So you're finally headed home. If you're anything like me, you're hungry and you want to have a nice dinner with little to no prepping, especially after a long day at work. A quick fix would be grabbing fast food or going out to a restaurant for a meal. But how often have you done that lately? What if I told you a quick grocery store haul and a 5-minute prep is all you need for tonight's dinner. AND there will be plenty of leftovers to give you dinner for the next few nights? Let's talk tacos.

Tacos are so versatile since you can pretty much put whatever you want in them. It's also a great way to clean out your fridge if you have leftover veggies and protein. Everyone seems to love tacos nowadays, but I honestly don't think they love tacos like us Texans love tacos.

Depending on how flexible your work schedule is, going to the grocery store during your lunch break or between 4:00-4:45pm would be most ideal since there will be less people at the store so you can get through the grocery line quicker. The plan is to purchase as much pre-made/pre-washed items as possible to save yourself time from prepping. IF you get off work at 5:00pm or later, here's your game plan:
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• Make your grocery list ahead of time (see below for grocery list),
• stay focused - make a beeline to only the ingredients on your grocery list (I know I know, easier said than done!),
• add no more than 10 or 15 items to your basket or cart,
• checkout at the express lane or do it yourself at the self-checkout kiosks,
• and get home to quickly assemble your meal.

Grocery List

• Rotisserie chicken ( substitute beans or tofu if you're vegetarian)
• Corn tortillas, either street-sized or taco-sized
• Salsa
• Guacamole
• Cilantro
• More taco topper options for extra goodness, if desired:
  • Black beans, canned
  • Corn, canned
  • Shredded lettuce
  • Pico de gallo

​ Once you've survived the hustle and bustle of the grocery store and made it home safely, it's assembly time!

1. Heat up the tortillas in a pan at medium heat (or microwave for 30 seconds to 1 minute, depending on how hot you want it).
2. While tortillas are heating up, get the rotisserie chicken and pull off some of the meat. Shred it with your fingers. Set aside.
3. Lay out the tortillas on a plate.
4. Top each taco with a layer of:
   1. Chicken (or your veggie substitute...or just add on the veggies for extra nutrition)
   2. Guacamole
   3. Salsa
   4. Any other toppings you desire (lettuce, corn, black beans, etc)
      Note: It's a good time to get creative! For me, I had some extra romaine lettuce in the fridge so I chopped it up and added them to the tacos for extra crunch.
   5. And for the finale, tear cilantro in thirds and place it on top of each taco
      Note: Sometimes people just use the cilantro leaves. The stems of the cilantro actually has the most flavor, so I keep the stems in there.

I wouldn't be a dietitian if I didn't get into the nutrient content of what you're eating, right? Let's talk about tortillas today.
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Tortillas
There's a reason I suggested corn tortillas over flour tortillas. To keep it consistent, I compared only Mission brand tortillas. Here's a quick table:

Corn tortillas are amazingly low in sodium which is not the case with its flour counterpart. Getting pre-made foods at the grocery store is convenient, but sodium will most likely be high for those products. Using corn tortillas will help balance your sodium consumption during dinner.

Why is sodium a concern? Americans consume an average of 3,400 milligrams (mg) of sodium per day, but the daily recommendation of sodium is 2,300 mg which is equivalent to 1 teaspoon of salt. If you have high blood pressure (hypertension), it is recommended to keep sodium under 1,500 mg per day. Keeping sodium in check in your diet can help maintain your heart health and keep blood pressure in check.

With the corn tortilla's additional benefits of lower calories, fat, and carbohydrates, you're free to load on heart-healthy fats from the avocado in the guacamole, enjoy the antioxidant power of lycopene found in the salsa's tomatoes, and feel fullness from the chicken. If you added corn or black beans to them, you're getting some good fiber in which will help with your digestion and promote a healthy gut!

Bon Appétit!

​​Jane the Dietitian

​ ​If you enjoyed this post, please follow me on Facebook , Twitter , and Instagram . Want to talk? Email me at janethedietitian@gmail.com . ​

My husband and I have been together for almost 8 years now. Overtime, we've become one (sounds cheesy, I know). And as one, we can definitively say we love chicken wings. Like really love chicken wings. In our younger years before cooking and adulting, we heated up precooked, frozen wings. We then evolved to baking them from scratch in the oven. Now we air-fry them since it gives us crispy wings without added oils!

I'm not going to preach what you shouldn't eat at the Super Bowl gathering but just suggest what you can add to your plate or bowl to give your body some extra TLC. Two ways to give your body love at a Super Bowl party is to mix in buffalo cauliflower "wings" with regular wings and provide black bean dip for your chips.

Cauliflower is a rich source of potassium which helps regulate your blood pressure. So while you're eating  hot dogs, nachos, and pizza, your salt consumption will increase quickly. Adding foods like cauliflower "wings" introduces potassium which helps counterbalance your sodium intake. It's also a good source of insoluble fiber. So while you're jumping up and down to cheer on your favorite team tomorrow, the fiber will be working hard to move your food through your digestive tract.

Black beans are a legume high in soluble fiber which makes a good balance to any cholesterol-rich foods like cheeseburgers and deviled eggs. The fiber will bind to the cholesterol and reduce the amount of cholesterol floating in your bloodstream. Wonderful!
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​If making cauliflower wings and black bean dip is too much of a hassle or you're wanting more nutrition power on game day, give that lonely veggie plate some attention. Celery, carrots, and broccoli are all natural sources of potassium and fiber. Your body will thank you!

Happy Game Day!

​Jane the Dietitian

​If you enjoyed this post, please follow me on Facebook , Twitter , and Instagram . Want to talk to me? Email me at janethedietitian@gmail.com . ​