Taco Tuesday (or any day!) Macro Style!
Actually everyday I pretty much think about tacos or any type of Mexican food. On our recent trip to Arizona, we found delicious Mexican food everywhere we turned and im pretty sure I could have eaten it for every meal! Okay, maybe except breakfast. It seems like tacos are all the rave these days and the great thing about them is they are filling and can be made in a way that is healthy and not jam-packed with calories! I thought I would give a few different alternative ideas that you can use next time you get invited to taco Tuesday with your friends or want to make some yourself but don’t want to blow your macros. Feel free to comment below with way you love to fit your tacos into your day!
1. Go for the corn tortillas!
If you want your taco in a tortilla, corn is the way to go if you are trying to keep calories low. Your average corn tortilla is smaller and therefore the macros are lower.
Macros for 1 tortilla: 1F-13C-2P
2. Pick Lean Meat
Filling your tacos with meats like chicken or fish will keep calories down. Steak and pork are much higher in fat and will sky rocket calories fast! If you are cooking at home, using those higher fat meats are much easier to measure out, but in a restaurant they will be much harder to guesstimate. When you guess on lean meats, there is much less room for error. If you are cooking at home, you could do half and half to get a mix and still keep calories down! Sub out ground beef for a leaner version or ground turkey or chicken!
Macros:
4 oz chicken: 4F 0C 35P
4 oz Tilapia: 3F 0C 30P
4 oz Sirlion Steak: 16F 0C 31P
4 oz Pork: 16F 0C 31P
4 oz Ground Beef (85/15): 17F 0C 21P
**all of these are general macros, make sure to weigh and measure the specific meat you are using!
3. Watch where your flavor comes from!!
How you season and cook your tacos can make or break your caloric intake. It is easy to double your calories just by how you cook and season them! Tacos can still be just as delicious while choosing low macro options for flavor!
*Cook with minimal to no oils. Measure out your oil you want to cook in, if you need any at all! You can also choose to sautee’ your meat in salsa and that will give you huge flavor without the calories! If you are at a restaurant, request they cook it in no oil, or even in lime juice!
Macros:
1T Olive Oil: 14F
1T Butter: 12F
1T Coconut Oil: 14F
*Low calorie sauce alternatives. All the delicious sauces can add up quick. Here are a few options that will keep your macros happy!
Fresh Salsa 2T : 0F 4C 1P
Light Sour Cream 2T: 2F 3C 2P
Reduced Fat Cheese 28g : 6F 1C 1P
Franks Red Hot Sauce: Macro Free!
Mrs. Dash Fiesta Lime Seasoning: Macro Free!
4. Skip the Tortilla!
*Sautee’ all your taco toppings and pour over a bed of lettuce!
*Roast a bell pepper and fill it up!!
*Wrap up your toppings in a leaf of romaine lettuce!
*Sub out tortilla for Non-fat refried beans or black beans for more protein and more nutrients!
Hopefully this gives you some more ideas on how to enjoy the simplicity and deliciousness of Taco Tuesdays! Post your pictures and recipes and let us know how you enjoy!
