Congrats! you are officially a month and a half into your new year’s resolution to eat healthier or maybe even shed a few pounds. You’re eating your fruits and veggies, going to the gym and feeling confident about your willpower. That is until you get a Facebook notification saying your favorite club is having a fundraiser at Chipotle this Friday. You must make an appearance, but what about that damned resolution?
Before you say “screw the pact, I’m getting a freaking oversized burrito,” read this guide to help keep you on track.
1. Can I pretty please get a tortilla?
Photo courtesy of Chipotle
No way. Here are the nutritional stats on that big round piece of doughy goodness. One soft flour tortilla packs in 300 calories, 10g of fat (that’s about a tablespoon of butter), 46g of carbohydrates (about 3.5 slices of bread) and 690 mg of sodium (almost 30% of your daily recommended intake). Skip the tortilla and throw those delicious fillings into a burrito bowl. Or, make it a salad, just don’t top it with their sugar loaded vinaigrette.
2. Gimme some protein
Photo by Heather Harris
Guess what? You can keep your favorite meaty fillings! The best available choices are the typical chicken and steak. The worst option is, surprisingly, the sofritas, which are shredded organic tofu. This protein filling contains the greatest amount of sugar, carbohydrates and sodium, while providing you with the least amount of protein by a landslide. Sorry herbivores.
3. Fill ‘er up
Photo courtesy of toastable.com
RICE:
For the love of all that is good, please pick brown rice over white rice. However, if you really want to stick to your diet, choose to get in your healthy carbohydrates from the beans instead. They contain fewer calories, less fat and carbohydrates, and way more fiber and protein.
BEANS:
Hands down, black beans win the title of healthiest bean. If black beans and pinto beans were in a wrestling match, those measly pintos would be pinned in seconds.
FAJITA VEGETABLES:
Pile them high and reap the benefits of their healthy goodness.
SALSA:
Turn up the heat! Chipotle’s four different salsas range from mild to hot, and there are three big reasons to go hotter. 1. Don’t be a wimp. 2. Research suggests that consuming capsaicin, the chemical in chile peppers that makes them spicy, suppresses appetite and boosts metabolism. 3. The heat produced by capsaicin may also stimulate a rush of endorphins, and then you won’t kill your boyfriend! Go for the Tomatillo-Red Chile Salsa, and ask for an extra cup of water too.
CHEESE:
Mexican food without cheese is like an Oreo without milk. ‘Nuf said.
THE WET STUFF:
It doesn’t take a nutrition major to tell you that guacamole is a much better option than sour cream. Chipotle’s website says their guac is mixed “until silky, sexy and delicious.” I don’t think they can say the same for their sour cream.
4. Do you want chips with that?
Photo by Molly Krohe
No, you don’t. Here are the nutritional stats for a single 4-ounce serving: 570 calories, 27g of fat and 73g of carbs. That’s more calories than a big mac, as much fat as nine slices of bacon and as many carbs as almost five slices of bread. Mind = Blown.
If you want to calculate the nutritional information for your personal favorite Chipotle order, head on over to the nutrition calculator on their website here: https://www.chipotle.com/en-us/menu/nutrition_calculator/nutrition_calculator.aspx