MEXICAN??!? Scarey or not...?

khstafford
khstafford Posts: 19
edited September 28 in Food and Nutrition
Do you eat out mexican? if so what do you get to be low calorie? How do you not eat the chips and salsa! Im so scared to eat there without engourging on chips and salsa which I eat WAY to much of when its free on the table!
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Replies

  • sculley
    sculley Posts: 2,012 Member
    I count out how many chips I can eat and use how ever much salsa i want. It's self control dear. I usually only order one enchilada light on cheese and try to find any veggie dishes which they do often have.
  • Grimmerick
    Grimmerick Posts: 3,342 Member
    Amy's Kitchen (frozen food section) they have AWESOME low calorie mexican dishes, delish. Around 220 cals and 4 grams of fat for a meal. YUM! Otherwise I alway preplan my mexican food outings
  • rfcollins33
    rfcollins33 Posts: 630
    not
  • Kimbie500
    Kimbie500 Posts: 388 Member
    I recently had mexican and probably ate too many chips with salsa as well. BUT entree-wise, I had the grilled veggie fajitas - they seemed to be the healthiest choice available and were darn tasty!
  • smketchum
    smketchum Posts: 94 Member
    I don't go out for Mexican much, but if I do it's my splurge meal for the week! I usally still try to be semi-good and order either chicken tacos or beef tacos and count out my chips and salsa and skip the beans and rice. I stay clear of anything smothered in cheese.
  • rfcollins33
    rfcollins33 Posts: 630
    lol... seriously though. I eat what I normally eat. No cheese dip. Salsa, and fajitas. No sour cream, hardly any cheese if any and limited guacamole, although avacados are a really great food with good fat. Just work out really hard that day. I mean there are plenty of skinny or thin mexicans, so it can't be impossible! Enjoy
  • sarah44254
    sarah44254 Posts: 3,078 Member
    Eat less chips and more salsa. I like to take an entire salsa dish to myself (mwahahah!) and only a few chips, and try to eat all of the salsa with only the few chips. This also helps fill me up so I eat less of the greasy cheese that is sure to come. Salsa has sooo few calories, full of water and veggies and spices so it's not a bad choice to fill up on.

    I like to get cheese and bean burritos. They are plain and delicious. I also enjoy a bean/cheese tostada. If you are feeling really wary of the calories, you can dump the filling out and discard the tortilla, that will drop about 100-150 calories off. Stay away from the deep fried stuff, ask for light on the cheese (sadness, I know!) and you should be good :) While beans are high in calories, they are full of great nutrients for you. So if you must indulge, eat some beaners.
  • smketchum
    smketchum Posts: 94 Member
    Oh yes, fajitas are a good option as well, just ask for corn tortillas instead of flour and skip the toppings.
  • ShellyKay67
    ShellyKay67 Posts: 489 Member
    I usually just tell them not to bring the chips and salsa..........yes, it's hard, but it's harder to resist if they are sitting on the table!
    Good luck!
  • DyannAlvarez
    DyannAlvarez Posts: 162 Member
    Maybe take some baked Tostitos in a baggie? I've not done that but I have thought about it. I usually split a meal. It's really hard to stay in calorie budget for me when comes to Mexican. It's just so yummy I either stay away from it completely or just enjoy!
  • dcornwe
    dcornwe Posts: 73
    I had mexican for lunch. I counted out the chips I could have and had a chicken enchilada.

    Or you can always ask them to take the chips from the table, I have done that before, it helps when the will power is weak! LOL
  • tammyr76
    tammyr76 Posts: 174
    the salsa is low calorie like 10 calories in 2 tbsp,,,,I limit myself to 10-15 chips which run about 140 in calories,,,,I order the chicken fajitas minus the tortilla wraps and have a side salad with it,,it is about 400 calories.....
    So you have about 600 calories in it all....
    that's the calorie count at my local fav maexican restuarant.....
    Stay away fron the taco salads,,just because they say salad does'nt mean healthy,,with all the meat, guacamole, and sour cream it's 650-800 calories alone.....
    Good Luck....
  • taso42_DELETED
    taso42_DELETED Posts: 3,394 Member
    My go-to meal at a mexican restaurant is Polla Azado (if they have it; if not, they can probably make it for you). It's just grilled chicken, rice, and beans. Comes with tortillas; tell them to skip the tortillas. Everyone always looks at my plate and says, "wow that looks good".

    Otherwise, go for fajitas.

    As for the chips. Exercise restraint and don't eat them.
  • R_mageddon
    R_mageddon Posts: 68 Member
    I haven't eaten restaurant mexican since starting but I do cook a lot of it and it can usually be pretty adaptable at home.

    I would think the best way to help stick to things is to limit the cheese, sour cream and other high calorie/fat things that tend to be in/on mexican dishes. Go more for beans and things with lots of lettuce and tomatos and such. Avoid the deep fried menu items as well of course.

    Also research ahead of time....plug the menu items into the database here and see what starts popping up so you can get an idea of the items that may be big hidden no-nos. Plan what you're going to order and eat. I find that's the best way to avoid an oops at a restaurant.

    Maybe you can work in a really good work out before going so that you have some extra calories to play with?

    Good luck!
  • kenzietea
    kenzietea Posts: 614 Member
    I take a large handful and put it on my plate or a separate plate and only allow myself to eat that much =) Also, I usually get something without cheese, and with fish. It depends on where I am going. At my favorite place I usually get a salad with beans, salsa, avocado, and shrimp. Check and see if the beans and anything else is lard-free, that makes a big difference in calories. Salsa is so low on calories so I eat a lot of it! It adds a lot of flavor.

    here ya go:
    http://www.cookinglight.com/eating-smart/smart-choices/healthy-options-mexican-food-restaurants-00412000068821/

    http://www.healthyoptionsbuffalo.com/DiningTips_mexican.html
  • Seajolly
    Seajolly Posts: 1,435 Member
    Mexican food is absolutely my biggest weakness! But I try to indulge healthily if I'm having a craving. I really love Amy's organic burritos (you can buy them frozen in the grocery store). They're delicious, loaded with protein, and less than 400 cals so perfect for lunch or dinner and very filling without needing any sides.

    If I'm going out to eat, I'll keep it simple. I DON'T do the combo meals. Just get 1 or 2 tacos, a burrito without sides, whole wheat tortillas if possible, etc. Chips and salsa are absolutely dangerous for me so I'll either plan to have 15 chips and no more than that, or I won't eat any chips at all and will put the salsa on top of my tacos. Try not to eat the Mexican rice as it's usually white rice. Get black beans instead of refried. Just try to make the meal as healthy as possible.
  • T0nie2
    T0nie2 Posts: 17 Member
    For me, Mexican food is the easiest to eat!

    You can definitely do healthy Mexican!

    try:

    Corn tortillas instead of flour
    Skip the sour cream
    If possible, a side of avocado instead of guacamole (easier to track)
    NO CHIPS!
    order shrimp fajitas as the main course with black beans and only eat half the rice

    If you feel like splurging on drinks just get a shot of tequila....margaritas are way too sugary and sweet. BUT if you must order a marg ask for lime and soda instead of the mix. Plus, lime and soda is better tasting... I think.
  • Ms_Natalie
    Ms_Natalie Posts: 1,030 Member
    I absolutely adore Mexican food and we're flying there for our honeymoon in November. I'm afraid I don't know any low cal options, but I agree with the above posts and limit cheese and other naughty foods. :flowerforyou:
  • Mom2rh
    Mom2rh Posts: 612 Member
    I just ate Mexican the other night. By my calculations (which of course are just guesstimates) I managed OK. No chips and salsa...and my kids were with me so they were on the table. I had Mahi fish tacos with corn tortillas. No beans. No rice. It was yummy.

    Bank your calories. Exercise extra. Be reasonable. And enjoy.
  • rachelleleigh08
    rachelleleigh08 Posts: 3
    Mexican food is my fave...I order the chicken fajitas. I also have the flour tortillas (which are bad- I know)...but I include it in my calorie count for the day and eat light the remainder of the day. I count out 10 chips and enjoy all the salsa I want with those. Work out hard that day, and it should be fine. Diets don't work if you overly deprive yourself of everything you want. I LOVE mexican food, so I refuse to give that up. It's about a lifestyle change....which should be something you can live with even after you shed the pounds..and who would want to live in a world without mexican food? ;)
  • JMJohnson1005
    JMJohnson1005 Posts: 209 Member
    Mexican food is my favorite so I do not hold back when I get to eat it, which is not very often. My husband will only eat at the Mexican restaurant in his home town, which is an hour away. I have gone from ordering 2 quesadillas to just 1 though! I eat all the salsa, chips and cheese dip I want though.
  • VegGrrl
    VegGrrl Posts: 336 Member
    Decline to have the chips on the table and order simple rice and beans. Preferably the vegetarian beans if they have 'em so you don't end up with a dish of lard. :wink:
  • sbwood888
    sbwood888 Posts: 953 Member
    I always do REALLY bad when I go to a Mexican restaturant.
  • Twylyght
    Twylyght Posts: 224 Member
    Plan ahead! Decide what you are going to have before you go and log it, then make sure you stick with that and you will do just fine. A couple chips and salsa are okay as long as you don't go overboard. Watch your sodium. Mexican food can be loaded with it sometimes! And have fun!! Mexican is my fave and I eat it often!!
  • LyssaMarie13
    LyssaMarie13 Posts: 45
    Just only allow yourself so many chips... Eat as much salsa as you want. (tomatoes are amazing for you!) As far as entre goes MOST Mexican places have their version of a shrimp cocktail. They put shrimp in a glass usually. fill it with tomato juice, add avacado, onions, and cilantro. You can get it cold, warm, or hot. It's amazing! I like it a lot. It's a bit more expensive than just getting an enchilada or something, but it's worth it when you see how much better it is for you!
  • kbw414
    kbw414 Posts: 194
    I don't eat out period if I'm trying to lose weight. It's very, very hard. In fact, I've noticed that most of my weight was gained BECAUSE I was going to restaurants several times a week. I recently ate at a restaurant and ordered what I thought to be a small, reasonably portioned, healthy meal. It turned out to be over 800 calories. You just have no idea how the food is cooked (which is one of the major ways that calories can be added, for example, adding butter or oil), and many restaurants still don't offer nutrition facts. Mexican food is particularly tricky. If you go to one of those semi fast food places like Qdoba where you can make your burrito to order, it can be over 1000 calories! Refried beans are especially bad for you. And all of those chips, tortillas, etc tend to be high calorie.

    If you want Mexican, I would suggest you try making some Mexican food yourself at home. In my experience, the calories and portion sizes are more controllable and I can usually make more delicious food than you can find at most restaurants for under $30 a plate. Save yourself some money too!
  • krystico
    krystico Posts: 104
    I order the "Mama's Skinny Enchiladas" at Don Pablos and actually count out my chips! The enchiladas are pretty good!
  • ShellyKay67
    ShellyKay67 Posts: 489 Member
    I usually just tell them not to bring the chips and salsa..........yes, it's hard, but it's harder to resist if they are sitting on the table!
    Good luck!
  • Tomhusker
    Tomhusker Posts: 346 Member
    Mexican food is my favorite when going out to eat. However, the sodium is absolutely ridiculous. We always go out to eat on the Friday nights that I meet a mini-weight loss goal. I forgo all my inhibitions and just enjoy the treat. I loves me some Mexicans foods.
  • Tomhusker
    Tomhusker Posts: 346 Member
    I don't eat out period if I'm trying to lose weight. It's very, very hard. In fact, I've noticed that most of my weight was gained BECAUSE I was going to restaurants several times a week. I recently ate at a restaurant and ordered what I thought to be a small, reasonably portioned, healthy meal. It turned out to be over 800 calories. You just have no idea how the food is cooked (which is one of the major ways that calories can be added, for example, adding butter or oil), and many restaurants still don't offer nutrition facts. Mexican food is particularly tricky. If you go to one of those semi fast food places like Qdoba where you can make your burrito to order, it can be over 1000 calories! Refried beans are especially bad for you. And all of those chips, tortillas, etc tend to be high calorie.

    If you want Mexican, I would suggest you try making some Mexican food yourself at home. In my experience, the calories and portion sizes are more controllable and I can usually make more delicious food than you can find at most restaurants for under $30 a plate. Save yourself some money too!

    As I mentioned, I love the stuff. I learned how to make a pretty solid Mexican seasoning mix that I use to cook homemade tacos or chili. I can control what goes into everything and keep the numbers reasonable.
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