Mexican Restaurant help!

Try a naked burrito without the cheese/guac and all the fun stuff.

Avoid the chips! I always do fajitas (chicken or beef) and skip out on the torillas. I eat the meat, and veggies - go lightly on cheese, sour cream, guac......

The answer depends on how authentic the place is. If it's more Ameri-Mex kind of food, you're probably better off not going. Most American made attempts at Mexican dishes include a lot of fried stuff covered in cheese. For example, at a well known restaurant in the city where I live, a taco is a fried corn tortilla stuffed with seasoned ground beef covered in cheese, iceberg lettuce, tomatoes, sour cream, and salsa (the kind with added sugar). Before it's fried, the tortilla alone goes for about 100 cal. All together, I'd estimate two tacos at about 500 calories. The plate usually comes with rice and beans covered in melted cheese, and so with a drink the entire meal could very well come out to 1000 plus calories. I hate that place, and not just because the food is high in calories. For the record, it's La Mesa in Omaha, NE.

If the restaurant you're going to is authentic, then I suggest carne asada. A taco truck that parks near my school every day has the most delicious carne asada tacos. They contain marinated, grilled steak, chopped onion, cilantro, and a squeeze of lime double wrapped in soft, small corn tortillas. I can eat four of them for fewer calories than two tacos at La Mesa, and they taste soooooooooooo much better. Their salsa is made with chiles, garlic, tomatoes, and other spices, and so it's low in calories. It's incredible. A lot of authentic Mexican cuisine has fish too. Mexico has more coastline than the U.S. and so a lot of traditional Mexican dishes come from the sea. I'd say a good rule of thumb is to look for fish dishes without cheese, sour cream, or guacamole.

Generally stay away from anything that says Frita. It's mostly delicious, but bad for you. Get your beans in the non-refried variety. If you manage to be good throughout dinner, reward yourself with some flan.

I forgot to add: I also try to look up food and get an idea of the calories BEFORE I go out and plan what I'm going to order. It's a tad psychotic but it works

Tortillas make a nice plate cover so for burritos just skipping for tort is around 300cals. Fajita platters are usually pretty loaded with meat and veggies and you can leave the torts out. Don't skip the guac/avocados and sour cream those are good and filling. Skip the refried beans and go easy on the rice. Like another user said don't chow down on the basket of chips before you meal. Having a lighter lunch of skipping any afternoon snacks can help as well.

Ceviche! Fajitas are good, too. Authentic Mexican food is really not as bad for you as you might think. Corn tortillas are much lower in calories, delicious marinated meats, fresh salsas, real guac... I would go easy on rice and refried beans- black beans would be a much better option.

I look at MFP calories for similar items BEFORE I go out...You might consider that.

I do this too! If it's a chain restaurant, it should be in the myfitnesspal foods already. If not, I typically choose the generic stuff (and you can add 100 quick calories just to give you some leeway -- better to be safe than sorry). I usually look at the lower-cal foods and pick my meal from there.

I should mention that little changes will help, as well! If you can save some extra calories for dinner, switch your soda for water, and skip on the chips/salsa, you'll be fine! Have fun tonight (and enjoy yourself)!

Fajitas are always a good choice. Depending on your carb allowance, if you plan for them you can have tortillas, too. No certain type of food is your enemy--overindulgence in food is! Just make plans for the meal and work around it the rest of the day.

I also like to get a shrimp and chicken dish that my local restaurant serves. I like it because it tastes good with or without the tortillas (because it has a light cheese sauce on it). Some days, I don't have enough macros left for the tortillas.

Cheese is a good source of calcium. I developed osteopenia in one hip because I drastically cut my calcium intake for over a year. I've been adding cheese and other calcium-rich foods back into my diet due to this fact.

Edit: Enjoy your evening out and don't stress too much about what you're eating! BTW, you don't have to eat all of it at one sitting. If necessary, take some home to enjoy tomorrow!

Do the corn tortillas. Remember that Carbs are important too in your intake.

Avoid the greasy enchiladas etc. Stick with the fish and fajitas etc. Moderate your portions. Make a single big fat fajita taco filled with meat and vegies. Eat it slowly and enjoy the conversation with your company as you eat. Drink lots of water. And you will find yourself satisfied. If not, nibble on the meat and vegies without a second tortilla.

The problem for me is to not have a margarita every time I'm at a Mexican place... for some reason that one adds up fast.

Try a veggie fajita... most places have a seasonal veggie one! I normally add shrimp, and my husband and I split it...we still usually have a take home container!