So, my friend is having a birthday tomorrow, and we're going to a Mexican restaurant for dinner. It's called El Chico, and I've grown up on it. So, I know how fattening all of the food is there, including the "healthy" salads.

I've tried looking on their website and they have no nutrition facts.. and I really don't know what I'll be able to get that's in my calorie range.

I'm really scared that I'm going to over-eat and just feel disgusting tomorrow night.

If any of you have gone to a Mexican restaurant since you began eating healthier, what did you decide on getting and what should I completely avoid?

-Melody

Well, my favorite dish is nachos. But those you must AVOID.

I'd suggest a vegetable fajita... at some places you can ask for them to even use less oil they they normally would. Vegetable fajitas are usually not bad for you, as long as you eliminate any cheese, sour cream, etc... Salsa and hot sauce you can use though!

If you dont like vegetable fajitas... maybe some sides of rice and or beans and like a mexican salad of some-sort, once again minus the cheese.

Try to avoid nachos, all sorts of the cheeses, the margaritas, and any of the fried or "stuffed" items.

I think crunchy tacos are usually pretty good for you. Plus you can always scoop out some of the cheese, and just don't put sourcream on it, like Melody said. Try to avoid eatting too many of the free chips and salsa though... that's where they get me!

Oh my gosh, me too!!

They just keep giving us more if we finish the first basket. I'll have to be strong when they give them to us..

Oh, and I forgot to add: Being a college student.. I'm on a budget. So, even if that was a wonderful idea mermaid20 about the fajitas, they'll probably be too expensive. But, I could try to get a salad.

And, I was looking at the generic taco nutrition facts on calorieking.com, and they seemed like a pretty sensible choice..

Thanks, you two!

what about tortilla soup without the tortilla chips and a small side salad.

One fish taco (grilled) without the mayo based sauce (only one corn tortilla--not fried--as the shell) and a small side salad with dressing on the side (just dip your fork tines in the dressing and then take a bite of lettuce--you'll use less dressing.)

I would stay away from the chips, margaritas, and anything smothered in cheese!

Most important though, HAVE FUN!

A taco salad made with grilled chicken can be a good choice if you have them serve it on a plate instead of in a taco shell, go light on the cheese or leave it off entirely, leave off the sour cream and cream-based dressings, and use salsa as the dressing.

someone mentioned getting rice and beans...probably not the best idea...the beans are HEAVILY fat laden, especially the refried version.

Personally, I would go for either chicken or veggie fajitas - get ww tortillas if you can or just skip them entirely. Forgo the extra cheese and sour cream but load up on the pico de gallo. Don't drink margaritas - as not fun as it may seem, water is going to make you feel better at the end of the night and will allow you to remain in touch with your body and when you feel full. Skip the rice and bean side dishes.

As much as I love mexican food, I can't eat it often. It makes me feel really bloated and icky.

I encountered the same issue a few weeks ago-- I limited the chip indulgence and ordered the fish tacos. Delicious.

Thanks for all the ideas, everyone!
I have a lot to choose from now.

Now, the only problem is ignoring the free chips they give.

Usually when I go to a Mexican restaurant, I'll order a plate of fajitas and ask for corn tortillas instead of flour ones. The corn ones have about 50 calories a piece (and usually a little smaller than the taco sized flour ones) and they're whole grain, as opposed to the flour ones which can be about 140 calories (for those small, taco sized ones). I'll skip the cheese and sour cream, or use them VERY sparingly and I'll load up on the salsa and pico de gallo.

This would also work well if they offer a chicken taco dish.

Well, good news! Supposedly, El Chico has been closed for a while (I don't really know my way around here yet) and so we decided to go to On The Border. They had a section with shrimp tacos, chicken fajitas, grilled chicken, and salmon and all of them had the calories listed.

I thought it was cool how you all gave me those as options, and there they were.

Thanks, everyone!

Oh man that taco shell adds a LOT! And don't forget the guacamole has a ton of fat in it!

Just a Taco Bell taco salad is 850 cal with 52 grams of fat and usually the restaurant taco salads are way bigger!

What's wrong with a taco salad in the shell? I don't like those shells so I don't eat it. Everyone is right about using pico de gallo or the salsa as a dressing. I do that all the time.

I love On The Border. Their lunch chicken fajita is only 310 cals.

On the Border is one of those restaurants I cringe at when I look at. I ate there a couple times and I thought the food was horrible. Although I'm a bit picky with my mexican food but still...

Chipotle makes a wonderful salad though.