Your Guide to Ordering a Healthy Chipotle Meal
For many, eating healthy and eating fast food seem mutually exclusive. However, Chipotle offers a unique, customizable menu that allows for mindful eating if you know how to navigate the options. The key is moving away from the typical high-calorie burrito and focusing on building a balanced bowl or salad.
The Healthiest Foundation: Bowls and Salads
The single biggest decision you can make for a healthier Chipotle meal is to skip the large flour tortilla. That alone adds 320 calories and 50 grams of carbohydrates. Opting for a bowl or salad, especially one that uses the supergreens lettuce blend, creates a lower-calorie, nutrient-rich base for your meal.
- Salad Base: Romaine lettuce or the Supergreens blend are your best, lowest-calorie options. They provide volume and nutrients without the carb load of rice or a tortilla.
- Light Rice: If you need a grain, brown rice is the better option due to its higher fiber content. However, asking for a "light" portion is a simple hack to save over 100 calories.
- Beans: Both black and pinto beans are excellent choices, offering a great source of fiber and plant-based protein. Nutritionally, they are very similar, so choose based on your taste preference.
Lean Proteins for a Powerful Punch
Protein is crucial for building and repairing muscle, and it helps you feel full longer. Not all proteins at Chipotle are created equal, though. Some are significantly leaner than others.
- Best Choices: Grilled Chicken, Steak, and Sofritas are the leanest proteins available. Sofritas are a great plant-based option, while steak is surprisingly one of the lowest-calorie meats on the menu.
- Moderate Choice: Barbacoa is a good middle-ground option, being slightly higher in calories than chicken or steak but still a solid source of protein.
- Higher-Fat Option: Carnitas and any limited-time high-fat options like Smoked Brisket are higher in fat and calories. While not necessarily "unhealthy," they require careful consideration if you're watching your intake.
Veggies and Flavor Without the Calorie Overload
To make your meal filling and flavorful without adding excessive calories, load up on vegetables and low-calorie salsas.
- Fajita Veggies: Double up on the sautéed peppers and onions. They add fiber, flavor, and volume for only 20 calories per serving.
- Salsas: The Fresh Tomato (Pico de Gallo), Tomatillo-Green Chili, and Tomatillo-Red Chili salsas are all very low in calories. The Roasted Chili-Corn Salsa is also a good option, though it contains slightly more calories.
- Guacamole: Yes, guacamole is an extra cost and an extra 230 calories, but it's packed with heart-healthy monounsaturated fats and fiber. It's a much healthier fat source than cheese or sour cream, so many people consider it a worthwhile addition in moderation.
Toppings to Limit or Avoid
Certain toppings can quickly transform a healthy meal into a high-calorie one. Here's what to watch out for:
- Cheese: A single serving of Monterey Jack cheese adds around 110 calories.
- Sour Cream: A scoop of sour cream contributes about 115 calories.
- Queso: All queso options are significant calorie additions; for instance, Queso Blanco adds 120 calories.
- Vinaigrette: The Chipotle Honey Vinaigrette contains around 220 calories, so swapping this for a salsa can save a lot of calories.
A Comparison of a Healthy vs. Unhealthy Chipotle Meal
To illustrate the impact of your choices, here is a comparison of two potential meals using the nutrition data from Chipotle's calculator.
| Item | Unhealthy Burrito | Healthy Salad Bowl |
|---|---|---|
| Base | Flour Tortilla (320 cal) | Supergreens Lettuce (15 cal) |
| Rice | White Rice (210 cal) | Light Brown Rice (105 cal) |
| Beans | Pinto Beans (130 cal) | Black Beans (130 cal) |
| Protein | Carnitas (210 cal) | Grilled Chicken (180 cal) |
| Veggies | None | Fajita Veggies (20 cal) |
| Salsa | Roasted Chili-Corn (80 cal) | Fresh Tomato Salsa (20 cal) + Tomatillo-Green Chili Salsa (15 cal) |
| Toppings | Cheese (110 cal), Sour Cream (115 cal) | Guacamole (230 cal) |
| Total Calories | 1,185 | 715 |
| Total Saturated Fat | High (20g+) | Lower (5-10g) |
| Total Sodium | Very High | Lower but still significant |
This table demonstrates that a mindful order can save you hundreds of calories and grams of saturated fat while still providing a satisfying and filling meal. A single serving of chips with queso, not even included in the burrito above, can add over 770 calories alone.
What is the most healthy thing at Chipotle?
So, what is the single healthiest thing at Chipotle? The answer is a customizable order, not a single item off the menu. An excellent go-to is a chicken fajita salad. This meal prioritizes greens and lean protein, while minimizing high-calorie extras. By starting with a Supergreens base and adding grilled chicken, plenty of fajita veggies, and a low-calorie salsa, you get a meal rich in fiber and protein with a low overall calorie count.
Conclusion
Ultimately, the healthiest thing at Chipotle is the meal you build yourself with intention. By choosing a salad or bowl base, opting for lean protein, piling on fresh vegetables, and limiting high-fat additions like cheese and sour cream, you can create a delicious and genuinely nutritious meal. Use the official Chipotle nutrition calculator to fine-tune your next order and take control of your diet.
