Healthiest Fast Food!

My kids called it "the burrito shop" when they were really little and then it was "Burrito Bell"...anyway, we have been going for years, and many people think "yuck!" or "boy, that's surprising that you eat something so unhealthy". Anyway, we do eat there often!

So it was great to hear others think the same!

Carissa Stanz of Wide Open Eats just wrote an article about it: Did You Know that Taco Bell Has Become One of the Healthiest Food Chains?

Tessa Newell of the food news website called FoodBeast also wrote an article a few years ago called: Taco Bell Has Low Key Become One of America's Healthiest Fast Food Chains (Business Insider also shared Tessa's article)

Plus, Dr Neal Barnard, president of Physicians Committee of Responsible Medicine, has even suggested going to Taco Bell for a bean burrito!

These are my kudos for Taco Bell.

1. It's a FAST, CHEAP way to get some nutritious food, most importantly, BEANS, when you are out and about.

2. It tastes great and fresh!

3. The refried beans do NOT contain lard (often refried beans are made with lard).

4. This one I learned from Tessa's article...Taco Bell has reduced it's sodium content by 15% in the last decade (since 2008).

5. Also from Tessa, they have great online nutrition info at TacoBell.com such as for allergens and ingredients. As of 2016, they planned to get rid of all artificial ingredients. I would say they have done well...there are lots of chemicals in pop, but as far as the food goes, the ingredients look pretty great!


Tips for ordering HEALTHY:

1. Order your items "fresco style". This means that cheese and sour cream will be substituted for pico de gallo (a tasty mix of chopped tomatoes, onions, and cilantro).

2. Replace meat in any item for beans. We always go with the refried beans, but they also carry black beans!

3. Tostadas and corn taco shells are your best bet for whole grains, though there is added oil, which will almost always be included in restuarant food. I already mentioned the reduction in sodium across the board. In general, Mexican food has less sugar than other types of food, so that's another good thing.

4. Add guacamole for extra flavor, nutritious fat, and satisfation to your meal! 
carla wasa at toco bell one month ago. written by carla.


This is what we order most often:

1. Spicy Tostada, fresco style, make sure jalepeno sauce is omitted, and add guacamole ($1.00 plus cost of guacamole which varies from $0.25-0.50).

2. Bean Burrito, fresco style, sometimes with guacamole (prices vary...around $1.29).

3. Pintos N Cheese, fresco style, really just pintos and pico :) ($1.39). 

This reminds me that I need to write posts for other restuarants! We love Chipotle (post about what to get), Qdoba, Aladdin's, several Indian restaurants, Bibibop, hmmm what else? I wrote about Curritos when I went to Houston, and we found a delicious restuarant in Boston called minigrow, and in Washington D.C. was the fantastic Fruitive.

Tasty Tamale Pie

This is another one I've been making practically since I "started to cook", early in our marriage, when we were living in NY. Learned how from my uncle, and adapted it to make it as EASY and HEALTHY as possible -- my goal for all recipes!

Tasty Tamale Pie

Although it's Mexican-type food, it's not actually popular in Mexican American culture -- they prefer wrapping!

This tamale pie was more corn-bready than usual, and still very yummy!

Tasty Tamale Pie

2/3 c dried lentils, cooked with taco spices (optional: chop lentils in a food processor)
2-3 cans refried beans (or make them at home the night before - EASY - healthy - awesome!)
~2 c corn
2 c diced tomatoes
~2 c salsa
~1/2 c chia seeds (optional)
batch of corn bread (follow basic instructions on corn meal container, 1-2 batches depending on how thick you like your corn bread crust)

Cornbread - Plant-Based Tips

Eggs (1 egg = 1 Tbsp ground flaxseed and 3 Tbsp warm water)

Milk - use any plant milk

Oil - use unsweetened applesauce, or more flaxmix

Sugar - as little as you dare; could cut in half

In rectangular glass pan, spread out lentils, top with refried beans (homemade pours on nicely), sprinkle on corn, salsa, and chia. Prepare corn bread batter, and pour over everything else. Bake per corn bread directions for temperature, though it may take more time than directions say, probably around an hour. Lentils are cooked, so you just want everything warm, and the bread topping to be golden.

This tastes great with some avocado slices!  Spice lovers may add more salsa!

Also try Lentil Tacos!

Lucky Seven Sweet Things about Dried Beans! Plus, Homemade Refried Beans, AND Bean Conversions!

Guess what has taken me FOREVER to finally come to love!?

BEST of DRIED BEANS!

#1 Beans of ANY kind are Super-NUTRIENT-Packed!

#2 CHEAP -- usually less than $2 per pound (I often buy bulk section of from Whole Foods -- spectacular VARIETY!)!

My latest deal is less than $1 per pound (Aldi)!

Assuming $2 per pound dried, you get 4 cans worth of cooked beans for $2!

Handy conversions between
dried, canned, and cooked beans!

#3 Free of SALT (some 14.5 oz cans get close to an entire day's recommended total!)
Here is a post from Andrew of Eating Rules showing how much sodium comes out with rinsing and draining, at best 45%!

#4 Free of the CHEMICALS added to canned beans to preserve them.
AS WELL AS chemicals on the plastic coating inside the can!

#5 Free of added SUGAR, ...and high fructose corn syrup, I found both in a huge (100 oz) can of beans at Gordon Foods!

#6 TASTE! Though I have never been disappointed with the taste of canned beans, and beans are often added to other tasty foods anyway, warm, freshly prepared dried beans taste, wholesome, creamy, and delightful!

#7 EASY -- this is the most surprising bonus of dried beans!  Some time savers: you DON'T have to OPEN cans, or rinse and drain cooked beans.  While you should rinse dried beans, cleaning the strainer afterward is a cinch with dried beans (compared to cooked beans)!

SO how to do it?  I thank 100 Days of Real Food for their simple recipe!

Here is what I do:

Homemade Refried Beans

(Note: there is nothing fried about these beans!)

1 pound (2 c) dried pinto beans, rinsed (substitute almost any bean* you wish in this recipe!)
6 c water (you could also just add water until the water is 1-2" above the bean level)

Cook everything overnight (or all day) on high in a slow cooker.

Onions and garlic are nutritious and delicious addition (1-2 onions, halved, and 2 cloves garlic).

OR you can use only dry spices: dried onion, garlic, and cumin (around one Tbsp of each, stirred up with the beans and water)

Blend to desired smoothness and enjoy!

Homemade Refried Beans

For other types of beans, you will probably omit the blending, except chickpeas for hummus.

*KIDNEY beans need to be boiled for 10 min first, then rinsed, to rid them of a toxin.

This it a great technique for Heavenly Hummus (note above conversions)!
As well as black beans for 2-Minute Friday Night Dinner (Ha! ...slow cooker for 2-minute dinner!)!

PS- lentils are lovely! No soaking or hours of cooking ever needed! TRY this: Hearty Lentil Soup!

COMMENTS: what kind of posts are your favorite here at fresh-you? Thanks for sharing!