An excerpt from Tex-Mex Diabetes Cooking, ADA 2018.
Try a variety of reduced-fat cheddar and white cheeses and find a few notable favorites. They’re typically found in the specialty cheese section or deli section of your local grocery store.
Use reduced-fat milks, milk substitutes, nonfat yogurts, and sour creams for quesos, side dishes, casseroles, fillings, and sauces.
Grill, bake, roast, and lightly saute lean trimmed meats and poultry for fillings in tacos, tamales, and burritos.
Bake or skillet-warm tortillas instead of frying them. For a crispy finish on tacos and chips, spray the tortillas with cooking spray and bake them in an oven preheated to 400°F or 425°F.
Increase the volume of a taco or tostada by topping it with a variety of fresh vegetables: try leafy green lettuce, baby spinach, thinly sliced sweet or red onions, diced yellow squash, chopped zucchini, or diced cherry tomatoes.
Use low-sodium beef broth and chicken broth to flavor soups, stews, and sauces.
Blend chile spices with nonfat sour cream.
Fresh seasonings begin with fresh herbs. Add fresh minced herbs such as chives and cilantro to sauces or nonfat plain yogurt for a unique and healthy garnish.
Infuse foods with the distinctive flavors of onion, lemon, and lime.
Smart cocktails can be created with sugar-free syrups and low-sugar juices and mixers. Make thoughtful choices in your selection of spirits, mixers, and garnish.
Watching calories and carbohydrates is easy if you plan and prepare ahead of time. Be adventurous: mix and match flavors—citrus with chile, sweet with savory. Add spices to meats and poultry and to sauces and salsas. Find your favorite combinations.
