Ordering a healthy meal in a Mexican restaurant may seem impossible when a burrito or taco fiesta salad can each top 700 calories per serving in some popular chain restaurants. However, it is possible to make menu choices that provide a healthy, satisfying meal with significantly lower fat and calories.
Healthy Eating Strategies
Choosing a restaurant that offers grilled, low fat, organic or low calorie options makes your food selection easier. Some Mexican fast food chains and sit-down restaurants provide healthy choices for those limiting fat and calories in their diets. If in doubt about a particular dish, ask your server or counter person for the nutrition facts and ask for a customized meal without the high calorie, high fat ingredients, if possible. Over-sized portions also contribute to weight gain, so divide your meal and save half for lunch the next day or share it with a friend.
Entrees
For a healthy Mexican entree, avoid food prepared with fat and mounds of cheese. Choosing grilled chicken, fish, shrimp or beef soft tacos or fajitas rather than a burrito or enchilada reduces the amount of fat in your meal. Skip the fried entree choices including flautas, quesadillas, chimichangas and hard tacos, as well as the giant burritos, chile rellenos and cheesy enchiladas. Asking for low-calorie toppings, such as lime juice, reduced fat sour cream and salsa instead of cheese toppings, can reduce the fat and calorie content of the dish.
Side Dishes and Tortillas
Avoid side dishes cooked in lard, such as refried beans, in favor of grilled vegetables, brown rice, black beans, reduced fat cheese, tomatoes, avocado or grilled vegetables. A garden salad with low fat dressing makes a healthy side dish, but skip the high fat fried tortilla shell and extra cheese that some restaurants serve. Flour tortillas contain more fat than corn or whole wheat tortillas, so choosing the lower fat versions helps prevent weight gain.
Appetizers and Desserts
Avoiding fried tortilla chips helps reduce the fat in your meal. Request baked chips and salsa or ask the server to remove the basket of chips from your table altogether. A green salad makes a healthy first course, or you can order a cup of tortilla soup without a cheese topping. Finding a healthy dessert may be challenging, as traditional Mexican restaurant choices, such as flan or fried ice cream, may have too much sugar and fat. If available, order fresh fruit or grilled pineapple, or skip dessert altogether.
Beverages
The lowest calorie beverage choices include unsweetened iced tea, black coffee or water with a slice of lemon. Fruit juice diluted with club soda makes a festive, lower calorie alternative to a high calorie margarita.
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