Mexican Food

ashesfromfire

S about 6 months ago I moved maybe an hour from the border and have discovered the absolutely mindblowingly delicious thing that is authentic Mexican food, and in that 6 month have gained a whopping TEN POUNDS! OH HELL NO! Granted, I've been making my fair share of not good at all choices ("oh why yes, I'd love a 4th bakery fresh tortilla, thank you for asking!" *NOM NOM NOM*) The question is, besides moderation - I'm working on that. And learning that I don't actually need to order a bowl of guacamole every other day, what Mexican food is more likely to fit into a balanced healthy diet?

DancingMoosie

Fajitas without the tortillas, carne asada, chicken ranchero w/out cheese--basically lean meats without the gravy and cheese. Instead of refried beans, get whole--ranchero/borracho or black. The rice is usually fried(so are chips), so you can cut back there as well. Guacamole is healthy, but it has a lot of calories. Stick to a tbs or two at a time. Get all the fresh fruit and vegetables.

Shelbsta22

fajitas with no tortilla- or corn tortillas instead. I feel ya my ex lived in the valley and I had heck staying healthy down there. ugh. SOOO much delicious food. Besides chicken fajitas I really had trouble. Quesadillas aren't TERRIBLE but they're not fantastic calorie wise either ): sorry.

segacs

I just spent two weeks on vacation in Mexico and ate all the food and lost 4 pounds.

Mexican food is just like any other kind of food. Moderation. Which, like you said, you're working on.

Other than that, don't know what to tell you. There's lots of grilled meat, fish and seafood in Mexican dishes -- see if you can focus on eating those. Black beans are healthy, if filling. Adding a little bit of chili sauce gives it flavour without many calories. Cut back on the corn tortillas and the fried foods as much as possible, and eat as many veggies as you can. Pico de gallo. Huevos rancheros for breakfast, easy on the sour cream.

Unknown

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aplcr0331

MrM27 wrote: »

Fajitas with no tortillas are so so sad.

No kidding, like Lasagna without the noodles.

Damn.

prattiger65

............is delicious.

azulvioleta6

Fajitas are not Mexican--they were invented in Arizona.

The key for me is to limit tortillas and anything containing masa. Besides carbs, the other thing about anything with masa is that it has likely been mixed with pork lard in the cooking process. There are a LOT of calories hiding there.

Look for dishes with nopalitos--those are tasty and filling. Pile on the pico de gallo/salsa cruda. A veggie burrito is a carb splurge for me, but for some reason I tend to not gain weight when I eat them. Posole can be good if you have a limited serving of the stew and pile tons of raw veggies on top. A caldo with a lot of veggies might be a good option.

I am a long way from the border, but I live in a mostly-Mexican neighborhood. Around here, the typical meal at a real Mexican restaurant is a big piece of roast chicken, a green salad with a thousand-island-type dressing and home fries. If you skip the fries, it's not too bad.

SLLRunner

ashesfromfire wrote: »

S about 6 months ago I moved maybe an hour from the border and have discovered the absolutely mindblowingly delicious thing that is authentic Mexican food, and in that 6 month have gained a whopping TEN POUNDS! OH HELL NO! Granted, I've been making my fair share of not good at all choices ("oh why yes, I'd love a 4th bakery fresh tortilla, thank you for asking!" *NOM NOM NOM*) The question is, besides moderation - I'm working on that. And learning that I don't actually need to order a bowl of guacamole every other day, what Mexican food is more likely to fit into a balanced healthy diet?

All that I like, just in moderation. I love Mexican food!

SLLRunner

MrM27 wrote: »

Fajitas with no tortillas are so so sad.

Quoted for absolute truth.

LAWoman72

Corn tortillas really aren't bad calorie-wise. If you're eating out, you'll have to guesstimate, but store-bought small corn tortillas are only about 100-120 cals for two.

So fajitas including the tortilla, if it isn't deep-fried (and I've never had fried or cooked tortillas served to me with fajitas, just steamed to warm them), aren't a bad choice at all.

Do watch the beans, as loads of lard are generally added to them (yum!), which isn't a terrible thing in and of itself but will definitely bump the calories up something fierce.

Have a nice side salad with them.

azulvioleta6

Trortillas are not high in calories, but they are high in carbs. A serving is two small tortillas-but most Mexicans eat 6-10 tortillas with a meal...not diet friendly.

Lasmartchika

Tacos!! Corn tortilla, lean meat, onion, cilantro, and salsa... and filling.