"Healthy" options at a Mexican restaurant?

mojolo7
mojolo7 Posts: 36 Member
edited December 23 in Food and Nutrition
Any suggestions? I'm heading out to a Mexican restaurant for lunch today and I'd love to find something tasty to eat with a reasonable calorie count that isn't super fatty (and high protein is always a plus). Ideas and experiences?

Thanks!

Replies

  • Brittany3914
    Brittany3914 Posts: 258 Member
    I have very little self-control at Mexican restaurants. Between the endless chips and salsa and margaritas, there's temptations everywhere for me! I usually order chicken fajitas and eat the meat and vegetables plain. Sometimes I'll use the tortillas. I read on another thread that fajitas are usually the safest or "healthiest" item at a Mexican restaurant. If the portions are huge, I usually box up half right away and eat it for dinner. Having it all on my plate at once usually causes me to eat more than I really need.

    Enjoy your lunch :)
  • macpatti
    macpatti Posts: 4,280 Member
    Pass on the chips and queso. You can order chicken fajitas with corn tortillas, just don't top it with cheese and sour cream. I usually just have the chicken with onions and avocado in a corn tortilla. Yum.
  • twinmom01
    twinmom01 Posts: 854 Member
    I am not a huge fan of mexican so i rarely go - but I had an occasion to go out to one with some girlfriends recently - I was quite surprised at the number of "healthier" options available - the one I went to had a lot of what appeared to be almost like a stirfry of chicken or shrimp with pepper, onions, avacados - like a fajita without the tortillas - they had a grilled chicken with mexican spices.

    I wound up getting some sort of shrimp burrito but asked they not put cheese sauce on top but rather guacamole. I wound up eating half the totilla and all the insides (basically grilled shrimp and veggies)

    The biggest thing will be staying away from chips and yummy drinks...when i went i put 10 chips on my plate and ate them with salsa...knowing I only had 10 chips I made sure i savored them...
  • TONYAGOOCH
    TONYAGOOCH Posts: 470 Member
    Carne Asada is pretty good for you. Basically it's grilled thin fajita skirt steak. Ask for Charro or Whole beans instead of refried and eat only 1/2 of the rice. Chicken Tortilla soup is usually good and fajitas w/corn tortillas, Taco salads w/o shell and salsa for the dressing. Chicken tacos on corn tortillas, fish tacos on corn tortillas (only if they offer grilled). Some places have "shrimp coctail" type thing that is served in a skooner glass and has avacado and tomato and cilantro in it as well. Just stay away from things that are fried or covered in cheese or gravy and you should be fine. Portion out your chips before have any. Say like 13 for an oz. If it is a chain restaraunt see if they have a website with the NI on it. Hope this helps.
  • mojolo7
    mojolo7 Posts: 36 Member
    Thanks, all! I had two yummy chicken fajitas with veggies in corn tortillas, added a measured 1/2 Tbsp of sourcream to each, and topped it with salsa. And I avoided the chips all together!
  • mrsmarit
    mrsmarit Posts: 229 Member
    For me I always get two carne asada tacos and figure out ahead of time how much chips and salsa I can have. If I know it ahead of time it makes it easier

    It also helps that I love carne asada and it was my standard meal at the mexican place by my house.
  • crzyone
    crzyone Posts: 872 Member
    The Mexican places around here all serve a chicken salad......lettuce and veggies with fajita chicken on top...or a grilled chicken breast.....I use a tad of low fat Ranch but mostly some salsa on it.......
  • Jacole18
    Jacole18 Posts: 716 Member
    Thanks, all! I had two yummy chicken fajitas with veggies in corn tortillas, added a measured 1/2 Tbsp of sourcream to each, and topped it with salsa. And I avoided the chips all together!
    wow, you did great! awesome!
  • contingencyplan
    contingencyplan Posts: 3,639 Member
    Call it a cheat day and enjoy yourself. If you're like me and don't go out to eat often, you shouldn't let your menu choices be determined by your diet. It's okay to splurge now and then, and when you're going out to eat with the family or friends is when you do.
  • Debbe2
    Debbe2 Posts: 2,071 Member
    Fajita's and always salsa just nix the chips.
  • macx2mommy
    macx2mommy Posts: 170 Member
    I find this one tough. I usually ask for a fajitas, extra veggies, cooked with as little oil as possible, extra salsa, no gauc or sour cream. I will eat maybe one wrap if it's is corn.
  • howeclectic
    howeclectic Posts: 121 Member
    The place i go has a nice "pollo asado" which is basically a grilled chicken breast. Look for grilled chicken where you can, avoid tortillas, tortilla chips, sour cream, and cheese. Substitute black beans for refried beans (refried beans tend to have lard where as the black beans usually dont). Substitute black beans for rice(this might be kind of a wash move but it helps cut down on simple carbs). The chicken fajitas can be dangerous (as they might fry it up with a lot of oil). If there is nothing left on the menu, maybe ask if you can get chicken fajitas stir fried without the oil (or minimal oil) and skip the tortillas. Most mexican places have salad options with chicken. Just remove all the extereneous ingredients and get the dressing on the side. Boring, i know, but mexican is rough. GOOD LUCK.....

    When all else fails. Dos Equis is something like 150 a bottle. Order 4 and skip dinner :)
  • VelociMama
    VelociMama Posts: 3,119 Member
    Most places will have a rice and bean bowl you can do. Lots of rice beans, veggies, salsa, Pico, etc. Just skip or go light on the sour cream and queso.
  • boltsfan704
    boltsfan704 Posts: 30
    The real "authentic" places will have great soups (sometimes only on the weekends). Try Albondigas, Caldo de Pollo, or my favorite- Posole. The hardest part for me is not digging into the chips and salsa.
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