Burritos are one of America’s favorite foods and are part of our Mexican-American heritage. So popular, we spend $39 billion a year at 54,000 Mexican restaurants (2). The style of food is served in multiple venues like fast-food or gourmet. One can order a burrito with almost anything on it, making it versatile for different palates. Buyers beware as most restaurants serve their tasty burritos loaded with calories and saturated fat.
The typical burrito contains rice, beans, meat and sour cream that calculates to over 1,000 calories and 14-18 grams of saturated fat(2). A vegetarian one I tried a few months ago had over 1200 calories. With such high calorie and saturated fat count, fitness minded people should concern themselves with the type and kind of burrito they are ordering.
Last weekend I went out to eat with family and friends to a local Mexican establishment known for its vegan and vegetarian options. My eating habits are not vegetarian or vegan by nature, but I do believe in limiting meat consumption while increasing vegetable and fruit intake. Burritos can be tough in finding the right balance.
As everyone ordered their choice of a burrito at Rancho Cocinas in North Park, I went with a healthy burrito selection. It was made of black bean, vegetarian, little cheese, and lettuce wrapped in a whole wheat tortilla. The massive burrito was less than 600 calories. That is up to half the calories of the large standard burrito.
I have always had this impression that great taste and health food simply don’t go well together. In this case, I was wrong. After sharing pieces of our burritos, it was unanimous at our table that the healthy wrap burrito was the best tasting. This shows it is possible to eat out while still maintaining your fitness goals. Simply choosing the best alternative can make a large difference between in meeting your goals or falling back into bad habits.
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Showing posts with label Mexican food. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mexican food. Show all posts
Monday, June 22, 2015
Tuesday, April 8, 2014
Seeking the 99 Cent Fish Taco at El Zarapes
El Zarape provides a “quick bit” Mexican experience
in the University Heights district. People line out the door to grab one of
their Mexican specialties and make their way down the street to other
activities. As a street side establishment you can order and eat in only a few
minutes. Convenience, price and location appear to be the biggest attractions.
For 99 cents you can get a fish taco on a corn
tortilla. The restaurant offers an option of either corn or flour. The corn
tortilla has 70 vs. 150 calories, and 1 gram fat vs. 3.5 grams (1).
Other than protein, the corn tortilla is
a healthy choice when compared to the flour option.
The other option is to skip the deep fried fish taco
and go for a grilled fish burrito priced at $4.75. Options include shrimp,
scallops, salmon, and lobster. Each provides an alternative for better eating. The
taste, price and palate fits well with the working population and college
students demographics of the area.
The restaurant is simple in design, offers fountain
drinks, quick and convenient. It looks busy and appears to draw a large crowd
of local people. You may sit inside or on the patio and watch the street traffic.
The night life crowd likes the convenience of a quick bit to eat before moving
down the street.
4642
Park Blvd,
San
Diego,
CA
92116
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