Carbohydrate is a food nutrient that is often associated with Mexican cuisine.
There is an overflowing menu of delicious dishes loaded with rice, beans, maize, potatoes and chips, among many others. And no matter what you do, this food will always be loaded with calories.
While carbohydrates are essential nutrients needed by the body, too many of these may spell trouble for people with diabetes.
Diabetics have to always watch their food intake, especially in terms of carbs and sugar.
So with this situation, there is some sort of conundrum that comes in place. Is Mexican food good for diabetics? Or should this cuisine be totally avoided?
Can a Diabetic Eat Mexican Food?
Before going into further details, we’ll first have to establish the relationship between our three variables: diabetes, carbohydrates, and Mexican food.
Diabetes is a dreaded health condition or disease that affects the way our bodies process food for use as energy.
When you have this health condition, glucose or the sugar in the body builds up in the blood to an excessive level.
That is why health experts often suggest to diabetes patients to always watch and lessen their sugar and carbohydrates intake.
The body turns or breaks down carb contents into glucose. For this reason alone, excessive intake of carbs is to be avoided. If not, this can lead to more body complications in the future.
For these reasons alone, there has been this notion that Mexican food is not okay for people with diabetes.
Mexican cuisine is loaded with a lot of dishes of which the primary or major component is carbohydrates. However, this is just a hasty generalization and truly a misconception.
While it is true that Mexican food like burritos and tortillas are high in carbs or calories, there is more than this cuisine can offer even for a diabetic person.
There are dishes and workaround to make Mexican food healthy and more balanced. Specifically, there are specific Mexican dishes with low carbohydrate contents that can still be made at home and ordered in your favorite local Mexican restaurant.
What Mexican Food Can a Diabetic Eat and Enjoy
There are dishes and entrees in this cuisine that should be skipped but there are probably more than a diabetic person can still order or make at home.
1. Guacamole
A great and very healthy appetizer that any diabetic person can make at home or order in a restaurant is guacamole.
Not only is it healthy, but it is also cheap and easy to prepare. Plus, it’s widely popular across the whole United States. The main ingredient of this food or dip is avocado.
Avocados are known to be loaded with healthy fats but almost devoid of carbohydrates.
Because of this, someone suffering from diabetes can definitely consume it. Whether in the form of a salad, spread, or dip, guacamole is a well-balanced meal.
To make it even healthier (assuming it’s being prepared at home), you may add more vegetables and lessen the spices.
2. Ceviche
While ceviche did not originate in Mexico, it is still a widely popular dish in Mexico and the United States that it is sometimes associated with this cuisine.
Ceviche is a savory dish made of fresh fish that is marinated and seasoned with lemon juice and spices that include tomatoes and onion.
Unlike rice meals that are loaded with carbs, ceviche is a very healthy dish with a balanced component of protein and healthy fats.
In Mexican restaurants, most of the time, ceviche is served with tortillas. But since tortillas may contain high contents of carbs, you may choose not to have it served with the dish.
After all, this savory fish meal is already great on its own.
3. Fajitas
In Tex-Mex restaurants, fajitas will always be one of the popular choices on the menu.
This dish is often grilled so by default, it is healthier compared to other Mexican food that is deep-fried.
The main ingredients of fajitas are grilled beef or chicken, vegetables, cheese, and spices. Sometimes, fajitas are served with corn or flour tortillas.
But for a diabetic person, it would be best not to have it served or prepared with any type of tortilla as this may contain high levels of carbs and sugar.
Likewise, cheese may also not be added to lessen the overall carb content of the dish.
What makes fajitas even more healthy is its vegetable ingredients such as bell pepper and onion.
You may also opt to add other grilled vegetables if you are preparing the food at home.
4. Mexican Beef Soup
To add more variation on our list, Mexican beef soup is a great option.
Also called Caldo de Res, this popular Mexican soup is a well-balanced dish that will fit the check box of a person with diabetes.
This dish consists mainly of beef shank with bone, pepper, chopped onions, tomatoes, cabbage, jalapeño, and of course, beef broth.
Carrots and potatoes are often included in this Mexican dish but these may be removed since they contain a high volume of carbs. Likewise, it is suggested to not pair this dish up with rice although they make a good pair.
5. Sugar-free Margarita
Desserts, in Mexican and all other cuisines, are commonly tagged as the food types that should be avoided by diabetics.
This is only logical because desserts are sweet and loaded with high concentrations of sugar. Basically, desserts would spell trouble for a diabetic person’s health.
But it’s still not the end of the road for you as a diabetic with a sweet tooth. There are ways in which you can still enjoy drinks and dessert.
A great example is a sugar-free margarita. The triple sec used in this beverage can be made sugar-free and significantly more fitting for a diabetic.
Where to Order Healthy Food for a Diabetic Person?
If you live around Texas or just passing by the state, your most trusted local Mexican restaurant is El Rincon.
Our menu offers plenty of healthy options that even a diabetic person can eat worry-free.
Related: Is Traditional Mexican Food Healthy?
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El Rincon Mexican Kitchen & Tequila Bar or known as El Rincon among the locals around the restaurant serves Mexican food and drinks made from the freshest ingredients.
Besides serving food for our customers in Carrollton and Addison we’re also active in communities across Texas.
Contact us today!
