Celebrating Cinco de Mayo doesn't have to mean blowing a week of hard work on fun and festivities! Check out some of my favorite go-to Mexican meals that will still keep you in line with your goals and not sweating stepping on the scale the next morning!
HEALTHY QUESADILLAS:
1 - 2 servings
INGREDIENTS:
2 FlatOut Protein Up Wraps
4oz. Grilled Chicken Breast or Extra Lean Ground Turkey or Flank Steak
1/4 Cup Reduced Fat Mexican Blend Shredded Cheese
Optional: Plain Greek Yogurt, Salsa, Guacamole
DIRECTIONS:
On one wrap, place your cooked protein evenly keeping about 1/2" away from the sides. For a Vegan/Vegetarian option you can use mashed black beans or refried beans.
Sprinkle on cheese over the protein.
Place the other wrap on top and bake for 10-12 minutes at 350 degrees.
Remove from the oven, cut in to 4 slices and top each slice with 1 TBS of plain Greek yogurt or guacamole and salsa.
BAKED TORTILLA CHIPS:
1 SERVING EQUALS 2 TORTILLAS
INGREDIENTS:
Corn Tortillas or Low Carb Tortillas
Pam Cooking Spray, Spray Butter, Grass-Fed Butter or Coconut Oil
Salt or Cinnamon and Sugar Blend (for a healthier version use a stevia and cinnamon mixture)
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Lightly Coat your tortillas in either Cooking Spray, Spray Butter, Melted Grass-Fed Butter or Melted Coconut Oil
Sprinkle with salt or for dessert chips the cinnamon and sugar mixture. To add some spice to the salted chips, add chili pepper.
Bake for 10 - 12 minutes.
For dessert chips make the following dip recipe:
Dice strawberries, raspberries and pineapple. Add fresh mint and a squeeze of lime juice for a fruit Pico de Gallo. For a creamier version, add this to plain or vanilla Greek yogurt.
EASY SHREDDED CHICKEN TACOS:
INGREDIENTS:
2 - 4lbs of chicken breast
One jar of salsa
Corn or low-carb tortillas
Lettuce, diced tomato, diced onion, cilantro
Guacamole
Plain Greek yogurt
DIRECTIONS:
Place chicken breast in a crockpot and pour the jar of salsa over them. Cook on low for 7 hours.
Once cooked, shred with two forks.
Serve on tacos or make a taco salad. The shredded chicken is also great with eggs in the morning!
A few more healthy eating tips when eating Mexican food:
Use Wholly Guacamole 100 calorie single-serve cups for perfect portion control.
Spice it up! Eating spicy food makes your body burn more calories!
When dining out, say no to refried beans and opt for spanish rice or black beans instead. Remember to watch your portions with these options!
If you can't stop eating tortilla chips, ask for your server to not bring them out to your table, or count out a certain number, place them on your plate and get the basket away from you or your table.
Choose corn tortillas over flour tortillas. You will save 70+ calories per tortilla!
Avoid the high cheese food items such as nachos, cheese enchiladas, etc. These are generally very high in calories and fat and it adds up FAST!
When eating a salad, use salsa for your dressing and avoid using sour cream!
Stay away from the fruity drinks. One small strawberry daiquiri brings in a whopping 220 calories and a ton of sugar!