by Cocina
by Alex Tabar
We all want to be healthier, and when choosing what to eat —whether it is a recipe to prepare or a dish at a restaurant, we choose what we “think” is healthier. But what happens when what we “think” and chose are not the healthiest options?
Today we’re sharing 10 recipe ideas and interesting facts about some of their ingredients, that without a doubt will help you choose healthier alternatives.
Pasilla Glazed Lamb Chop
Lamb meat contains a slightly higher fat content than beef. However, since lamb tends to feed on grass, they have a significant amount of omega-3 fats, which is good for cardiovascular health. Also, this recipe has been prepared with cholesterol-free corn oil.
Click here for our Pasilla Glazed Lamb Chop Recipe
Plantain Pancakes
Bananas are a great source of minerals such as zinc, phosphorus, and magnesium. This is an excellent ingredient to add to the batter, providing a higher nutritional value than your regular pancake mix. Also, this is an excellent option for people who have celiac disease (gluten-free) and who are allergic to grains (grain-free).
Pollo a la Brasa Sauce
Our Pollo a la Brasa Sauce is light and low-sodium — utilizing only a small amount of soy sauce. Cooking low-salt is essential for people with cardiovascular problems and high blood pressure. When comparing to the popular Buffalo Sauce, the Brasa Sauce contains 1/4 cup of cholesterol-free corn oil while the Buffalo Sauce includes 2 sticks of butter.
Click here for our Pollo a la Brasa Sauce Recipe
Quinoa Bowl
We all love our white rice! But if you’re looking to make your rice bowl healthier, quinoa is the way to go. White rice has a high glycemic index for being a refined starch and has 15 times more grams of carbohydrate than quinoa. Quinoa, on the other hand, has more fiber and twice as much protein.
Margarita Chicken Taquitos
Let’s start talking about protein! Just a serving of chicken has fewer calories, less cholesterol and saturated fat than beef. Compared to any beef dish, our taquitos are non-dairy, which reduces the fat content and with 3 taquitos per serving size makes for a hearty meal. You can make this recipe even healthier by serving some pico de gallo and guacamole on the side!
Click here for our Margarita Chicken Taquitos Recipe
Veggie Noodles
For a healthy diet, you do not have to quit pasta at all! Save a large number of carbohydrates by spiralizing some of your favorite veggies like sweet potatoes, zucchini, carrots, and squash. Choose lighter tomato or herb-based sauces rather than thick creamier sauces.
Guava Cake
When choosing a healthier dessert (or any dish) between fried or baked, the oven is always the way to go. When deep-frying food like churros, we add a considerable amount of fat compared to the little fat we add to the recipes when baking. In addition, our cake is made with guava, which is a delicious tropical fruit packed with fiber and vitamins.
Click here for our Guava Cake Recipe
Rum Glazed Shrimp
When cooking seafood, always try sautéing or pan frying rather than deep-frying, which would add fat and cholesterol to your meal. In addition to being lightly sautéed in corn oil, our shrimp recipe has mango, a fruit that many studies have proven can help decrease the risk of obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.
Click here for our Rum Glazed Shrimp Recipe
Corn Tortilla
When it comes to tacos, stick with the original! Corn is a whole grain, and therefore, it is high in fiber. Also, corn tortilla are less processed and therefore lower in sugar and saturated fats as compared to flour tortillas.
Dark Chocolate
The more chocolate is processed, the more nutritional content it loses. Milk chocolate is mostly made up of milk, sugar, cream, and has much lower percentages of cocoa bean than dark chocolate. Although many people are not very fond of dark chocolate, it is rich in zinc, iron, and magnesium, contains high levels of antioxidants, and is much lower in sugar and fat than milk chocolate.
