Tips For Relishing Mexican Food

By Kathryn L. Schleich

A lot of Mexican food is fried with lard and topped with thick cheese, which means it is saturated with fat. Mexican food can also be high in sodium which means that if you have had a heart attack, a Mexican meal can be loaded up with a double-whammy. But, if you know what to look for, you can choose Mexican cooking that is fresh, healthy, and tasty.

TIPS FOR EATING MEXICAN FOOD:

From the start, ask your server not to bring fried tortilla chips to the table. Ask for low-fat sour cream or use salsa to add a kick of flavor to your meal. Veracruz or other tomato-base sauces are better and better for you than high calorie cream cheese sauces. If you order a taco salad, don't eat the fried tortilla shell, which are where many of Mexican foods' calories come from.

Mexican food can also be both high in high and calories. Try these substitutions you may not have thought of before to bring both the fat and calories down to a more manageable level:

Instead of:
Flour tortillas
Camitas (fried beef or pork) Cchoizo (sausage)
Refried beans
Nachos
Full-fat sour cream and cheese
Quesadillas (flour or corn tortilla filled with
Meat and cheese and then fried)
Shredded meat and topped with a sauce);
Chimichangas (flour tortilla filled with spicy
meat and Monterey Jack cheese, then fried and
topped with tomato sauce; burritos (large
flour tortillas filled with beans or meat,
served with tomato sauce and topped with
shredded cheese.

Try these dishes for Mexican food that is both healthy and tastes good:
Corn Tortillas
Grilled shrimp
Grilled chicken breast
Frijoles a la charra or borracho beans and Spanish Rice
Salsa, Pico de Gollo, Cilantro
Jalapeno peppers
Chicken Fajitas (marinated chicken grilled with onions, green peppers, lettuce, dice tomatoes, with a soft corn tortilla).
Enchiladas with red sauce or salsa.
Low-fat sour cream

Mexican food like other ethnic dishes often provide substitutions that can be both healthy and tasty. The key is understanding that simply because a dish lacks sour cream, chips, or cheese does not necessarily mean it will lack flavor as well.

An avid believer in exercise and healthy eating, Kathryn Schleich still experienced a serious heart attack in 2009 at the age of 51. Through that experience she has made it her mission to educate heart attack survivors, stroke survivors, and those wishing to maintain or lose weight. Schleich is also a nationally published author and can be contacted at kathrynschlei777@yahoo.com.. You may also visit her web site at: http://www.women-write.com.

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