Are chicken fajitas healthy

[pollypoxx]

On one hand protein and veg. On the other sour cream and cheese.

Trying to eat in a calorie deficit at the moment and just wondering if this is a good dinner choice, particularly if I were to forego the wraps and have some cauliflower rice with them too.

Opinions?

Could use a sweet potato wrap instead. Also make guacamole with fresh chilli's, lime and corriander to give a healthy creamy flavour kick rather than cheese and cream.

So that’s your problem, not the actual chicken fajitas. 😂

this is a staple in my calorie deficit (18 pounds down so far). I have two o l del paso wraps with sour cream. No cheese though.

If you want to reduce calories get half fat cheese and sour cream, swop the wrap for lettuce leaves and avoid using too much oil for frying. If you want to make it healthier, make your own spice mix & use slightly less but proper cheddar full fat cheese. Definitely avoid the tubes of processed sour cream and use the real deal in moderation or mixed with Greek yogurt.

Could always have in a lettuce wrap rather than a proper one x

We never put cheese in fajitas - clearly missing out! I tend to use one wrap as a "base" then chicken/veg and eat it with a knife and fork, which I know is missing the point, but I hate messy food.

Instead of sour cream and cheese why not have home made guac and salsa? Much healthier that way!

It all depends I think... You have your low fat calorie counter PPs who swap for Greek yoghurt or get rid of all dairy all together.

Then you have people like me that are low carb, so will do cauli rice or lettuce wraps, but we don't necessarily restrict cheese and sour cream.

FWIW I have tried every diet under the sun and calorie counted until I was blue in the face. I've also done WW and Slimming World and Jenny Craig.

The only "diet" that has ever worked for me is keto. I have lost more weight per week than any other way of eating and because I don't have to restrict myself it is sustainable.

I don't calorie count at all, I eat until I'm full and my body seems to just know what it needs.

My 69 year old mother with thyroid issues is losing almost as much as me a week and can't believe it after a lifetime of food restriction.

Completely depends on which spices you are using (some of the kits have oil based spices), which wraps, how you cook the chicken and veg and how much cheese and sour cream you have.
We have fajitas once every 2 weeks and I'm calorie counting. They are one of the slightly higher calorie dinners I have but no means the worse.

Sour cream and cheese are a good source of protein. If you’re worried about anything, I’d cut the wrap and have it on top of salad for extra veg. But yes, I’d consider them healthy, as long as you eat one or two, with extra veg or salad to bulk out as needed.

Cheese is nutrient dense and a good source of calcium. It will keep you feeling full. I wouldn't ditch it.

I would cook the chicken and veg in the oven or air-fryer and use wholemeal wraps instead of the kit tortillas. Add some avocado, and maybe a side salad instead of rice if you need more.

To be honest I found it a little bit confusing as well; "healthy" and "calorie deficit" are really two separate considerations. You could eat junk all day, as long as it fit in your calorie deficit, and still technically lose weight. If you're trying to eat in a calorie deficit then you just need to make sure that whatever you are eating fits within that deficit. Cheese and sour cream are not unhealthy, they just might have a little bit of higher calorie count than other foods that you could eat.

I thought the advice nowadays was to use full fat things rather than low fat alternatives. Is that not the case?
genuine question.
its so hard to know. The advice seems to change

You still need some fats in your diet. You just need to control how much.

guess the answer to your question is yes, depends how you prepare it. If you fry the chicken in a river of oil, no. If you bake it - sure. I for one don’t like ‘low fat’ alternatives as the fat content is usually subsidised with sugars which your body turns back in to fat. So full fat, just less.

Is it healthy - yes sure. Have it alongside a salad including Spinach and watercress, or similar and tomatoes etc and you'll be boosting your vitamin intake even further.

Is it low calorie enough to keep you in a target calories deficit?? Probably not - especially if you "can't possibly ditch the sour cream and cheese". You can reduce the amount of calories by using a leaf of iceburg lettuce instead of a wrap and limiting the QUANTITY of it you eat.
If you eat a lot of anything - even "healthy" food you'll still gain weight.

Yes Fajitas can be a very healthy meal.
Ditch the cheese…shouldn’t be there anyway.
Swap the sour cream for Greek yogurt. My lot didn’t even notice when I did that.
I just mash the avacado and we also have spicy salsa.
I preseason the chicken with cumin, organic, chilli flakes, hot paprika , salt and black pepper and garlic.
I then dry fry the chicken in a very hot wok (you can use a little bit of oil if you want to) and then add red peppers and red onions and fry them until they’re almost a little charred on the edges (I like them that’s way)
I use Tesco wraps. One of the easiest meals to make.

I often make fajitas for a packed lunch (admittedly I'm not trying to lose weight) I mix my own spices , chicken and use frozen peppers because I can't be bothered to chop peppers before breakfast! I use a small amount of salsa and grated smoked cheese (the smoked cheese is a stronger taste so I have less) in a wrap. I recently bought low carb wraps they are fairly similar to tortillas

The difference between 30ml (2 tbsp) sour cream and yoghurt is absolutely negligible in the scheme of a full day's eating, look at the table. The difference between the highest calorie option and the lowest is 35 calories.

You can add extra veg and salad for nutrition but protein + veg + fat + carbs is a balanced meal so you can easily fit chicken fajitas into whatever your dinner calorie budget is e.g. 500-600.

If it's home made and no UPFs. Yum yum

Wholewheat wraps or big lettuce leaves as wraps. Greek yoghurt mixed with a few spices and lime juice rather than sour cream. Very strong cheese so you need less to taste.

If you're eating in a calorie deficit I really think you need to keep the meals you love and enjoy them. Just tweak the rest of the day to accommodate.

The only reason for choosing wholewheat wraps would be extra fibre which is healthy but nothing whatsoever to do with a calorie deficit.

The only reason for choosing lettuce leaves over wraps would be if you were eating low-carb, or if the rest of your day's eating had taken you to the brink so the 92 calories in a wrap would tip you over the edge.

The only reason for choosing greek yoghurt mixed with spices and lime juice over sour cream would be if you like it better.

'Healthy' and 'low calorie' are two completely different things.

Do you want a healthy meal, or a low-calorie meal? If it's the latter then yes, you are going to have to make some sacrifices in either quantity, taste or texture.

There is nothing unhealthy about cheese or sour cream, chicken or spices, vegetables or rice.

I’d skip shop bought tortilla as they can seemingly survive a nuclear blast and that would tell me they have things in them I don’t really want to eat. But happily they are very easy and quick to make.

If I’m sitting down to eat a good meal I’m putting as much cheese and cream on there as I like and making sure to add extra olive oil to the wraps, so we will all be properly full after and I won’t be nagged into providing cake and ice cream for the kids.

I have sweet potato or butternut squash in mine, and roast everything in the oven. I also have a massive green salad in it.
doesnt help you with your cheese and sour cream love though.

Just eat one not two.
Everything in moderation.