by Susan Klatz Beal

Created on: May 29, 2009   Last Updated: June 06, 2009

The first thing anyone thinks of when they hear mention of Mexican food is no doubt, chips and salsa. Mexican restaurants all over the United States serve up warm, corn tortilla chips and salsa. Corn tortillas aren't so unhealthy on their own, but the chips are deep fat fried. Salsa would be perfectly okay if it wasn't loaded with sodium. Herbs, spices, onions, shallots and garlic can add plenty of flavor, and no one will feel deprived of anything because there is less salt or none at all.

BURRITOS -

Burritos are packed full of meat, beans and rice. A flour tortilla on its own is 200+ calories, and it has very little, if any fiber. The flour is white flour, so it's a simple carbohydrate. One single burrito probably easily contains 1/2 to 3/4 of our daily caloric needs.

ENCHILADAS -

Enchiladas are made in much the same way as burritos. They are loaded with cheese, however, and the enchilada sauce is loaded with sodium. One of these little rolls will probably cost 1/3 to 1/2 our daily caloric needs.

REFRIED BEANS -

It used to be that refried beans were re-fried with lard. That isn't necessary. Onions and garlic can be sauteed in a tablespoon or two of olive oil. The beans can be cooked with some liquid. A potato masher will smash the beans so that they acquire the "refried" consistency. The flavor of home made refried beans with little or no salt will be far superior to what you are used to buying in the grocery store.

OTHER FRIED FOODS -

If the mere fact that corn tortillas and other things isn't bad enough, many restaurants, not just Mexican restaurants, use the oil for which they do their deep fat frying over and over again. The more the oil is reheated, the unhealthier it becomes. This is what is regarded in the food industry as "bad" oils. Even otherwise healthy oils can become bad when they are repeatedly reheated.

SIDE DISHES AND GARNISHES -

Many Mexican restaurants routinely offer guacamole, sour cream, salsa or other garnishes or side dishes. Guacamole would be find if it wasn't loaded up with salt, and if one could eat it in moderation. Sour cream isn't so horrible, but when you add it to foods that are already high in fat, calories and other potentially unhealthy ingredients, you are making the meal you are eating even unhealthier.

A meal at a Mexican restaurant can potentially contain a week's worth of sodium and several days worth of calories. That's a pretty horrifying realization.

ALCOHOL-

Many of the alcoholic drinks that people order in

• 1
• 2
• Next Page >>