Thank heavens for my kids. They provide a ready excuse for the drive-thru. Because, admit it, you yearn for McDonald's. We all do. But just like Jamie Lee Curtis on Freaky Friday, we fear them. Instead we sneak a bite of our kids' fries, which have no calories because they aren't officially ours.

Another item we fear, but tastes mighty good in that low-rent way, is the Taco Bell Crunchy Taco, the old-fashioned one with the crunchy corn shell filled with greasy ground beef and topped with nutrition deficient iceberg lettuce and processed shredded cheese.

Which brings me to how I really like tacos — the authentic Mexican way with a flavorful filling of pork or fried fish, soft corn tortilla, and nothing much more. Sometimes they're served with a slaw, but most times, just cilantro, lime and onion.

The key is having a flavorful filling and a corn tortilla. Pork carnitas are a classic Mexican filling for soft tacos. Carnitas, which is Spanish for "little meats," is simply a dish of small bits or shreds of well-browned pork. Typically it's made from an inexpensive cut such as the shoulder or butt, which also has ample amounts of fat, keeping it tender, moist and flavorful.

The classic Hawaiian dish, Kalua Pork, makes a terrific filling for soft tacos with nothing more than a squeeze of lime and a sprig of cilantro. You can add some Mexican cheese (like the crumbly Queso Fresco), chunks of mango, lettuce or some elaborate slaw, but it isn't really necessary. What is necessary is fresh corn tortillas and the pork, which you'll have plenty of. Have your kids make it for you, and it will be calorie free too.