eDiets Contributor
One of America's favorite fast foods is Mexican food. At first glance it appears to be healthy -- all those beans, tortillas, veggies and rice. So what's so bad about Mexican foods since the ingredients sound healthy enough? Unfortunately, the fat content enhances the flavor and texture in many of the entrees.
What do the following have in common?
a) Chips
b) Nachos
c) Chimichangas
d) Taquitos
e) Chiles rellanos
Answer: They all have deep-fried ingredients. Another hidden source of fat is cheese found in quesadillas and enchiladas.
Don't rely on the name of the food in determining the best option either, as some vegetarian and grilled entrees may contain high fat ingredients. What's the solution? Keep these tips in mind while dining at your favorite Mexican foods restaurant:
1. Check your portions. Some burritos can actually feed two people, so split one with a friend. Limit your chips to a handful. Enjoy the salsa, but enjoy very small portions of sour cream (ask for low-fat) and guacamole.
2. Beans, loaded with fiber, complex carbohydrate, protein and other vitamins and minerals are usually a great choice. Black or pinto beans that are not refried are your best bet.
3. Grilled meats such as chicken, seafood and lean meat are great sources of protein, minerals and vitamins.
4. Include plenty of fresh vegetables such as tomatoes, peppers and leafy greens. They are an important source of vitamins, particularly antioxidants and phytochemicals.
5. Enjoy the side dishes such as rice and black or pinto beans (not the refried).
6. Choose corn or whole-wheat tortillas over flour tortillas; the calorie and " target=_blank">fat content are usually lower.
7. Fajitas usually include lean meats and lots of veggies. Enjoy just one corn or whole wheat tortilla.
8. Check the nutritional profiles online for your favorite Mexican restaurant. Many entrees are more than 1,000 calories with more than one day's worth of fat. For example:
-- Taco Bell's Taco Salad Bowl contains 840 calories with almost than half of those calories coming from fat!
-- A Vegetarian Tostada from Baja contains 1,010 calories half of those calories coming from fat!
-- Chips and salsa can average 1,100 calories while chips and guacamole can average 1,300 calories.
So what to do if you overdo? You can always walk it off. A woman weighing 150 pounds walking at a 3 m.p.h. pace can burn:
-- One large taco in 71 minutes
-- One chimichanga in 58 minutes
-- One enchilada in 65 minutes
-- One tostada in 45 minutes
-- Two burritos in 102 minutes
What's your favorite Mexican foods to eat and do you have suggestions for healthier version of your favorites? Let us know by commenting below!
Continue to these related posts:
-- Southwestern Vegetarian Pasta
-- Government Ban on Fast Food?
-- 10 Tips for Less Stressful Weight Loss
Comment: Friday, July 18, 2008 5:03:00 PM - 
said...
Chipotle chicken fajita burrito. Very healthy. Ask for less rice and extra fajita veggies!
Best burrito there is
Comment: Sunday, July 20, 2008 4:01:00 PM - said...
I love the Close Talker from Moe's. I like that I can actually see the ingredients as they go in the salad. I always have chciken, black beans, the fresh veggies, guac, and salsa for the dressing. I skip the cheese, sour cream, and heavy dressings.
Comment: Thursday, August 07, 2008 4:25:00 AM - said...
The problem with "Mexican" food in America is there's only a very limited choice of dishes, most of them the greasiest, more carb-loaded options compared with the whole univese of Mexican cuisine. And the portions served have nothing to do with the portions you get served in Mexico, i.e corn tortillas used for tacos are smaller and not fussed with sour cream and the such. I think the main problem with food in overall is we are rather lost on what really is a reasonable portion of each food we eat. And it seems we have to leave our dishes clean, no matter how huge they can be.
Comment: Thursday, August 07, 2008 4:26:00 AM - said...
It is chile "relleno", not rellano, dear...and you can ask for it to not be deep fried.
Comment: Thursday, August 07, 2008 2:04:00 PM - said...
All of it!!!
Any of the burritos from Moe's in particular, but I love Mexican food! It'd be too hard to pick just one!
Comment: Thursday, August 07, 2008 2:10:00 PM - said...
Just FYI, that chicken fajita burrito at Chipotle has almost 1200calories!!!
Comment: Thursday, August 07, 2008 3:13:00 PM - said...
The Chipotle chicken fajita burrito (with guacamole)? Serving Size: 1 burrito, Calories: 745, Fat: 34g, Carbs: 65g, Protein: 44g Fiber: 14g. That's according to MyFitnessPal.com . I know that a lot of folks think that the food at McDonald's owned Chipotle is "healthy," but that doesn't sound healthy to me!
Comment: Thursday, August 07, 2008 3:20:00 PM - said...
Mexican food is like any other food prepared in a restaurant - tastes great but loaded with unhealthy ingredients that make it taste good. Prepare it at home, use common sense and healthy ingredients and it can be healthy. Even whole beans can be unhealthy if they are cooked in pork fat!! But make them at home without the fat and they are super healthy! Same for others, such as using brown rice instead of white rice ----
Comment: Thursday, August 07, 2008 4:29:00 PM - said...
Qdoba's naked burritos are the way to go. You can have your tortilla on the side and just eat a small portion. I order mine with no rice and extra lettuce and it comes to around 350 calories if you choose the sour cream instead of the cheese.
Comment: Thursday, August 07, 2008 6:02:00 PM - said...
Some things in life are meant to be enjoyed. Give me a beer w/those chips & salsa and my fave dish which is the fajita burrito covered & smothered in cheese. I wouldnt be satisfied w/any less. As long as your active and eating out isnt so often you can splurge once in awhile. Bring on the carbs it will only give me fuel for my long run tmrw.
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