Whether you're dining at an upscale Mexican restaurant or grabbing lunch at the taco truck, you can make smart choices to get a healthier and more satisfying meal. These tips will help.

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Ancho Pepper: A dried Poblano chile, ancho has a mild, sweet flavor rather than actual heat.

Carnitas: Literally “little meats,” carnitas refers to pulled pork, often used in traditional tacos as filling.

Chayote: This versatile, green Mexican fruit (similar to squash) can be cooked as a side, or found diced on salads or even as dessert.

Chipotle pepper: A dried, smoked jalapeño chili, this distinctive smoky pepper retains some of the jalapeño’s infamous heat.

Cotija: A hard cow’s-milk cheese, this hard, flavorful and salty cheese draws frequent comparisons to Parmesan.

Horchata: In the U.S., horcahata is usually a chilled drink made with rice and spice. It has a slight grainy texture, slight sweetness and a flavor reminiscent of rice pudding.

Huitlacoche: Sometimes referred to as the “Mexican truffle” (as in the mushroom) this fungus grows on corn plants and has an earthy, savory flavor that makes it a delicacy.

Jicama: This crunchy, refreshing root vegetable is often sliced and enjoyed raw. It adds crunch and flavor to salads, salsas and other dishes.

Mole: While it’s used synonymously with mole poblano, the red-brown sauce of chili peppers and chocolate, Mexican mole actually includes a family of sauces in colors of black, red and green.

Nopales: The flat leaves of the prickly pear cactus, these are prepared as nopalitos.

Pepitas: These roasted pumpkin seeds often appear as a flavor-and-texture enhancer on salads and other dishes.

Tamales: A popular staple, tamales are made from a mix of ground corn and shortening, and then cooked to a firm, doughy consistency in a corn husk. They are often filled with small bits of chicken or pork, and sauce.

Tomatillo: This tart, acidic fruit looks like a small tomato in a paper husk and forms the foundation for Mexican verdes, or green sauces.

Queso fresco: Literally “fresh cheese,” this delicate white cheese is a great choice, with only 2 PointsPlus values per ounce, compared to 4 for common Stateside substitutions like Monterey Jack or cheddar.

Course: Appetizers

When the chips are down
Fried tortilla chips are the greatest temptation at the Mexican table. “These chips can be fried three times, reaching 20 to 25 calories per chip,” says Henderiks. Count on clocking in at 4 PointsPlus® values for a dozen chips. “One strategy is to take the chips you are comfortable with, whether it’s six or twelve, put them on your plate and make that the limit,” she says. She suggests asking for some sliced vegetables, so you can dip them in salsa and guacamole instead of the chips.

Double, or triple, dip
Now that you’ve got your portion of chips, make 'em last. “I make it a point to use the chips like a spoon. Take two scoops of salsa off the chip, and only eat the chip on the third scoop,” says Henderiks. You’ll cut your chip intake by two-thirds, but fill up on healthy salsa. (Make sure to put the salsa on your plate first. George Costanza may be watching.)

Keep the salsa
Salsa and pico de gallo (similar to salsa, but with less liquid) are two fantastic condiments, and both are usually free of PointsPlus values. So don't let the server remove the salsa or the pico de gallo when your meal arrives. “If you are skipping cheese or sour cream, salsa can be a great addition to spoon on your main course,” says Henderiks.

Go fish
Mexico has a finely developed coastal cuisine. It's packed with fresh dishes like ceviche, made by “cooking” shrimp, tuna, squid, octopus and other fish in citrus juice. “A ceviche is a great appetizer, packed with protein and flavor. It's like Mexican sushi,” says Henderiks. A half-cup is just 2 PointsPlus values, while the protein-rich fish gets your meal started right, satisfying your hunger.

Course: Mains and Sides

Know your tortillas
A whole-wheat tortilla is your best option, but many Mexican restaurants won't offer them. In that event, choose a corn tortilla over flour, and go for soft over hard. “Corn is a whole grain," says Henderiks, "while a flour tortilla is all refined grain with no nutritional value, like eating a pretzel. Hard tortilla shells are deep-fried. Both corn and flour soft tortillas have about 4 PointsPlus values, but the corn will be a more nutritious choice.

Lime: It’s not just for Corona
Trimming an ounce of cheese from your entrée can eliminate up to 4 PointsPlus values. Ditto for sour cream, with 1 PointsPlus value per tablespoon. But what can help make up for the loss of flavor? That little green wedge on your plate. “A squeeze of limes does a beautiful thing for Mexican dishes,” says Henderiks. “Ask for a side of lime wedges and you won’t miss the fatty toppings,”

Take a side adventure
Despite popular belief, refried beans and rice aren’t the only side-dish choices at most Mexican restaurants. They are, however, probably the most boring. So get adventurous. Try sliced jicama root, for one option. It's like the Iceberg lettuce salad of Mexico, crunchy and refreshing, often mixed with fruits or vegetables. And it has 0 PointsPlus values on its own. Nopalitos are another great choice. These cactus paddles are high in fiber and vitamins, and have only the fat they're cooked with, so a serving might contain just 1 PointsPlus value. If you must have bean, go for whole pinto beans or black beans in place of refried. This will cut the PointsPlus values for a serving by half.

Course: Drinks

Need a Margarita?
The flagship cocktail of Mexico, real margaritas are a refreshing blend of lime juice, sweet triple sec and herbaceous tequila (although inferior ones made using sour mix, with its telltale green hue, still abound). Either way this cocktail will cost you at least 9 PointsPlus values, and that’s assuming your glass isn't large enough to house several goldfish. As an alternative, order a Paloma. The authentic cocktail that Mexicans drink, a Paloma is Tequila topped with Squirt, a grapefruit soda, and contains 7 PointsPlus values.

Cerveza, por favor
With typical beers (like Corona) clocking in at about 5 PointsPlus values, cold beverages can add a lot of baggage when you’re trying to beat the heat of Mexican cuisine. While it’s a few more calories (about 169 versus 148 for Corona), a dark beer like Negro Modelo can be a better match, with chocolate and caramel notes that nicely complement Mexican cuisine. Grab one of these, and add a water on the side. You'll likely be satisfied after drinking one or two, and less tempted to keep ordering round after round with your meal.

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Let’s Go Out for … Mexican

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