With recent, responsibly-sourced elements, Chipotle makes it straightforward to eat wholesome on the go. However the yummy chips, toppings, and tortillas additionally make it straightforward to show your order into an unintended cheat meal. So what do you have to order at Chipotle? We requested two vitamin consultants to interrupt down ideas for locating the healthiest choices.
(Dietary information is supplied by the Chipotle Vitamin Calculator.)
1. Begin with the Fundamentals
If you’re deciding what to order at Chipotle, skip the burrito — the massive flour tortilla incorporates 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 Medical dietitian at The Middle for Endocrinology at Mercy Medical Middle in Baltimore.
Right here’s how these choices stack up:
- Salad is your greatest wager, with simply 15 energy within the mattress of supergreens.
- When you order a burrito bowl, select brown rice over white. A standard serving of rice (in a burrito bowl, burrito, or a three-taco meal) incorporates 210 energy, so request a “gentle” portion in individual or within the app when ordering — or skip it altogether.
- When you order tacos, go for the crispy corn shells — an order of three incorporates 200 energy and nil sodium, in comparison with 250 energy and 480 mg of sodium for 3 tender flour tortillas.
2. Add Lean Protein
Subsequent, add some wholesome protein to your order. Black beans and pinto beans each comprise 130 energy and eight grams of protein in a mean scoop, so select whichever bean you want greatest.
For the principle protein occasion, go for hen or sofritas (shredded tofu braised in spices). “Each are decrease in saturated fats than pink 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 hen 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 incorporates 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 a variety 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 for those who’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 comprise “beneficial vitamins like fiber, B nutritional vitamins, and potassium,” Norton says, together with wholesome fat which can be believed to learn coronary heart well being. And Chipotle’s guacamole consists of solely actual stuff — avocados, cilantro, jalapeño, lemon juice, lime juice, pink onion, and salt — no humorous enterprise like preservatives or synthetic flavors. Simply take into account that a serving to of guac provides 230 energy to your meal, so it’s possible you’ll wish to order it on the aspect so you’ll be able to eat half now and save the remainder 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 folks.” And a big order of chips with a aspect of queso blanco will run you 1,290 energy and incorporates 28 grams of saturated fats.
7. Take Benefit of the Vitamin Calculator
Earlier than you order, Morey recommends operating your order via the helpful Vitamin Calculator on the Chipotle web site — it calculates the complete dietary info of your meal. You too can see the distinction in dietary stats for those who select to go “further,” “regular,” or “gentle” on any of your choices. As an illustration, you’ll be able to shortly 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 here are just a few choices that supply loads of vitamins. (Remember the sodium content material might be important, even within the healthiest choices at Chipotle — so attempt to restrict your sodium consumption the remainder of the day.)
Salad with hen
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
Life-style Bowls
When you’re following a particular weight loss plan plan, you may also select one among Chipotle’s pre-designed Life-style Bowls — they’re accessible in Whole30, paleo, and vegan-friendly variations.
