A guide to ordering well in Mexican restaurants: Healthful dishes to choose (2024)

For those who are trying to eat a bit more nutritiously, it's easy to fall off the wagon at a Mexican restaurant. A chicken burrito can pack in more than 900 calories, 60 grams of carbs and 2,400 mg sodium - and that's before any appetizers, sides or drinks. Round it out with chips, salsa, guacamole and a Margarita, and you can squeeze in another 2,000 calories, 200 grams of carbs and 2,000-plus mg sodium.

Even a seemingly healthful order of grilled chicken fajitas with the standard accompaniments can top 1,500 calories, 150 grams of carbs and 1,600 mg sodium.

Still, this cuisine is centered on nutrient-rich ingredients like black beans, vegetables, lean protein and fresh avocado, so it's easy to make healthful choices at a Mexican restaurant as well.

We've put together a menu guide, the fourth in our NOLA.com series of dining out healthfully with ethnic cuisine (see those below), with tips to help you navigate the menu at Mexican restaurants. We've included our top picks, worst bets, key words to indicate healthier options on menus, and strategic swap-outs if you're watching calories, carbs and/or sodium.

EAT FIT 101: A guide to ordering in Mexican restaurants

WHAT TO ORDER: Our top three picks for both taste and nutrition include the following.

• Ceviche.

WORST BETS: These five worst bets aren't just a "little bit" of a splurge - these are the over-the-top choices at a Mexican restaurant that can topple the stats, nutritionally speaking. If you're going to include, be sure that it's really, really worth it - or that you're splitting it with a lot of people.

• Nachos

KEY WORDS: When scanning the menu, here are certain items to look for that typically indicate more healthful options.

Black beans, pinto beans and grilled vegetables. Loaded with fiber and nutrients, these are the better bets when it comes to side items, generally a better option than refried beans, and certainly better than white rice. For those watching their sodium intake, opt for grilled vegetables. They are usually made to order, and so can be modified to be lower in salt, unlike other dishes that are prepared in large batches.

Ceviche. The raw seafood cured with citrus juices is rich in protein and low in carbs, and typically one of the lower-calorie appetizers on the menu.

Cucumber "chips." Every ounce of corn chips (about seven chips) has about 140 calories, so to keep things in check nutritionally, ask for cucumber chips - simply raw cucumber slices - to scoop your salsa or guacamole.

Fajitas, deconstructed. Assemble your own. Keep the chicken, shrimp or lean beef with all of the veggies, and, perhaps the beans, depending on how they're prepared. Use guacamole as a 'sauce' instead of sour cream. Limit the tortillas, rice and refried beans to minimize the calorie-dense ingredients that aren't as nutrient-rich.

Fresh fish. Many authentic Mexican restaurants offer this as a clean and simple dish -- just grilled or sauteed with olive oil, garlic, lime and peppers.

Guacamole. It's loaded with good-for-us fats, but an order of guacamole (without chips) can pack in 600-plus calories, so split it with a friend if you're keeping things on the lighter side. And the sodium can easily get as high as 1,200 mg, so for at least tableside guacamole, you can request less or no salt added. And as always, you won't go wrong by requesting vegetables or cucumber "chips" in place of tortilla chips for dipping.

Grilled platter. Keep it lean with seafood, chicken, filet or flank steak, with sides of grilled vegetables and black beans, or double vegetables for even fewer calories.

Pico de gallo and salsa. Rich in antioxidants with a mere 5 calories per spoonful, most varieties of salsa are pretty close to "calorie-free." Sodium can still be an issue, however, with 200-plus mg sodium in every two-tablespoon serving.

Taco salad, deconstructed. The approach is similar to the deconstructed fajitas: Skip the taco shell, go easy on the cheese and sour cream, and you'll wind up with a simple(r) salad with grilled chicken, grilled steak, or shredded pork, hopefully topped with other goodies like sliced avocado and grilled veggies. Opt for pico de gallo or salsa instead of salad dressing, and your "taco salad" can be a very reasonable 300 to 600 calories.

Tacos. Most restaurant-style tacos range from 170 to 250 calories each, with 15 to 30 grams of carbs per taco. They're often served three to an order, so my recommendation for clients is generally to have one taco as-served, and just the inside protein-veggie-herb goodness from the other two tacos. And some restaurants make it easy to skip the tortillas altogether, offering slimmed-down tacos wrapped with lettuce instead.

THIS OR THAT: 3 swaps to make if you're watching your calories, carbs and sodium

Tortillas: Wheat vs. corn

Corn tortillas. If you're given the option of corn or flour tortillas, opt for corn for about one-third the carbs and calories. They're also crazy-low in sodium, with about 10 mg sodium for two corn tortillas, compared to about 600 mg sodium for two flour tortillas. Side note: most "wheat" tortillas at restaurants aren't really 100 percent whole wheat. They're a blend of enriched wheat (white) flour and whole wheat flour.

Burritos: Wraps vs. bowls.

Bowls. Burrito bowls are trendy, and they also make it super easy to pile in loads of veggies and goodness. And since the burrito wrap alone can cram in 300-plus calories, opting for a burrito bowl can be an instant calorie saver. Still, starchy calories can still quickly fill that bowl, so our best bet is to nix the rice (white or brown), and get carbs from fiber-packed beans instead. Pile in as many vegetables as possible, and opt for a lean source of protein -- chicken, shrimp or tofu -- and add a dose of healthful fats with avocado or guacamole.

co*cktails: Margarita vs. mojito

Mojito. Unless you find a place with good no-sugar-added Margaritas (like the Eat Fit Margaritas at Superior Grill), mojitos are your better bet. Regular mojitos are typically made with two teaspoons of sugar, which translates to about 10 grams of sugar, but it's still far better than the 40-plus grams of sugar found in many Margaritas. Even better, ask for mojitos to be made with muddled fruit in place of sugar - or ask if they can use a no-sugar plant-based sweetener like Truvia in place of sugar.

***

Here are Molly Kimball's other dining out guides. Is there another cuisine you'd like for her to tackle? Let her know at eatingright@nola.com.

Chinese restaurants

Vietnamese

Middle Eastern

Japanese

***

Molly Kimball is a registered dietitian in New Orleans. She can be reached ateatingright@nola.com. Comment and read more atNOLA.com/eat-drink.Follow her on Facebook:facebook.com/mollykimballrdand Twitter: twitter.com/mollykimballrd.