Cinco de Mayo is this Saturday, which means we’ll all be digging into Mexican food – and margaritas – galore.
If you’re planning on dining at home, check out this spicy Cinco de Mayo-inspired recipe round up that includes Eva Longoria’s spicy serrano guacamole and spicy Mayan truffles for dessert. You’ll be able to make all of your favorite kicked up Mexican dishes in the comfort of your own home while impressing your family and friends.
But, if you’re the restaurant type, we’ve got you covered there, too. Consider this your quick guide on how to eat healthy at your favorite Mexican restaurants. We’re comparing classic Mexican dishes like tacos, burritos, and quesadillas, as well as each restaurant’s most popular desserts. We’re warning you now, it’s not pretty. But armed with the knowledge of what’s in your food, you’ll be able to better navigate the tempting Mexican food-scape this holiday weekend.
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Every time we think the fast food industry has outdone itself, one of them steps up to prove that their work is never done. This morning 800 Taco Bells started serving breakfast. In case your 2am Gordita Crunch Burrito Bowl Nachos weren’t enough, you can now swing through the Mexican-inspired drive-through and grab breakfast. 
The roll out is a test to see if the new breakfast burritos can hold their own on a menu littered with greasy, processed tacos, nachos, and burritos. If all goes according to the Yum Brands restaurant plans, you’ll be able to run to the border for breakfast in all locations by 2014.
We’ll grant that there aren’t any off-the-wall breakfast recipes being served at Taco Bell; nothing any different than any other fast food restaurant. “Their menu is what NOT to have,” says our resident dietitian, Mary Hartley, RD. The menu includes egg burritos with sausage, bacon, or steak. Hash browns, Cinnabon, hot or iced coffee, and orange juice will also be available.
She argues there isn’t an ounce of nutritional value in anything on their menu. “There is too much protein, no fibrous cereal, no fresh or dried fruit, no milk or yogurt, no nuts or seeds; the hash browns are greasy (but Yum doesn’t use Phase.) If you love this food, then save it for a rare occasion; if you don’t love it, then skip it.”
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McDonald’s, Taco Bell, and Burger King announced they are officially dropping the use of Pink Slime in their food. Wait?! What? They were using something called Pink Slime?
Yes, not only were these major chains using the slime, but 70 percent of all the burgers in the United States contain the ingredient, too.
Pink Slime is the name given to ammoniated boneless lean beef trimmings. It’s an inexpensive beef filler. However, Pink Slime is unfit for human consumption until it is gassed with ammonia. McDonald’s and the other big chains are discontinuing their use of the slime after celebrity chef Jamie Oliver launched a campaign of criticism about the ingredient. Oliver brought the truth of the slime to the public’s eyes during his ABC television show Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution. Oliver explained how the filler is cheaply sold as dog food, but after the ammonia gassing, it can be served to humans. One of the biggest frustrations about the slime is that it is widely used in school lunches.
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We all know that there’s an epidemic of obesity in this country. What’s it going to take to inspire Americans to make the necessary changes to live healthy? Will it be another report about the real dangers extra weight presents? Will parents be inspired to change for the sake of their kids? Or will it come when your pants split open in public because you can’t fit into them anymore?
Recently, actor Jason Segel found his inspiration. The actor was photographed passed out with his gut hanging out and covered in Taco Bell wrappers. Yep, that ought to do it!
Segel described the photo that his assistant took as his lowest point and has since dropped 25 pounds. Through good old-fashioned diet and exercise, Segel made the necessary change that so many of us need to make as well.
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Taco Bell is a favorite late-night stop for many youngsters, and today we’re looking at Taco Bell‘s nutritional facts and finding the healthiest options on the menu. Somewhat surprisingly — after all Taco Bell does have a Fresco menu of “healthier” options — there were not a lot of foods to choose from that fell into our criteria.
While many foods met our guideline to have less than 500 calories, most could not meet the new daily sodium recommendation from the U.S. government of less than 500 milligrams of sodium per meal. This criteria was set based on feedback from registered dietitian Rebecca Scritchfield. So what foods are we OK with calling healthy? Read on for your Taco Bell healthy choices! (Oh, and for the record, fourth meal at 2 a.m. is never a good idea!)
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