Skip to content
  • Register
    • We are pleased to announce that as of March 4, 2025, an updated Rich Text Editor has been introduced in the MyFitnessPal Community. To learn more about the changes, please click here. We look forward to sharing this new feature with you!

    MEXICAN FOOD!?

    Posts: 60 Member
    edited January 1 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?

    Welcome!

    It looks like you're new here. Sign in or register to get started.
    Sign In
    Register
    «1

    Replies

    • Posts: 382 Member
      Fajita salad! But you can only eat half the taco bowl... Lol
    • 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.
    • 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
    • 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.
    • Posts: 1,496 Member
      fajitas would be my go to item as well although I love it all. :)
    • 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.
    • 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: ).
    • 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.
    • Posts: 661 Member
      good luck with that just say screw it for one night and go big!!!!!!
    • Posts: 1,137 Member
      Taco salad with chicken and don't eat the edible bowl!
    • Posts: 60 Member
      Awesome!! Thanks guys! I'm looking up the menu now to decidce what I'll get tonight. :-D
    • 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!
    • Posts: 60 Member
      No way!! I did that on Saturday. Eeeek!
    • 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!
    • 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
    • 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
    • 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.
    • 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!
    • Posts: 60 Member
      show previous quotes

      I'm a big fan of tortas and sopas

      I'm a big fan of your abs
    • Posts: 6,897 Member
      fajitas. grilled chicken or shrimp with a side salad, salsa, and some guacamole.
    • 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...
    • Posts: 1,172 Member
      Carnitas platter (carnitas, rice and beans)
      Pollo Asado (grilled chicken, rice, and beans)
    • 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!
    • 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.
    • 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.
    • Posts: 2,278 Member
      Steak Ranchero, shrimp fajita, 7 sea soup, pozole, tortas, shrimp cocktail, heck just about anything Mexican!
    • 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.
    • Posts: 60 Member
      Steak Ranchero, shrimp fajita, 7 sea soup, pozole, tortas, shrimp cocktail, heck just about anything Mexican!

      MMMM.... Steak Ranchero. Like!!
    • 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!
    • 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!
    This discussion has been closed.

    Welcome!

    It looks like you're new here. Sign in or register to get started.
    Sign In
    Register

    Quick Links

    Categories