Advice for eating out at a Mexican Restaurant.

wvtalbot

So my job has this habit of every time someone has a birthday they go as a group to the same Mexican restaurant.

(Company of about 50 employees so this happens often).

A lot of the time lately I just don't go because there seems to be so few healthy choices on the menu. Umlimited Chips and salsa, and everything is smothered in cheese, sour cream, and guacamole.

Anyway next week it's the boss's birthday and I can't really duck out of this one. Any advice? Anywhere I can find general caloric guidelines for Mexican foods?

5stringjeff

Lots of "generic" Mexican foods are in the database. I love Mexican, and I've had similar problems. I order a small lunch - usually one taco, one enchilada, and a serving of rice. Along with a decent serving of chips/salsa, it's around 1000 calories. That's a lot, but it's not overboard for most people. I compensate by having a smaller dinner.

marshmallow8978

Fajitas are a good choice, you can make them how you want them. You can even just skip the tortillas all together if you want, or do corn ones if available. I would just add each item separately in the food guide, or if you search for whatever item you eat there is probably a few equivalent choices from chains, that will give you a good estimate.
Mexican food is my downfall though, I love it, and often do like you and just skip it altogether, I cannot resist chips and salsa!

dcglobalgirl

Here are some tips I can think of:

1. no margaritas - full of sugar and you'll be more likely to cheat on everything else

2. chips - take 4 and put them on your plate but don't eat them until all the others are gone. Make sure you count how many chips you have. Only salsa, no guacamole.

3. Sometimes they have fish Veracruz style. Basically this is just fish in tomato sauce, so not as bad for you. Make sure you ask for it without refried beans and rice, just more veggies.

favhrnstr

Fajitas are a good choice, you can make them how you want them. You can even just skip the tortillas all together if you want, or do corn ones if available. I would just add each item separately in the food guide, or if you search for whatever item you eat there is probably a few equivalent choices from chains, that will give you a good estimate.
Mexican food is my downfall though, I love it, and often do like you and just skip it altogether, I cannot resist chips and salsa!

This^^^

We love Mexican food, and fajitas (minus the tortilla) is often a great option, but most menus have lots of healthy options. Stick with mostly meat and veggies; limit tortillas, cheese, rice, and beans (a little of each won't kill you); eat way more salsa than chips; and you'll be fine!

Annieapple12

I LOVE Mexican food. Personally I would have a buritto smothered in cheese and sour cream. I would log the calories honestly and would head to the swimming pool and swim for 2 hours / do a water aerobic class until I had burnt the calories.

WendyTerry420

Guacamole is *very* healthy. Eat it without guilt. So is salsa! Skip the rice and the chips and the refried beans.

msrootitooti

I usually order fish tacos because usually they are grilled with cabbage slaw and on corn tortillas. But, fajitas would probably be your best bet.

cbrrabbit25

i hate to eat mexican because of the salt. but i would go for a taco salad with lots of meat and no chips!

itsmyvwbeetle

I agree, count your chips and log them appropriately. I always look up and know how many chips I can have before I walk in. Stay away from rice and beans if you can. I have a burrito enchilada style with no rice or beans. It has some cheese and beans inside. I just log it and go on with life. It all comes together about 630 calories (with the chips) but if I keep the rest of the day in check its really not a big deal.

RunsOnEspresso

I always get guac at Mexican restaurants. It's basically avocado and some seasoning, maybe some salsa or onions. Yes, it is higher calorie than salsa but it's healthy fat.

I love a good carne asada. Most places you can order that, just a slab of meat. Very tasty meat at that.

Look through the database and the menu ahead of time. I am sure you can find something that is close. Or even see if someone has added it to the database, google to see if you can get a rough estimate.

Go and enjoy! And I can tell you I eat at Mexican restaurant's/food more than 50 times per year and I somehow still manage to lose weight. If allowed, I would eat it all the time. The boyfriend doesn't let me though.

ETA: Oh and if they have black beans, get those over refried. Not all beans are created equal.

mikeyboy

As you have read there are some good choices. One trick I use is as soon as my food come I ask for a take-out box and put half or more in the box before I start.

mdcoug

I love chicken tortilla soup. Just ask for all the toppings on the side and if they have low-fat sour cream. That plus a salad with a low fat dressing on the side are usually plenty for me.

Djbass728

I always get a salad with the following and it is AWESOME!!!

Iceburg lettuce
shredded mex cheese
pico di gallo (that's my "dressing")
avacado slices
sauteed shrimp (six)

Donna

zombie_porno

On the issue of guac... yes, it has lots of healthy fats in it... it's still a high calorie food, so I keep it VERY limited. Healthy high calories are still high calories. Salsa is a dream because you can have a ton of it without guilt. Even better is if you can get pico because it's usually fresher.

kingkoopaluv

tostada, no sour cream no cheese. extra veggies. Don't eat shell. salsa and guac in moderation. Dont deprive yourself just know youre allowed to make substitutions at restaurants.

DebraYvonne

I had a naked fajita (no tortilla) last time I went but I confess I did have cheese dip because I love it!

crystalflame

5 chips, and spoonful of guacamole, and salsa to start. Fajitas for your main course, but try to avoid the sour cream and maybe limit yourself to one tortilla - tortillas can be 150-200 calories each in a restaurant. Grilled fish, shrimp, chicken, etc. are usually good options as well, just watch how much you eat of the rice and beans that come with it.

Alford96

vegetable fajitas are good. I also like the tortilla soup our local place has (basically it's chicken veg soup with LOTS of big chunks of veg). You might want to go online and see if the menu is available so you can peruse it at your leisure. I LOVE mexican food so I have trouble with this one too. Also, remember at most places you can order "A La Carte" so you can just order 1 taco/burrito/enchillada, whatever. Good luck!!

UsaJewels05

I love Mexican! We eat it about once a week at my office. My favorite Mexican Restaurant is right next door! I have been getting either a lunch combo that has 2 soft Tacos with whole wheat tortilla (Chicken, Salsa, Lettuce and Cheese) with a side salad instead of rice and beans with their house dressing which is lite ranch and salsa mixed! or I get a house side salad with 1 taco, depending on how hungry I am that day. You can also normally get soup and salad (Tortilla soup or Black Bean soup should not be that bad). Just try to avoid the chips as much as possible, they are addictive and can add up in calories quick!

mapnerd2005

I like to get fajita nachos made with chicken. Skip the beans because they will use the full fat ones. Most places where I'm from put the nachos on tostada shells instead of chips, so it is easy to count how many you eat. You can ask them to go easy on the cheese, too. Often a friend and I will split an order because there is plenty for 2 people. I like guacamole, and the stuff served is USUALLY the real thing, which is made with real avocados,, but what how much you eat....just because it's a good fat doesn't mean it has fewer calories. Skip the chips. Fajitas are also good, but flour tortillas are high calorie carb bombs.