by Pamela Kay

Created on: June 01, 2009   Last Updated: June 15, 2009

True Mexican cuisine isn't unhealthy, however, what restaurants do to Americanize it does make it a very unhealthy food that causes gain weight and fills our blood with life threatening cholesterol. The foods of Mexico are not only healthy, they are delicious and inexpensive. Here are some tips for eating healthy Mexican foods that are nutritious and delicious.

*Eat True Mexican Foods

Most menu items at fast food joints aren't Mexican at all. True Mexican food is all about using fresh or dried vegetables, herbs and peppers. When creating Mexican dishes avoid using canned vegetables and salsa that contain high amounts of sodium. You won't need that extra cheese or richness of fats if you use a combination of herbs and spices such as oregano, cilantro, cloves, cinnamon and cumin

Avoid the menu items at Mexican fast food restaurants that are deep-fried and were created or altered to please the palate of those who grew up with saltier, fat filled foods and with fried meat as the base of each meal. Some that were created in America and are not Mexican are chimichangas, nachos and fajitas.

*Use Refried Beans

Refried beans are cooked pinto beans that are fried until dry. However, you can make delicious and healthy refried beans by adding cooked and mashed pinto beans to a dry iron skillet and stirring constantly over med-high heat until they are dry. You don't need to add any fat and if stirred constantly, they will not stick to the pan.

These are delicious served as a side with fresh, low-sodium salsa spooned on top or they can be cooled and then have the salsa and low-fat cheddar cheese stirred in, to create a delicious dip for baked tortilla chips.

*Use Brown Rice

Rice is a basic part of Mexican cooking and brown rice taste just as good as white with a little of the right seasoning. Add chopped mint and lime juice to the pot when cooking rice to serve with seafood or chicken or cook it in chicken or beef broth and add some jalapenos, oregano and dried tomatoes as it cooks.

*Use Whole Wheat Tortillas For Burritos And Chips

A truly healthy choice is a whole-wheat tortilla instead of a white flour tortilla. Use, fried ground turkey, tasty refried beans, spicy fresh salsa, crunchy lettuce and some low-fat cheese and sour cream for a real mouth watering burrito. They can also be fried or baked into tasty, crunchy chips for your favorite dips.

*Tacos And Quesadillas

Tacos and quesadillas are favorites and you can lighten the fat and calorie load by using

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