This Is How Jeff Mauro Makes Sloppy Joe's More Nutritious

It's a Wednesday night, you just got home from a long day at work, and the last thing you want to do is spend hours slaving away in the kitchen — but you are hungry with a capital 'H.' In some cases, you may even have a family to feed, making the whole weeknight dinner thing even more stressful. Fortunately, sloppy Joe's exist. The classic sandwich typically consists of a fluffy Kaiser roll oozing with a saucy, ground beef mixture made with ketchup, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, and the like (hence the "sloppy" moniker). It's been a staple in the U.S. since it was first invented back in 1930 (via Taste Atlas).

While delicious, the average sloppy Joe doesn't have the most stellar nutritional value — it's essentially just ground beef, sauce, and bread. There are no vegetables or antioxidants in sight. Yikes. But Food Network's Jeff Mauro has a solution. The Sandwich King recently revealed on Instagram how he makes sloppy Joe's healthier for his own family's dinners.

To whip up a better-for-you — or better-for-the-kids — sloppy Joe, Jeff Mauro suggests starting by swapping fatty ground beef for a leaner cut. For instance, in the caption of his Instagram post, he says his family uses lean ground turkey meat, which Healthline explains contains less saturated fat and overall calories than ground beef. And Jeff doesn't just stop there. He also mixes an "extra boost" of grated carrots and celery into the meaty mixture. Bonus: Because it blends right into the slop, it's an easy way for parents to sneak vegetables into their kiddos' meals without them noticing, too!

Of course, the Sandwich King had to add a few fancy touches to his sloppy Joe's. "So so good!" he described. "Especially on buttered and griddled Kaiser roll and topped with crispy jalapeños and bread & butter pickles!" Now that's an elevated yet easy weeknight meal.