Take the time to look at the nutritional information – marketing has a way of telling you what “healthy” lunches are, but if you are trying to lose weight, your definition of healthy can be very different!

You’ll have to learn to forgo your old favorites of enchiladas, chimichangas, and refried beans.  Americanized Mexican food is prepared with vast amounts of lard and generous portions of cheese.  In fact the dishes we consider Mexican often don’t even exist south of the border.  Authentic Mexican food uses fresh, nutrient packed ingredients and is very different than the supersized American versions high in fat, sodium, and calories.

•    The first thing to do when dining out at a Mexican restaurant is to refuse the free chips and salsa.  Tortilla chips are full of fat and it’s too easy to fill up with these chips while waiting for your entrée.  If you do opt for the chips, only get one basket and share it with your entire table.

•    Avoid anything that is fried.  This includes refried beans.  Ask if you can get whole pinto or black beans, which have not been fried in lard. Look for items that are baked or grilled.  Avoid anything that described as fried, crispy, cheesy, or smothered.

•    Ground beef tends to have lots of fat; opt for chicken instead.

•    Turn down extra toppings such as sour cream and guacamole which are full of fat.  Ask for raw avocado instead of guacamole.  Salsa, which is low in fat and full of vitamins, is a better topping for your meal.  If you really want to fatty toppings, order them on the side and use them sparingly.

•    Order a la cart to skip the sides of refried beans and rice.  The combination platters are great, but the portions are enormous and you don’t need the rice and beans.

•    Choose fresco, if available.  Even fast food chains, like Taco Bell, are offering this option of using tomatoes and lettuce in place of cheese.

Use these tips and you can still enjoy Mexican food.  Try to find authentic Mexican restaurants to get healthier options using fresh produce, fiber-filled tortillas, and beans packed with protein.  True Mexican cooking uses spices such as chilies, cumin, and garlic to enhance their dishes instead of oil, fat, and calories.  You may find you even prefer authentic Mexican cooking over the Americanized versions.

4. Portion size at home. 100 calorie packs and other portion sized foods are a great idea, but they are also more expensive. Pick up some Ziplock baggies and when you get home portion out your own food. It just takes a few minutes and helps reduce your grocery bill.
5. Reduce your waste. We’re all guilty of letting produce go bad. There are two approaches to this one: either buy a mix of fresh and frozen produce (eating the fresh first) or make a mid week trip to the store to replenish your produce. Keep your fresh produce where it’s seen. You’ll be more likely to eat it than if it’s hidden in the drawer in the fridge.

Trying to eat healthy can be very confusing.  For example, just because a product is organic doesn’t necessarily mean it’s healthier than it’s non-organic counterpart. Organic simply means it’s grown or processed without the use of pesticides or hormones.  If a product promotes “good source of whole grains” that doesn’t give you a green light either.  While whole grains are important to your diet, it doesn’t mean the product isn’t loaded with sugar, fat, preservatives.

There are several foods we consider healthy that you need to watch out for.  Here are common misnomers:

1.    Fruit Smoothies. It’s fruit, right?  Well, popular chains that have made these drinks popular tend to use sugary fruit juice and frozen yogurt.  Fruit smoothies can be 600 calories if you’re not careful.  You can make your own at home using fresh or frozen fruit blended with low fat yogurt or skim milk.

2.    Yogurt. Again you are trying to eat healthy, but many yogurts are packed with sugar.  Some yogurts have 6 teaspoons of added sugar per serving.  The better way to enjoy yogurt: start with plain yogurt and add your own fresh fruit.  You can even sweeten it with jam or honey, but then you are in control of the amount of sugar added.

3.    Granola. This is a popular snack with hiker for a reason – it’s very high calories, a bowl of granola can easily weigh in at 600 calories.  Again, this one is also commonly loaded with sugar.  Use granola more as a condiment and look for brands that have 10 grams of sugar or less per serving.

4.    Energy/Snack Bars. You often think of these as healthy alternatives to candy bars, but they often have the same amount of sugar as chocolate bars.  Some of the energy bars are full of artificial sweeteners as well.  Try to find bars that have at least 3 grams of fiber with just a few ingredients.