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BASKETLADY13 Posts: 301
12/7/12 9:26 A

I love chicken fajitas, but don't need all the carbs from the tortillas. I ask them for one tortilla and I use that as an open-faced fajita and then just eat the chicken & veggies alone without a tortilla. I skip the beans and eat half the rice. It works out to be about 800 calories for the dinner portion and that fits in nicely with my limits for the day.

MYSTERIX Posts: 169
12/7/12 12:57 A

If you need a starter, go for the Cancun salad. Use pico de gallo instead of dressing :)

Main course, I generally go for the more traditional dishes as the Americanized/Tex-Mex ones tend to be the least healthy.

I'd go for one of the following:

Carne Asada
Chile Colorado
Chicken or Vegetarian Fajita

See if they have black beans available instead of refried. Otherwise, just eat half of the rice and beans and save the rest for later :)

THRIVE2DAY Posts: 4,901
12/6/12 10:56 P

Caldo de Res or Caldo de Pollo. emoticon

AM_MORRIS87 Posts: 703
12/6/12 6:49 P

If you go with fajitas I'd *try* to ask them for no oil when cooking it. Realistically that's not gonna happen, but hey, it's worth a shot. Skip the chips all together, don't eat the tortillas that come with your meal, skip the rice AND beans (sorry but you just don't know what they were cooked in), and I'd skip the cheese and guac.

If it were me, I just wouldn't eat there. I don't eat anything that I can't track. So I would eat beforehand. I've learned that it really doesn't ruin everyones good time just because I brought oatmeal with me, or because I didn't eat at the gathering. It only ruins MY goals if I choose to give in. I'm not saying that's what everyone should do, I'm just saying what works for me.

But maybe you're less strict than me, and you do have a cheat meal occasionally. It's up to you. Just use common sense to make good choices. If I had to pick I'd probably pick the fajita taco salad with no sour cream, cheese, or cheese sauce. Or the Cancun taco salad w/ no olives. If the avocado on the salad is actually sliced avocado then that's perfect. If it's pureed into a guac like mixture, I'd have them leave that off as well. Just top your salad with salsa.

Edited by: AM_MORRIS87 at: 12/6/2012 (18:54)
YOJULEZ SparkPoints: (15,605)
Fitness Minutes: (120)
Posts: 2,171
12/6/12 3:48 P

Other than the fajitas and taco salads already mentioned, another one that looks like it might be OK is the Pollo Azteca, without the cheese sauce. Also as mentioned, avoid the beans and rice or eat very little of them, but the pico de gallo is good. The Arroz con Camerones is probably OK without the cheese sauce also, and just watch how much rice you eat.

If it were me though I'd get the Tacos de Carne Asada, and just eat 2 of them. Tacos carne asada is one of my very favorite things to eat though, and it sounds like they make them the "right" way without cheese on them like a lot of places do. The green sauce is usually just a spicy tomatillo salsa, and corn tortillas for tacos like that are usually very small and only about 60-80 calories each assuming they didn't cook them in oil.

EMILYROSEBUD SparkPoints: (14,244)
Fitness Minutes: (13,484)
Posts: 316
12/6/12 3:09 P

Thanks, everyone!

Coach Jenn,
That article was very helpful. Thank You!

Here is a link to their menu online if you have any suggestions!! Thanks so much!

KRISTEN_SAYS SparkPoints: (73,428)
Fitness Minutes: (35,001)
Posts: 5,088
12/6/12 12:56 P

Does the restaurant have a website with their menu so we could take a look and help you pick something healthy?

SPARK_COACH_JEN Posts: 56,689
12/6/12 12:39 P

Here's an article you might find helpful:

Coach Jen

KIMMIE124 SparkPoints: (21,254)
Fitness Minutes: (16,348)
Posts: 770
12/6/12 12:13 P

I try not to eat a whole lot of rice or refried beans that are made with lard.

12/6/12 11:58 A

TONIGHT? Not a lot of time do to research, and it often depends on the type of Mexican restaurant.

Okay, I am going to assume this place is not entirely healhty... so...

Taco salad, with perhaps shrimp added if this is an option.

Soft tacos, veggie or shrimp, if the latter is an option.

Some will probably suggest chicken breast added to the above instead of shrimp. I am omitting that because I find chicken breast to be drier than Hades and so I don't personally partake. But you be your own judge.

YOJULEZ SparkPoints: (15,605)
Fitness Minutes: (120)
Posts: 2,171
12/6/12 11:53 A

I had this same question awhile back and it seemed the consensus was that fajitas were the best bet, and don't eat the tortillas that come with them. I also personally like getting carne asada but not all mexican places offer it.

EMILYROSEBUD SparkPoints: (14,244)
Fitness Minutes: (13,484)
Posts: 316
12/6/12 11:51 A

I am going to a family gathering at our favorite local Mexican restaurant tonight. I'm planning to use portion control, for instance, boxing up a portion of my meal from the get-go so I'm not tempted to stuff myself with the entire thing, and I'm going to move the basket of chips to the other end of the table so I'm not tempted to sit and eat a bunch of those, either. But, does anyone have any suggestions or advice for choosing a healthier option off the menu? Any tips would be appreciated. I'm trying to plan ahead, not go there completely starving, and come prepared so that it will be easier for me to make a better choice.

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