A Healty Twist To Southwest Cuisine

When you think of southwest cuisine, the first thing that may come to mind is the hot, spicy, and bold flavors.  That's all true, but there is a healthy side to this style of cooking that may go unnoticed.  Pride and creativity goes into choosing the freshest ingredients and best flavors when cooking dishes with a southwest flair.  Nutritional value comes natural to many of the dishes featured in this region, but it can easily cross over to the unhealthy side if you’re not careful.  There are a few things to remember when choosing how and what to cook for your southwestern dish.  Let's take a look.

Cooking Techniques

I don’t have to tell anyone that fried foods taste wonderful.  However, we all know that it's also one of the unhealthiest ways to cook.  Many southwest cuisine favorites are cooked by deep frying in oil, but this doesn’t have to be the only way.  Instead of dropping that chimichanga into a vat of fat, brush a tiny bit of oil on them and bake in the oven to get golden brown and crispy.  Also, put away your can opener and make your own beans to control the fat, salt, and sugar.

Fatty Ingredients

There are many southwest recipes that depend on the use of butter, sour cream, and cheese to give them that yummy flavor.  There are ways you can get around this, however, so you can actually feel good about what you are eating without sacrificing taste.  For each ingredient, think about alternatives.  Choose light oils over butter when you can.  Yogurt is a great substitute for sour cream, and there are many varieties of cheese that are less fatty than others.

Proteins

When it comes to choosing your protein you have many options.  You'll find recipes using chicken, beef, pork, fish, and other seafood, as well as beans.  To eat healthier, start by choosing your protein wisely.  Beef and pork should be lean, of course.  The white meat of chicken has less fat than the dark meat.  Fish and other seafood is always going to be a good choice.  If you are on a budget, you may have to buy meats that are not as lean as you'd like.  In that case, trim as much fat off as you can, cook the meat until most of the remaining fat has cooked away, and cut back on the amount of meat you put in your recipe.  Another very frugal protein choice is beans.  As a southwest staple, beans are everywhere, so finding recipes using beans should be very easy.

It isn't difficult to create a healthy version of a southwest recipe.  It just takes a little research and time to prepare the right ingredients.  The good news is, you can remove the fat and other unhealthy ingredients in a recipe and still end up with a tasty dish.  Why?  Because you have a wealth of spices, chiles, seasonings, and herbs to play with.  This is what truly gives southwest cuisine the flavor you expect, and love!