[lyrac425]

I am going out to eat with two girlfriends I haven't seen for a while and they picked a local Mexican restaurant. Any ideas? I have only eaten there once since they opened, so I don't really know the menu. Not a chain restaurant. Maybe I'll just have to do the best I can and just pick at my food and talk alot.

Any suggestions? Thanks

[likemarigold]

Hi, Lyrac. I love Mexican food, and since I've been dieting for 4 months, of course I've already worked out where all the best Mexican places are for making healthy choices. My advice is to go with fajitas, no matter where you are. I like chicken and veggie fajitas--and I ask for extra vegetables

The nice thing about getting fajitas is that you put them together yourself. It's not like getting a burrito, where you can't really see how much of it is rice and how much is meat. It's not fried, and it's low in carbs (avoid the beans and rice--they're not usually very good, because they're full of sodium). You can also take home your leftovers--unlike a burrito, which will get soggy, they'll wrap the extra tortillas separate from the meat and veggies, and you can eat them for lunch tomorrow.

The salsa fresca is basically calorie-free. The sour cream is around 50 for two tablespoons, and guacamole is a little higher (it varies by preparation). A small tortilla is usually 80 calories. The marinade on the chicken and veggies adds precious few calories, beause it's not oil-based, so the chicken is generally pretty low, too.

You'll do fine. You can make good choices anywhere. Have fun and enjoy dinner!

[Barb0522]

Since I eat Mexican fairly often, I normally avoid the tortilla. Neither corn nor flour tortillas are OP. Many Mexican places have a grilled fish, shrimp or chicken. Pechuga de pollo is a good grilled chicken dish. Ask them to leave off the rice if you don't want to be tempted. Since you are eating with friends who are not on South Beach, they will probably want the chips but place them far from you. Explain to your friends that your new way of life does not allow you to eat the fattening fried chips.

You may be able to have the beans. I ask if anything is added to the beans since many of the restaurants here do not add lard to them. Many Mexican restaurants also have good salads but the dressings are probably bad. You could use salsa on a salad. Remember to avoid corn since that is sometimes added to Mexican food. Some restaurants add extra oil to the fajitas to make them sizzle. You don't want that.

Call the restaurant ahead of time and ask about the beans. Also check to see if they have a web site. You never know, they might. Drink lots of water. Often restaurant food is much higher in sodium than you would use at home.

[AdiaFaith]

When it comes to eating out, I'm with ya sister. I eat out two to three times daily and it can get crazy.

I love mexican, especially authentic mexican restaurants. Remember that restaurants are there to serve you, don't be afraid to tell them exactly what you want/need and how it should be prepared...as politely as possible of course..it's either be a little pushy, or feel horrible in the morning....

When DF and I eat Mexican real deal, I go for the Taco Salad. Extra Lettuce, tomatoes, chicken, and refried beans.....these guys actually make their own and the sodium is no where near canned. Get something that's going to fill you up, fiber and protein.

The chips are the hardest part for me, but you'll do alright. Good luck chica!

[nelie]

My favorite is Carne Asada which (actually depends where you live, I had it in Illinois and it was quite different) is grilled marinated beef. It will be served with rice and beans of course, but you can ask if you can skip the rice and double the beans. Also if it is an authentic place, they might slip lard into the beans. Best choice would to be to get an entree platter instead of tacos/burritos. Also a decent choice of something to eat might be a chile relleno which is basically a mild chile pepper stuffed with cheese (of course the cheese isn't low fat) then cooked with in egg.

It would really depend what type of mexican place it is and where you live on what they might offer. I would say just do the best you can and avoid the chips, they aren't worth it.