Healthy Mexican Food

I don’t know about you, but I love Mexican food. There is nothing better than a large combination plate filled with an enchilada, a deep fried taco, an over-stuffed, pork filled burrito, refried beans and of course refried rice.

 All of the above is prepared with lard and covered with a generous portion of cheese. The other great bonus at most Mexican restaurants is the bowl of warm, freshly fried chips and fresh salsa that are usually provided free and refilled often. This is not healthy Mexican food.

How to Order Healthier Items

Most of us believe that it is just not possible to eat healthy Mexican food when dining out. If you choose wisely when ordering it can be done. For instance when ordering a meal order “a-la-cart.” By ordering a-la-cart just a taco or tostada will be delivered to the table minus the generous serving of beans and rice. Instead of a fried taco shell, order a soft taco. The famous pinto beans or black beans are available whole, not fried in lard. A simple tostado is usually smaller than the taco salad. The taco salad sounds healthier but it is served in a very large, deep fried flour tortilla, with lots of beans and cheese mixed in. Taco Bell now offers a healthy Mexican food alternative, most of their items can be ordered “fresco.” They add tomatoes and lettuce in place of cheese. This lowers the calorie content by quite a bit.

Cooking Healthy at Home

If you were to visit small village in Mexico and witness a typical family preparing their meals you would see that most of the food is prepared with fresh vegetables and fresh ingredients, all natural without any additives and never frozen. Healthy Mexican food can be simply prepared at home minus the lard and heavy  doses of packaged cheese, bagged chips and salsa from a jar. We buy the bag of whole pintos, wash them and soak them, and then boil the beans in a slow cooker. They can be seasoned with cumin, fresh oregano and cilantro. They can be mashed in their own juices and they resemble the ones you order at a restaurant but without the added calories.

By making just a few small changes to the way you order at a restaurant or prepare your food at home you will be able to eat not only Mexican food, but healthy Mexican food. You will feel better and healthier and you may actually discover that you prefer the Mexican cuisine cooked in this manner.