Healthy Mexican recipes that won't make you gordo

 Remember when chipotle was an exotic ingredient? Now we have Chipotle (the restaurant) on every other corner. Americans love Mexican food when we eat out. Mexican chain restaurants grew twice as fast as other chains in 2009, according to a recent report. I love nachos dripping with melted cheese as much as you do, but fat and calorie levels are sky-high on many of those oversized restaurant platters of enchiladas or chimichangas slathered in cheese and sauces. It’s enough to make you cry into your margarita. Instead, let’s focus on the bright, fresh tastes of authentic Mexican food, delivered by these recipes for quick, healthier Mexican dinners you can make at home.

Stovetop Fideos: We have quick, healthy Mexican recipes for all tastes. For a meatless meal, try Stovetop Fideos, a version of a traditional dish that starts with toasted pasta (the fideos), throws in a market-basketful of vegetables and cooks it all together in one pot with a garlicky broth.

Coctel de Camarones: Looking for something healthy to fill those big, beautiful margarita glasses? Make a lively and lovely Coctel de Camarones (that’s a Mexican take on shrimp cocktail). It has that “easy yet elegant” thing going on, so it’s great for entertaining too.

Homemade Chorizo Tortas: I like to mix things up and have a hot sandwich for dinner sometimes. A torta is the Mexican version of a panini—a pressed sandwich made with crusty bread that can have an endless array of fillings. For our Homemade Chorizo Tortas, we make our own chorizo-inspired filling by spicing up ground pork or turkey.

Chicken with Quick Mole Sauce: Another traditional Mexican dish is chicken with mole (rhymes with “Olé!”) sauce. Some moles have lengthy ingredient lists and can take hours to make. Chicken with Quick Mole Sauce is ready in 35 minutes and still full of rich, fascinating flavor.

Steak Burritos: Here’s a steak burrito (pictured above) you’ll be making more than once—it’s everything you want in a burrito and just about everything you need for dinner tonight. We’ve kept this home-style version a bit simpler to make and a whole lot healthier with brown rice, whole-wheat tortillas and a more reasonable serving size. We recommend wrapping it in foil—the traditional way to serve it—so you can pick the burrito up and eat it without it falling apart, peeling back the foil as you go. Serve with a cold beer and vinegar-dressed slaw.

What’s a Mexican-restaurant favorite you’d like to be able to make a healthier version of at home? Tell us what you think below.

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Fast, healthy 4-ingredient dinners

 With two little boys at home, I’m on a mission to streamline my dinner routine. My focus? Simplify. One of the awesome parts of working as the digital editor at EatingWell Magazine is that I’m surrounded by amazing healthy food every day. The problem is, I think I can go home and cook all of these awesome recipes on a weeknight, when what I really need to do is just get a healthy, simple meal on the table so my family can still have some time to enjoy our night.

Recipes to Try: 20-Minute 5-Ingredient Dinner Recipes

I combed EatingWell’s recipe database and found these healthy, super-simple 4-ingredient dinners to help me eat well but cook simply. (I didn’t count kitchen staples like salt, pepper, oil, flour, sugar against my 4-ingredient limit.) And they’re all ready in 30 minutes or less of cooking time, most in 20 minutes—plenty of time to steam a vegetable on the side and make instant brown rice or quinoa.

The other bonus of these 4-ingredient dinner recipes? They’ll minimize my grocery shopping too!

Pork Chops au Poivre

Turn your dining room into a French bistro when you dress up pepper-crusted pork chops with a rich, creamy brandy sauce. Serve with roasted sweet potato slices and green beans.

Apple, Sauerkraut & Cheddar Quesadillas

This combination may seem unusual—until you try it. The sweet-tartness of the apple, creaminess of the cheese and bite of the sauerkraut work together beautifully in this easy hot sandwich. Serve with oven-roasted potatoes or a green salad.

Grilled Steaks Balsamico

A simple marinade of pureed dried figs and store-bought balsamic vinaigrette adds intense flavor to steak. This recipe is adapted from Lori Welander’s grand prize-winning recipe from the 2003 National Beef Cook-Off.

Mustard-Crusted Salmon

This updated French bistro dish makes a simple dinner any night of the week. You might want to consider doubling the batch and using the remaining salmon in a tossed salad the next day, or even as the salmon topper in the Warm Salmon Salad with Crispy Potatoes.

New England Fried Shrimp

Who doesn’t love a crunchy fried shrimp? This version takes virtually fat-free shrimp out of the deep fryer and pan-fries them in a little bit of oil instead. With 9 grams of total fat and 213 calories per serving, you can feel good about enjoying them.

Stir-Fried Spicy Chicken Tenders
A bag of frozen peppers and onions can be a quick start to a stir-fry; here, it’s combined with almost fat-free chicken tenders for a speedy dinner. Serve this dish with warm polenta rounds or brown rice.

What are your best 4-ingredient dinner recipes? Tell us what you think below.

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Fast, healthy 4-ingredient dinners

 

With two little boys at home, I’m on a mission to streamline my dinner routine. My focus? Simplify. One of the awesome parts of working as the digital editor at EatingWell Magazine is that I’m surrounded by amazing healthy food every day. The problem is, I think I can go home and cook all of these awesome recipes on a weeknight, when what I really need to do is just get a healthy, simple meal on the table so my family can still have some time to enjoy our night.

Recipes to Try: 20-Minute 5-Ingredient Dinner Recipes

I combed EatingWell’s recipe database and found these healthy, super-simple 4-ingredient dinners to help me eat well but cook simply. (I didn’t count kitchen staples like salt, pepper, oil, flour, sugar against my 4-ingredient limit.) And they’re all ready in 30 minutes or less of cooking time, most in 20 minutes—plenty of time to steam a vegetable on the side and make instant brown rice or quinoa.

The other bonus of these 4-ingredient dinner recipes? They’ll minimize my grocery shopping too!

Pork Chops au Poivre

Turn your dining room into a French bistro when you dress up pepper-crusted pork chops with a rich, creamy brandy sauce. Serve with roasted sweet potato slices and green beans.

Apple, Sauerkraut & Cheddar Quesadillas

This combination may seem unusual—until you try it. The sweet-tartness of the apple, creaminess of the cheese and bite of the sauerkraut work together beautifully in this easy hot sandwich. Serve with oven-roasted potatoes or a green salad.

Grilled Steaks Balsamico

A simple marinade of pureed dried figs and store-bought balsamic vinaigrette adds intense flavor to steak. This recipe is adapted from Lori Welander’s grand prize-winning recipe from the 2003 National Beef Cook-Off.

Mustard-Crusted Salmon

This updated French bistro dish makes a simple dinner any night of the week. You might want to consider doubling the batch and using the remaining salmon in a tossed salad the next day, or even as the salmon topper in the Warm Salmon Salad with Crispy Potatoes.

New England Fried Shrimp

Who doesn’t love a crunchy fried shrimp? This version takes virtually fat-free shrimp out of the deep fryer and pan-fries them in a little bit of oil instead. With 9 grams of total fat and 213 calories per serving, you can feel good about enjoying them.

Stir-Fried Spicy Chicken Tenders
A bag of frozen peppers and onions can be a quick start to a stir-fry; here, it’s combined with almost fat-free chicken tenders for a speedy dinner. Serve this dish with warm polenta rounds or brown rice.

What are your best 4-ingredient dinner recipes? Tell us what you think below.

TAGS: Michelle Edelbaum, Food Blog, Dinner, Quick meals

Michelle is digital editor for EatingWell Media Group. She puts her background in journalism to work online at EatingWell.com and in each issue of EatingWell magazine, authoring The Fresh Interview with interesting people in the world of food and health.

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Healthy eating out

If you’re eating out at a restaurant or cafe, you can make choices to ensure that your meal is healthy and balanced.

It's all too easy to have more saturated fat, salt and sugar than you realise when you're not cooking your own meal.

You can also end up eating more than you would have done if you'd served up your own portions.

We often indulge in sugary and high-fat foods when it's a special occasion. But many of us are eating out more often, and this means that it's important to think about healthier choices.

The first tip to remember is that whatever and wherever you’re eating, you don’t need to clear your plate. Instead, eat slowly and stop when you are full.

Simple steps can help you to make sure that you make healthier choices when eating out.

Food swaps
These swaps can make your restaurant or cafe meal healthier. Swap:

pies, bacon and sausages for chicken without the skin, or lean meats such as ham, fish (not fried) or pulses pastries, muffins and croissants for scones, bagels and currant buns sauces based on cream and cheese for tomato and vegetable sauces   fried rice such as pilau rice and egg fried rice for rice that is steamed or boiled chips or creamy mashed potatoes for potatoes that are baked or boiled cakes, chocolate or creamy puddings, biscuits, sweets and ice cream for fruit salads, sorbets and low-fat yoghurts vegetables and salads served with butter, oily dressings or mayonnaise for vegetables served plain ask for salad dressing on the side so you can add only as much as you need

Eating out tips
These tips can help you make healthier choices when you’re eating at a restaurant or cafe.

Look out for dishes highlighted on the menu as healthier options. If you’re not sure why the dish is healthier, don’t be afraid to ask.

More and more restaurants are putting calories for their food and drink onto their menus. You can use this information to help you decide which dish to have, and to help you to keep track of the number of calories you're eating. An average woman needs around 2,000 calories a day, and an average man needs around 2,500, depending on how active you are.

For more information read Understanding calories.

Remember, if you can't tell from the menu how a dish is cooked then you can always ask

Ask for salt not to be added to your meal during cooking or preparation. Say no to bread or other nibbles before your meal arrives. Eating these before your meal can make you more likely to eat too much. When you're ordering a variety of dishes to share, make sure you don’t order too many. Ask the staff how many dishes they would recommend. If your meal doesn't come with vegetables, order some as a side dish or have a salad with your meal. This can be instead of a starter. Wait until you've eaten your main course before you order a pudding. When you’ve finished the main course, you may be full. Have a glass of fruit juice or water with your meal.

Healthier puddings
If you'd like something sweet, there are healthier options.

Fruit is an especially good choice and can count towards your recommended five daily portions of fruit and vegetables. Learn more in 5 A DAY.

Fruit that is baked into puddings such as rhubarb crumble also counts towards your five fruit and veg portions. For a healthier pudding, choose fruit-based puddings instead of puddings with cream or chocolate fillings.

Cream and ice cream are both high in saturated fat. Instead of having a dessert with cream or ice cream, ask staff if you can have a sorbet, low-fat yoghurt, fruit purée, or custard made with lower-fat milk.

Many of us eat lunch on the go, whether it’s from a sandwich shop, cafe, supermarket or the work canteen.

The right choices can ensure your lunch is healthier.
Remember, if you make your own lunch, you know exactly what's in your lunchbox and you can save money.

Lunch salads
Salad can make for a healthy, filling and tasty lunch on the go. If you make them at home you'll be saving money too.

Salads that contain some starchy foods such as rice, pasta, potatoes or couscous are more filling.

Add grilled chicken (without the skin), prawns, sardines, cottage cheese, mozzarella or strips of lean ham for protein options lower in saturated fat.

Then choose a variety of veg: you could add roasted peppers and courgettes, avocado, spring onions, salad leaves, tomatoes, radishes, grated carrot or green beans.

Watch out for salads that contain a lot of mayonnaise or other high-fat dressings. This often includes coleslaw, potato salads and some pasta salads.

Pre-packed salads often have a nutrition information panel on the label so you can check how much total fat, saturated fat and salt they contain. Go for salads that are lower in fat, especially saturated fat and salt (or sodium). Learn more in Food labels.

Lunch sandwiches
Whether you're making your own sandwiches or buying them from a shop or staff canteen, here are tips to help you make healthier choices:

Choose brown or wholemeal bread. When buying pre-packed sandwiches, look at the nutrition information. Choose a sandwich that is low in fat: 3g or less per 100g, and 1.5g saturated fat per 100g. Watch out for the salt content too: food is high in salt if it contains more than 1.5g salt per 100g. Have your sandwich without butter, spread or mayonnaise, especially if the filling is moist. Or have a small amount and go for low-fat mayonnaise. Go for a sandwich with salad in it. Ask for extra if the sandwich is being made for you in the shop or cafe. Choose healthier sandwich fillings such as lean meats (ham, beef, turkey and chicken without the skin), tuna, smoked mackerel and hard-boiled egg. If you want cheese, go for edam, emmental, gruyère, mozzarella and low-fat cream cheese. They are usually lower in fat than other cheeses.

Hot food
If you prefer hot food for lunch, you can still make healthier choices:

Baked potatoes are a good lunchtime choice, but cut out the butter or use low-fat spread. Healthy fillings include baked beans, cottage cheese and ratatouille. Avoid ready-mixed fillings that contain lots of mayonnaise as these can be high in fat. Pasta can be a healthy choice, but avoid dishes with a creamy or cheesy sauce, or mixed with lots of oil, because these can be high in fat. Tomato or vegetable-based sauces are a healthier choice and will count towards your recommended five daily portions of fruit and veg. Avoid adding cheese, or add only a little. Soups can also help count towards your five portions if they contain vegetables. Try a soup with chunky vegetables, and to make it a filling meal add a wholemeal bread roll.

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Can You Only Eat Vegetables & Still Stay Healthy?

The concept of eating only vegetables in order to increase or maintain health is not favored by virtually all nutritionists, who instead maintain that a balanced diet is the best approach. Depending on your health status, you may be able to maintain your health for many weeks or months by just eating vegetables, but deficiencies of protein, fatty acids and certain vitamins and minerals are likely to manifest sooner or later. A healthy vegetarian diet typically includes the addition of fruits and legumes, such as beans, peas and seeds. Consult a nutritionist about the importance of eating more than one food group.

Most vegetables are rich in fiber, antioxidants and assorted vitamin and minerals. Cellulose fiber is important for cleaning the intestinal tract and stimulating regular bowel movements. Antioxidants help reduce the tissue damage caused by free radicals, which are created by oxidation of certain compounds. Vitamins are necessary for numerous health-related factors such as immune function, tissue repair, metabolism, red blood cell production and many more. Minerals are essential for enzyme production, immunity, muscle function and strong bones. Good examples of exceptionally nutritious vegetables include carrots, broccoli, squash and leafy greens such as spinach and kale. The nutritional value of vegetables is reliant on soil quality, however, and mineral-depleted soil is a problem on many big commercial farms in the United States. Furthermore, most vegetables have very little or no vitamin B12, which is important for brain function, metabolism and red blood cell development.

Strictly eating only vegetables might deprive you of some very nutritious foods that you assume are classified as vegetables but really are not. For example, tomatoes, avocadoes and olives are actually fruits, although they are often combined with vegetables in salads and thought of as vegetables by many Americans. Furthermore, beans, peas and some nuts are actually legumes. These fruits and legumes are important additions to healthy vegetarian diets due to their soluble fiber, essential fatty acids and protein content, but they would not be allowed if you limited yourself to a strictly vegetable diet.

A primary problem with eating only vegetables is lack of caloric intake. In fact, many vegetables, such as celery, carrots, cucumber and lettuce, are negative calorie foods because the number of calories they have is less than the amount of energy needed to digest them. It’s estimated that it requires about 80 calories to chew, digest and process average-sized vegetables, but most don’t contain that many calories. The result of eating only vegetables is weight loss and a lack of complete nutrition.

Another major concern with a vegetable-only diet is lack of protein and essential fatty acids. Many vegetables contain some protein, especially spinach, asparagus and broccoli, but it pales in comparison to beef, poultry fish or eggs. Furthermore, aside from certain legumes, such as soybeans, vegetable protein is incomplete because it doesn’t contain all the essential amino acids that humans need. As a general category, vegetables are also very low in fats, especially if you re-classify avocados, olives and legumes as fruits. Essential fatty acids are important for forming cell walls and steroidal hormones. A lack of protein and fat not only inhibits growth, but it can lead to tissue deterioration and compromise immunity.

Public Health Nutrition: From Principles to Practice; Mark Lawrence and Tony WorsleyAdvanced Nutrition and Human Metabolism; James L. Groff et al.Article reviewed by Molly Solanki Last updated on: Jul 16, 2012

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