MEXICAN FOOD!?

Clumz27
Clumz27 Posts: 60 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I'm going to a Mexican restaurant tonight for a dinner party with some friends. I LOVE this place we're going to. I love their food. I don't want to order what I used to though. (me encanta el queso!)

What are some of your favorite "healthy" Mexican dishes?
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Replies

  • MdmAcolyte
    MdmAcolyte Posts: 382 Member
    Fajita salad! But you can only eat half the taco bowl... Lol
  • tracymat
    tracymat Posts: 296 Member
    I have fajitas and tell them not to bring you the "fixings". If they aren't there, I'm not tempted to eat them. I just eat the meat and veggies.
  • avir8
    avir8 Posts: 671 Member
    (me encanta el queso!)

    It's also the love of my life. Fajitas maybe but I doubt mexican and healthy go together, sorry
  • Loulady
    Loulady Posts: 511 Member
    Fajitas without the tortillas. The mexican place we go to has a great chicken soup - it's broth-based and has big chunks of chicken and avocado, and pico de gallo in it. Nom.
  • bethvandenberg
    bethvandenberg Posts: 1,496 Member
    fajitas would be my go to item as well although I love it all. :)
  • AmberJo1984
    AmberJo1984 Posts: 1,067 Member
    It's pretty hard to get healthy food from a mexican restaurant. At least for me. Everything is always so full of sodium. Me and my mom, however, always split the grilled chicken fajitas. And, of course, water. Of course... I always overdo it with the chips and salsa... and cheese dip. I'm a pig at a Mexican restaurant, though. I love the food.
  • tammietifanie
    tammietifanie Posts: 1,496 Member
    Depending on how "authentic" the Mexican restaurant is, you can have a really healthy meal. There is often some kind of grilled meat (called asada). Chicken or fish or shrimp would be slightly preferable to beef, but any grilled meat is fine. Ask for "whole beans" rather than refried and order corn tortillas, not flour. If you are really dedicated, you can ask them to hold the sour cream, but I would eat the guacamole, it is a good source of healthy fats. I would avoid eating very much rice, since most Mexican rice has a decent amount of fat added when they make it. Portions are often huge, so getting a box at the beginning of the meal is a great idea, out of sight, out of mind. Eat lots of salsa, watch the beer/margaritas, and you should be able to get out for a decent nutrition/calorie count. Watch out for the chips and salsa (my downfall :blushing: ).
  • skullshank
    skullshank Posts: 4,323 Member
    whatchya got left for calories for the day?
    if it works into your cals and macros, then have what you want.
    going over a little bit aint gonna kill ya. make up for it the rest of the week with exercise and deficit. *shrug*

    ETA: pssssst...you can ignore sodium unless you have blood pressure issues.
  • ILoveTheBrowns
    ILoveTheBrowns Posts: 661 Member
    good luck with that just say screw it for one night and go big!!!!!!
  • AmyP619
    AmyP619 Posts: 1,137 Member
    Taco salad with chicken and don't eat the edible bowl!
  • Clumz27
    Clumz27 Posts: 60 Member
    Awesome!! Thanks guys! I'm looking up the menu now to decidce what I'll get tonight. :-D
  • gts175
    gts175 Posts: 38 Member
    Mexican has been the go-to place for my wife and me while losing weight. Stay away from the flour tortillas (140 cals) you can have about 13 tortilla chips for about 138 cals. We stick to the grilled chicken, steak, shrimp and veggies and even have some room for cheese if we take it easy on the chips. I ask for for grilled chicken (usually 6 ounces) with some shredded cheese on the side and then decide if I want to eat a few chips and even a half portion of refried beans. Gotta go to dinner now!
  • Clumz27
    Clumz27 Posts: 60 Member
    No way!! I did that on Saturday. Eeeek!
  • Rage4lightning
    Rage4lightning Posts: 72 Member
    About half of the mexican places I go to have a dish that is grilled/seasoned chicken over steamed vegetables on top of a bed of rice. It also is (usually) covered in queso. The queso isn't the healthiest option, but I love it too much to ask for them to leave it off.

    It's still one of the healthiest things I've found at a Mexican restaurant though.

    Unfortunately, all of the restaurants call it something different so I have no idea what to tell you it's called!
  • secretlobster
    secretlobster Posts: 3,566 Member
    If you're looking for something healthy and low-calorie you should probably just not eat anything. Most Mexican restaurants are known for a huge amount of cheese and sauce.

    Alternatives: Eat less tomorrow, or give yourself a break for one meal

    Don't do anything with cheese. Those calories add up fast.
    If I were to choose, I'd probably get steak or chicken fajitas. No cheese or sour cream. Pile as much chicken/steak/peppers/onions into one or two tortillas as you can, as much fresh salsa as you want.

    Oh and don't even start with the appetizer chips

    We have an AMAZING authentic Mexican place near my work, if I order anything from there it's going to be the tortilla soup (I leave most of the tortilla at the bottom) with fresh avocado. daammn Daaaammmnnn DAAAAMMMMNNNN
  • Acg67
    Acg67 Posts: 12,142 Member
    If you're looking for something healthy and low-calorie you should probably just not eat anything. Most Mexican restaurants are known for a huge amount of cheese and sauce.

    Alternatives: Eat less tomorrow, or give yourself a break for one meal

    Don't do anything with cheese. Those calories add up fast.
    If I were to choose, I'd probably get steak or chicken fajitas. No cheese or sour cream. Pile as much chicken/steak/peppers/onions into one or two tortillas as you can, as much fresh salsa as you want.

    Oh and don't even start with the appetizer chips

    We have an AMAZING authentic Mexican place near my work, if I order anything from there it's going to be the tortilla soup (I leave most of the tortilla at the bottom) with fresh avocado. daammn Daaaammmnnn DAAAAMMMMNNNN

    I'm a big fan of tortas and sopas
  • stl_nana
    stl_nana Posts: 99 Member
    I LOVE Mexican food and there are many ways to make healthy choices.
    However, I can't get through it without enjoying a margarita (or 2) and then can't keep my mitts out of the chips & salsa.

    I'm outta control.
  • cwag_afw
    cwag_afw Posts: 45 Member
    I always get fajitas with no rice or beans. I also stay away from the chip basket! Or a chicken taco salad with no shell!
  • Clumz27
    Clumz27 Posts: 60 Member
    If you're looking for something healthy and low-calorie you should probably just not eat anything. Most Mexican restaurants are known for a huge amount of cheese and sauce.

    Alternatives: Eat less tomorrow, or give yourself a break for one meal

    Don't do anything with cheese. Those calories add up fast.
    If I were to choose, I'd probably get steak or chicken fajitas. No cheese or sour cream. Pile as much chicken/steak/peppers/onions into one or two tortillas as you can, as much fresh salsa as you want.

    Oh and don't even start with the appetizer chips

    We have an AMAZING authentic Mexican place near my work, if I order anything from there it's going to be the tortilla soup (I leave most of the tortilla at the bottom) with fresh avocado. daammn Daaaammmnnn DAAAAMMMMNNNN

    I'm a big fan of tortas and sopas

    I'm a big fan of your abs
  • love4fitnesslove4food_wechange
    love4fitnesslove4food_wechange Posts: 6,897 Member
    fajitas. grilled chicken or shrimp with a side salad, salsa, and some guacamole.
  • KittieLea
    KittieLea Posts: 1,156 Member
    Living in Houston, we have Mexican A LOT here. I usually do beef, chicken, or pork...or all of the above...fajitas and mostly eat the meat, guacamole, and charro beans. The refried beans are usually made with lard so I avoid that, same with the tortillas. And chips...those are my downfall...
  • zaph0d
    zaph0d Posts: 1,172 Member
    Carnitas platter (carnitas, rice and beans)
    Pollo Asado (grilled chicken, rice, and beans)
  • Hellbent_Heidi
    Hellbent_Heidi Posts: 3,669 Member
    I have fajitas and tell them not to bring you the "fixings". If they aren't there, I'm not tempted to eat them. I just eat the meat and veggies.
    Smart! I agree that fajitas are a pretty safe bet, but the cheese and sour cream can really trip you up!
  • d_Mode
    d_Mode Posts: 880 Member
    Fajitas...or soft chicken tacos...and I skip the tortillas. I'll only eat about half of the meal and rice and beans that they serve and take the rest home.
  • Clumz27
    Clumz27 Posts: 60 Member
    Living in Houston, we have Mexican A LOT here. I usually do beef, chicken, or pork...or all of the above...fajitas and mostly eat the meat, guacamole, and charro beans. The refried beans are usually made with lard so I avoid that, same with the tortillas. And chips...those are my downfall...

    I live in Corpus... We have a lot here too. I'll for sure go with chicken. NO refried beans... CHECK.
  • Lift_hard_eat_big
    Lift_hard_eat_big Posts: 2,278 Member
    Steak Ranchero, shrimp fajita, 7 sea soup, pozole, tortas, shrimp cocktail, heck just about anything Mexican!
  • whiteheaddg
    whiteheaddg Posts: 325 Member
    I typically order the beef or chicken fajitas and ask for just the skillet - no sides or tortillas or fixings. The sodium will still get you. Or you can just wing it for a night, go big, log it and let it all average out over the week.
  • Clumz27
    Clumz27 Posts: 60 Member
    Steak Ranchero, shrimp fajita, 7 sea soup, pozole, tortas, shrimp cocktail, heck just about anything Mexican!

    MMMM.... Steak Ranchero. Like!!
  • elijhasmomma
    elijhasmomma Posts: 270 Member
    whatchya got left for calories for the day?
    if it works into your cals and macros, then have what you want.
    going over a little bit aint gonna kill ya. make up for it the rest of the week with exercise and deficit. *shrug*

    ETA: pssssst...you can ignore sodium unless you have blood pressure issues.


    I second this wiseness!
  • trkilpatrick
    trkilpatrick Posts: 37 Member
    Don't know if this is available but if you like shrimp, avocado, and tomato, a shrimp cocktail is one of my favorite meals and it won't kill ya too bad on the calories, you might want to look it up on the database first to see how much you want to eat...
    Enjoy!

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