Marvellous Mexican Meals

Here are 5 reasons why:
 

1. Mexican is an easy way to ‘eat the rainbow’. If you haven’t heard of this term it means eating plenty of variety in terms of colour and produce. Eating a variety of vegetables supports our immune system, (something we’re all keen on doing right about now!). Topping Mexican dishes with a healthy array of chopped, sliced or grated vegetables is an ideal way to bump up veggie intake. Don’t limit yourself to lettuce, tomato and cucumber; consider colourful capsicum, grated (raw) beetroot, carrot, grated (raw) zucchini, spinach, mushrooms, corn kernels, purple cabbage, and avocado.


2. Most Mexican dishes can easily be adapted to cater for vegetarian or plant-based eaters. Omitting some ingredients or cooking others first makes Mexican ideal when catering for those with dietary restrictions or preferences.


3. Mexican is a great way to add more ‘beans’ in your life. We are told eating legumes regularly has numerous healthy benefits: they add fibre, keep us full, and are great for our gut health; but people are often perplexed about how to include them in their diet. Adding a 4-bean mix can to your Mexican salsa or serving black beans as a topping are an excellent way to start. Adding lime and fresh pepper to a tin of black beans adds a refreshing dimension to Mexican dishes


4. Unless you’re using your slow cooker to make some melt-in-your-mouth meat or a Mexican soup, most Mexican dishes are generally pretty fast to prepare. While your meat or bean base is cooking, grate / chop / slice that colourful array of veg to adorn your dish.


5. My favourite aspect of eating a Mexican meal is everyone serving themselves and putting whatever they want on their plate. You would be surprised what kids put on their plate when faced with a large plate piled with aforementioned vegetables plonked in the middle of the table. Self-serve around the table also promotes a sense of community, where not only food gets shared but stories of the day.

If you are wanting to explore some new frontiers with your mexe-meals, check out the below ideas (& links to recipes):

• Enchilada Pie
• Slow Cooker Chicken Enchilada Soup
• Loaded Sweet Potatoes
• Mexican Rice
• Huevos Rancheros (or if you are like me, Mexican eggs and beans is easier to pronounce)
• Mexican Fish

This is all sounding pretty healthy, right? To make it even healthier, grab wholegrain tortillas (if using) and feel free to skip the packet mixes in order to create your own flavour. Onion, garlic, cumin, paprika, coriander, chilli, pepper and lime are commonly associated with Mexican food. Provecho!