Skinny Tex Mex

As a native Texas gal, some of my earliest food memories involve my mom's chicken tacos, or dinners out at Matt's El Rancho, a famous Tex Mex restaurant in Austin, TX. Needless to say, I have grown up chowing down on Tex Mex cuisine. From chips and queso, to tamales and tacos, I love all things Tex Mex! Unfortunately, as as fitness and nutrition trainer, it is hard for me to justify eating highly caloric and fatty Tex Mex more than the rare "special occasion" celebration. As one of my friend says, Tex Mex is "once on the lips, FOREVER ON THE HIPS" Yikes!!!

Well rejoice DASHERS, because I have done my research, and have actually discovered a way to EAT SKINNY TEX MEX! Not possible, you say? Read below and find out how to save hundreds of calories and your summer bikini bod while still enjoying your favorite Tex Mex meals:

Start your meal off right by switching your normal high in calories and fat "loaded" queso for guacamole or salsa. If you are in the dipping mood, make sure you choose corn chips over tortilla chips. Or even healthier, forgo the high in sodium chips altogether and order a small bowl of tortilla soup (sans cheese on top) for your appetizer. This will help fill you up and keep you away from the bottomless chip basket (and no, you can never just eat one, so don't even tempt yourself by trying!). If I had a dollar every time I heard a training client of mine try to say they ate "just one chip" I would be a millionaire today!

Onward to the entree: If you are fajita girl, you are in LUCK! Fajitas are arguably the most healthy Tex Mex entree because the meat is grilled (and for those of you who read my "Low Cal Fourth" blog post last week you know that grilling foods is the most healthy way to cook food). To cut more calories, choose chicken over beef fajitas or at least go half and half and lose the shredded cheese on top. Always go for corn tortillas instead of flour, and switch your astronomically high in fat re-fried beans for nutritious black beans. Go easy on the side of rice, and add some yummy grilled veggies on top, and you are GOLDEN.

If you don't happen to head straight for the fajitas on the menu, and are more of a taco or enchilada girl, listen up! Again choose chicken tacos over beef, as well as chicken enchiladas over cheese enchiladas. Follow similar strategies for your chicken tacos as the chicken fajitas (corn tortillas, black beans, small portion of rice, add guac or salsa on top instead of shredded cheese or queso, and don't forget the veggies!) As far as enchiladas, always go for green or red salsa sauce on top instead of cheese, and if you are really advantageous, ask for the sauce on the side and put it on yourself (easier to control the amount poured on!)

Other good entree options are chicken verde dishes (grilled chicken with green salsa atop). Ask for the sauce on the side again and either black beans or two sides of veggies instead of the rice and beans. Tamales are also a great choice because they are not stuffed to the brim with cheese and topped with highly caloric sauces like some enchiladas or burritos.

What about a taco or fajita salad, you ask? Honestly, the salads at most Tex Mex restaurants can barely qualify as actual salads. Filled to the brim with iceberg lettuce (with little to no nutritional value) and topped with shredded cheese, bacon, croutons, and fatty ranch dressing, you might as well go for the tacos you actually want! But, if you are dead set on tricking yourself that eating a Tex Mex salad is some how healthier, here is a better way to go about ordering it. Ask if they have any other type of lettuce besides iceberg, such as garden greens or a medley of spinach leaves or romaine lettuce. Definitely nix the bacon, shredded cheese, and croutons, and ask them to throw some yellow and green peppers on top instead. Also ask to add some additional yummy veggies like broccoli, cauliflower, tomatoes, and whatever else their creative kitchen can come up with. Heck, make it a game for the waiter to find the most veggies to put in your salad - who knows what he or she might come back with...and hey, it NEVER hurts to ASK! Waiters will do a lot for a generous tip!!!

As far as skinny drinks at your next Tex Mex meal, try a skinny margarita or order a refreshing mojito, both of which are great skinny cocktail options (and won't ruin your waistline if you happen to have more than one!) Enjoy only beer with your Tex Mex meals? Always order a light beer (Bud select has only 55 calories per bottle - NOW that is impressive!) which means that you could have about 2-3 of them for every other type of drink you order. Other good options: skinny sangria or Mexican martinis (*make sure that they are authentic and "skinny" meaning they cannot be pre-mixed with sugary and highly caloric mixers. For more detailed skinny cocktail or light wine and beer options, check out my previous blog post: Skinny Summer Cocktails.

Well, there you have it! Try these small substitutes, and I am confident that you won't be walking out of your next Tex Mex restaurant feeling like a bloated mess! I'll CHEERS TO THAT!

And for all my Dallas DASHERS...Javiers, HERE WE COME! :)