Quick Taco to Go

Servings: one

Equipment: toaster oven

How long does it take?

10 minutes to assemble, three minutes to toast

What's in it?

1 7-inch soft corn tortilla shell
1 ounce cheddar cheese, shredded
1 cup black beans, canned
1 tablespoon bottled salsa
1 large leaf of lettuce

How to make it:

Line the tray of a toaster oven with aluminum foil. Place tortilla on tray, and spread beans and cheese (use soy cheese if you don't eat dairy products) in a line down the center of the tortilla. Toast and remove from toaster oven. Chop lettuce, and sprinkle lettuce and salsa over the beans and cheese. When the tortilla is cool enough to handle, take the bottom edge (one of the sides that runs perpendicular to the line of beans and cheese) and fold it about two inches over the beans and cheese. This will help prevent dripping later. Then, fold one of the sides of the tortilla over the bean mixture and roll it up until you reach the other side. You'll have a tube, closed at one end and open at the top. Wrap a napkin around the bottom, and eat from the top down.

Nutrition breakdown:

Calories: 281, Protein: 15 g, Carbohydrate: 32 g, Fat: 11 g (saturated fat: 6 g), Fiber: 7 g, Sodium: 1226 mg, Vitamin A: 644 IU (80% of the RDA), Vitamin E: 3 mg (36% of the RDA), Calcium: 314 mg (26% of the RDA), Magnesium: 61 mg (22% of the RDA), Phosphorus: 344 mg (29% of the RDA), Iron: 2 mg (16% of the RDA)

What's in it for you?

Sodium is part of salt and is used as a preservative in foods like canned beans. Too much sodium (more than 4,000 mg, or 4 g, a day) can increase your blood pressure, which can make your heart work too hard.

Beans are a vegetarian's buddy. They have lots of protein, which makes them the perfect replacement for meat.

Chef's tip: Tortilla facts

Legend has it that tortillas were originally developed in Mexico in 10,000 B.C. as an edible eating utensil. You can find tortillas at the grocery store in the refrigerator, freezer, or bakery section. Tortillas come in several sizes and in corn or flour varieties. Corn tortillas tend to be lower in fat and richer in fiber and other nutrients than flour tortillas.