Taking Emeril's Chili and making it lighter

Part of this challenge of eating healthier is finding a recipe you love and then looking at the nutrition facts :( Seriously, some of the recipes out there that are developed are downright horrendous for you! So, how do you make them healthier without sacrificing taste? Trial and error, baby!

This recipe from Emeril Lagasse for Turkey and Hot Sausage Chili is fabulous and not terribly bad for you, but given the parameters of different eating plans, it could be better...

The first time I made this, I fell in love! This stuff is amazing! Then I got creative the last time I made it to bring it further into the healthy range of things - and let me tell you, this is perfect to have the next day or a couple months later if you freeze it. The flavors are amazing :)

So the healthier version of the recipe with a calorie count of about 260 for a very large serving is... (Note: this calorie count is with both meets being ground chicken)

Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound ground turkey or chicken
12 ounces hot Italian sausage made with turkey or chicken
2 teaspoons Emeril's Original Essence
1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onions (I use white because I like them better...)
1 chopped green bell pepper
1 chopped red bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped, roasted and peeled green poblano or Anaheim chiles (or a can of green chiles that have been drained simplifies this!)
2-4 tablespoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
2-3 cups vegetable stock
1 (28-ounce) can chopped tomatoes with their juice
2 cups cooked pinto beans, or canned beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
8-16 oz sliced mushrooms (optional)
3-4 carrots, peeled and sliced
2 cups grated Monterey Jack for garnish (use reduced fat or fat-free to keep the health factor up)

Directions
In a large pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the meat and Essence, and cook, stirring, until the meat is no longer pink, 6 to 8 minutes. Add the onions, bell peppers, carrots, and chilies, and cook, stirring, until soft, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic, chili powder, cumin, and salt, and cook for 1 minute. Add the stock and tomatoes, stir well, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for 45 minutes to 1 hour, stirring occasionally to prevent the chili from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
Remove from the heat and add the cilantro. Adjust the seasoning, to taste, and cover to keep warm until ready to serve.
To serve, ladle into large bowls and sprinkle each serving with 1/4 cup of cheese. Serve tortilla chips on the side.

It's not much of a change really, but just enough to make everything a bit healthier! I know the carrots and mushrooms may be a bit odd to some in chili - but for some reason they really seem to fit here. One note on using stock versus broth - you can substitute the broth but watch for sodium content as broth is usually saltier!

Enjoy!