I love Chipotle. That’s no secret. The chain restaurant readily advertises its “food with integrity,” and who could argue with the beauty of hormone- and antibiotic-free meats and produce sourced from local suppliers. It’s beautiful. And delicious. So much so that Health magazine named Chipotle the #6 healthiest fast food restaurant in all of America. But there’s a catch.
Restaurants, in and of themselves, are not good for you. The healthful food choices inside the restaurant are good for you if (and that’s a super huge hairy IF) you choose wisely. Otherwise, even Chipotle can spread your hips a mile wide. Case in point:
Meal #1 (What I really want to order every time I go to Chipotle)
My favorite burrito with barbacoa, white rice, pinto beans, fajita veggies, tomato salsa, corn salsa, sour cream, cheese, guacamole, lettuce would account for over 80% of my recommended calories for the WHOLE DAY, 125% of my upper limit on saturated fat intake, and more than 200% of my daily sodium limit. Granted, those hefty tolls come along with a mighty good punch of vitamins and minerals, but they better because I won’t get to eat much of anything else that day.
Meal #2 (What I actually usually order)
My totally yummy 2nd choice cuts calories in half. This burrito bowl (the guts of the burrito with no tortilla) also reduces the saturated fat by over 60%, and brings the sodium down to a still concerning but much better 2050 mg. I kept my beloved barbacoa, swapped out the white rice for brown rice to make up for lost fiber when I eliminated the mega-calorie tortilla. I kept the cheese – one of the three higher-fat options (cheese, sour cream, and guacamole) because of the protein and calcium it offers over the sour cream. Next time, I might go for the guacamole instead of the cheese – just to switch things up a little bit.
If you want to see the real deal on what you typically order and then find something a little more hip-friendly, check out this nifty nutrition tracker on Chipotle’s website. More and more fast food spots are starting to put these interactive applications on their sites, so try googling before you get to oogling.
