Joy Bauer's social media platforms are filled with countless healthy and delicious-looking recipes. With the start of the new year, the Today Show nutrition expert has taken to Instagram to express her love for taco Tuesdays, but with a plant-based twist. Instead of using beef, turkey, or chicken, Bauer uses legumes and nuts to create a textured and flavorful meat alternative. To make her plant-based meat, you'll need black beans, toasted walnuts, and cooked lentils. Bauer recommends rinsing the black beans to remove excess sodium and suggests buying no-salt-added beans. For the walnuts, toast them in a skillet until fragrant.

As for the lentils, cook them in vegetable broth or use canned lentils. Use a food processor to combine the black beans, lentils, and walnuts until combined. Cook the mixture in a skillet with water and seasonings of your choice. We love this recipe because it swaps out meat for legumes and nuts, which provides health benefits such as decreased risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and certain cancers. Plus, using simple ingredients avoids unnecessary additives found in processed plant-based meats. The black beans and lentils offer protein, while walnuts are packed with healthy fats. Each ingredient also contributes fiber, which supports gut health. Bauer uses this meat alternative for her plant-based tacos recipe and suggests trying it in burgers, lasagna, soup, and more. You can also play around with textures by adding or subtracting ingredients.