Need help with Mexican food!

parrotlover
parrotlover Posts: 143 Member
edited September 24 in Health and Weight Loss
I am supposed to go out for Mexican with friends tonight and I am not sure what to get and how to log it on here.

I usually get vegetarian stuff when I go.

Anyone have the mexican thing figured out and have any good suggestions?

Thanks!

Replies

  • Allibaba
    Allibaba Posts: 457 Member
    Portion control is key, if you can't find someone to share with you plan to take half home. I know that when I go for mexican the portions are huge! Also don't order deep fried, vegetarian would be a good plan as well like you said.
  • Go for the fajitas but skip the tortillas! =) Portions! Portions! Portions!
  • Victorious_One
    Victorious_One Posts: 174 Member
    Are you doing low-calorie? Low carb? Low fat? Combination? That may help bring suggestions.

    I'm more low-carb, so I stick with fajitas. I can't turn down guacamole, though! Not too many chips for me, and I usually drink water.
  • NoAdditives
    NoAdditives Posts: 4,251 Member
    Vegetarian isn't necessarily better for you calorie-wise. Beans and rice can often have more calories than meat. I would go with something that has little to no cheese and isn't fried, like soft tacos. A taco salad would also be good if you don't eat too much of the shell.
  • I always get steak fajita quesadilla. They come 2 per a plate and I always share with my husband or mom (at lunch). Then I count out my chips so I know I will not over do it......Good Luck.
  • Panda86
    Panda86 Posts: 873
    Tortillas and cheese pack the most calories, so maybe try to get something without a tortilla and light on cheese? Or split with someone?
  • Personally, I would get something that I like, and eat it... and THEN worry about it when I get home and maybe exercise a little more every day for the rest of the week to pay it off...

    It's worked well for me so far, cos it means I can actually enjoy myself on a night out and not have to worry about what I can and can't eat and I still lose 2lbs (or more) a week.

    Only thing I limit myself on is not to eat more than one portion of whatever, and if you feel full, don't cram in a dessert... and Ii still stick to sugar free drinks. Other than that, I'm good to go.

    However, what works for some may not work for others, so do what you feel is right, of course... :op
  • No chips, and order a grilled chicken breast with pico and whole black beans (not refried). Do not order off the menu. Regular fajitas look great in the ingredient list, but wonder why they taste so good? The amount of oil they are cooked in and that coats the peppers, onions and meats is almost incomprehensible. So again...skip the chips and salsa...if you must, order some tortillas and put salsa on them...avoids much of the fat calories. Then order whole foods, and light oil!
  • thefreemans28
    thefreemans28 Posts: 267 Member
    I always get the chicken fajitas (you can get it without meat, too) and have them make it with NO OIL! (If they don't know what "oil" is because they don't speak English very well, it's "aceite" in Spanish). Then when they serve it, skip the tortillas and eat the veggies and meat (if you get meat) with lettuce, guacamole, and pico de gallo and/or salsa. The way I log it is by inputting the meat, veggies, and toppings manually by guessing at how much you have eaten. Also, I limit myself to 10 chips. I eat them really slow, breaking each chip into about 4 pieces, so I feel like I'm eating more. I eat the chips with salsa or guacamole.
  • I eat chicken fajitas almost every weekend--hey, I know, but my husband loves them and it has become a habit--and they are safe.
    Here's the trick:
    1-Request that they are grilled with "NO OIL". They restaurant will dry grill them/with tomatores/onions. Ask for extra onions if you like. Most of the time, a lunch portion is 4 oz. Dinner portions can be 6-8 oz.
    2. The rice has more fat than the refried beans. Yeah, who guessed. Ask them to hold the rice, double the beans if you like.
    3. Chips? If you can do it, pull 10 chips out of the basket and lay them aside for yourself. This is your portion-- make them last. Or, even better, ask them to bring the chips w/the meal, pull out your chips and explain to everyone what you're doing ahead of time.
    SKIP the CHEESE DIP. You already know what it tastes like. Don't waste your calories on it.....
    4. Torillas-the restaurants usually have hand rolled 6". Stay w/2 if you can. Chicken is safer than an extra tortilla and you can add it to the extra lettuce/pico de gallo you might have for a little "salad".
    A lunch like this w/1 tbls sour cream, 2 tblsp guacamole will be about 550-650 calories.
    I stay on 1500 calories/day and this is plenty to keep me 'til dinner w/the fat from the guacamole, chips/sour cream to keep me going. Good luck!!
  • parrotlover
    parrotlover Posts: 143 Member
    Thanks for all the great ideas!
  • chuisle
    chuisle Posts: 1,052 Member
    I also low chicken tortilla soup which is generally pretty low calorie and low fat!
  • i try n get shrimp or chicken fajitas and i have a few chips with maybe 1-2 spoons of guacamole.. a lil trick i do for myself is drink a whole glass of water before my food comes (so my stomach is already a bit filled) then when i get my food i get an extra plate and just take 1/2 of the fajitas onto the smaller plate and i get 1 or 2 spoons of the beans and rice (*not heaping sppon fulls just regular) this helps me to keep my portions under control and I just automatically put the rest in a togo box. Just remember to enjoy urself and eat what you like!! Dont deprive urself!!! Just stick to having portion control and you will be fine! :wink:
  • shreddingit
    shreddingit Posts: 1,133 Member
    Mexican food is great! thats why I dont eat it....:laugh:
    Glad I left Cali and glad Miami sucks at mexican food:laugh:
    make a good choice i guess, every thing is tricky at restaurants, and dont eat those chips! :grumble:
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