Easy Ways to Lighten Up Your Mexican Fiesta

            Mexican cuisine offers a wide variety of flavors, textures, and spices that showcase healthful ingredients from all the food groups.  Some of these ingredients could include nopales, beans, and peppers!  

            Follow these tips to help you choose foods that meet your needs, whether dining out or eating at home! 

1. Focus on Produce 

  

Many Mexican dishes feature fresh fruits and vegetables.  Standbys include tomatoes, peppers, avocados, and mangoes.  There is also something called jicama. Have you tried it?  It’s a crisp and slightly sweet root vegetable that is a good source of vitamin C and fiber.  Eat it in salads or even with salsa!  A nopal is also a prickly pear cactus that is a good source of dietary fiber!  Avocado and salsa are also great for topping off a dish!  Salsa can be lower in saturated fat and calories compared to cheese or sour cream.  Avocados are great for providing heart-healthy monounsaturated fats, fiber, and folate. 

  

2. Watch Your Portion Size 

  

It is easy not to notice large servings of sour cream, cheese, and even fried tortillas.  Large flour tortillas can be closer to three serving sizes.  Instead, go for a smaller taco-sized corn tortilla to keep your portion size in check.  When ordering from a restaurant, look for the descriptions “asada”, which means grilled, “salsa Verde”, a green chili sauce, and “Veracruz-style”, which indicates a dish containing a tomato sauce.  Also, do not be afraid to ask for toppings and sauces to be served on the side to help with portion sizes. 

  

3. Twist and Spice 

  

Adding flavor with minimal fat, calories, and sodium can be easier than you think!  Just use a twist of a lime, a dash of cilantro, and a sprinkle of chilies to spice up your dish! 

At home, make tortillas with canola oil instead of lard, mash boiled beans, and add lime or vegetable broth to give them the texture of refried beans.  For cilantro, chop the leaves to use them fresh, or use dried seeds whole or ground to season your dishes.  Chilies also come dried or fresh, and they come in many varieties.  Some of these include jalapeno, poblano, chipotle, serrano, and habanero.  A general rule is, the larger the chili, the milder it is.  You can add chilies to about anything - soups, meats, salsas - for they provide a bunch of flavor and vitamins A and C. 

 

Source: https://www.eatright.org/food/cultural-cuisines-and-traditions/central-and-south-american/easy-ways-to-lighten-up-your-mexican-fiesta