Diet And Fitness News You Need To Know

So there is a list of the Top 10 Most-Hated Foods in the US.  Of course there is.  Kitchen Daily did the dirty work.   Guess what's #1?  Brussel sprouts.  Try them roasted with balsamic vinegar.  You'll never look at them with disdain again.

Image via ThorPorre

As for the others hated food items:

• Garlic - LOVE the flavor.  The breath we're left with?  Not so much. 
• Cheese Fondue - not sure I've ever had it! 
• Tofu - again....huge fan.
• Celery - I love this veggie in all forms: raw, juices, with peanut butter on it. 
• Oysters - one of life's delicacies. 
• Mayonnaise - I hate it. 
• Mushrooms - one of my favorite things to eat. Grilled portobellos? Oh my. 
• Licorice - yep.  Gross
• Cilantro - I don't get the hatred for this fine herb.

Here's what else caught my eye in the diet and fitness world this week: 
Have you taken a break from exercise and are looking to get back into it?  If so, go slowly.  You can't expect to pick right back up where you left off.  Learn how to tackle exercise after a workout hiatus.

Change your attitude about exercise, change your weight.  Thinking of exercise as "playtime" can be an effective in helping you lose weight.  If you think of it as fun rather than a workout, you might be less likely to compensate your calorie expenditure with extra food.  Confused?  Read this. 

Are you vegan?  Gluten-free?  Not down with dairy?  Keeping kosher all the time?  Here's how to maintain your diet without coming off like a jerk.

How about 10 vices that are good for you?  Chocolate, booze and coffee....I'll take it.

10 Supposedly Healthy Foods That Can Sabotage Your Diet

Did you have a juice-packed smoothie for breakfast, followed by a cheese and crouton-laden salad, a granola bar for a snack and a plate full of sushi with rice for dinner?  Pretty healthy, right?  Not so fast. 

If you're not careful, some so-called healthy foods can do serious diet damage.  Fox News features "10 That Can Destroy Your Diet".

They're gluten-free but still a treat, not a diet staple.

1. Gluten-free foods - to eliminate gluten, food manufacturers add fat, sugar and starch.  This "free" food isn't so calorie-free.
2. Coconut oil  - while it's having an oil-pulling moment, coconut oil is still a fat.  Don't go overboard with it. 
3. Yogurt - I think yogurt is overrated, especially those sugary yogurts packed with high fructose corn syrup and syrupy fruit.  Get some Greek plain yogurt and add your own fruit. 
4. Sushi - I LOVE sushi but that rice is a diet saboteur.  Ask for light rice with your sushi or simply eliminate most of it.  You won't miss it.  Your plate will be a mess, but you'll save calories. 
5. Smoothies - if you pack your smoothies with juice and "boosts" it can be a calorie bomb.  Make a green smoothie with low-calorie almond milk.  You'll love it.  Here are some other recipes. 
6. Dried Fruit - sure it's fruit but it's a calorie-dense, sugar-packed snack.  Tread lightly with this diet disaster.
7. Salad - are you getting fat eating salads?  If you're topping your salad with cheese, nuts, croutons, fried won tons, dried fruit and creamy dressing, you're not doing yourself any favors.  Use simple balsamic vinegar on your salad in place of dressing.  Learn more about slender salads here. 
8. Wraps - I love wrap sandwiches but those wraps are essentially big tortillas with lots of calories.  Try La Tortilla Factory Low Carb Tortillas.  They'll save you a few calories.  
9. Granola - while granola is made of healthy ingredients, the calories in those ingredients add up: nuts, seeds, oats, dried fruit.  These are all calorie-dense foods.  A serving is usually a 1/4 cup.  How many of us really eat 1/4 cup?  I eat handfuls.  That's like 600 calories. 
10. Corn - corn on the cob is a summer staple but it's a starchy carb.  Enjoy one ear of corn with no butter.  Add other fresh veggies like cucumber and jicama with maybe some hummus and salsa to your summer BBQ.  You'll love it, promise.

Diet And Fitness News You Need To Know

"Fountain of Youth" photoprint by Charles Gilhousen 

Exercise is the fountain of youth.  There's science to back it up.

Image via Instagram.com/MarioTestino

The Met Gala may have come and gone but Vogue offers timeless advice for getting in shape for a formal gala.  Seriously.

More proof why the Mediterranean Diet is rock star.  

5 things to cut out of your diet today: artificial sweetener, instant rice, canned meat refined, white flour foods and dangerous vitamin supplements.  I gave up fake sweetener about four years ago and haven't looked back.  Game changer.

How about the Korean Diet?  Soy Bean Paste, anyone?

And finally, this might frustrate you: when natural foods aren't....natural.  Really?  Really.

How To Have A Healthy Cinco de Mayo

Tex-Mex doesn't have to be a fat-laden cholesterol bomb. In fact, I contend we have gotten out of control as to what counts as a quality Tex-Mex meal with too many chips to start and pounds of crappy cheese to glop on top of them.

At heart, Tex-Mex and Mexican food features beautiful produce, whole grains, healthy fats (hola, guacamole!) quality meats and a hint of cheese. Look at the lunch I had at Rosario's in San Antonio. It's has a rainbow of vegetables. Sure it's got a cheese-filled pepper but I didn't even touch that after filling up on the veggies. 

Restaurant diet tip: If you're eating Tex-Mex in a restaurant, ask for fresh corn tortillas with your salsa and guacamole. Tear your tortilla into four triangles and use that for your chips and salsa appetizer. You will eat slower and consume fewer empty calories. (Tweet this)

Healthy Tex-Mex At Home

You can make delicious and creative Tex-Mex dishes at home.  In honor of Cinco de Mayo, here are five outstanding Tex-Mex recipes, featuring simple ingredients, that will have you forgoing greasier offerings in no time:

• Chicken Enchilada Casserole - I have made this and received RAVE reviews from the family.
• Chicken with Avocado, Tomato and Cucumber Salsa - a wonderfully fresh option for summer.
• Double Bean Burritos - substitute a whole grain or spinach tortilla for flour tortilla.
• Chicken Chilaquiles - haven't tried this but it looks delicious!
• Veggie Tostadas - a gorgeous veggie-filled dish that will leave you satisfied and guilt-free.

ICYMI
It wouldn't be Cinco de Mayo without margaritas.  Here are 7 delicious margarita recipes that will satisfy any tequila craving.

I love this Nacho Casserole recipe from Mind Over Munch!

Get My Favorite Diet Tips
Eating corn tortillas in a Mexican restaurants is one of my favorite diet tips that helped me lose more than 50 pounds and keep them off for more than a decade. Get my free ebook, "The 10 Easiest Diet Tips: Simples Strategies To Help You Lose Weight & Maintain Your Weight Loss For Good". It's yours when you sign up for my weekly newsletter, The Real Skinny. Once a week (usually on a Wednesday) you will receive diet and fitness news (like this) aimed at helping you make fat your bitch. For good.

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Mother's Day Gift Ideas for Fitness Junkies

If your favorite mom loves to workout, she will loves any of these gifts.

Balance Ball Chair Kit

Understandably, giving a workout-related gift can be delicate.  Some women would think that means "Does you think I'm fat and need to exercise?".  Not at all.  These are gifts that say "I love the way you look...keep killin' it."

I own a number of these goodies (the stability ball chair, weighted hoop, and foam roller just to name a few). The ones I don't own, I'd love to have.

Scroll Thru for Mother's Day Gift Ideas for Fitness Junkies

Massages are also an outstanding idea.  You can never go wrong with a gift certificate to a nice spa.

Additional Mother's Day Gift Guides 

• Does your favorite mom love to travel?  Check out my gift guide for the jetsetting mom. 
• Is she a handbag lover?  Consider splurging on a purse for her. 
• Know a mom who is obsessed with beauty & skincare products?  Read this guide for the mom who loves beauty products. 

The Monday Morning Detox Edition of Motivation Monday

I hope you had an amazing weekend.  Mine was educational, fun and enlightening, courtesy of Reward Style's 2014 Conference.  What a great time mingling with a slew of smart girls (and a handful of brilliant guys) who are revolutionizing the way we consume and monetize new media.

I met women and men from around the world and learned about some fabulous new lines like UK-based River Island and that gorgeous bag (only $150! buy it here) in the photo above.  The online publishers ranged in age from 19-44 who are all dreaming, hustling and owning new media.  It's inspiring and exciting to be a part of something that's representing a fundamental shift in the way consumers digest information and shop online. 

Most people come away from conferences or rallies inspired to change.  That momentum usually wears off in a week or so.  But there are common characteristics among successful people who don't let that momentum stop: hustle, perseverance and genuine curiosity to keep improving.

That's the theme of today's Motivation Monday:  Hustle.  We can all dream.  Grand dreams are what make life fun.  But those dreams are rarely achieved without hustling your ass off to succeed.  The accomplishment and pride that come from that hustle make life worth living.

The Downside?
Mama did some drinking and eating.  I was on a good path lately but, as the nature of conferences, my diet was not what I would endorse: too many processed carbs aka white food, too much sodium and maybe one too many glasses of Ruinart Saturday night which led to a grease-filled Sunday at Village Burger Bar and Fernando's.

Monday's Detox Routine
Produce.  Lots of it.

Breakfast: tons of water and a green juice with kale, celery, cucumber and apple.

Lunch: a produce-laden salad featuring spinach, broccoli, red peppers, some beans with some blueberries and strawberries.

Dinner: my Kale, Lentil, Sweet Potato soup.  I make a big batch and freeze it in individual containers making it a perfect option to pop into the microwave on nights like this when I am pressed for time.  I am going to the Mavs/Spurs game Monday night so I will eat this right before I leave for the AAC.

Kale, Lentil & Sweet Potato Soup - even my daughter loves it! 

Broth-based soups, full of vegetables are a great way to end the day on a lower-calorie note.

Here are three more detox soup recipes that help you do just that.

Have a Great Week!
I hope you a wonderful week, eat well, exercise, hustle your ass off and are proud of yourself on Friday night.

For healthy & delicious recipes, fashionable posts and more, follow me on Pinterest.

A Closer Look at The Parisian Diet

Eat sumptuous food and lose weight? On The Parisian Diet you can do it.

La Duree

Parisian Diet mastermind Dr. Jean Michel-Cohen is a popular French nutrition expert. He released a cookbook Light French Recipes: A Parisian Diet Cookbook here in May.  There are three phases to the diet:

• The Cafe Phase - a kickstart, lasting 8-10 days which includes plenty of liquids
• The Bistro Phase - a 2-3 week period in which you consume fiber and protein-rich meals
• The Gourmet Phase - the longterm phase you maintain until you reach your ideal weight. 

The main tenets of his diet are simple:

• Quality, not quantity - meaning smaller portions of food.  No supersizing.
• Savor your food and avoid mindless eating.  A meal is a ritual in which to celebrate, not chow down at your desk.  I have a bad habit of doing this. 
• Don't deprive - skip a salad if you don't love it!  Instead eat a smaller portion of something you love rather than a large salad you'll hate consuming. 

It's somewhat along the lines of Mireille Guiliano's French Women Don't Get Fat.

I tend to lose weight when I visit France (and any other foreign country, for that matter).  But what's interesting when I visit France is that I indulge.  Granted, we usually walk about five or more miles a day but there isn't one bit of restraint.  We eat cheese, drink wine, eat desserts, macarons and sumptuous, multi-course meals.   Here's the thing: the portions are small and the ingredients are fresh.

Here is a typical Parisian vacation diet, in pictures.

Breakfast

I visited Eric Kayser every morning to pick up pastries. 

This was my daily breakfast which is a departure from my normal routine of a green smoothie, oatmeal or toast and peanut butter.  We would get four pastries: one for me, my husband, my daughter and one to share.  Notice how these aren't huge.

Lunch

Lunch at Ma Cocotte

This was a normal lunch.  We would usually also have salad and dessert....and a few more glasses of wine.

Dinner
The final meal of the day was either one of two things: a blowout dinner or not much at all.

Dinner at Maxim's

Dessert at Maxim's

Treating my daughter like a queen! 

We celebrated my birthday in 2013 at Maxim's at around 10pm one evening.  Sure it's touristy but it was a wonderful experience.

Crepes, cheese, champagne and fruit for dinner

On other nights, after having a large lunch we would eat a smaller dinner featuring what you see above.  The thing about dinners in Paris is that there is no late night snacking, something I struggle with at home.  Once the kitchen is closed, it's closed.  No more food after dinner.

The ubiquitous bottle of wine

We had wine at almost every meal.  Generally a bottle split between the two of us.

Oreos! Mon dieu!

Don't think the French are perfect.  Look what I found at the grocery store...processed food!

The Takeaway 
The Parisian Diet isn't a new concept.  It's one that most nutrition experts advocate: eat real food, smaller portions of it, be mindful when you eat and enjoy your food.

Whether in Paris or not, that's something most of us can do every day.

What foreign eating principles do you like? I love the Mediterranean approach to eating. Please share your favorite foreign diet concept in the comments section.

Buy the Books Mentioned in this Post:

Healthy Tex-Mex: Chicken Margarita Tacos

Inspired by the delicious meal I had at Rosario's in San Antonio on Friday, I'm in a Tex-Mex mood.  As many trips as I have made to San Antonio, I can't believe I just discovered this local gem in the King William Historic district.

Friday's lunch was full of chayote squash, sweet potatoes, cauliflower, peppers and more.  Amazing.

Tex-Mex doesn't have to be loaded full of fat, cheese and grease to be delicious.  Look at this wonderful Tex-Mex recipe I found from the Well Fed Newlyweds blog: Chicken Margarita Tacos.

I am not a huge Panko bread crumbs fan.  I would stick with simply grilled chicken.  Either way, it's fantastic.

Image via thewellfednewlyweds.blogspot.com

For the Tacos:

1/3 cup olive oil

1/3 cup tequila

1/4 cup fresh lime juice

Zest of 2 limes

1 tsp. ground coriander

Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, thinly sliced

3 cups panko bread crumbs

1/4 cup flour (I used whole wheat)

Zest of 3 limes

1 tsp. ground coriander

Corn tortillas, warmed

Fresh cilantro, chopped

For the Salsa:

1 avocado, diced

1 medium tomato, diced

6 to 8 large strawberries, chopped

1/4 red onion, finely chopped

Juice of half a lime

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:

In a large bowl or baking dish, whisk together the olive oil, tequila, lime juice, zest of 2 limes, 1 tsp. coriander, salt, and pepper.

Are Some of Us Born to Loathe Exercise?

Forget love.  Do you have a hate relationship with exercise?  It might not be your fault.

Running the Jerusalem Half-Marathon in 2009

Apparently some of us are simply hardwired to loathe exercise.   Researchers at the University of Missouri bred pairs of rats that voluntarily spent a lot of time running on wheels in their cages and compared their baby rats with the offspring of rats that didn't seem to enjoy running.

The rats of "active parents" were likelier to exercise.  When scientists examined their brains, they found that the running rats' Nucleus Accumbens lit up while exercising.  WTH are Nucleus Accumbens?  Well, it's part of the brain that is associated with pleasure and enjoyment.

All of this is published in the Journal of Physiology and is better explained in Parade.

So are are you destined to hate exercise?  Not so much.  The lead researcher in the study, Missouri biomedical professor Frank Booth, Ph.D., indicated that no matter what deck of gene cards you're handed "people can decide to exercise".

Taking a barre class at exhale spa

C'est Vrai.  I personally believe I am one of the folks hardwired to love exercise.  As far back as I can remember, I loved running, riding bikes and horses.  That has translated into a lifestyle as an adult that enjoys participating in these activities as well as working out at the gym, taking classes and more.

Hardwired to exercise or not, it's one of the few things you can do that can instantly lift your mood.  Don't believe me?  Go for a walk for thirty minutes.  I dare you to tell me you don't feel better.

As I have gotten older, exercise isn't so much about looking better.  It's about feeling better.  This approach to exercise can work for you, too.  It's the one thing you can do to set the tone for the day and improve your outlook automatically.

More Good News on Green Tea

The good news on green tea just keeps coming.

Assam green tea/Image via Wikimedia

Drinking it on the job can help you stay sharper.  A recent study showed that green tea improves your working memory.  When you pair this news with green tea's anti-wrinkle and anti-inflammatory properties, it's a home run.

A small study recently done by biomedical researchers at the University of Basel found that participants performed a working memory task in which they had to watch letters flash on a screen and press a button if the letter was the same one that appeared on one or two trials prior to it.

Those who took a shot with 27.5 grams of green tea extract did better than the control group who didn't take the green tea shot.  Learn more about the study here.

I drink green tea iced or hot.  There are so many wonderful varieties of it.

Kusmi BB Detox Green Tea

I love Kusmi Teas and adore their BB Detox Green Grapefruit Tea.  I found them in Paris and order them online.

I also like Premium Stash's Ginger Peach Green Tea over ice.

Browse More Delicious Green Tea Selections Here: 

Is Your Afternoon Snack Making You Fat?

Do you have that love/hate relationship with the vending machine?  I do.  I'll be starving at 3 or 4 and, if I don't prepare for a snack attack, will let the vending machine win.  Whether it be a bag of M&M's bar (I could a party size one, btw) or bag of chips, vending machines usually offer crap.

A recent British study (granted, done by a berry company), noted that 4:12pm is the time of day most Brits are likely to wreck their diets.  This isn't much of a shock at all.  If you eat a 250 calorie sugar-filled candy bar or 300 calorie bag of chips and throw on a 150 calorie soda with that, you're doing some diet damage

So you how do you fight back?  Preparation is key!

Bring snacks to work.  Think of it as your Desk Diet.  Here are some snacks, which hold up to sitting unrefrigerated on your desk or in a cooler in your car, that won't sabotage your diet:

• Apple and string cheese - one of my favorite snacks
• Five dried apricots and a quarter cup of raw almonds
• A slice of whole wheat bread or pita with natural peanut butter and raisins
• A serving size of all-natural crackers with a piece of string cheese 

I like bars.  They're easy and portable.  You can buy an entire box of bars and stash them in your desk.  It's an easy "set it and forget" way to fight the vending machine.

Here is a selection of some of my favorites that are all under 250 calories: 

Also drink a lot of water or herbal tea throughout the day (I LOVE Kusmi Tea).  Staying hydrating really does help you ward off hunger.

Craving Chocolate? Try These Healthy, Easy Recipes

My daughter's new favorite catchphrase is "I Want Chocolate".

She can see a chocolate bar or Hershey's Kiss a mile away....and will walk the mile to eat it.

I'm a realist: she's not going to go through life avoiding Reese's Peanut Butter cups or Cadbury Hardshell eggs (both of which are my faves, btw).  Eating them on occasion is fine.

I wanted a healthier alternative for more frequent consumption and found two recipes that are home runs.

Copycat Reese's Peanut Butter Cups
You have to try Chocolate Covered-Katie's Reese's Peanut Butter Eggs recipe.  Oh. My. God. Ridiculously good. The recipe calls for any nut butter.  I had Jiff All-Natural Peanut Butter on hand.  I'm looking forward to experimenting with other brands and types of nut butters.

Peanut Butter & Powdered Sugar

Blended Peanut Butter & Powdered Sugar

Peanut Butter Balls, which must be frozen for about an hour before dipping in chocolate

The finished product!

They were fabulous.  Granted, they're not the most visually appealing but they ROCKED.  The recipe suggests making the chocolate coating with coconut oil, which gives it a slightly coconut hint.  I used Nutiva 100% coconut oil.

Raw Brownies 
Deliciously Ella has a deliciously easy raw brownie recipe.  It's the easiest thing I've made in a while.  I used agave nectar instead of maple syrup and added chia seeds to the recipe and will experiment with adding cinnamon for a more of a Mexican Chocolate flavor.

Blend in a food processor

Into the fridge to chill for about an hour

The finished product! 

The Verdict

My daughter love them!

The Takeaway
Both of the recipes were insanely good and easy to make.  The raw brownies took all of about 10 minutes to prepare.  I was surprised both recipes called for cocoa powder instead of chocolate bars that can be melted.

More importantly, they're a healthier alternative to store-bought, preservative filled chocolate treats.

Get the Ingredients 

Healthy Tex-Mex at Home

I'm on a mission to change the way we approach eating Tex-Mex food.  Sure, you can still enjoy quesadillas, nachos and chimichangas.  Occasionally.  If Tex-Mex is a staple of your diet, think 3-4 times per week, make it your goal to eat the healthier options that are available.

Don't believe that's possible?  You're wrong.  Try an all-natural margarita.  You won't go back to the fake, corn syrup-laden nuclear green garbage or skinny slop.

Eating out?  Enjoy these delicious appetizers.  What about your entree?  Here are multitude of options to satisfy your craving.

Don't want to deal with the hassle of going out?  Try some of these great at-home recipes.


Prepare Your Pico

Image via Hajor

Have a bowl pico de gallo on hand.  It's easy to make and a wonderful accompaniment to any Tex-Mex dish or as a topping for your salad.  The simpler the recipe the better.  This one is great.

Nacho Casserole

Recently I made a wonderful Nacho Casserole from Mind Over Munch.  I swapped lean ground turkey for the ground beef and baked blue corn tortillas for original.  It was awesome, impressing my hard-to-impress Tex-Mexpert of a brother.

Nachos
You can make a simple nacho recipe with baked chips, low-fat Mexican blend cheese, beans and jalapenos.  Add sliced grilled chicken.  Top with nonfat Greek yogurt and serve with salsa and guacamole or sliced avocado.

Enjoy Enchiladas
Craving enchiladas?  Cooking Light has a FABULOUS Cheesy Enchilada recipe.  I even blogged about how wonderful it was.

Image via CookingLight.com

Alas, I have lost my photos from the experiment.

A Healthier Quesadilla
I love quesadillas but not the calories and fat that accompany them.  You can make a wonderful version that is figure friendly.

La Tortilla Factory Low Carb Whole Wheat Tortilla

Try La Tortilla Factory Low Carb Whole Wheat Tortilla with either some low-fat Mexican blend cheese or shredded string cheese.  Add whatever veggies you like: broccoli, peppers, mushrooms, you get the idea.  Nuke it in the microwave for a minute.  Once it's done throw some spinach, avocado and salsa or pico de gallo on there.  Maybe some jalapenos.  It's better than you think.  Promise.

The Takeaway
From portion size to the stupidity of the menu items (bacon guacamole?) I am still trying to figure out how Tex-Mex got so out of control.  At it's core, Mexican food is comprised of wonderful produce and lean proteins.  Sure there are some starchy carbs in the form of corn tortillas and rice but think of those as complements to your meal, not the bulk of it.  Enjoy the cheese, too, but take the same approach with it as you do the starches: have it complement the the meal, not dominate it.

Once in a while blow it out.  Have those cheese enchiladas smothered in sauce, Bob Armstrong Dip or chile rellenos.  Enjoying those are a part of the Tex-Mex experience.  Don't make it a daily thing.

Healthy Options in Tex-Mex Restaurants: Entree Edition

Could you eat a jumbo chicken burrito slathered in queso every day?  How about cheese and spinach enchiladas with ranchero sauce?  Me?  Yes and yes.

But we know that eating that way on a consistent basis is not the foundation of a quality diet.  Given that we eat Tex-Mex so much in Texas, it is worth finding qualities staples at our favorite restaurants that keep our diets on track and don't have us eating 1000-calorie meals.

Image via FernandoMexicanCuisine.com

Monday we focused on margaritas.  Tuesday we tackled starters.  Now let's enjoy our entrees. You can eat relatively healthy entrees in Tex-Mex restaurants.  Order fajitas with light cheese and no sour cream or salads without cheese and fried tortilla strips are always a good choice.  Grilled fish tacos are also a nice option.

Always consider splitting an entree.  When you order a guacamole or other healthy appetizer, you have already enjoyed a fair amount of food.  The Tex-Mex portions are typically huge and big enough to share.

Let's dive a bit further with specific menu items at area restaurants:

Image via www.UncleJulios.com

Uncle Julio's 

• Ensalada Grande - delicious with the grilled portobello mushroom and salsa for dressing. 
• Soft Taco Plate - get black beans instead of refried.
• Vegetable Fajitas - ask for no butter.
• Mesquite Grilled Salmon 

Mi Cocina 

• Rico Salad - comes with fajita chicken or steak.  Try the spicy blue cheese dressing on the side or just enjoy salsa with your salad.  
• Tacos al Carbon - typically a good choice at any restaurant.
• Pauley's - sub the beef with chicken and borracho beans in place of refried beans.  
• Tilapia Vera Cruz or Salmon a la Parilla - both quality seafood dishes.
• Quinceañera Salad 

Fernando's 

• Tacos de Pescado - nix the cheese. 
• Pechugo de Pollo - again, nix the cheese, enjoy it with their delicious green salsa.
• Ensalada de Espinaca - enjoy with chicken or shrimp. 
• Jorge - get it with chicken and corn tortillas.
• Carne Asada - nix the sour cream.

Mattito's  - they make it easy with a ❤ next to their "healthier" items.

• Lite Fajitas - these are served with broccoli and cauliflower.  Delicious!
• De Marisco Salad - shrimp, salmon or scallops over a bed of greens.
• Pollo con Salsa Maiz - chicken with a tasty black bean sauce and a healthy serving of veggies.
• Enchiladas de Hongos - sauteed mushroom enchiladas served with a spicy Cascabel sauce, black beans and corn pepper salad.

Rafa's

• Veggie Enchilada Plate - order it with black beans and veggies, top with green tomatillo sauce.
• Pechuga Parilla - nix the cheese and substitute the refried beans for black or whole beans. 
• Veggie-Jitas - ask for black or whole beans instead of refried beans.
• Steve's Steak Tacos 
• Snapper a la Feliz

Blue Goose - I might have tried my very first margarita here...when I was 15....might.

• Chipotle Chicken - order with charra beans instead of refried. 
• Chicken Toluca Salad - nix the jack cheese and bacon. 
• Verde Enchiladas - this is big enough to split.

The Takeaway
Again, go ahead and enjoy quesadillas and nachos, once in a while.  If dining out in Tex-Mex restaurants is something you do a few times a week, make these healthier choices.  Your waistline will thank you.