Help my husband chose Mexican food!

angelicdisgrace
angelicdisgrace Posts: 2,071 Member
edited September 28 in Health and Weight Loss
I asked my husband where he would like to eat since it's fathers day and he totally deserves it. He said Mexican food. There is nothing nutritious about Mexican food. Im in a panic.

Replies

  • SarahWrittenThin
    SarahWrittenThin Posts: 595 Member
    order from the vegetarian section or get a taco salad and don't eat the shell-bowl
    if you get something in taco form go for soft rater than hard tortillas as hard ones are going to be fried.
  • LizC26
    LizC26 Posts: 319 Member
    Order fajitas and don't eat the tortillas, just eat the food on the skillet and maybe your rice or beans...
  • kelceyjean12011
    kelceyjean12011 Posts: 185 Member
    chicken fajitas and only eat the grilled chicken and veggies :)
  • rockthehourglass
    rockthehourglass Posts: 62 Member
    Chicken fajitas!
  • chaimtime
    chaimtime Posts: 18 Member
    Mexican food is not terrible for you, but you have to be careful. I think the fajitas are the best (minus the tortilla).
  • Southernb3lle
    Southernb3lle Posts: 862 Member
    Fajitas. The chicken is probably the lightest. Eat the food in the skillet and leave out the tortillas. :)
  • GingerbreadArtist
    GingerbreadArtist Posts: 212 Member
    Fajita's all the way.
  • GFFB
    GFFB Posts: 9 Member
    This is from MedicineNet.com. It provides some guidleines you might find helpful - for that matter guidelines for any resturant.

    Beans, beans, good for the heart -- these nutritious nuggets are loaded with fiber, complex carbohydrate (the good kind), protein, vitamins, and minerals. The best part, they are low in calories. If refried beans are your delight, buy the fat-free version in the grocery store and check the nutritional content for restaurant fare.
    Grilled seafood, lean meat, and poultry are excellent sources of protein, vitamins, and minerals. Protein helps to keep you feeling full and is a dieter's best friend.
    Choose dishes that have plenty of fresh veggies, lettuce, tomatoes, and salsa. These foods are loaded with nutritional goodness from the high fiber content to the disease-fighting vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and phytochemicals. Load up on these foods to help fill you up.
    Ask for low-fat sour cream and if unavailable, use sour cream sparingly.
    Choose corn and whole-wheat tortillas over flour tortillas because they have fewer calories, less fat, and more fiber. Six-inch tortillas will help you keep your calorie intake under control.
    Mexican rice is often made with tomatoes and very little, if any, fat. At Rubio's, they offer a rice with "Healthmex" items for only 110 calories.

    The only way to be sure you are getting healthy food that fits into your eating plan is to check out the nutritional profiles of the foods. Many restaurants have this information compiled and will provide it upon request. Others send you to their web site. My advice is to check it out before you go and make a plan -- select the items that are the most nutritious that also fit into your eating plan. Some restaurants, like Rubio's, have "Better Bite" entrees that have no more than 5 grams of fat per serving. At Taco Bell you can now select the "Fresco" option, which substitutes more veggies and salsa for the sour cream and cheese. At La Salsa, the "Mexico City" versions of dishes have no cheese. Baja has its "Baja" style that is lighter in calories.
  • juliapurpletoes
    juliapurpletoes Posts: 951 Member
    I've done pretty well ordering a chicken taco salad and having them hold the sour cream and cheese. And of course skip eating the shell . It's pretty easy to eyeball the portion for logging later.

    Happy day to dad!
  • angelicdisgrace
    angelicdisgrace Posts: 2,071 Member
    Thanks I think I'll order the chicken and ask them to grill it and hopefully I can get veggies not fried I'm oil but steamed.
  • KatiePeca
    KatiePeca Posts: 314 Member
    Here's an article I found on eating healthy at Mexican places :)

    http://www.livestrong.com/article/84554-eat-mexican-restaurant/

    Katie
  • Our local Mexican food joint offers fish as an option...and lots of other healthy alternatives. Skip out on things like sour cream, cheese, chips, and tortillas and you should do just fine! Drink lots of water too...get a head start on flushing that sodium out. G'luck!
  • crystalinda
    crystalinda Posts: 151 Member
    I asked my husband where he would like to eat since it's fathers day and he totally deserves it. He said Mexican food. There is nothing nutritious about Mexican food. Im in a panic.


    That's not fair! You just need to focus on the things that are good for you, firjoles de la holla, ceviche, pescado or camarones a la plancha, campechanas, fajitas.

    Don't generalize, most tend to gravitate to the carb loaded cheesy foods because they're delicious but it doesn't mean there aren't nutritious options.
  • bbialik
    bbialik Posts: 6
    I've eaten a Chicken Taco Dinner which includes three chicken tacos (thick homemade corn shells - fried), refried beans, and rice along with chips and salsa at my favorite local Mexican restaurant weekly since I've started my weight-loss. The dinner takes-up an entire platter. Many weeks its the only time I eat-out. I'm almost superstitious about skipping a week at this point.

    I say enjoy your dinner!

    And no...it doesn't induce GI issues that lead to weight-loss.
  • maddymama
    maddymama Posts: 1,183 Member
    charro beans over refried beans
    tortilla soup (with half the cheese) is a yummy option and is lower in calories than many other dishes
    Portion out some chips as soon as you sit down at the table... i.e. I'm going to count out 10 chips and put them on my napkin before you SALT the already salted chips. Then eat a ton of salsa on the chips.
    Enjoy!
  • angelicdisgrace
    angelicdisgrace Posts: 2,071 Member
    I ended up paying extra for a breakfast plate. I ordered an italian omelette and split it with my son. It was delicious tons of veggies and the only killer was probably the tomato sauce which is not bad. I did eat half of tortilla cause I couldn't resist nothing that will make me gain weight. Besides I'm going to the gym later on today.
  • Tinan76
    Tinan76 Posts: 56 Member
    Oh mexican food is my favorite. I recommend the grilled fish tacos, hold the cream with soft corn tortillas.
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