Low-Calorie Options at Mexican Restaurants

As a man who married a beautiful Mexican woman, I am the first to tell you that I love to eat Mexican food. However, a common idea that many people have is that Mexican food options are not the healthiest. The reason for this mindset is that most Mexican food options include tons of carbs, fats, and calorie-rich sauces, making it challenging to lose weight and be healthy while enjoying what you’re eating. So, can you eat healthy while still getting your Mexican food fix? The answer is yes! Here are the best Low-Calorie Options at Mexican Restaurants that taste amazing and keep you on track.

Stay away from crunchy

If it is Mexican food and crunchy, it is probably deep fried. It is best to avoid chips, tostadas, and chimichangas due to their extremely high calories and high fat. This makes our Low-Calorie Options at Mexican Restaurants no-nos due to the temptation to keep grabbing more chips!

Plus, most deep-fried foods have trans-fatty acids, which are not great for your health.

Fill up on vegetables

Most taco shops and restaurants in San Diego offer a salsa bar with free cucumbers and pickled carrots. This is a great tasty (and free) way to get more veggies in your diet.

Fill up on these first, and you’ll be less likely to go crazy on the carne asada tacos and cheese enchiladas.

The same thing goes for traditional sit-down Mexican restaurants. Most vegetables will fill you up but without the extra calories.

Have Salsa instead of sour cream/cheese

Salsa is packed with amazing flavor with a very minimal caloric impact.

By swapping different freshly made salsas instead of sour cream or cheese, you will lose the calories but not the flavor.

Hold the rice, have the beans

Taking inspiration from the popular “slow carb diet” created by Tim Ferriss, beans such as pinto and black beans are extremely nutritious, full of fiber, and are not that high in calories.

Ensure the beans are cooked with minimal oils and have no cheese or cream added.

Bean dip doesn’t count!

Portion Control

If you have a higher-calorie meal while eating Mexican food, it might be a good idea only to eat half of it.

You will then get two meals for the price of one. Most restaurants, in general, give way too much food for one meal.

If you don’t have the willpower to eat only half, ask your server to pack up half your meal when ordering.

Make substitutions

Even if the restaurant does not have a low-calorie menu, most will customize your order to your liking.

If they don’t, they will likely lose your business and countless consumers looking for healthy and tasty options.

It is okay to ask for and get what you want, even if it might be a mild inconvenience to the restaurant.

Check the healthy section of the menu

Depending on where you go, most restaurants have a low-calorie menu. Chipotle, El Pollo Loco, and even taco bell have decent options when you are on the go. Most even have options that are 500 calories or less.

Examples of some great Mexican Restaurants Low-Calorie Choices

• Chicken Tortillas Soup
• Ceviche
• Veggies and Guacamole
• Chicken Taco
• Veggie Burrito
• Grilled Salmon Caesar Salad

My Favorite Mexican Restaurant Low-Calorie Choice

A grilled chicken taco salad is one of my favorite healthy, low-calorie options.

With the grilled chicken, fresh salsa, and guacamole, you have an amazing low-calorie option you can get at almost every Mexican restaurant.