Mexican foods for weight loss
Often when we think of going on a diet images of bland chicken and boring salads come to mind. Often when we think of “cheat meals” we think of Mexican, Asian, or Italian takeout.This doesn’t need to be the case! Many cultural foods are healthy and great for dieting, in fact, when we get unhealthy ethnic food- it’s usually the “Americanized” version (which makes it unhealthy). I am starting this series to share my favorite cultural recipes that have helped me lose weight without sacrificing diversity and flavor!
Taquitos Dorados (300 cal)
Ingredients:
1 Chicken breast
3 Low calorie tortillas
A cup of Lettuce
Cotija (type of Mexican cheese)
Low-fat sour cream
Optional (but delicious)- salsa verde
What to do:
Cook and shred your chicken breast and roll it into several of your low cal/carb tortillas. Air Fry for 10 minutes at 370 (or bake if you don’t have an air fryer) and flip halfway through. Top with lettuce, cotija, low-fat sour cream, and salsa of your choice- I highly suggest salsa verde!
Shrimp Fajitas (200 cal)
Ingredients:
3oz Shrimp
A green, yellow, and red bell pepper
1 Onion
2 Low calorie tortillas
Optional- lime
What to do:
Cut and saute your peppers and onions in a pan. Season shrimp however you like (I use garlic salt, cajun seasoning, salt and pepper) and cook your shrimp- either take your veggies out first or cook the shrimp in a different pan. Then, after your shrimp are almost done cooking, add your veggies back in and finish the shrimp and veggies together. Add it to your tortillas and squeeze some lime juice on top of added flavor!
Mexican Cauliflower rice (450cal in total, about 60 calories per cup!)
Ingredients:
2 bags of frozen cauliflower rice
½ onion diced
¼ cup Tomato sauce
2-4 cups Chicken broth
Olive oil
Tomato bullion cube
What to do:
First microwave your frozen cauliflower rice according to the directions on the bag. Dice half of an onion and saute in a hot pan with olive oil (season with salt and pepper if desired). Then add your cauliflower rice into the pan with the onion and cover rice with chicken broth- it should be about 1-2 cups.Then add in about a ¼ cup of tomato sauce and a tomato bouillon cube. Stir and let all of the liquid cook off completely. Then, repeat the process with the chicken broth- cover your mixture and let that chicken broth cook off one more time. Then it is delicious and ready to serve. Not authentic Mexican rice- but it sure tastes like it for a fraction of the calories!
Baby bell pepper “nachos” (about 280cal depending on toppings)
Ingredients:
Baby bell peppers
Ground protein of your choice
Cheese(low-fat) of your choice
Lettuce
Salsa
Optional- sour cream and jalapenos
What to do:
Cut the ends off your baby bell peppers and remove any seeds. Then add pre-cooked ground protein of your choice- I prefer ground turkey but ground beef is great too. Add some cheese on top of that and a scoop of salsa. Put in the oven/ air fryer on 400 for 10 minutes then top with lettuce and some sour cream! BOOM! You’ve crushed the nacho craving without reaching in that never ending bag of addicting tortilla chips.
Keto Birria Quesa Tacos (4g net carb per serving)
Ingredients:
5 guajillo chilies
5 Anaheim chilies
½ yellow onion
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp dried oregano
½ tsp thyme
½ tsp cinnamon
1 tbsp salt
3lbs cubed stew meat or chuck roast
6 bay leaves
What to do:
Remove seeds and stems from the chilies. Put the chilies in a pot of water and bring it to boil. Once boiling, turn down the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. After that, remove from heat and let your chilies cool for 5 minutes. Transfer chilies and water into a blender. To the same blender, add onion, salt, herbs, spices, and blend until smooth. Now that you have your birria sauce, use it to cover your meat in a large pot. Add the bay leaves and let simmer on the stove for about 4 hours- or until meat is tender. Grab some meat and put it in a low carb wrap while using leftover sauce for dipping- yum!
Tinga (less than 400 cal for three)
Ingredients:
½ onion
Chicken breast
2 Tomatoes
Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
Cotija
3 tostadas
Minced garlic
What to do:
Soften sliced onion with a little bit of water in a pan. Blend tomatoes and a couple chipotle peppers (depending on your spice preference) with a tsp of garlic. Once blended, pour mixture over your onion and add cooked shredded chicken. Serve over low calorie tostadas!
