Love Mexican Foods?

They are flavorful, a great source of complex carbohydrates ... and if you are not careful, you can wind up eating a lot more fat and calories than you expect.

So what can you do? Here’s some tips:

• Think soft tacos (just 30 calories and 1 gram of fat) compared to fried crispy tacos, or tostados (toast-ad-os), which can have double that!

• Corn tortillas are less than 1 gram of fat each, unlike their flour tortilla sisters which are made with lard and typically contain at least three grams of fat.

• Salsas typically have zero fat and few calories unlike some of the heavier Mexican sauces, so expand your taste buds with a salsa verde or even a green chile sauce.

• Hold the cheese, or at least go light on the cheese and sour cream. Both are Mexican staples, and while they add flavor, they can add lots of extra grams of fat and calories.

• Look for the word "asada" – simply translated ... grilled – which means a lot less fat and calories.

Mexican foods are fun to eat ... and if you spend just a little time selecting the right ingredients, they can be one of the healthiest cuisines. Ole!