Calories in Nachos with Cheese

Nachos and cheese are a combination made in heaven - I don't know anyone who wouldn't do anything for a crispy side dish of nachos with a sizzling cheesy dip to go with it. As tempting as this dish is, it does come sadly with a high calorie label smacked to its bottom. The only solace worth offering is if you tell yourself that by managing your portions efficiently and not crossing over a certain calorie barrier, you can enjoy this dish minus the worries. The health conscious can turn those frowns the right side up, because anything if eaten in moderation can be consumed without fretting about what the numbers will reveal the next time you weigh yourself.

Enjoy the moment of eating your favorite foods, but keeping in mind that portion control is everything. When it comes to the calories in nachos with cheese, I can understand how hard it may be to stop yourself after the 10th nacho has been crunched away. Nonetheless, balance out your portion intake - it's not like you don't have another day to enjoy the same dish.

Nachos with Cheese and Salsa

I've put together a recipe that will help you gage how many calories are contained within a serving of nachos with cheese coupled with salsa. Also keep in mind that minus the salsa and only including the cheese dip will pack in less calories.

Ingredients Needed

1 regular sized packet of nacho chips (30g approx.)
4 tablespoons of sour cream
1 large tomato
2 green chilies
2 tablespoons of lemon juice
1 tablespoon of cilantro (chopped)
a teaspoon of pepper
A pinch of paprika
2 cloves of garlic
1 teaspoon of olive oil

Preparation

Empty out the nachos onto a wide plate, and set aside this two bowls for the cheese and salsa dip. Combine together the sour cream, crushed garlic, pepper, chopped mint and paprika. Stir these together nicely until all ingredients have been blended well with the cheese. For the salsa, finely chop the tomato, mixing together the cilantro, lemon juice and finely chopped chillies. Add a teaspoon of olive oil to this, to bring all the elements together. You can pour out both your dips over the nachos in a layer of cheesy salsa, or dip them individually as you savor each crunchy mouthful. Minus the salsa, calories = 345.

Calories: 380

Sodium: 779mg

Fat: 20g

Carbohydrates: 39g

Protein: 6.5g

Cholesterol: 14.5mg

Nachos with Beans

Beans are an integral part of the nachos and cheese mix, but there's no hard and fast rule to include these in. It can be quite filling, and in my opinion unnecessary if you already decide to have cheese and salsa on the side.

Ingredients Needed

1 regular sized packet of nacho chips (30g approx.)
Red kidney beans (117g)
a teaspoon of pepper
A pinch of paprika
A pinch/two of salt
1 teaspoon of chili flakes
1 tablespoon of cilantro
2 tablespoons of lemon juice
A pinch of cardamom powder

Preparation

Using a nice wide plate, place the nachos off to one side and a bowl to the other with your bean mix. Combine and semi mash together the beans, pepper, salt, paprika, cardamom powder, chili flakes, cilantro and lemon juice before heaping it into the bowl. You can now relish your nachos with beans.

Calories: 235

Sodium: 317mg

Fat: 13g

Carbohydrates: 20g

Protein: 8.58g

Cholesterol: 20.38mg

Knowing how much of something is okay to eat is what will help you enjoy your favorite snacks and meals, without compromising on your health. Switch to baked nachos to decrease the number of calories you consume, to make it an all healthy eat. Hearty eating!