As a Latina Dietitian, I сan’t recommend these healthy Mexican side dishes enough!
So many of my clients say they need more ideas of healthy side dishes they can make that go with their favorite Mexican food.
They’re surprised to find out that plenty of the Mexican dishes they already know and love are actually healthy!
After all, Mexican food features plenty of vegetables, fruits, and complex carbs.
Which is why I’ve created this list of healthy Mexican side dishes you can make and enjoy at home!
Keep reading for my favorite Mexican sides, including carbs, vegetable sides, beans, and more.
Carbs
Despite what you may have heard, carbs can absolutely be a healthy dish! Especially when you choose carbs that are also a source of fiber. This includes starchy vegetables like corn, potatoes, and plantains.
- Mexican Green Rice: Cooking rice with extra vegetables and olive oil adds more antioxidants and fiber to your meal.
- Oven-Baked Tostadas: Tostadas are a good source of fiber and resistant starch! This oven-baked recipe is convenient and uses less oil.
- Papas estilo Zamora (spicy Mexican potatoes): Despite the low-carb craze, potatoes are a good source of fiber and potassium. Pairing them with a spicy chili seasoning adds flavor and all the health benefits of capsaicin!
- Mexican rice: Like with the green rice, cooking Mexican rice in tomato adds extra nutrients to a basic rice dish.
- Esquites: Fresh corn is a good source of vitamins, minerals, and fiber.
- Papas a la diabla: This spicy potato dish is filling and gut healthy, thanks to the fiber!
Mexican Vegetable Side Dishes:
Mexican food has so many vegetables to choose from! While it’s very common in Mexican food to find vegetables included in the main dish, there are still a lot of vegetable sides you can make to accompany your favorite dishes like tacos, enchiladas, and more.
- Sopa de fideo: I add extra vegetables to my sopa de fideo recipe so you can count it as a vegetable side.
- Ejotes a la mexicana: These green beans cook up so quickly and feature your favorite Mexican flavors.
- Calabacitas a la mexicana: Zucchini (“calabacitas”) are a classic Mexican vegetable. This simple recipe is just one of the many ways you can prepare them in Mexican food.
- Cebollitas asadas (grilled green onions): Grilled cebollitas are a popular side to serve with carne asada. And green onions are rich in antioxidants which may help prevent cancer (1).
- Chiles toreados: Like the cebollitas, these blistered chiles are a classic side to serve with tacos. Chiles offer plenty of health benefits like vitamins A, C, plus the capsaicin is anti-inflammatory.
- Champiñones a la mexicana (Mexican mushrooms): Mushrooms are quite popular in Mexican food! Which is great because they’re a good source of antioxidants, and one of the rare food sources of vitamin D (2).
Beans
Beans are a classic of Mexican food! Whether you serve beans with rice or on their own, beans offer plenty of fiber and plant-based protein. Whether you choose pinto, black beans, or another variety, rest assured you’re adding plenty of nutrition to your plate.
- Frijoles charros
- Frijoles de la olla
- Oaxacan style refried black beans
- Authentic refried beans
- Frijoles borrachos
- Tok-Sel Lima Beans
Salads
It’s a misconception that Mexican food doesn’t feature many green vegetables. In fact, Mexican food features a variety of green salads, as well as mixed vegetable salads like cucumber, nopales, and more.
- Black bean and corn salad: This black bean and corn salad is perfect for meal prep, since it tastes better after refrigerating for a few hours.
- Nopalitos salad with black beans: Another great meal prep recipe, serve with tostadas for an easy lunch.
- Ensalada de berro (Watercress salad): Watercress is a common type of wild greens used in Mexican food called quelites.
- Hearts of palm salad: Canned hearts of palm are a convenient way to add potassium to your diet (3).
- Mexican cucumber salad: Cucumber is a great source of hydration and a very popular vegetable in Mexican salads and snacks.
- Caesar Salad: Fun fact! The Caesar salad was invented in Tijuana in the 1920’s by a chef named … you guessed it … Ceasar.
Salsa
Salsa is my favorite way to add vegetables to Mexican food! Here are some of my favorite salsa recipes.
- Chile de arbol salsa with pepitas: This salsa is extra spicy and features pepitas for a little extra creaminess.
- Roasted tomatillo salsa: Roasting the tomatillos adds extra toasty flavor to the bright acidity of the tomatillos.
- The Best Salsa Ranchera: The most classic salsa, you’ll make it over and over again. You can even use this salsa to make classic dishes like huevos ahogados.
- Salsa macha recipe: An extra spicy salsa with sesame seeds and chile de arbol.
- Pico de gallo: Chopped tomato and onion make for a great dip with chips, or a perfect topping for tostadas.
- Mexican salsa in a molcajete: A classic salsa served in a molcajete!
Final Thoughts
As you can see, there are countless healthy Mexican side dishes to choose from! Whether it’s a healthy carb, beans, or a Mexican vegetable dish, it’s easy to build a balanced meal with one of these healthy side dishes!
Need more help planning healthy Latino meals? You’ll want a copy of my free 1-week Mexican meal plan! Get your copy when you sign up below.