Photo by What Molly Made
It seems the stars have aligned this year for Cinco de Mayo… since the well-celebrated holiday also falls on Taco Tuesday – a night where many people enjoy different varieties of yummy tacos! You don’t have to miss out on all the fun just because you can’t visit your favorite Mexican restaurant on this day…. Sure, you could order in instead, but you could also enjoy the flavors of the holiday while creating clean, healthy dishes in your own home!
In this blog, we’ll help you bring the party home, with tasty and super-healthy recipes that will surely please your entire family! Stay until the very end of this article, where we’ll share our favorite healthy margarita mocktail with you! Hint: It involves fresh fruit flavors and is also very festive!
Before we share our picks for 5 Healthy Recipes to enjoy this Cinco De Mayo, here are our top tips for how you can thoroughly enjoy the day, while also staying in line with your health goals…
Top Tips For Healthy Holiday Eating
1) Make Meals and Snacks From Scratch
While things really do taste better homemade, they’re also much healthier that way! It can also be very fun and rewarding to whip up your own healthy creations and versions of typically unhealthy foods. While planning out your menu, focus on fresh, whole foods as much as possible and leave out any sugary or processed additions!
2) Make Nutritious Choices During The Remainder Of The Day
If you do plan to stray a bit from your normal eating routine on this holiday, go for it! But try to maintain a balance by keeping your “indulgences” to just one meal. Then, keep up with your clean, healthy diet for the rest of the day. You can do it!
3) Go Easy On The Alcohol
Next, for this tip, we really aren’t trying to ruin your fun! Alcohol can dehydrate you, which is not good for your health goals, and can also make you feel pretty awful! Too much alcohol may also make you sleepy, and increase your cravings for sugar and fried, or unhealthy foods. Finally, many alcoholic cocktails are typically packed with sugar – but see our healthier option at the end of this article!
4) Remember That One Day Won't Ruin A Healthy Lifestyle
Finally, be easy on yourself. Aim for balance but remember that tomorrow is a new day, and treating yourself is only made worse but not returning to your normal, healthy diet when it’s over!
5 Yummy, Healthy Cinco De Mayo Recipes
Now that you know some top tips for success, we’re guessing you’re ready for the healthy recipes we promised to give you and your family! Here they are, below, and the best part is, you can dig in guilt-free!
1) Easy Healthy Homemade Guacamole
Photo by What Molly Made
First off, you absolutely cannot have a Mexican food feast without guacamole! It’s pretty much a Cinco de Mayo staple food, and this recipe uses fresh produce to help boost the nutritional content of it even more – while providing big flavor.
For the healthiest way to enjoy your guacamole, cut up a variety of raw veggies for dipping instead of using chips! You’ll save on calories and carbs, and also get way more vitamins and immune-supporting antioxidants when you go for colorful veggies! Try carrots, Bell peppers, broccoli, celery, cucumbers, radishes, and even jicama to keep it interesting!
Get this Easy Health Guacamole recipe here.
2) Chicken Fajita Lettuce Wraps
Photo by Life Made Sweeter
Next, what were we saying about Taco Tuesday?! You can still celebrate having tacos on Cinco de Mayo while staying comfy in your home with this healthier spin on traditional tacos. Simply switch out the tortillas with fresh lettuce wraps instead – we promise you won’t miss them!
Butter lettuce makes for the perfect sized “wrap” and also has a nice, creamy consistency that’s very appealing. Plus, the wide variety of spices in this recipe – including chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, and smoked paprika, make the chicken and veggies inside super festive and appetizing!
Get this Chicken Fajita Lettuce Wrap recipe here.
3) Mango Salsa
Photo by Cookie & Kate
Next, you also can’t have a Cinco de Mayo celebration without a delicious salsa – and this one is packed with tropical flavor while containing naturally-sweet fruit and fiber-packed veggies! Move away from the traditional way of eating salsa, (digging into it with chips), and instead try enjoying it in another way…
Add this sweet and savory salsa to the top of a white fish or meat entrée, to give it a tasty and vibrant flair. Or, add it to the top of your salad to dress it up and make it more exciting! If you really can’t go without the chips, take a few and crunch them up to sprinkle on top of the salsa, to satisfy the urge without going “all in”.
Get this Mango Salsa recipe here.
4) Healthy Taco Soup
Photo by Kim's Cravings
Next, again in line with Taco Tuesday, why not make a taco-inspired soup, and forget about the corn/flour tortillas all together? This healthy, hearty soup has all of the elements of traditional tacos – ground turkey or beef, black beans, onion, and even taco seasoning! It also includes some exciting additions like green chilis, fire-roasted crushed tomatoes, and fiesta-style corn.
Plus, you can top off this soup with all the things you would normally add to regular tacos… Sour cream, shredded cheese, fresh cilantro, diced avocado and more!
Get this Healthy Taco Soup recipe here.
5) 310 Pineapple Mango "Margarita" Mock-tail
The best way to let yourself in on the fun of this holiday while also sticking with your clean and nutritious diet, (including having as little sugar as possible), is with this exciting, festive tropical mocktail! While traditional margaritas are arguably the most popular alcoholic beverage to enjoy on Cinco de Mayo, you can still enjoy all of the salty-sweet flavors of this drink for a fraction of the calories with this recipe…
Plus, you can feel free to add a splash of tequila into it, because if there’s any good time to indulge, it’s on a holiday! If enjoying a cocktail every now and then is something you enjoy, satisfying your cravings with this “mocktail” offering great taste, while also falling perfectly in line with your health and weight loss goals.
The featured ingredient in this tasty drink is 310 Pineapple Mango Lemonade – which comes in easy-to-mix, single-serving stick packs that you easily pour into a glass or pitcher full of water, for a beverage that’s ready in seconds! These lemonades are made with real lemons and sweetened naturally, with no artificial flavorings, and only 10 calories per serving.
They also contain electrolyte minerals – calcium, magnesium, and potassium– to help you stay hydrated, and a special caffeine-free green tea extract to support your metabolism and increase satiety. While drinking too much alcohol on Cinco de Mayo may leave you feeling lethargic and craving unhealthy foods, you can stay energized and feeling your best with these lemonades – and this delicious tropical mocktail!
Ingredients:
Serves 4
- 32oz water
- 2 - 310 Pineapple Mango Lemonade Sticks
- 2 limes, juiced
- Ice
- Optional: a splash of tequila
- Optional: salt for the glass brim
Directions:
- In a serving pitcher, mix together the water, 310 Lemonade, lime juice and ice.
- Add a splash of tequila if desired.
- Serve into glasses, with or without a salted brim. Enjoy!
Which recipe are you going to try the Cinco de Mayo?! Let us know in the comments below! And, check out other delicious, nutritionist-approved 310 Nutrition recipes here!
