With recent, responsibly-sourced elements, Chipotle makes it simple to eat wholesome on the go. However the yummy chips, toppings, and tortillas additionally make it simple to show your order into an unintended cheat meal. So what must you order at Chipotle? We requested two vitamin consultants to interrupt down suggestions for locating the healthiest choices.
(Dietary knowledge is supplied by the Chipotle Diet Calculator.)
1. Begin with the Fundamentals
While you’re deciding what to order at Chipotle, skip the burrito — the massive flour tortilla comprises 320 energy, and that’s earlier than you add any toppings. “Go for the tacos, salad, or bowls as an alternative,” says Kristian Morey, RD, LDN and Scientific dietitian at The Middle for Endocrinology at Mercy Medical Middle in Baltimore.
Right here’s how these choices stack up:
- Salad is your greatest guess, with simply 15 energy within the mattress of supergreens.
- In the event you order a burrito bowl, select brown rice over white. A traditional serving of rice (in a burrito bowl, burrito, or a three-taco meal) comprises 210 energy, so request a “gentle” portion in particular person or within the app when ordering — or skip it altogether.
- In the event you order tacos, go for the crispy corn shells — an order of three comprises 200 energy and 0 sodium, in comparison with 250 energy and 480 mg of sodium for 3 comfortable flour tortillas.
2. Add Lean Protein
Subsequent, add some wholesome protein to your order. Black beans and pinto beans each include 130 energy and eight grams of protein in a median scoop, so select whichever bean you want greatest.
For the primary protein occasion, go for rooster or sofritas (shredded tofu braised in spices). “Each are decrease in saturated fats than crimson meat,” says Sofia Norton, RD at Kiss My Keto. Sofritas clock in at 150 energy, 8 grams of protein, and 1.5 grams of saturated fats per serving. The rooster possibility has 180 energy and three grams of saturated fats, however a whopping 32 grams of protein per serving.
3. Go Heavy on the Veggies
Norton suggests together with loads of veggies, so add some fajita greens, tomatillo salsa, pico de gallo, roasted chili corn, or further supergreens to your dish. (Go best on the corn, which comprises 80 energy per serving.)
4. Watch Out for Saturated Fats
Don’t overdo it in the case of shredded cheese, queso blanco sauce, and bitter cream — these can add lots of saturated fats and energy to your meal. (Chipotle’s shredded cheese has 5 grams of saturated fats per serving, queso blanco has 6 grams, and bitter cream has 7 grams.)
Chipotle’s salsa choices — each the recent tomato salsa and the tomatillo green-chili salsa — are nice, low-cal, flavorful choices. However should you’re craving a creamy topping or dip, decide only one, and request a lightweight portion. Even higher, order it on the aspect so you’ll be able to management how a lot you add to your meals, Morey says.
5. Spring for the Guac
Avocados include “priceless vitamins like fiber, B nutritional vitamins, and potassium,” Norton says, together with wholesome fat which might be believed to learn coronary heart well being. And Chipotle’s guacamole consists of solely actual stuff — avocados, cilantro, jalapeño, lemon juice, lime juice, crimson onion, and salt — no humorous enterprise like preservatives or synthetic flavors. Simply remember that a serving to of guac provides 230 energy to your meal, so chances are you’ll need to order it on the aspect so you’ll be able to eat half now and save the remaining for later.
6. Skip the Chips
Chips are tempting, however go away them off your order. “The smallest possibility clocks in at over 500 energy,” Morey says. “That’s virtually a meal’s price for some individuals.” And a big order of chips with a aspect of queso blanco will run you 1,290 energy and comprises 28 grams of saturated fats.
7. Take Benefit of the Diet Calculator
Earlier than you order, Morey recommends working your order via the helpful Diet Calculator on the Chipotle web site — it calculates the total dietary info of your meal. You may as well see the distinction in dietary stats should you select to go “further,” “regular,” or “gentle” on any of your choices. As an illustration, you’ll be able to rapidly see that selecting a lightweight serving of cilantro-lime brown rice as an alternative of a standard serving will shave off 105 energy.
Straightforward Choices to Order at Chipotle
Nonetheless unsure what to order at Chipotle? Listed below are a couple of choices that provide loads of vitamins. (Be mindful the sodium content material may be important, even within the healthiest choices at Chipotle — so attempt to restrict your sodium consumption the remainder of the day.)
Salad with rooster
Add black beans, fajita greens, and recent tomato salsa.
- Energy: 360
- Fats: 9 grams
- Protein: 41 grams
- Carbohydrates: 32 grams
Burrito bowl with sofritas
Add cilantro-lime brown rice (gentle), pinto beans, fajita greens, tomatillo green-chili salsa, and romaine lettuce
- Energy: 425
- Fats: 15 grams
- Protein: 19 grams
- Carbohydrates: 58 grams
Veggie tacos
Select two crispy corn tortillas as an alternative of three, and add black beans, fajita greens, recent tomato salsa, guacamole, and romaine lettuce
- Energy: 406
- Fats: 22 grams
- Protein: 10 grams
- Carbohydrates: 46 grams
Way of life Bowls
In the event you’re following a selected weight-reduction plan plan, you may also select certainly one of Chipotle’s pre-designed Way of life Bowls — they’re accessible in Whole30, paleo, and vegan-friendly variations.
