California Quesadilla

I’ve been into Mexican food lately and fell in love with a very fattening style of burrito usually called a “California Burrito” out here in La La Land. The California burrito and the California quesadilla have the same ingredients, the only difference is the fold of the tortilla…

It contains grilled chicken (or beef or pork,) cheese and guacamole and/or sour cream, wrapped inside a grilled flour tortilla. Sometimes it has fresh salsa or pico de gallo in it, but usually no beans.

It’s soooo flippin’ yummy, but every time I eat one, I feel sick full afterwards. It all sounds healthy enough from the ingredients, but the nutritional information on most restaurant burritos that I’ve found online is 1,000 calories or more!

A CALORIE BOMB, yo…

That’s half my calories for a whole day. So I decided to try whipping up a simple healthier version at home and I LOVE IT! I just had it for lunch.

It’s just a 100% whole wheat tortilla: 130 calories.

One small grilled seasoned chicken breast, diced: 150-200 calories.

One half cup of 2% shredded cheddar cheese: 80 calories.

Diced onion (optional) and diced or chopped tomatoes or fresh salsa (to taste, shouldn’t add much more than 30-50 calories.)

Few slices of avocado (50 calories).

And Fage Greek plain nonfat yogurt- 1/4 cup seasoned with garlic salt to taste (30 calories).

Psst: You can use low fat sour cream instead. I don’t like nonfat sour cream, and the Fage has way more calcium and protein for a nutritional boost. You can really layer it on it’s so low cal!

I’ve just discovered this yogurt mixed with garlic salt makes a delicious dip and tastes very similar to sour cream in foods…

I first melt the cheese on the tortilla for 20-30 seconds in the micro, then heat the outside of the tortilla to crispy in a nonstick pan. Add the chicken then everything else and fold for a quesadilla or roll for a burrito. So easy even I can do it. It’s big, so cut in half for easier eatin’.

The whole thing comes to about 450-500 calories. I didn’t have ripe avocado today so mine was around 450. DELISH!

XOXO-

~ Heidi