Craving quick meals however making an attempt to not skimp out on dietary advantages? Gaby Vaca-Flores, RDN, CLE, breaks down easy methods to construct a wholesome order straight from the Chipotle menu.
Chipotle delivers on comfort and taste alike, and its recognition is essentially because of its customization issue. Chipotle solely makes use of 53 elements to arrange their menu, but there are numerous meal mixtures to be made.
Furthermore, Chipotle has earned a status for being a more healthy different to different quick meals eating places. Whereas they actually do provide loads of nutritious choices, a few menu objects aren’t essentially the most effective in your weight-reduction plan.
If you happen to commonly eat at Chipotle, it might be value re-evaluating your go-to order to just remember to are ordering together with your well being and wellness in thoughts. This dietitian-approved information to navigating the Chipotle menu will break down the healthiest decisions, then give you three pattern order choices to strive the subsequent time you get takeout.
Whether or not you’re ordering a bowl or burrito, step one within the Chipotle expertise is selecting 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 usually 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 helpful Base Choices
Personally, I discover the comfortable medium by asking for a light-weight quantity of brown rice (or white, if that’s what I’m within the temper for that day).
Skipping rice altogether may be one thing to think about in case you are trying to construct a bowl that’s much less carb-heavy and also you need 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 loads 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 decisions 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 embody garlic guajillo steak, carnitas, pollo asado, and hen al pastor. Primarily, these are thought of 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 constructed from sauteeing a mixture of chipotle peppers, tomatoes, spices, and tofu. It is a scrumptious possibility for vegans and vegetarians. Although sofritas are an excellent supply of protein, in addition 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 offers much less protein than the meat-based choices, it will possibly assist give your bowl or burrito a lift of wholesome fat and fiber.
Really helpful Protein Choices
For a balanced meal at Chipotle full of lean protein, I like to recommend selecting the next:
- hen (common)
- steak (common)
- barbacoa
Chipotle Menu: Veggies and Salsas
This step is the proper 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 out there that change in spiciness.
On the subject of beans, you’ll be able to choose black or pinto beans. Each choices provide close to an identical dietary worth, offering 130 energy and eight grams of protein per serving. Plus, beans are a superb supply of fiber.
Equally, there are not any noteworthy dietary variations between the chopped romaine lettuce and fajita veggies. Nonetheless, lettuce will add a satisfying crunch to your meal. Fajita veggies, or sliced bell peppers, will add savoriness.
Moreover, the completely different salsa choices—such because the recent tomato salsa and the tomatillo inexperienced salsa—present one other alternative to spice up the quantity of taste and veggies into your meal.
Really helpful Veggie and Salsa Choices
You’ll be able to’t go improper selecting any of the vegetable choices at Chipotle. Don’t overthink it and easily choose the mix of veggies that you simply choose. (On the subject of veggies, the extra the merrier!)
Personally, I choose in for pinto beans for a fiber increase and fajita veggies topped with salsa for an additional kick.
Choosing the proper mixture of toppings might be the distinction between a balanced meal and a not-so-healthy one. Further toppings at Chipotle embody 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, based mostly on their typical serving dimension 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 regular weight-reduction plan, the fat present in most of those toppings are unhealthy saturated fat. The exception right here is guacamole, which is constructed from avocado, a fruit that gives a considerable quantity of wholesome unsaturated fat.
Really helpful Further Toppings
If you happen to’re trying to get pleasure from Chipotle’s topping choices, I’d suggest asking for a light-weight quantity from the choices shared above. Normally, which means they may serve you about half of a typical serving. It is a good approach 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 a few of the healthiest fare straight off of the Chipotle menu.
Wholesome Chipotle Meal #1: Hen and Rice Bowl
The way to order:
- Rice (mild quantity of white or brown rice)
- Hen or steak
- Pinto or black beans
- Lettuce
- Salsa of alternative
- Shredded cheese (mild 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 while you want a handy—however nonetheless wholesome and balanced—meal from Chipotle. On this bowl, you’re getting all three of your macronutrients plus veggies, fiber, and a ton of taste.
Furthermore, this meal is extremely simple to customise based mostly 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 light-weight 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 way to order:
- Tortilla
- No rice
- Beans (mild 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 ability burrito is the proper alternative in case you are on-the-go or trying to increase 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 good friend.
Wholesome Chipotle Meal #3: Veggie Bowl
The way to order:
- Rice (mild quantity of brown or white rice)
- Sofritas
- Beans (mild 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 tough selecting out the healthiest choices while you eat out, particularly if the restaurant does an excellent job of promoting their whole menu as wholesome. Nonetheless, it’s very effectively doable to construct a wholesome meal from the Chipotle menu by choosing balanced bases, lean proteins, and nutrient-rich toppings. On the identical time, it’s value being conscious of portion sizes—in addition to being conscious of some less-than-nutritious choices which may be value having fun with every so often, however maybe not for every Chipotle order.