Mexican food is as complex as any of the other great cuisines in the world. These recipes are a combination of varied ingredients such as fruits, vegetables, flowers, meat, dairy products, herbs, and spices. This article provides the nutritional information about certain food items from this cuisine, along with alternative cooking methods for Mexican food lovers.
Mexican food items such as burritos, tacos, nachos, tortillas, enchiladas, salsa, etc., are quite popular worldwide. This cuisine is known for its different range of flavors, colorful garnishing, and variety of spices and ingredients.
A lot of the dishes are fried with lard and topped with cheese, thus the level of saturated fat and sodium are high in this cuisine. However, there are a few recipes which are healthier than the others.
If you are health-conscious, then you can opt for the following dishes:
- Brown rice, no fat black beans, and low-fat cheese
- Whole wheat tortillas, corn tortillas, and soft tacos
- Marinated vegetables, grilled chicken, and Vera Cruz style fish
- Fish tacos (grilled fish, coleslaw light on mayonnaise, chopped tomato salsa)
- You can have salsa with the meals as it is made of vegetables.
Nutritional Value
| Mexican Foods | Calories | Fats | Carbs |
| Black Bean Soup (1 Bowl) | 200 | 3 | 34 |
| Buesco Fresco | 80 | 4.5 | 8 |
| Burritos: Bean | 380 | 12 | 54 |
| Burritos: Big Beef | 520 | 23 | 51 |
| Chili plain | 90 | 6 | 8 |
| Chili Corn Carne 1 Cup | 310 | 17 | 15 |
| Corn Chips ½ Cup | 160 | 10 | 17 |
| Empanadas 1 Small | 230 | 10 | 28 |
| Fajitas: Soft Chicken | 200 | 7 | 20 |
| Horchata | 120 | 0.5 | 27 |
| Nachos | Calories | Fats | Carbs |
| Taco Bell, Big Beef | 430 | 24 | 43 |
| Bellgrande (Taco Bell) | 740 | 39 | 83 |
| Del taco: Regular | 390 | 23 | 39 |
| Del Taco: Machos Nachos | 1090 | 61 | 110 |
| Quesadilla | 370 | 20 | 32 |
| Refried Beans ¾ cups | 160 | 3 | 26 |
| Sopaipillas 1 pc. | 100 | 7 | 10 |
| Sopaipillas with Honey and Cream 1 pc | 200 | 14 | 18 |
| Tacos | Calories | Fats | Carbs |
| Taco: Regular | 170 | 10 | 11 |
| Chicken Taco | 180 | 5 | 23 |
| Taco Supreme | 230 | 13 | 13 |
| Big Border Taco | 280 | 16 | 17 |
| Taco Salad with Salsa | 280 | 16 | 17 |
| Taco Sauce ¼ Cup | 15 | 0 | 3 |
| Taco Shell Regular | 50 | 2 | 8 |
| Tamales, Van Can | 150 | 8 | 14 |
| Tostada (Taco Bell) | 300 | 14 | 31 |
| Tortilla Corn | 70 | 1 | 14 |
| Tortilla Chips 1 oz | 150 | 8 | 18 |
Healthy Cooking Methods
Though these foods are usually spicy and tasty, they are full of calories, fats, and sodium. The deep-fried tortilla chips, high fat meals, creams, cheese, guacamole, deep-fried beans, and deep-fried dishes can result in adding up loads of calories. However, opt for the following alternative low fat food and stay healthy:
- Have small quantity of chips, and enjoy guacamole in small portions.
- Cheese is rich in calcium and protein, however it also contains higher amount of fats, so choose small portions of cheese.
- Beans are an excellent source of fiber, proteins, vitamins, and minerals, however they are also high in calories, so opt for the fat-free ones.
- You can have grilled seafood, meat, and poultry.
- You can have dishes that have plenty of veggies, lettuce, tomatoes, and salsa. These foods have high fiber content, antioxidants, minerals, and vitamins.
- Always use low-fat cream for chips and other snacks.
- Choose corn over wheat tortillas, as they have fewer calories, less content of fat and more fiber.
Referring to the aforementioned tables on nutrition value will give you an idea as to which food items can be included in your diet.