Hey Food Finders!

As long as I can remember, I avoided Mexican restaurants if I wanted to eat healthy or lose weight. I thought that there would either be nothing I could eat, or I would feel deprived without my cheesy carb-laden favorites.

Good friends of mine (Hi Lisa & Dave!) were moving out of state the following day and invited a group of us to meet them for dinner at (you guessed it) our local Mexican restaurant! Well, friendship is more important than worrying that I’m going to feel deprived because I can’t eat queso and chips, so off I went.

Sitting with my friends at the restaurant, I skeptically opened the menu. I was honestly shocked and thrilled at how MANY choices there were that were perfectly healthy! To be realistic you have to be prepared to make a few adjustments to the meals to fit whatever guidelines you are working with. But I was amazed at the selection. I thought there might be one or two things I could “make-over” and eat, but the more I looked, the more options I saw. Tip: focus on looking for what you CAN eat, not on what your choosing not to eat.

Under appetizers there was a Shrimp Cocktail with avocado, tomatoes, onions, cucumbers, and plantain chips in a mildly spicy gazpacho sauce. If you leave off the fried plantain chips, it’s a great start! There were also Tuna Tostadas with avocado, jalapeno, roasted corn, & chipotle aioli over a crispy tortilla. “Cripsy” is another word for fried so I’d ask for this without the tortilla and with the aioli on the side. Again, a perfectly awesome app.

They had some great salad choices: a Jerk Chicken Salad, a Grilled Chicken Taco Salad, and a Grilled Salmon over mixed greens, red onions, tomatoes, hearts of palm with a balsamic dressing. Just get the dressing on the side and you’re good to go!

What did I order? I decided to go for a traditional Mexican favorite: Fajitas! I normally order the chicken or shrimp fajitas, but I was really in the mood for steak loaded with onions and peppers, so I had what I was craving. I believe in eating what you want, but in the healthiest way possible. I ordered it without the tortillas because they aren’t important to me, and I asked them to make the fajitas with as little oil as possible (which they did!). I did have 2 tbsp of guacamole, but did not have any sour cream. The sides I chose were black beans (not refried beans), and a pickled red cabbage slaw. Oh and don’t forget the Cholula hot sauce on the steak, the green one is my favorite. It adds SO much flavor for almost no calories and zero weight watcher points. I ate half of this large portion of food and wrapped up the other half to take home. For a drink I skipped the margarita and went for the club soda loaded with extra lime.

Other great choices at most Mexican restaurants include Ceviche (which is typically made from fresh fish such as shrimp, cured in citrus juices, onions, cilantro, jalapeno, and salt) and tacos filled with grilled chicken, lettuce, tomato, salsa, black beans, and a dollop of guacamole. Steer clear of anything fried, and you can definitely create numerous ordering options from the menu!

If I could give you one HUGE tip, it would be this...don’t get started with the chips and salsa. The salsa is great (eat it with a spoon if your friends don’t mind!) but I don’t know many people who are able to stop eating the warm salty chips. They are so addictive! If you are one of those lucky few who can easily have a couple of chips and not be compelled to eat the entire basket, have at it. But if you are not one of those, and most of us aren’t, simply skip the chips. I kept my focus on my friends and the great connections, laughter, and relaxation, and off of the chips!

Grand "Guestimate" total: For ½ of the portion (I took the other half home) estimated 398 Calories and 8 SP which is great for a dinner out. You could reduce the calories and points even more by choosing chicken or shrimp instead of steak.

So there you have it! An absolutely delicious and healthy Mexican meal.