Healthier Dining Out: Mexican
Jonesing for some fajitas, enchiladas and a sweet margarita? Typical Mexican — and Tex-Mex — restaurants have a lot of flavorful menu choices, but they’re not always the lightest delights. Check out these tips before heading out to your favorite Mexican joint.
Chips & Dip
If you go to any Mexican restaurant worth it’s margarita salt, servers will greet you with fried tortilla chips and salsa (or cheese or guacamole if you upgrade) when seated. Although the thought of never-ending chips is tempting, just grab a small handful on your plate and go for the lighter dip — salsa. Also, don’t feel obligated to finish the chips that are on the table. You can always ask the waiter to take them away or not to refill them.
Skip the Crunchy Shells
Soft tortillas are baked, while the crunchy ones are fried. You don’t need to be a nutritionist to know that fried anything means more fat and calories so opt for soft. If you must have a crunchy taco, skip the tortilla chip appetizers (sorry, you can’t have it all!).
Customize Your Order
Many of the fajitas, tortillas, tacos and enchiladas come with pork, chicken or beef fillings. These dishes typically also come with many toppings on the side — cheese, guacamole, sour cream, salsa, rice and beans. The first three are the most calorie-dense, and it’s wise to hold back on a few (or all).
Beans can be deceiving. Black beans are very healthy — loaded with fiber, high in protein and low in fat — but many refried beans are cooked using lard and Mexican cheese blends or pork. Instead, try pinto beans that have the same nutritional benefits without all the added fat.
Dishes to Avoid
Although delicious, the following dishes are typically deep fried and you should avoid them (or share them on special occasions): chimichangas, taquitoes, chalupas and chile relleno. If you aren’t sure if something’s fried, ask your server.
- And to help, here’s a quick rundown:
- Chimichanga: Deep-fried burrito
- Taquitoes: Small, fried tortillas filled with chicken or beef
- Chalupas: Deep-fried dough filled with chicken or meat
- Chile relleno: Literally means “stuffed pepper,” which are filled with various goodies (i.e. meat, cheese, pork) and then fried
Many more traditional Mexican restaurants feature regional entrees that don’t involve frying at all — spiced-up chicken and grilled seafood dishes are usually available.
Don’t Be Afraid to Ask
Some Mexican and Tex-Mex restaurants now offer healthier fare such as brown rice, whole wheat tortillas and low-fat cheeses. You may even find that the sides can be replaced with steamed veggies or a fresh salad — just be sure to order the dressing on the side.
Beer or Margarita?
I always look forward to margaritas when dining at Mexican restaurants. Unless you have enough people at the table, stick to a single glass and not a pitcher. Margaritas have tons of added sugar from the mixes and can have a few hundred calories, so stick to one.
A better option may be a Mexican beer such as Corona or Dos Equis, which won’t have the added sugars. Ask for Corona Light for a lower-calorie option. If you’re looking for a more authentic experience, order a Michelada.
TELL US: Do you have any favorite, lighter Mexican favorites — traditional or Americanized?
Do you have the recipe for the picture above? It looks delicious and I’d love to try it! Thanks!
It appears enchiladas has almost become synonymous with Mexican dishes. Almost every eatery serves it. About my favorite Mexican dish, I would say Crepe. Simple ingredients and few cooking steps.
If there is any one who would try to avoid as much fat as possible, it would have been me. But, now with a new perspective, I feel if you are going to out to a nice dinner, you should enjoy yourself for that day and not restrict what you eat. Otherwise what’s the point of going out to sample tru ethnic cuisine? You might as well stay home and eat light.
Chicken Soup with pico de gallo.
I love mexican food. I find I can make it much healthier at home. I bake my chimicangas. Choose your stuffing (baked chicken for my family, veggies for me) and brush the wraps with olive oil. Bake and they are finished when brown. I then top with fresh salsa, tofutti sour cream and avacado. Yum.
I think michelle has a point because in almost all restaraunts they use a lot of fats and oils not only mexican foods
Homemade salsa (it’s always to your taste). I also love taquitos and chile rellenos. both can be baked as an option at home. But I think my favorite flavor I identify with tex-mex is mexican red sauce.
mmm…this is making me hungry.
Food Network seems to use “Mexican Food” and “Tex-Mex” interchangeably. They are not the same. Just as there are regional differences in cooking styles in Mexico (food in Yucatan is different than that in Coahuila) there are all kinds of regional variations of (American) Mexican food. New Mexico style Mexican food is greatly different from Tex-Mex or California style, for example. And no Tex-Mex cook would use black beans-only pinto beans. To me all Mexican food is good but each American state’s ideas of what constitutes good food is just as different as each Mexican state’s ideas. Please don’t call everything “Tex-Mex”.
I like going to our Mexican Restaurant;for a night out & to see people I know. But, my husband say’s I’m too good of a cook to eat that stuff. He likes my cooking better. That being said; I like the Tortilla soup. You can make that low in fat also. Great for cutting the fat & not the flavor!
Tamales…they are steamed not fried; however I want the works – cheese enchilada, tostada, tamale, hard shell beef taco, rice, refried beans and gucamole on the side. Now that’s good eating!
I agree. While it is nice to go out to a nice dinner sometimes, it CAN be loaded with fat and calories. But, that’s why you only do it sometimes, and not every single day! It’s okay to treat yourselves to that stuff every once in a while, so long as it’s not a daily occurrence.
And, I also agree that you can make food so much better at home. Not only that, but you get to control EXACTLY what goes into your food! I make tacos and taco salad at home all the time, and I really do prefer them to what you would get at Taco Bell or even some “Mexican” restaurants. Why? Because I’M the one who gets to pick what goes in it. I am the one who picks out the lettuce and tomatoes at the store, so I know that they are the freshest possible produce I can get. Not only that, but I like the stuff that I put on my tacos – always the meat seasoned with taco seasoning, either homemade or store-bought; lettuce; onions; tomatoes; black olives; salsa or sauce; sour cream; sometimes guacamole or even just plain avocado; and my chip or shell of choice. The thing is, most people eat just as UNhealthy at home as they would at a restaurant, and the difference is what they put into the meal. I could have the same (looking) tacos/taco salad as someone down the street, but I would be willing to bet that mine would be healthier. First of all, I ALWAYS use 95% lean hamburger, reduced-sodium taco seasoning, and good-quality nonfat sour cream. The other fats, from the olives and the guacamole/avocado, are actually healthy fats, so I don’t even worry about those nearly so much! If I use tortilla chips, they have baked options which are good for you. By the time you pile all that crap on top, you really can’t even tell the difference between those and the fried kind!
i always go for grilled chicken on tortilla with salsa. simple and delicious
Here is the recipe for the fish tacos shown in the article.
I love Mexican Food too. My Fav cocktail for years has been Margaritas and hard shell tacos. But growing up going to Baja, I love “real” fish tacos that are made and bought from roadside stands. Carnitas are right up there as my favorites also. You can make great low sugar margaritas at home, just control the amount of mix you put in, always use quality tequila and fresh lime juice, a little splash of contreau (orange Liqueur) and you have yourself a fabulous margarita. I have to disagree with Sandy’s comment above about “always using 95% lean hamburger” There is no such thing. You can buy 22% fat, 15% or 7% fat hamburger. They do not sell 95% fat free hamburger. If they did, it would taste like wood.
To make chips use fresh corn tortillas and microwave for about a minute for 2 they will crisp up, keep on eye on them as each micro varies.
Tamales, while delicious are NOT good for you. They may be steamed but there made by cutting fat solids (AKA Lard) into corn meal. Similar to how you would make southern style biscuts. So dont be fooled.
Patty, I have to disagree with your comment about 95% fat free hamburger not available. Perhaps if you are selecting your meat from the meat cooler at the supermarket, it’s not available, but if you ask for the meat dept manager, or go to a butcher, they will custom grind your hamburger however you like. It’s never going to be “fat free”, but since our bodies need a little fat to break down other foods and for energy, it’s not a terrible thing. Get to know the people you buy your groceries from, it’s amazing what information you can learn!
not all de chiles rellenos are fried and whith eggs theres chiles rellenos with black beans inside and outside only a tomate sauce and this sauce isnt chilli or hot and is more healty with no cheese or oil or meat only veggies
I love Mexican food too, but limit myself to maybe once a month, and then I just go crazy. The flavor is in the fat, and besides, if you don’t indulge once in a while, your missing a lot. most of us will have the last few years of our life filled with doctors and health problems anyway, and there is something worse than being fat.., being hungry!
Would love the recipe for the picture above. Thank you
Sorry…Patty, but my grocery store sells 96% lean ground beef right in the chub. It is made by Moran. I buy it all the time.
If your really hungry for a chicken taco, try stuffing a softened corn tortilla and close with a toothpick. Then use a light spray bake in the oven for a crunchy tasting taco
I am wondering why she uses flour tortillas instead of corn. Corn have little or no fat and are much better for you. Also, I think there would be more taste. I thnik the fish is just browned on both sides in a non-stick teflon pan. You could pour on a little salsa and then put a top on the pan to cook all the way through and that would also give more flavor.
Many of the Mexican restaurants I have been eating at do not add lard to their refried beans (I ask the waiter if their refried beans are vegetarian). This is a good question to ask!
Well…… being Mexican what bothers me the most is that lots of places are opening claiming it is Mexican Grill, Mexican this and Mexican that, and they are NOT. The owners are from every place, but not Mexico and the foods is awful, like Chipotle, Canyon Cafe and many more.
I now want to open a Mexican Restaurant and call it “Authentic Mexican Grill”
I am not sure if you ever had Horchata, it is a very delicous drink, in fact my favorite, you soak rice, or oatmeal for 4 hours, blend the rice in a blender with 3/4 gallon of water, add 4 cups of milk, sugar, cinamon, 1/2 can sweetend milk. This makes a gallon. It is thee most delicous drink, you serve it cold. Well when I order it at a so call Mexican Grill, they never have it, and that my friends is an authentic drink!
At our home, we have taco salad night where everyone helps with the preparation. The shells are baked(Aztec) and each person has a task, chopping veggies, cooking meat and seasoning, baking shells, etc. When we eat out at our local Mexican restaurant, I order fajitas or a soft burrito with rice but no refried beans. I try to limit myself to ten chips but hard to do.
I would like to make my own fresh flour tortilla however I have been unable to find a good recipe
So my question to you Mariana is, Is Taco Bell an authenic restaurant made by Mexicans or American made? And if not then why don’t we have any authenic Mexican restaurants in the U.S. like we do Chinese or Japanese. And this question is to who ever, is Taco Bell’s good lowfat food to eat when your on a diet (or is it lowfat at all) because I feel it is?
Sherri I can not believe that you are asking me if Taco Hell is authentic, they use the lowest grade meats and to answer your question, NO, it is not authentic, it is American. Also the Chinese and Japanese restaurants are also Americanized, to really know what real Chinese and Japanese foods are, you have to look for authentic places, which are kinda hard to have. One of my best friends is from Japan, and trust me she does not cook anything like they do in the restaurants here in the US, thier authentic dishes are more healthy, lots of veggies and very little meats.
Fresh flour tortillas – all you need is flour, a little bit of oil, water and a dash of salt, Making the dough is very easy, the hard part is making the tortilla, but now days you can even get an electric press, which are pretty cool.
I have On The Border on average once a week. I eat alot of chips/salsa as its home made there. The chips are obviously not healthly however, I always order the fajita tacos that comes with grilled vegetables. its a royal treat.
Instead of chips, I ask for soft corn tortillas. Rolled up and dipped in salsa, they are delicious!
In my town we have a restaurant named Casa Blanca. Delicious food. Everyone that works there is authentic. They have several alternative dishes that my husband always orders. Grilled chicken breast, steamed veggies and a side salad , dressing on the side. It may be a chain but it is a huge hit in this town.
Authentic Mexican food is much healthier than what is served in Americanized “Mexican” restaurants. Tacos usually consist of soft corn tortillas, roasted or grilled meats, and topped with veggies, not loaded down with cheese and sour cream! If there is cheese, it’s usually a light sprinkling. They don’t typically serve chips and salsa either. Salsa is used as a condiment for food.
Just eat and enjoy.. life is short, just a final note the mexican food we eat here in the USA is not what you find in mexico, we over kill on the topping, and for that we eat lots of fat.
I usually go for the chicken enchiladas with no sauce or have it on the side and I can then add it if nessary or needed; I also like the fajitas with beef, chicken and shrimp, it is a great dish to make at home with grilled meats and veggies and if you don’t mind the change, eat them with a fork or use a white or yellow corn shell but not the flour shells! (heat the shells first)
I pass on the rice and the chips with salsa but I do eat the salad a good greens with gucamole (avocado) dressing is good for you.
Hey Lily the pic says it all
1. flour tortillo shell
2. chicken….try grilling for a better taste
3. red pepper…sliced thin and grilled for taste
4. black beans as a topping…looks like canned beans
5. small aspargus…small ones better for grilling also
6. garnished with cilantro…opt
7. some kind of sauce but you can make one of your own choice; a light one will do and not a cream sauce! maybe a little low fat ranch sauce foir example
The pic looks like a healthy , low fat version of a chicken taco, except for the shell which I might replace for a whole wheat pita, for example
Oh forgot, maybe the sauce is a low fat mozzarella cheese spead very thinly and heated up to melt on top of the chicken taco
My favorite Mexican restaurant light supper is the Mexican shrimp cocktail. It is very different from the American version. It is served in a large margarita type goblet and has raw onions, celery, cucumber, tomatoes and avocado and plenty of shrimp in a tomato and clam juice sauce,and a little Tabasco….sooo good!
I order a Margarita without sour mix (or any for that matter). I request fresh lime juice if possible and if not Rose’s Lime juice. It may be smaller and bitter but you can always use a substitute sweetener if necessary.
I love grilled fish tacoes, soft corn tort, cilantro, salsa, avacado or quac, chalula. yum
Stuck in Sweden missing all the Mexican food home has to offer…
I'd give my life for a chimichanga-..Of course I'm pretty sure its the most unhealthy thing on the menu, fried and smothered in delicious cheese, but–sometimes, you just have to let yourself have what you love..or at least a little bite of someone elses! Am I right?
Mexican food is so delicious. Its great that you can eat healthy Mexican food. Nice article with great tips.
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