Mexican Food Dishes

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Smittysbuttafli21
Smittysbuttafli21 Posts: 1 Member
in Recipes
Okay Mexican food is my weakness, I'm needing ideas and even photos so I can enjoy eating Mexican food while changing my eating habits.

Thanks
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  • chunky_pinup
    chunky_pinup Posts: 758 Member
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    What habits need changing exactly? Is there a certain ingredient that is a trigger for you?

    Mexican food tends to be pretty healthy. If it's actually the cheese and sour cream-loaded Tex-Mex that's your weakness....well...I'd more recommend eating portions that fit into your daily goals.
  • annacole94
    annacole94 Posts: 997 Member
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    http://damndelicious.net/2014/04/09/one-pan-mexican-quinoa/

    That's certainly not authentic, but it's really good. Add some chicken if the recipe being vegan isn't important to you.
  • PAnn1
    PAnn1 Posts: 530 Member
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    I like to make fajitas using chicken and lots of onions and peppers. You can make your own fajita seasoning (low sodium or sodium free). I don't care for the tortilla, so make brown rice instead and top that with my fajita mixture.If I make a Mexican dish I make a small amt. of guac and use low fat or fat free sour cream and only use about 1 Tbsp of each. Low fat shredded cheese is ok in moderation. Look over any Mexican recipe and try to make modifications so it's lower in fats. To me it's all about taste, so the seasons are a big thing for me. If you use a lean meat and lots of vegetables you really won't miss all the slathered on cheese.
    I agree with what cwolfman13 wrote.
  • JennyRATL
    JennyRATL Posts: 199 Member
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    annacole94 wrote: »
    http://damndelicious.net/2014/04/09/one-pan-mexican-quinoa/

    That's certainly not authentic, but it's really good. Add some chicken if the recipe being vegan isn't important to you.

    Vouch. This is one of my fave recipes! I add chicken, too.
  • Lift_Run_Eat
    Lift_Run_Eat Posts: 986 Member
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    I agree with the above about the portions and being loaded with cheese.

    If you want ideas so you can continue to eat it:
    1. either adjust your day so you can enjoy it as is
    2. adjust your portion size, or
    3. Eat it without those foods you are trying to avoid.
    Cook it yourself so you can control what is exactly going into it.

    For example, I love tacos. I would eat 4+ in 1 sitting if allowed. This does not fit into my day, so I eat what I call taco bowls....Taco meat (mine is venison), pico de gallo, and sour cream. Sometimes I add lettuce.

    Last night we had steak fajitas. I did the same, but no pico (i didn't make any) and I added guacamole.

    I love my mexican food, but it does not always fit into my day, so I modify it. I can still hit my macros &/or calories this way.

    @cwolfman13 I am totally jealous you live in Mew Mexico. First off, I love it there-such a beautiful state, second off, I love the food. New Mexican dishes are way better than the Tex-Mex I get here in Oklahoma!!!
  • Rage_Phish
    Rage_Phish Posts: 1,508 Member
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    annacole94 wrote: »
    http://damndelicious.net/2014/04/09/one-pan-mexican-quinoa/

    That's certainly not authentic, but it's really good. Add some chicken if the recipe being vegan isn't important to you.

    that looks pretty good
  • Jruzer
    Jruzer Posts: 3,501 Member
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    Play up the flavor, play down the high-calorie toppings.

    We have tacos pretty often at home, and it's one of my lower calorie meals. Using corn tortillas can save some calories. Go light on sour cream, cheese and guacamole (if you can - I love guac), use lean beef or chicken. Use plenty of spices and salsa.
  • zdyb23456
    zdyb23456 Posts: 1,706 Member
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    We do tacos at home regularly. I use extra lean ground beef or turkey. Then chopped iceberg, onion, black olives, jalapeño, tomato. I use a little bit of cheese and skip the sour cream. I eat at least 3 - they are so good.
  • lucys1225
    lucys1225 Posts: 597 Member
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    This is very good http://www.food.com/recipe/slow-cooker-adobo-pork-441399
  • 3rdof7sisters
    3rdof7sisters Posts: 486 Member
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    I always get chicken fajitas and avoid the tortillas.
  • NEOHgirl
    NEOHgirl Posts: 237 Member
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    I love Mexican food, and as others have stated, it can be very healthy. It even works for my gluten-free and low-carb friends, so it's a great way to do a group meal or outing when people with diet restrictions are included. My boyfriend and I will often split a fajita dinner for two. Everything on the entree platter is grilled. If I don't have calories left for tortillas, I ask for lettuce leaves on the side and do lettuce wraps instead, or I just eat the fixings with a fork. I limit my consumption of the free condiments (shredded cheese, sour cream, etc). I mostly ignore the rice, or just put a small amount in to get the flavor. You might need to make some slight tweaks to HOW you eat your Mexican food, but you should still be able to enjoy it and stay on your plan.
  • yayamom3
    yayamom3 Posts: 939 Member
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    This is one of my faves. I noticed it's from the same website as one of the recipes posted above.
    http://damndelicious.net/2014/07/07/quinoa-enchilada-casserole/
  • deneenae
    deneenae Posts: 97 Member
    edited February 2017
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    I love Mexican food. I grew up in Arizona where they can make a good carne asada burrito and chicken taco. Grew up on the border of New Mexico too, so I am familiar with their New Mexican-Mexican food. But, some of the places can be dangerous, calorie wise. Its the cheese... I love cheese... Any cheese...

    So, I've started making it at home so I know what goes into it. I also eat lots of pico (green chile if in NM) to fill up on veggies. I make my dishes with extra onions and peppers and I make my own no-fat refried beans in the slow cooker. I make Mexican at lease once a week. I've started skipping the rice just because beans are more nutrient dense and have more fiber, which will get me full.

    But if I'm at a good restaurant, I order what I want and eat less and take the rest home for the next day. And I drink a ton of water while eating to trick myself. This has been incredibly hard, but I'm getting better at it. I even took home half a chili relleno and rice the other day! What the heck! Who am I?! As for the chips and salsa, this is the most dangerous part of eating out. I limit myself to a few chips and drink the whole bowl of salsa so my mouth is burning so much I don't want anything else in my mouth until my meal comes. Haha!
  • Afura
    Afura Posts: 2,054 Member
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    Yeah it really makes a difference if you're talking Mexican food out, or Mexican food you make. Last time I was at a Mexican restaurant I had the fajitas, used topping sparingly, ignored the shells. Ignored the chile rellenos.... but sometimes I do splurge and have what I want (within reason), I just make sure to save up calories for it.
  • mrsksepulveda
    mrsksepulveda Posts: 15 Member
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    Hi! Im mexican n i loooove sopes!!!! So this is how i trick my head. I get lean ground turkey cabbage slaw feta cheese plain nonfat greek yogurt homemade guac n homemade salsa i put it in order just like a sope (without the shell). You can also add some black or pinto beans. That tricks my head n i feel great about it! I also do lettuce
  • JennyRATL
    JennyRATL Posts: 199 Member
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    yayamom3 wrote: »
    This is one of my faves. I noticed it's from the same website as one of the recipes posted above.
    http://damndelicious.net/2014/07/07/quinoa-enchilada-casserole/

    She really does have a lot of great recipes!
  • bebeisfit
    bebeisfit Posts: 951 Member
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    Black bean soup! Super easy. Saute chopped onion (about a half medium sized) & jalapeno until tender. Add 1-2 t. cumin and adobo spice. Add 2 cans of drained/rinsed black beans, 1 sm 8 oz can of mexican style tomato sauce and a can or two of water or chicken stock. Simmer a minimum of 10 minutes and use a stick blender to puree to desired consistency. This is better the 2nd day as the flavors will meld. Takes no time to make, but it's a keeper. Probably not authentic, but it's full of fiber and flavor. Add a squeeze of lime juice when serving and of course a dollop of sour cream is pretty tasty too, but not necessary.

    I also make a refried bean version of the same recipe, but use only a small amount of water. I serve it next to roasted sweet potatoes. Great flavor combination.

    I make a mexican type bowl and serve with either tortillas or cornmeal mush (cornmeal and water). Saute onion, jalapeno, cumin, adobo spice and then add in whatever vegetables sound good. Zucchini, carrot, canned tomatoes, frozen corn and either black or pinto beans. You can add in cooked chicken as well. And serve with a bit of cheese, sour cream or diced avocado.

    I also use these sazon flavor packets from Goya (orange box). I'm sure they are a sodium bomb, but I like the flavor.
  • fishcat123
    fishcat123 Posts: 74 Member
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    Tacos for brunch! Two at about 300-350 calories each is one huge meal or the equivalent of two very reasonable ones. I like having them at around 11 or 3 for "combination meals" and don't really want or need another lunch/dinner. If you skip the taco shells or only eat half you can save more calories.

    Tamales, which are easy to find at Trader Joe's or Mexican supermarkets, make settings portions easier, because you can only eat one. There are also several good prepackaged quesadillas at Trader Joe's and depending on where you live (I'm in a city with a pretty large Mexican population so might be different elsewhere) in the regular supermarket too. Not all are low calorie but the calories are at least listed.

    Choosing lower fat meats (fajita cuts, tinga) or vegetables can also reduce calories. Also loading up at the salsa bar is a fun way to try different flavors without adding many calories.

    Mexican inspired salads are also good! Lettuce, beans, tomato based salsa, maybe a little meat/cheese/guacamole depending on your target calories. Also, I sometimes like a small portion of full-fat, etc, enchiladas with a green salad for dinner.

    Sad to say, but margaritas are super high calorie usually. Tequila with lime is probably the best option at a restaurant, at home blending it with watermelon or citrus has kind of the same feel.

    Also, not the most authentic Mexican, but Taco Bell actually has a lot of lower calorie options. Because it's a chain the calories are easy to find beforehand.

    Can you tell I love Mexican food too, lol? I've lost about 10 pounds in the new year eating tacos probably twice a week, fitting them into 1200 calories a day easily, so it's definitely doable!

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