Food & Beverage Facts and Tips

A lot of Americans consider Mexican food as being one of their favorite cuisines and many Americans consume Mexican food at least once a week. Mexican recipes are well loved throughout the United States but Americanized Mexican recipes and authentic Mexican recipes often differ greatly. Americans are fond of adding extra fat and super-sizing their portions. If you visit Mexico, you might not even find the same dishes because Americans have created their own versions of a lot of them. Traditional Mexican food contains a lot of fresh vegetables, vitamins, spices, and proteins, the portion sizes are smaller, and a lot less fat is added.

Healthy Mexican Food versus Unhealthy Mexican Fast Food

Taco Bell is a popular American food chain, serving quesadillas, tacos, burritos and more. Mexicans do not normally eat large platefuls of tortilla chips or fat laden dishes. The Mexican food sold in the United States is less healthy than the real Mexican recipes, higher in sodium, calories, and fat and lower in vegetable content. Some Mexican dishes served in American restaurants are nothing like the original Mexican recipes they were based on.

Most traditional Mexican dishes have less fat and calories. This does not mean you cannot enjoy the foods served in American restaurants. You can add more healthy foods to the dish. Tomatoes are high in vitamins and have Lycopene, which has cancer-fighting properties.

Mexican Food for a Healthy Heart

Beans are high in protein and fiber and can be added whole to recipes rather than refried because this cuts back on fat. Corn is a common Mexican food addition, which can maintain a healthy heart. It contains fiber and is high in vitamin content. Adding such ingredients as corn, whole beans and tomatoes to your Mexican recipes can promote health and cut back on fat while maintaining a great Mexican flavor in your dishes.

There are health food stores all over the United States where you can get healthy, non-fattening foods but not everyone can afford to pay more for better quality ingredients. In Mexico, healthy food choices are widely available. The Mexican health food market makes over $500 million annually.

The consumers make up 5 percent of Mexico’s population. Their age range is from 20 to 50 years old. They usually live in metropolitan areas and can afford to buy these types of healthier foods. If they cannot afford it, they still are not getting all the fats and calories that we find in American foods, especially fast foods. Authentic Mexican foods still carry many vegetables and ingredients that are good for your body, and the way the food is cooked is healthier.

Mexican Food is Healthy - Food Pyramid

The food pyramid is a drawing used to show the percentages of proteins, fat, carbohydrates and other foods which make up a healthy diet. For example, fried foods and sugars occupy a small space at the top of the food pyramid, since you should eat these infrequently. American has fattened up traditional Mexican recipes so it is a good idea to choose authentic Mexican restaurants or make your own homemade healthy Mexican food.

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