Cinco de Mayo is a time to savor all the festive flavors that come with the holiday. Americanized Mexican foods tend to be unhealthy – bottomless bowls of fried chips and salsa, enormous portion sizes, and sugary drinks. Traditional Mexican staples are actually good for your health. Enjoy this fun and festive holiday by including these foods into your celebration for a nutrient boost.
Fresh Vegetables
You can’t go wrong with vegetables! Tomatoes, zucchini, bell peppers, corn, chilies and onions are some the most popular vegetables used in Mexican cuisine. They are all very nutrient dense foods. Packed with essential vitamins and minerals, they are also rich in antioxidants and flavonoids that promote heart health, reduce inflammation, and may help reduce the risk of cancer. Add vegetables to any of your dishes for added flavor and nutrients.
Beans
Beans are a plant-based protein that’s low in fat and rich in fiber. Beans help with digestive health and lowering cholesterol. Swap beans for meat in many of your favorite Mexican dishes for a lower fat protein source. If you don’t want to cut meat out entirely, make half the amount of meat and half beans.
Avocados
Avocados are high in monounsaturated fat, which promote heart health. Avocados are loaded with multiple vitamins and minerals in every serving that boost eye health, immune function, and help control blood pressure.
Cilantro
The leaves on this delicious herb are not only tasty, but rich in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that can help regulate blood pressure and improve immune function. Cilantro can be used to enhance flavor in sauces, dressings or dips.
Try this Crispy Black Bean Burrito from twopeasandtheirpod.com that contains all of the foods above for a flavorful and nutrient packed Cinco de Mayo meal.
CRISPY BLACK BEAN QUINOA BURRITOS
Recipe from twopeasandtheirpod.com
Crispy burritos with black beans, corn, peppers, cilantro, quinoa, and cheese. Serve with Creamy Avocado Yogurt Dip and you have a fun, healthy, and delicious meal.
makes: 10 burritos
prep time: 10 minutes
cook time: 25 minutes
total time: 35 minutes
INGREDIENTS:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small yellow onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
1/2 cup diced green bell pepper
1 (15 oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup sweet corn, rinsed and drained
1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
Juice of 1/2 lime
Salt and black pepper, to taste
Cilantro Lime Quinoa
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
10 burrito-sized flour tortillas
Creamy Avocado Yogurt Dip, for serving
DIRECTIONS:
In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the onion and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in the peppers, black beans, corn, chili powder, cumin, and cilantro. Cook for 5 minutes. Add the fresh lime juice and season with salt and pepper, to taste.
Place a few spoonfuls of cilantro lime quinoa in the center of a tortilla, leaving 1/2-inch border around edges, then add the shredded cheese, and bean/corn mixture down the center of the quinoa. Roll burritos, by folding over the ends and rolling up. Continue making the rest of the burritos.
Heat a large non-stick skillet or griddle pan over medium heat. Arrange burritos, seam-side down, in pan or griddle and cook until golden brown and crisp, about 2-3 minutes per side. Serve warm with Creamy Avocado Yogurt Dip.
Note: You don’t want to fill the burritos too full or they will be hard to roll up. You can also use Cilantro Lime Rice, instead of the quinoa.
Want a printable version of this article? Download it here: Cinco de Mayo Nutrition Tips
