How many calories are you consuming on Cinco de Mayo?
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) – Tuesday, May 5 is Cinco de Mayo – a day where Mexicans celebrate victory over France in the Battle of Puebla. Americans also celebrate the day as an unofficial holiday where restaurants run promotions based on Mexican foods like chips, dips and margaritas. So, if those foods are in your future, you should be aware of how many calories you’re consuming.
“Mexican restaurants can really hide a lot of calories in there,” says Anna King, a Registered Dietitian with IU Health.
King is comparing two types of margaritas as well as the three most common dips paired with chips – salsa, guacamole and queso – in terms of their calories and overall nutritional value.SALSA
If you go to a Mexican restaurant, bottomless chips and salsa is often the draw. The salsa, made with fresh tomatoes, onion and cilantro – among other things – is very healthy, according to King.
“The salsa is actually a really good choice,” says King. “It’s going to be, the majority of the time, just fresh vegetables in there.”
A serving of salsa is 2 tablespoons and accounts for only 10 calories.
“You can have serving after serving of that salsa,” says King. “Even if you’re getting up to a quarter of a cup that’s only bringing you to 20 calories – and a half-cup of salsa is only 40 calories.”
King went on to say salsa is “by far the best” and healthiest option when choosing between salsa, guacamole and queso.
GUACAMOLE
Based with avocados and often mixed with lime juice, onion, garlic and spices, guacamole boasts an infinite number of recipes that vary the level of spice and flavor.
“It’s wonderful for you,” says King. “It has good healthy fats and it still has fresh vegetables, but because of those healthier fats in that avocado, your calories are bumping up a little bit more.”
A serving of guacamole is 2 tablespoons which King says accounts for about 40 calories.
“Half a cup [of guacamole] is going to be 160 calories, so it can add up pretty fast and that’s before you’ve even gotten your meal,” says King. “As a dietitian, if you told me you were eating guacamole, I would be happy, but you do have to watch your portions.”QUESO
Queso is simply melted cheese often mixed with chili pepper and tomatoes. Many at-home recipes call for pre-made salsa to be added into the melted cheese for color and flavor.
“In queso there’s just melted, gooey cheese – which is delicious and everybody loves it, but that’s the one you need to watch your portions on the most,” says King.
A 2 tablespoon serving of queso constitutes about 50 calories which is similar to guacamole, but without the high nutritional value.
“[With queso] you’re not getting those healthy fats in there, it’s more saturated fat,” says King. “That’s where you really want to pay attention to that portion control.”CHIPS
Whatever dip you choose, King says the number of chips you eat should cause the most concern.
“A serving is just 10 chips and that’s about 150 calories,” says King, who recommends pairing chips with salsa to keep your caloric intake down during a Mexican fiesta.
MARGARITAS
In its traditional form, a margarita is made with equal parts tequila and triple sec, as well as fresh squeezed lime juice. Often times at restaurants, you can order a margarita with tequila and “margarita mix” made from sweeteners and juices.
No matter how it’s made, King calls the cocktails “empty calories.”
“Just a shot of tequila is about 100 calories – and that’s without anything in it,” says King. “The margarita mix accounts for another 100 calories.”
Just a basic margarita made of tequila and mix accounts for about 200 calories.
In an effort to lessen the calories, King measures out another margarita made simply of one shot of tequila, one tablespoon of agave nectar and fresh sqeezed lime juice. Agave nectar, contains about 20 calories per teaspoon and is one of the lowest glycemic index sweeteners. One tablespoon of the nectar is between 60 and 75 calories.
“This ‘simpler’ margarita is still 175 calories, so it’s really not a lot better,” says King.
King suggests reducing the calories further by not measuring out an entire tablespoon of the agave nectar.