How to Prepare Healthier Mexican Food

Mexican food is a popular meal choice in many households. Coriander, tomatoes, avocados, rice, limes, and tortillas are just a few of the staple ingredients required to prepare fresh fajitas, tacos, guacamole and salsa. But how can you make healthier Mexican food?

Ordering the healthiest Mexican food in restaurants can be tricky. It depends on where you go and how amenable the chef is to preparing the food according to personal preference. But when preparing homemade Mexican food, you will have more choices available and you can cook healthier food. Healthier Mexican food means different things to different people. Some take it to mean omitting as much salt as possible from their meals. Other people prefer to cut back on the fat used to make homemade Mexican food. This article will give a general overview on simple ways to cut back on the fat and salt content of Mexican food to make it healthier for the whole family.

Beans

Beans are full of fibre and are a great source of protein. But refried beans are typically prepared by frying them in lard or vegetable oil before adding other ingredients such as onion, garlic and spices. This increases the fat content and makes refried beans quite an unhealthy option if you are trying to cut back on your fat and sodium intake. Even a can of low fat refried beans can contain 300mg or more of sodium. Unlike whole beans, refried beans cannot be rinsed and drained to remove any excess salt. Instead of choosing refried beans, use a can of rinsed, drained pinto or black beans. A can of pinto beans can contain anywhere from 6g of fibre and protein in every serving, which makes them a healthy choice.

Tortillas