If you follow a vegan diet that is free of dairy and meat, then it may be difficult for you to go out to eat. It also may be hard to find truly healthy options when you dine outside of the home. However, you can eat a healthy meal and feel full at the same time when you opt to go to a Mexican restaurant. Keep reading to learn how a Mexican restaurant can be healthy for you as a vegan.

Beans Are Quite Healthy

While many Mexican dishes feature meats that include beef, chicken, and seafood, there are many options that contain beans with the main dish. Beans are often abundant in Mexican food, because dishes contain many foods that are native Spanish items. This means that native beans, like Faba de Lourenzá  beans, are incorporated into Mexican dishes. Meats like beef and chicken were added to Mexican cuisine once they were introduced by Europeans. Europeans also brought cheese and other dairy foods with them.

Beans are still a huge part of Mexican cuisine, and this is a good thing if you are a vegan. Beans are often a great substitute for meat, and a bean burrito filled with black beans and other legumes is just as filling as one filled with meat. While legumes are generally low in calories, they are filled with fiber. Also, there is a great deal of protein in the beans, and this can help to supply your body with the protein it is lacking from meat sources.

Beans also contain a much needed nutrient if you follow a vegan diet. This nutrient is iron and one cup of black or pinto beans will provide you with about 20% of your daily intake of iron. Make sure to ask for your bean burrito without cheese and also skip the refried beans. Refried beans are often fried in animal fat before they are served. The pig fat or lard is not something that will fit into your vegan diet. 

Avocados Supply You With Healthy Fat And Nutrients

If you feel like your bean burritos are lacking in the taste or are not as hearty as you would like, then ask for a large helping of guacamole on your burritos or tacos. Guacamole is made by mashing and mixing avocados, onion, tomato, lemon juice, and spices together. Sometimes, olive oil is added to the mix as well to help smooth it out. The avocados in the guacamole are a healthy addition to a vegan diet. 

If you do not eat oily fish or other types of lean meat, then you may not have many sources of healthy fat in your diet. Avocados do provide this fat, and they are the only fruit that contains an abundance of monounsaturated fat. Specifically, the food contains both omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. These fats are good for your heart and they can also reduce your cholesterol levels. 

Avocados also contain an abundance of nutrients that may be lacking in your diet. These nutrients include folate, vitamin K, vitamin E, potassium, and vitamin C. Avocados also contain copper and fiber. Vitamin B6 is also in the food to provide you with an abundance of energy. 

If you follow a vegan diet, then you can go out to eat and enjoy both a healthy and delicious meal. This is especially true if you want to eat Mexican food. To learn more about the types of foods that may fit into your diet, try making a reservation at your local Mexican eatery today or visit these guys. Let your server know about your diet so you can learn about the food options that are right for you.