Zip It! 5-minute Meal!

_______________________________________

Zip It! 5-minute Meal!

WOULD YOU BELIEVE:
• A burrito can be as high as 22 grams of fat and 540 calories (Taco Bell® Burrito Supreme).
• You can make a delicious low-fat burrito in as little as 5 minutes.

SOME FACTS: Burritos can be an excellent low- fat way to eat beans. Unlike tacos, they have the advantage of having a "shell," a flour tortilla that is not fried. You still need to be careful of what kind of flour tortilla you use, however. Some of them are made with lard or a substantial amount of oil in them. It is preferable to use whole wheat flour tortillas with 1 or 2 grams of fat per tortilla. The fillings also play a part in making the burrito high or low in fat. The beef, sour cream, cheese, and guacamole are all high in fat content. Even the beans can be high in fat because they are "refried." The trick is to use nonfat "refried" beans or make the beans yourself.

Recipe: Zip Burritos

4 Whole wheat tortillas or chapatis
1C Nonfat refried beans
½C Fresh salsa 1C Lettuce, chopped
½C Alfalfa sprouts
1 Tomato, chopped 1 Green onion, chopped

Heat the beans either in a microwave or put them in a saucepan, stirring them on the stove until heated. Spoon some of the nonfat refried beans onto a tortilla from end to end, then add fresh salsa (if you are in a hurry, use bottled salsa) over the beans. Next add the chopped lettuce, alfalfa sprouts, tomatoes, and green onion. Fold in the sides of the tortilla and hold it together with a toothpick. Makes 4 portions.

(1 portion = 183.2 calories, 3.0 grams fat, 15% protein, 71% carbohydrates, 14% fat)
Recipe: Pronto Bean and Rice Burritos
1C Basmati brown rice, steamed until tender and set aside
10 Whole-wheat chapatis or tortillas
1 can Chili beans (16 oz.), cooked
1 Bell pepper, diced
1 Tomato, chopped
¼C Onion, chopped
1 clove Garlic, minced
1 tsp. Ground cumin, or to taste
1 Tbsp. Chili powder, or to taste
2 Tbsp. Prepared salsa
¼C Green onions, chopped
¼C Cilantro, chopped

Lightly warm chapatis or tortillas in oven, watching carefully so they remain soft. Reheat rice.
In the meantime, combine beans, bean liquid, bell pepper, tomato, onion, garlic, cumin, chili powder, and salsa in a saucepan. Simmer about 5 minutes.

Place a heaping tablespoon of rice and 1 to 2 tablespoons of the bean mixture in the warm chapatis or tortilla. Garnish with additional salsa, green onions, and cilantro and roll into a burrito.