The Paleo Taco: Three Healthy Alternatives to the Mexican Favorite

By: Isabel Byfield

Mexican food is famous worldwide for its flavorful palate, thanks to traditional spices, fragrant herbs and savory chiles that abound in Mexican cuisine. Most of these flavor-enhancing spices have added health benefits, like increasing metabolic rate. In chiles, a compound called capsicum is responsible of speeding up the metabolism when added to our foods.

Among the Paleo community, Mexican food is highly valued. As you may know, paleo diets strive for considerable amounts of proteins, healthy carbs and healthy fats – oh, hello carne asada and guacamole! However, corn is not permitted in this food trend; but don’t worry, you don’t have to kiss your tacos goodbye. There are, in fact, many ways to replace corn and flour tortillas to make healthy yet delicious tacos.

Plantain Tortillas:

Similar to Puerto Rican Tostones or Colombian Patacones, these plantain tortillas are a great alternative to traditional corn or flour. They are rich in fiber and resistant starch carbohydrates, which will keep you full for longer and satisfy your taco cravings. To make the perfect taco shells with a plantain, pick one that is just starting to turn yellow, if they are too ripe or not ripe enough, it will be harder to make the shell.

Plantain Chips (Photo Credit: Isabel Byfield/AZLatinos.com)

Jicama Taco Shells:

Jicama is a Mexican root vegetable that is packed with nutrients, fiber and good carbs. It is crunchy; so texturally, it resembles hard shell tacos. However, if you want a soft taco shell you just need to cook your Jicama slightly. It is a very popular replacement of tortillas among paleo dieters, and even some restaurants have jumped on the Jicama wagon and offer it as part of their regular menu.

Jícama Tortillas (Photo Credit: Isabel Byfield/AZLatinos.com)

Lettuce Shells:

This is probably the most popular way to make your tacos lighter since lettuce has virtually no calories. The most popular type of lettuce used is the heart of romaine and there are no limits to what to fill your tacos with. Since you are saving a ton of calories by using lettuce, it is great to load up on beef, salsa and guacamole to make your tacos taste so good that you will totally forget about the tortillas.

Spicy up your Taco Tuesday with these healthier taco options, whether you are on a diet or not, tacos can be part of your everyday meal plan. With just a few tweaks you can enjoy delicious tacos while keeping your waistline in check.