HEALTHIER MEXICAN FOOD OPTIONS?

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jmacfan98
jmacfan98 Posts: 6
in Food and Nutrition
Going to a Mexican restaurant (Hacienda) and I need to know some
healthier Mexican options that taste great too.. any advice?
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Replies

  • krisrpaz
    krisrpaz Posts: 266 Member
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    Fajitas with corn tortillas.
  • kellybean14
    kellybean14 Posts: 237 Member
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    Ceviche is a great call! Just try to not eat too many chips with them. Personally, I'll just eat the stuff with a spoon and skip the chips all together.
  • CollisionofNova
    CollisionofNova Posts: 98
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    If they have some sort of salad, I generally go for that. Taco salads or fajita salads are my favorite salad out there, actually.
  • cgrigz
    cgrigz Posts: 101
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    Chips, Salsa and Pacifico!!! no other way!
  • cheesy_blasters
    cheesy_blasters Posts: 283 Member
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    The mexican place here does 'make your own' fajitas and tacos. You could go with any option that let's you control how much you put in it (more veggies, less sour cream).
  • wilmnoca
    wilmnoca Posts: 416 Member
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    grilled chicken breast or grilled shrimp taco salad with salsa as a dressing, hold the cheese, guacamole, and sour cream
  • dr_tina
    dr_tina Posts: 225 Member
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    chicken tortilla soup is usually pretty low
  • colortheplanet
    colortheplanet Posts: 13
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    Vegan options would be the best idea I think, or if you're totally opposed to not eating meat, just cut out the dairy. Mexican places load things with cheese, often adding 300+ calories in dairy and numerous amount of fat.
  • MsMargie1116
    MsMargie1116 Posts: 323 Member
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    Fajitas with corn tortillas.

    ^^^This, except, tell them not to cook the fajita's with any kind of oil... Also ask for black beans instead of refried beans, and if you are like me and LOVE spanish rice, just ask for 1/2 an order of the spanish rice... :-) Also I will ask for some extra vegetables, too.
  • GasMasterFlash
    GasMasterFlash Posts: 2,206 Member
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    1. If it's slathered in sour cream or yellow cheese, you're eating "mexican food". Find a place that serves real Mexican food. Eat where Mexicans eat.

    2. If they have something called "molcajete", get it. They can usually feed 2-3 people.

    It's a lava rock mortar filled with all kinds of goodies. Common components: carne asada, grilled shrimp, grilled chicken, some tasty fresh cheese, big Mexican green onions, cactus leaves, avacado, chorizo.

    Remember: molcajete. Pronounced mole-caw-heh-teh.

    Better yet -- jot it down. Don't worry about pronunciation. Just show it to the waiter.

    molcajete.jpg
  • toysbigkid
    toysbigkid Posts: 545 Member
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    bumping for this one.....love mexican food!
  • MsMargie1116
    MsMargie1116 Posts: 323 Member
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    grilled chicken breast or grilled shrimp taco salad with salsa as a dressing, hold the cheese, guacamole, and sour cream

    Ehhh, I usually hold the cheese and Sr. Cream, but GOTTA have the guac!!! Guac is a good fat, so I usually go with it. :smile:
  • BandedTriaRN
    BandedTriaRN Posts: 303
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    I found out that some of the restaurants surprisingly have pretty low calorie refried beans. Chicken or Fish with a salsa or salsa verde is yummy. IDK but I heard that there can be 1 gram of fat per tortilla chips at Mexican restaurants. You should check and see if they have online nutrition charts so you can make your choices ahead of time.

    I don't know if this is the restaurant you are talking about but this is one for an Hacienda restaurant:
    http://www.haciendafiesta.com/?p=nutrition
  • fitandyoga
    fitandyoga Posts: 27
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    Taco salads!
  • Ange_
    Ange_ Posts: 324 Member
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    i once saw this on a mexican travel cooking show and i now make it all the time.

    Bake some sweet peppers (capsicums) in a hot oven until the skin blisters (one per person). Then peal off the skin and get rid of the seeds while leaving it as intact as possible. Then stuff them with your favourite refried bean recipe.
    Mine is a can of kidney beans cooked and mashed with some tomato, cinnamon, salt pepper, chill and touch of sugar (a 400g can serves 2 people).
    Stuff the capsicums. And serve with some fresh chopped coriander (celantro) guacamole and if you like (optional) low fat grated cheese.

    So filling! and insanely healthy.

    Alternative recipe is a Mexican refried bean pizza. Use the same bean recipe. Put on a tomato paste covered pizza base (whatever you usually use that is low cal such as a pitta bread). Then spread some beans on thickly. Top with a little cheese, cook until the base is crisp and once it is out of the oven top with guacamole and coriander.
  • Leimaro
    Leimaro Posts: 148 Member
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    Fajitas and maybe non cheesy tamales not cooked in lard are my first choice. Or, anything else minus the cheese, sour cream, refried beans and some occasions rice (authentically rice is fried in oil first before it is boiled). Another tip, is to enjoy yourself but eat half of what you order, the portions tend to be big.
  • Michelle81285
    Michelle81285 Posts: 107
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    Fajitas just dont have the tortillas, cheese, sour cream, guac, rice and beans! Or Carne Asada or carnitas.
  • GasMasterFlash
    GasMasterFlash Posts: 2,206 Member
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    Fajitas and maybe non cheesy tamales not cooked in lard are my first choice.
    If it's cooked in lard, it's not a tamale. Tamales are steamed.

    If it doesn't have lard in the masa (dough), it is not a tamale. It's an abomination.
  • Leimaro
    Leimaro Posts: 148 Member
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    1. If it's slathered in sour cream or yellow cheese, you're eating "mexican food". Find a place that serves real Mexican food. Eat where Mexicans eat.

    2. If they have something called "molcajete", get it. They can usually feed 2-3 people.

    It's a lava rock mortar filled with all kinds of goodies. Common components: carne asada, grilled shrimp, grilled chicken, some tasty fresh cheese, big Mexican green onions, cactus leaves, avacado, chorizo.

    Remember: molcajete. Pronounced mole-caw-heh-teh.

    Better yet -- jot it down. Don't worry about pronunciation. Just show it to the waiter.

    molcajete.jpg

    You are right about eating authentic Mexican food. Way more healthier and tastier than the common Tex-Mex food served in Restaurants in my opinion.
  • Leimaro
    Leimaro Posts: 148 Member
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    Fajitas and maybe non cheesy tamales not cooked in lard are my first choice.
    If it's cooked in lard, it's not a tamale. Tamales are steamed.

    If it doesn't have lard in the masa (dough), it is not a tamale. It's an abomination.

    You are right again! I meant to say cooked "with" lard and not "in" lard. And yes, no lard in the masa mix is an abomination but the question was asking for healthier choices.

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