian and USAT Level I Triathlon Coach. She specializes in sharing nutrition and fitness tips, as well as recipes, for runners, triathletes, and active women.Chrissy holds a Bachelor's Degree in Nutrition, a Masters Degree in Public Health, and is also an ACSM Certified Personal Trainer.
Chrissy Carroll

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Comments

  1. ACKTIVE LIFE says

    January 24, 2017 at 2:07 pm

    I just made a chicken taco chili in the slow cooker and I have a spaghetti squash and BAM…That would be quite the combo too! I love tacos and love how versatile spaghetti squashes are. Thanks for sharing this yummy recipe! XOXO

    Reply

  4. Sarah says

    January 24, 2017 at 8:13 pm

    Love a good stuffed spaghetti squash and it’s been far too long since we’ve had them, which has to change now because I’m craving this. Simply delicious!

    Reply

    • Chrissy Carroll says

      January 27, 2017 at 6:14 pm

      Yes! They are so good and versatile. If I’m remembering correctly, you’re vegan right? You could totally do beans and pico in there rather than the ground turkey.

      Reply

  7. GiGi Eats says

    January 25, 2017 at 12:07 am

    YES and more YES!!!! I loveeee these boats – I want in on these boats. These are like life preserver boats, because they’ll save your life – because they’re so healthy!

    Reply

    • Chrissy Carroll says

      January 27, 2017 at 6:15 pm

      Haha, thanks Gigi! I’m a big taco tuesday fan, so any way that I can make it healthier is a plus in my book. 🙂

      Reply

    • Chrissy Carroll says

      January 27, 2017 at 6:16 pm

      That would be amazing! I’m so jealous of people that have great gardens. We live in an apartment still so it’s not super feasible to grown anything besides windowsill stuff.

      Reply

  11. Natureteabox says

    January 30, 2017 at 12:54 pm

    This is a super cool recipe! Also, great presentation. All photos are Instagram feed photos. Thanks for sharing. Sometimes you find a recipe that you want to make it right away and this is one of them 🙂

    Reply

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