There isn’t any pleasure fairly like the thought of going to an excellent Mexican restaurant for chips and guac, tacos, and margaritas. However eating at a Mexican joint does not must completely derail your food plan. In actual fact, most native spots have loads of wholesome Mexican meals choices that may show you how to attain your weight reduction objectives—you simply must know what to ask for.
We requested seven diet consultants to share what they order at their favourite Mexican sizzling spots. All of their recommendations are extensively obtainable, will depart you glad, and will not damage per week’s value of wholesome consuming.
Listed below are all of their RD-approved appetizers, drink, and entrées orders you can copy the subsequent time you head out for tacos and extra! And subsequent, do not miss the 8 Worst Quick-Meals Burgers to Keep Away From Proper Now.
“For an appetizer or a dish for the desk to share, guacamole is a favourite. Avocados are filled with heart-healthy and anti inflammatory vitamins and its fats content material will help quell pre-dinner starvation pangs. As a substitute of dipping chips in your guac , ask for some reduce greens. This provides wholesome vitamins to your meal whereas saving energy.” — Isabel Smith, MS, RD, CDN, registered dietitian and founding father of Isabel Smith Diet
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“It might simply be my love of something with avocados, however in my eyes, a number of issues beat a bowl of genuine tortilla soup. It is nourishing, comforting, and satisfying—however does not carry plenty of energy. It is excellent for a light-weight meal or appetizer.” — Marisa Moore, RDN of Marisa Moore Diet
“If I will bask in a drink at a Mexican restaurant, it’ll be tequila served both straight up or on the rocks with lime. Each orders are clear, refreshing, and freed from sugar-packed components.” — Kofsky Fund, diet advisor.
“Even when it is not on the menu, you possibly can often get a grilled shrimp salad at any Mexican restaurant. Salad veggies are filled with wholesome vitamins like fiber, and the grilled shrimp offers protein and wholesome omega-3 fatty acids. The important thing with any salad, although, is to look at the quantity of dressing used, so I am going to typically ask for a light-weight balsamic dressing on the facet. The grilled shrimp provides plenty of taste, so I can use much less dressing with out sacrificing style.” — Patricia Bannan, MS, RDNwriter of Eat Proper When Time is Tight
“Once I’m at a Mexican restaurant, I prefer to maintain it easy. I am going to order an entree-size home salad in a bowl—not a taco shell—and ask my server so as to add beans, grilled hen, avocado, and a light-weight sprinkling of cheese. The black beans have soluble fiber that slows digestion, protecting me feeling fuller, longer. The avocado and protein-rich hen helps stability blood sugar and increase satiety as properly.” — Isabel Smith, MS, RD, CDN
“Every time I get tacos, I wrap them in romaine lettuce leaves as an alternative of corn tortillas. Relying on how they’re served, I typically organize them with out cheese or bitter cream and ask for avocado and salsa as an alternative. Salsa provides nice taste and, if you happen to order the spicy selection, may also assist increase your metabolism. Avocados have a satisfying creamy texture that I really like, and so they additionally include heart-healthy fat.” — Kofsky
“I am an enormous fan of Mexican meals and, fortuitously, there are many wholesome choices on most menus! As a principal dish, I usually order grilled fish tacos on corn tortillas with a facet of black beans or a salad. Most fish tacos include a creamy sauce, so remember to ask the kitchen to go gentle or put it on the facet. That is my go-to order as a result of it is filled with protein and fiber and, not like large burritos and different indulgences on the menu, it is portion-controlled.” — Marisa Moore, RDN
“An order of two grilled fish tacos has between 400 and 500 energy, and so they’re an excellent supply of protein and wholesome omega-3 fatty acids. By getting grilled as an alternative of fried fish, you shave off plenty of fats and energy, plus you possibly can actually style the fantastic flavors of the fish and contemporary toppings.” — Patricia Bannan, MS, RDN
“Yellow corn tortilla tacos with grilled hen, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, grilled peppers and jalapenos are one among my favourite Mexican dishes. Tacos lend themselves to automated portion management, and so they’re straightforward to customise and healthify how I please. I like to recommend making salsa your go-to condiment as a result of it is filled with taste and low in energy. Nevertheless, if you wish to add some bitter cream and guacamole, ask for it on the facet so you possibly can spoon a small, calorie-controlled portion your self.” — Wesley DelbridgeRDSpokesperson for the Academy of Diet & Dietetics
“Vegetarian burritos can often be discovered at any Mexican restaurant, and with a number of easy tweaks, they could be a wholesome decide. Go for brown rice over white, contemporary black beans as an alternative of refried, salsa as an alternative of bitter cream, low-fat cheese as an alternative of full-fat, and be certain your burrito consists of a lot of high-fiber greens like spinach, collard greens, and peppers.”
— Leah Kaufman, MS, RD, CDN of Leah Kaufman Diet
“Consuming ceviche, which is uncooked fish marinated in lime juice and herbs, jogs my memory of being in Mexico! It is a easy meal that does not include any calorie-laden components like corn or cheese. Plus it is wealthy in zinc, which helps the physique metabolize glucose and is nice for radiant pores and skin! Since they’re often served tapas-style, I usually order two totally different varieties.” — James Fundnutritionist and founding father of Meals Coach NYC
“Hen fajitas are all the time an ideal possibility! Not like most different restaurant meals, fajitas permit you to management your parts for the reason that meat, veggies, toppings, and tortillas are all served individually. I like to recommend asking for a facet of sliced avocado and salsa and skipping the bitter cream.” — Leah Kaufman, MS, RD, CDN
“For an entreé, I really like hen or lean steak fajitas. They permit you to have management over what number of starchy objects like beans and tortillas you eat, and anybody who’s making an attempt to keep away from wheat or eat a lighter meal can merely simply eat the protein and greens and skip the tortilla. I usually maintain the added cheese and beans on the lighter facet to avoid wasting energy. — Isabel Smith, MS, RD, CDN
