Deciphering the Menu: Mexican Foods

A lot of Mexican food is fried with lard and topped with cheese, so it’s loaded with saturated fat. It can be high in sodium, too. But when you know what to choose, Mexican food can be fresh, tasty and more healthful.

Tips

• Tell your server not to bring fried tortilla chips to the table.
• Ask for low-fat sour cream or use salsa to add flavor.
• Veracruz or other tomato-based sauces are better than cream or cheese sauces.
• If you order a taco salad, don’t eat the fried shell.

    Instead Of                                                   

Flour tortillas

Nachos

Carnitas (fried beef or pork) or chorizo (sausage)

Refried beans

Full-fat sour cream and cheese
Quesadillas (flour tortilla, filled with meat and cheese and fried)

• Ask for corn tortilla and to add more vegetables

Chalupas and tacos


Flautas (crisp, rolled tortillas stuffed with shredded meat and topped with a sauce)

• Ask for less sauce and if corn tortilla be used instead

 
Chimichangas (flour tortillas filled with spicy meat and Monterey Jack cheese, fried and topped with tomato sauce)

• If you order this, ask if it can be prepared with a corn tortilla instead of flour and less cheese topped with fresh tomatoes
• Ask if it can be prepared baked instead of fried

 
Burritos (large flour tortillas filled with beans or meat, served with tomato sauce and topped with shredded cheese)

• Opt for a small burrito instead or if you order a large burrito, if half of it and save the rest for another day

Try This

Corn torillas


Grilled shrimp

Grilled fish or chicken breast

Frijoles a la charra or borracho beans and Spanish rice

Salsa, pico de gallo, cilantro, jalapeno peppers

Chicken fajitas (marinated chicken grilled with onions, green peppers, lettuce, diced tomatoes with a soft corn tortilla)

Taco salad or fajita salad (don't eat the tortilla shell and ask for low-fat sour cream)

Chicken or beef enchiladas with red sauce or salsa

 
*This information and photograph of the grilled chicken fajitas Association has been taken from the American Heart Association (http://www.americanheart.org/) "Dining Out Tips."