I'm no nutritionist, but I love looking and feeling healthy, and I'm betting you do too. So I'm going to start a weekly column on how to eat your favorite devilish foods while still looking and feeling like a frickin angel.
Onward ho!
Traditionally, nachos are loaded with things like cheese, sour cream, greasy meat, tomatos, guacamole, lard-filled refried beans, etc. (Don't deny it, you love those taco-truck nachos, but your waistline and your wallet will hate you for it. I promise.)
Almost all of these ingredients are super high fat & calorie, even in moderation. And we all know moderation doesn't exist when it comes to nachos. ;)
So, here's my healthy yet delectable solution for you!
Nachos: Try to find something with better ingredients if you can. I got these last week at Trader Joe's:
They have corn, potatos, and brown rice in them. Cool!
Guacamole: Stick a reasonable amount in a bowl to curb your portion size, and you're set. Yeah yeah, avocados have fat in them - but it's GOOD fat! Really! Plus, it's delicious, and the creaminess is able to replace your cheese and sour cream. Using a little guac is a win-win.
Beans: Try to get a vegetarian or low-fat version of refried beans if that's what you're using, otherwise you might be eating straight up lard (which is fat, if you didn't know! Gross!) This way it's much healthier, and you get all the nutrition from beans such as fiber! Black beans can be an even better option.
Salsa: Load up that salsa, baby! I've got La Victoria in my fridge right now and it's only 10 calories per serving (2 tbsp), no fat, and no high fructose corn syrup. Woo!
Meat: If you can't have your nachos without meat, try to go for something more lean such as ground turkey instead of ground beef, or grilled chicken. It's a great source of protein and is delicious if you feel like taking the time to cook it.
Sour Cream: You don't need it! Really! It's high-cal, high-fat, and the creaminess of the guacamole makes it unnecessary. If you MUST have something like it, I've heard that low-fat plain yogurt does the trick. I try not to eat dairy so I can't really vouch for that, but let me know if you've tried it!
Cheese: Another thing you don't need, but you can always make it healthier by going with a lower fat option such as 2% instead of whole. I've tried nonfat cheese before, and didn't really like it as it doesn't melt. It's up to you - I go sans cheese but if I had to have it, I'd definitely do the 2%.
Veggies: Yes yes yes! I suggest you add these without restraint. Shredded cabbage, lettuce, tomatos, olives, onions, whatever floats your boat! Load as much of this good stuff as you want right on top and dig in. You could even make more of a salad with a few nachos thrown in to get even healthier.
Do you have any other ideas or suggestions that I haven't covered? Let me know! I'm always looking for healthier ways to indulge in my nacho addiction!!
XO
Hannah
I don't eat much dairy either, but I have found that the perfect sub for sour cream is Greek yogurt. The texture and thickness is like exactly the same (I think regular yogurt can be kinda runny), plus Greek yogurt has more protein than the plain nonfat stuff. Good suggestions! My major is dietetics and as a future dietitian I approve of all your tips, haha :)
ReplyDeleteI'm exactly like you haha, bad food just tastes SOOO good! I do all ready eat quite a lot of veg but it's really cheese that's my problem, I love it too much! I might just take your advice about the lower fat cheese :)
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