If you ask the majority of Americans on when the last time they ate Mexican food was, usually it is within the last week. Mexican foods have become very popular in the United States. The problem is that the Mexican foods in America are not the same as they are in Mexico. Americans have added super fat and super sized the meals. If you go down to Mexico, you may not even find the same dishes because the dishes were created in America. Authentic Mexican food is rich in fresh vegetables, protein, and nutritious vitamins and spices.

Taco Bell comes to mind as a popular food chain that serves Mexican foods. You will find tacos, burritos, and quesadillas. People in Mexico usually do not eat big platters of tortilla chips in their everyday meals. Because the food sold in the United States, it is not very healthy. The Mexican foods in America are not as rich in nutrients. It contains high fat, sodium, and calories. It also does not include as many fresh vegetables.

Taco Bell is a popular American food chain, serving quesadillas, tacos, burritos and more. Mexicans do not normally eat large platefuls of tortilla chips or fat laden dishes. The Mexican food sold in the United States is less healthy than the real Mexican recipes, higher in sodium, calories, and fat and lower in vegetable content. Some Mexican dishes served in American restaurants are nothing like the original Mexican recipes they were based on.

Most traditional Mexican dishes have less fat and calories. This does not mean you cannot enjoy the foods served in American restaurants. You can add more healthy foods to the dish. Tomatoes are high in vitamins and have Lycopene, which has cancer-fighting properties.

The Makings of Healthy Mexican Food?

Beans are rich in fiber and protein and are healthier whole rather than refried because they are lower in fat. Tomatoes can be added to a lot of Mexican recipes. Corn is a tasty, popular addition to a lot of Mexican dishes because it contains fiber and a lot of vitamins. If you add these ingredients to your homemade Mexican recipes, you are eating more healthily than you would at Taco Bell. With a healthier style of Mexican food, a healthy heart will be just one of the many health rewards.

You may be wondering if people in Mexico eat healthier foods. In America we have the choice to go to health food stores where we can find organic foods and foods not as fattening. The only drawback is that not everyone can afford to buy these foods whenever they grocery shop. In Mexico, healthier choices are available. Each year the health food market in Mexico makes over $500 Million.

Around five percent of Mexicans regularly buy and consume health foods, ranging from twenty to fifty in age and normally living in metropolitan areas. Mexicans who cannot afford health foods still eat a healthier diet than their American counterparts do. American food is often laden with fat and calories, which are bad for your body if consumed in excess. In addition, Mexican cooking methods vary and deep-frying is less common in Mexico than in the United States.

Mexican Food Pyramid Food for a Healthy You

So, just how healthy is Mexican food? Mexican food, as a rule, is very healthy and the food pyramid proves it. The food pyramid is a diagram showing how much of each food group should be eaten for a balanced diet which leads to a healthy heart and gives other health benefits. Americanized Mexican food is nowhere near as healthy as traditional Mexican food. If you want to eat out, try to avoid Mexican chain restaurants and try a traditional Mexican restaurant instead. It is much better for you and you will be treating your body to healthy Mexican food, which is rich in nutritional content and very tasty too.