1. Swap in Reduced-Fat Ingredients

Updated December 06, 2014.

No need to skip the sour cream and cheese... (What kind of fiesta is that?!) To keep the flavor without excess fat, stock up on reduced-fat ingredients. A 2-tablespoon serving of regular sour cream has around 60 calories and 5 grams of fat; the same amount of the light kind has about 40 calories and half the fat. A 1/4-cup serving of regular shredded Mexican-blend cheese weighs in with around 110 calories and 9 grams of fat; 1/4 cup of the reduced-fat variety has about 80 calories and only 5.5g fat.

(And a small amount goes a long way!)

HG Tip: Measure everything... especially calorie-dense foods. Keep a small scale next to the toppings, and you’ll be able to quickly gauge how much you’re adding to your dish.

Portion-Control Tips for Healthy Eating

2. High-Fiber Tortillas and DIY Chips

Updated December 06, 2014.

If you’re going with soft tacos or quesadillas, choose flour tortillas with the highest fiber counts you can find. My top picks are made by La Tortilla Factory. Corn tortillas are also great for making taquitos, soft tacos... even chips! Keep reading for a super-simple recipe.

DIY Tortilla Chips: Instead of buying bags of greasy chips, make low-fat baked chips yourself! Here's how... Cut two 6-inch corn tortillas into a total of 12 triangles.

Spray a baking sheet with nonstick spray, and evenly spread out the triangles. Spray triangles with nonstick spray, and sprinkle with 1/8 tsp. salt. Bake at 400 degrees until crispy, about 8 minutes, flipping halfway through. (120 calories, 3g fat)

3. Lower-Sodium Salsa and DIY Guacamole

Updated December 06, 2014.

Pretty much all Mexican food tastes fantastic topped with salsa, but the sodium can really add up. Look for pico de gallo or salsa options that have 90mg of sodium or less per 2-tbsp. serving. Strict sodium counter? Just chop up some tomatoes, onions, and cilantro for salt-free salsa!

DIY Guac Dip: Here’s an easy way to get a slimmed-down guac fix. Combine 1/4 cup fat-free plain Greek yogurt with 2 oz.

(about 1/4 cup) mashed avocado. Mix until smooth and uniform. Season with 1/8 tsp. each salt, garlic powder, and chili powder. (1/2 of recipe: 63 calories, 4g fat)

Updated December 06, 2014.

Whether you go for ground beef or ground turkey, you can use this tip: Add 4 cups finely chopped portabella mushrooms to each pound of ground meat before cooking. This is the easiest way to get a huge serving of taco filling without all the guilt. Go with extra-lean ground beef (4% fat or less) or lean ground turkey (7% fat or less).

How to Bulk Up Your Portion Sizes with Veggies

Updated December 06, 2014.

You can use a lot of these tips to make an amazing taco salad... but don't ruin it by tossing that good stuff inside a massive and fatty fried shell! Instead, top off your salad with crushed baked tortilla chips.

Turkey Taco Salad: Place 4 cups shredded lettuce in a large bowl. Cook up 4 oz. extra-lean ground turkey with some veggies and taco seasoning. Top your lettuce with the taco meat, plus 1/4 cup canned black beans (drained and rinsed), 2 tbsp.

sweet corn kernels, 2 tbsp. salsa, 3 baked tortilla chips (lightly crushed), and 1 tbsp. light sour cream. No dressing needed. Yum! (354 calories, 10.5g fat)

 

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