What I'd Order at a Mexican Restaurant to Lose Weight

Fajitas are the best order in the building. Everything arrives separate, so you build it the way you want.

John Schaefer, fat loss coach for 27 years · Updated October 2026

Type your goal weight and every order below shows how much of your calories and protein it covers. Same math I use with clients: goal weight x 12 for calories, goal weight x 0.7 for protein.

What do I order?

Tell me where you're eating and your goal weight. I'll tell you exactly what to get, with the calories and protein.

Want me to email you your numbers? Your calories, protein, carbs and fats for your goal weight, plus this page so you have it at the table.

Answers are estimates from published nutrition data, not medical advice.

What I order

Shrimp cocktail or ceviche

Lunch style

Great starter or light lunch with a side of guac

350calories32gprotein

For a 150 lb goal: 19% of your calories and 30% of your protein for the day.

Carne asada plate

Carb meal

Side salad plus beans OR rice, not both

750calories55gprotein

For a 150 lb goal: 42% of your calories and 52% of your protein for the day.

Steak or chicken fajitas

Lunch style

How I order it, the calories and the protein are in the Eating Out Playbook, along with 60 other chains and 25 kinds of restaurants.

See the Playbook ($7) →

The move: Decide on the chips before you sit down. A handful is fine. The basket that refills itself is the problem.

Skip these

Chips and salsa, one basket650 cal
Chimichanga or cheese enchiladas plate1,300 cal
Frozen margarita450 cal

Drinks: Tequila soda with lime is about 100 calories. A house margarita can run 300 to 500.

Estimates for a typical restaurant portion in the US. Treat them as a close guide.

How I fit any restaurant into the day

Protein firstEat the protein, then the vegetables and fats, then the carbs. You're satisfied before the bread matters.

One carb meal a dayBread, rice, pasta, potatoes, fries. Keep the big carb hit to one meal. On a night out, that's dinner.

Zoom out to the weekFat loss runs on your weekly average. One dinner out is easy to absorb when the rest of the week is steady.

The Eating Out Playbook

Every restaurant you go to, already figured out.

60 chains and 25 kinds of restaurants, including every mexican spot. Search the place you're going, pick an order, and see how it fits your goal weight before you sit down. Works on your phone, $7 one time.

Get the Playbook Free: my numbers

Quick answers

What is the healthiest thing to order at a Mexican Restaurant?

Shrimp cocktail or ceviche: Great starter or light lunch with a side of guac. Around 350 calories and 32g of protein.

What should I skip at a Mexican Restaurant when I'm losing weight?

Chips and salsa, one basket (650 calories), Chimichanga or cheese enchiladas plate (1,300 calories), Frozen margarita (450 calories).

What about drinks?

Tequila soda with lime is about 100 calories. A house margarita can run 300 to 500.