Cinco de Mayo is one of the unofficial starts of summer and one of the most food-focused holidays in the US. Who would want to pass up a day where tacos, guacamole, and margaritas flow like fireworks on the Fourth of July? If you’re a calorie counter, that might be you.
Mexican food is known to be rich and heavy and full of fat and calories. A meal at On The Border could push you past 2300 calories for two margaritas, chips and salsa, the three ground beef enchilada dinner with chile con carne, rice, and refried beans, and a sopapilla to round it all out. You know that’s more than a day’s worth of calories, right? And we won’t remind you how bloated you’ll feel afterward.
We plan on celebrating Cinco de Mayo this year, and want you to do so, too! That’s why we’re sharing a few tips and recipes to do so with much less guilt.
A standard 3.3-ounce margarita is 153 calories… very empty calories. However, if you skip the pre-made sugar-shocked mixers and prepare our fresh 10-Calorie Sour Mix, a shot of tequila will only push you to 106 for this 3.7-ounce drink.
A cup of frozen sangria at Abuelo’s will cost you 509 calories! A cup of ours, made with red wine and Talenti blood orange and raspberry sorbettos, will set you back 222 calories. It’s a major savings that will let you indulge this Sunday.
Roasted Tomatillo and Pineapple Salsa
We can’t start a meal without chips and salsa, but it doesn’t need to be 430 calories like at On The Border. This sweet and smoky homemade salsa is just 24 calories for a half-cup serving. Then add 140 calories for just 15 Garden of Eatin blue corn tortilla chips, or skip the chips and serve this over grilled fish.
Chunky Guacamole with Serrano Peppers
This is a must-have at any Cinco de Mayo celebration. It serves 260 calories in a one-cup serving, you could easily eat a lot less of that if you had salsa, too. Remember, those avocados offer healthy fats that you need (as opposed to the greasy fat in a fried chimicanga). Use guac to replace sour cream or as a satisfying meat replacement.
With cocktails and appetizers already flowing, you’ll want a light Mexican entree to avoid pushing your calories overboard or giving in to yoga pants after dinner. Our BBQ Chicken Tacos are well seasoned, grilled, and enjoyed in a corn tortilla with a homemade avocado coleslaw. Two tacos with slaw is 280 calories!
Entree or appetizer, these little mini meat pies created exclusively for Chobani will be a serious crowd pleaser. These empanadas are just 62 calories each, and two or three make a filling meal with all the other sides.
Loaded Southwestern Chopped Salad
As a main entree or a side dish that would go well with the empanadas, this big loaded salad has all those Southwestern flavors we love. You can’t miss this with roasted corn and bell peppers, creamy black beans, juicy pineapple all topped with a creamy feta cilantro lime dressing. The dressing has less than 30 calories for a serving!
So, let’s say you followed this menu and had one margarita, chips and salsa, guacamole, one taco and one empanada. Tallied up, you’d land at 732 calories. That sounds like something worth celebrating! Make it fresh, make it yourself, and you’ll make a lot of memories in a healthier way!
Also Read:
How to Eat Healthier at Mexican Restaurants