Top 10 tips for healthy Mexican cooking

2. Slow-cook fattier, cheaper cuts

When you slow-cook cheaper and fattier cuts of meat, an amazing flavour comes from the marbled fat running through the joints. By slow-cooking meat like this, the fat slowly dissolves in the sauce, so you can slow-cook a cheap cut one day and allow to cool, then spoon off any excessive fat the next day. This also allows all the flavours to improve overnight to make healthier, better tasting food. Our top-rated Mexican pulled chicken & beans makes the most of chicken thighs, which are cheaper and contain more fat than breast meat.

3. A little goes a long way

Mexican food is all about balancing the different food groups. Whilst you might have a deliciously fatty cut of meat that you have cooked for dinner, you don't have to have too much of it if you have a delicious, healthy bowl of baked beans, some corn tortillas, rice and lots of fresh salsas. Limiting how much of the fattier, more calorific meats you serve will drastically reduce the amount of bad fats and cholesterol you are eating.

4. Sweeten with agave syrup

Agave syrup is a low GI, slow-burn sugar from the agave plant, grown in Mexico. If you have a sweet tooth, try sweetening your coffees, puddings and fruit salads with agave rather than conventional sugar.

5. Add a touch of fire

Chillies are known for their ability to get the digestive system going, facilitating weight loss - up the ante with the chillies and you will have your digestive system flying at full speed in no time. Try light, healthy starters like ceviches and tostadas that are big on flavour and protein but low in fat.

6. And a touch of spice

Seasoning food with Mexican spices like cinnamon, cloves, allspice and oregano will result in deeply-flavoured, delicious tasting food. Eating food that is full of flavour (rather than bland low-fat foods specially geared for dieters) will leave you feeling more satisfied with what you've eaten and less likely to crave other 'junk' foods afterwards.

7. Eat proper chocolate

Mexico is home to the cacao plant. Eating chocolate that has more cacao and less sugar is far better for you and will reduce your sugar cravings. Try working your way up the cacao scale from milk chocolate (which can be as low as 24% cacao) to darker milk chocolates and finally to deeply dark chocolates. The rich flavour of dark chocolate will likely mean you won't want to binge on it quite as much, too.

8. Eat your greens

Mexico is one of the most biodiverse countries in the world, home to a whole host of wild greens, pumpkins, courgettes, cacti, tomatoes and wild herbs. Eating more fruit and vegetables will give you a healthier, lower fat diet full of the right vitamins and minerals. Increase your veg intake with this colourful Mexican corn salsa, burrito bowl with chipotle black beans or roasted vegetable & feta tostada.

9. Be full of beans

Beans are an amazing source of protein. Black beans, black eyed beans, borlotti, flor de mayo, pinto, chickpeas and lentils are all different types of beans and pulses favoured in Mexican cooking. Bake 'em, fry 'em, boil 'em or purée - just add them to your meals as an alternative or an addition to meat and you will be filling your body with nutrients. Enjoy some of our favourite healthy Mexican bean recipes in this Mexican bean soup with guacamole, warm Mexican bean dip with tortilla chips or black-eyed bean mole with salsa.

10. Just add seeds

Amaranth and pumpkin seeds are both packed full of good oils and essential minerals as well as protein. Sprinkle them on salads and use them in puddings - fuel your body!

Like this? Read more

More on Mexico:

How to cook Mexican food
10 twists on chilli con carne
Healthy Mexican recipes
Mexican cocktail recipes
Vegetarian Mexican recipes

Health guides:

Vitamins – what do I need?
What counts as five-a-day?
More health guides

This article was updated 19th June 2024.

All health content on goodfood.com is provided for general information only, and should not be treated as a substitute for the medical advice of your own doctor or any other health care professional. If you have any concerns about your general health, you should contact your local health care provider. See our website terms and conditions for more information.