Taco Diner Delight

Last week a couple of friends and I got together for a much needed catch-up dinner at the popular Taco Diner in Preston Center.  Seeing as most Mexican restaurants flaunt signature items like fresh flour tortillas, deep fried tortilla chips with some type of queso and creamy enchiladas, all accompanied by cheese, sour cream, and refried beans and topped off with their specialty margarita, I knew this would be a good challenge and eagerly agreed to the suggestion.  As soon as the waiter brought our big bowl of chips, I asked for corn tortillas to keep from mindlessly munching on the chips and began to navigate my way through the menu.


Menu Mentions:

Taco Diner would be a good choice if trying to stay fairly healthy (low calorie while still providing some nutritional benefits).  While it still offers the usual fare of queso, quesadillas, nachos with all the toppings, creamy enchiladas, and salads loaded with cheese, beef, bacon, avocado, sour cream and tortilla strips, it also seems to offer some lighter flavorful options with its Ceviche de Camarones, tacos with chicken, beef, pork, fish, or only vegetables all with different preparation options, Sopa de Tortilla,  Green Chile Chicken Posole, and Heather's Chopped Salad with lighter dressing options like a Chile - Lime Vinaigrette or Fat-Free Balsamic Vinaigrette.  Realizing I wanted actual tacos, I was able to decide on the Tacos al Pastor (one of the taco options with chicken).  So, I enjoyed their smoky and slightly spicy salsa with corn tortillas for an appetizer and the chicken tacos for my dinner.  The chicken was marinated in an achiote citrus marinade, which gave it a bold flavor, topped with fresh grilled pineapple, which added a hint of sweetness, and served in corn tortillas, keeping it light.  I added their salsa on top for an extra smoky kick.  Tonight I kept my beverage to water flavored with lots of fresh lemon and lime.  I ended up enjoying 3 of the 4 tacos and added the side lettuce and tomatoes to my tacos.  I left the rice alone as I had my share of starch/grains from the corn tortillas.  It was a flavorful and delicious meal that left me full and satisfied but not stuffed or regretful, which made my evening with friends an even better experience.



Nutrition Notes:

Protein... chicken... needed for the repair and maintenance of cells.  Important for growth and development during childhood, adolescence and pregnancy.
Fiber...  corn tortillas & lettuce... helps keep you full, promotes a healthy GI tract and can help lower cholesterol.
Vitamin C... pineapple & tomatoes... promotes healthy joints, hair and skin, a healthy immune system and good vision.
Manganese... pineapple... contributes to connective tissue, bone and blood clotting formation.  Contributes to fat and carbohydrate metabolism, calcium absorption and blood sugar regulation.  Needed for normal brain and nerve function.
Lycopene...  tomatoes & salsa... powerful antioxidant that helps prevent hardening of the arteries and certain cancers (lung, prostate, breast, bladder, ovarian, colon, and pancreatic)
Corn tortillas...  In place of the basket of chips, I ordered corn tortillas for the table.  Corn tortillas are a better choice than the chips on the table and the flour tortillas.  They are lower in calories and saturated fat than the chips and flour tortillas because the chips are fried and, often times, lard is added to the flour tortillas.  Plus, with corn tortillas you are getting a little fiber as corn is a whole grain.  With that whole grain comes some necessary minerals and a tiny bit of protein as well.



Side Note:  KID FRIENDLY
Taco Diner also has some healthier kid's meal options for those of you looking for places you can go and still find good options for your kids!  Try their Chicken Soft Tacos or Chicken & Veggie Quesadillas with a side of fresh fruit.

My Conclusions (Based on a ranking of 1 to 5... 1 = will not return; 5 = will return tomorrow)
Taste = 4 (I would add sliced fresh avocado next time)
Nutrition = 3 (Could add extra veggies to the tacos for nutritional boost)
Service = 5

Overall Ranking = 4