Craving quick meals however making an attempt to not skimp out on dietary advantages? Gaby Vaca-Flores, RDN, CLE, breaks down the right way to construct a wholesome order straight from the Chipotle menu.
Chipotle delivers on comfort and taste alike, and its reputation is essentially attributable to its customization issue. Chipotle solely makes use of 53 components to arrange their menu, but there are numerous meal mixtures to be made.
Furthermore, Chipotle has earned a repute for being a more healthy various to different quick meals eating places. Whereas they definitely do provide loads of nutritious choices, a few menu gadgets aren’t essentially the very best on your weight loss plan.
If you happen to commonly eat at Chipotle, it could be value re-evaluating your go-to order to just remember to are ordering along with your well being and wellness in thoughts. This dietitian-approved information to navigating the Chipotle menu will break down the healthiest selections, then give you three pattern order choices to attempt the following time you get takeout.
Whether or not you’re ordering a bowl or burrito, step one within the Chipotle expertise is choosing a base. You get to select from three choices:
- white rice
- brown rice
- no rice (maybe subbing with greens for a salad)
This can be stunning—largely as a result of white rice typically will get a foul rep—however white and brown rice are each wholesome choices. Each ship the identical quantity of energy (210 energy per serving) and solely differ barely of their fats and carbohydrate quantities.
The principle benefit that brown rice holds over its white counterpart is that it packs roughly a gram extra of fiber per half-cup of rice. With this in thoughts, each choices can contribute comparable dietary worth to your bowl or burrito.
Really useful Base Choices
Personally, I discover the blissful medium by asking for a lightweight quantity of brown rice (or white, if that’s what I’m within the temper for that day).
Skipping rice altogether might also be one thing to contemplate if you’re trying to construct a bowl that’s much less carb-heavy and also you wish to make room for different starchy toppings (i.e., beans). If I plan on having fun with chips with my bowl, I ask for no rice to assist create a extra balanced meal.
Subsequent in line are the protein choices. There’s a lot to select from, together with staples from the usual Chipotle menu:
- hen
- steak
- barbacoa (shredded beef)
- carnitas (shredded pork)
- sofritas (plant-based protein)
It’s value noting that Chipotle gives a number of several types of hen and steak selections that differ in taste and dietary worth.
The leanest protein choices at Chipotle are the common hen, common steak, and barbacoa. These choices present between 21 to 32 grams of protein and solely 6 to 7 grams of fats per serving.
The much less wholesome protein sources embrace garlic guajillo steak, carnitas, pollo asado, and hen al pastor. Primarily, these are thought-about much less wholesome as a result of they’re larger in fats, ranging in 11 to fifteen grams per serving.
Sofritas are the plant-based protein possibility which might be produced from sauteeing a mixture of chipotle peppers, tomatoes, spices, and tofu. This can be a scrumptious possibility for vegans and vegetarians. Although sofritas are a great supply of protein, additionally they present 10 grams of fats per serving.
It’s additionally value mentioning that Chipotle gives a ‘Veggie’ protein possibility that consists of guacamole and selection of beans. Whereas this selection supplies much less protein than the meat-based choices, it could possibly assist give your bowl or burrito a lift of wholesome fat and fiber.
Really useful Protein Choices
For a balanced meal at Chipotle filled with lean protein, I like to recommend selecting the next:
- hen (common)
- steak (common)
- barbacoa
Chipotle Menu: Veggies and Salsas
This step is the right alternative so as to add some colour and extra vitamins to your meal. You’ll be able to select from beans, lettuce, and fajita veggies. There are additionally a number of tiers of salsa obtainable that fluctuate in spiciness.
Relating to beans, you may choose black or pinto beans. Each choices provide close to similar dietary worth, offering 130 energy and eight grams of protein per serving. Plus, beans are a wonderful supply of fiber.
Equally, there aren’t any noteworthy dietary variations between the chopped romaine lettuce and fajita veggies. Nevertheless, lettuce will add a satisfying crunch to your meal. Fajita veggies, or sliced bell peppers, will add savoriness.
Moreover, the totally different salsa choices—such because the contemporary tomato salsa and the tomatillo inexperienced salsa—present one other alternative to spice up the quantity of taste and veggies into your meal.
Really useful Veggie and Salsa Choices
You’ll be able to’t go mistaken selecting any of the vegetable choices at Chipotle. Don’t overthink it and easily choose the mix of veggies that you simply choose. (Relating to veggies, the extra the merrier!)
Personally, I choose in for pinto beans for a fiber enhance and fajita veggies topped with salsa for an additional kick.
Selecting the best mixture of toppings may be the distinction between a balanced meal and a not-so-healthy one. Extra toppings at Chipotle embrace guacamole, bitter cream, shredded cheese, and queso blanco.
Every of those toppings are comparatively excessive in energy as a result of they’ve a excessive fats content material. (For reference, fat present about twice as many energy as carbs or protein.)
Right here’s the calorie and fats breakdown of the extra toppings, primarily based on their typical serving measurement at Chipotle:
- guacamole: 230 energy, 23 grams of fats
- bitter cream: 110 energy, 9 grams of fats
- shredded cheese: 110 energy, 8 grams of fats
- queso blanco: 120 energy, 9 grams of fats
Whereas dietary fats has its place in a typical weight loss plan, the fat present in most of those toppings are unhealthy saturated fat. The exception right here is guacamole, which is produced from avocado, a fruit that gives a considerable quantity of wholesome unsaturated fat.
Really useful Extra Toppings
If you happen to’re trying to take pleasure in Chipotle’s topping choices, I’d suggest asking for a lightweight quantity from the choices shared above. Normally, which means they may serve you about half of a typical serving. This can be a good strategy to nonetheless incorporate extra taste into your meal with out including too many further energy.
3 Wholesome Pattern Orders from Chipotle
With so many mixture choices, Chipotle gives one thing for everybody. As a dietitian, I vet for the next meals as among the healthiest fare straight off of the Chipotle menu.
Wholesome Chipotle Meal #1: Rooster and Rice Bowl
The right way to order:
- Rice (gentle quantity of white or brown rice)
- Rooster or steak
- Pinto or black beans
- Lettuce
- Salsa of alternative
- Shredded cheese (gentle quantity)
Right here’s the diet breakdown for the hen and rice bowl:
- Energy: 470
- Protein: 45 g
- Carbs: 43 g
- Fats: 15 g
Consider this bowl as your go-to possibility for if you want a handy—however nonetheless wholesome and balanced—meal from Chipotle. On this bowl, you might be getting all three of your macronutrients plus veggies, fiber, and a ton of taste.
Furthermore, this meal is extremely simple to customise primarily based in your taste preferences. You’ll be able to simply swap out the lettuce for fajita veggies or the beans for the corn salsa.
I like to recommend asking for a lightweight quantity of rice to assist make room for the beans, that are a starchy and really filling vegetable.
Wholesome Chipotle Meal #2: Steak and Veggie Burrito
The right way to order:
- Tortilla
- No rice
- Beans (gentle quantity of black or pinto beans)
- Steak
- Salsa of alternative
- Roasted chili corn
- Fajita veggies
Right here’s the diet breakdown for the facility burrito:
- Energy: 660
- Protein: 37 g
- Carbs: 87 g
- Fats: 17 g
The facility burrito is the right alternative if you’re on-the-go or trying to enhance your protein consumption. What’s nice about this burrito is that it’s loaded with flavorful greens from the fajita bell peppers, corn, beans, and salsa.
Since this burrito packs considerably extra energy than the primary possibility (one tortilla at Chipotle has a whopping 320 energy), I like to recommend reducing this burrito in half and saving the leftovers for dinner or sharing it with a pal.
Wholesome Chipotle Meal #3: Veggie Bowl
The right way to order:
- Rice (gentle quantity of brown or white rice)
- Sofritas
- Beans (gentle quantity of black or pinto beans)
- Salsa of alternative
- Fajita veggies
Right here’s the diet breakdown for the veggie bowl:
- Energy: 405
- Protein: 17 g
- Carbs: 55 g
- Fats: 15 g
The veggie bowl is the best alternative for somebody who’s on the lookout for a plant-based meal that also delivers on protein and sophisticated carbohydrates.
The Takeaway
It may be difficult choosing out the healthiest choices if you eat out, particularly if the restaurant does a great job of promoting their complete menu as wholesome. Nevertheless, it’s very properly doable to construct a wholesome meal from the Chipotle menu by deciding on balanced bases, lean proteins, and nutrient-rich toppings. On the similar time, it’s value being aware of portion sizes—in addition to being conscious of some less-than-nutritious choices that could be value having fun with now and again, however maybe not for each Chipotle order.