Is Chipotle Healthy? The 5 Best Items to Order at Chipotle

Finding meals that aren’t loaded with excess fat, sugar, and salt can be challenging when you're eating out.

Fortunately, Chipotle lets you customize your order, which can be helpful if you’re trying to lose weight.

Whether Chipotle is considered healthy or not depends on various factors, including what you order and your personalized health goals. 

Read on to learn about a dietitian’s top picks for healthy Chipotle menu items, how to make healthier choices when eating at Chipotle, and what to avoid ordering at Chipotle if you’re trying to lose weight.

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Is Chipotle Healthy?

Chipotle offers a variety of different menu items, from burritos to bowls to salads.

Additionally, you can customize your meal with ingredients like brown or white rice, beans, avocados, bell peppers, spinach, kale, romaine lettuce, tomatoes, and lean proteins like chicken, steak, and sofritas (crumbled tofu). 

If you’re trying to lose weight, you likely have a daily calorie goal.

Using Chipotle’s Nutrition Calculator, you can plan your meal ahead of time and determine how many calories, protein, carbohydrates, fat, and sodium it contains. Chipotle can be part of a healthy diet, provided you stick to a few guidelines when ordering.

The 5 Best Menu Items to Order at Chipotle

Just because you’re eating out doesn’t mean you need to compromise your weight loss or health goals.

Here are five of the best menu items to order at Chipotle.

We chose items that were under 650 calories and had at least 25 grams of protein to help keep you satisfied without providing too many calories.

Note that even the “healthier” options at Chipotle are high in sodium, and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommends consuming less than 2,300 mg of sodium per day.

Calorie and macronutrient information was obtained using Chipotle’s Nutrition Calculator.

1. Steak and Black Bean Salad

This salad consists of romaine lettuce, steak, black beans, fresh tomato salsa, a double portion of fajita veggies, and chipotle-honey vinaigrette (on the side). 

It contains 570 calories, 24 grams of fat, 32 grams of protein, 56 grams of carbohydrates, and 2,240 mg of sodium.

To further reduce the calorie, fat, and sodium content, omit the vinaigrette.

2. Chicken and Rice Bowl

This bowl consists of chicken, a light serving of brown rice, pinto beans, roasted chili-corn salsa and fajita veggies. 

It contains 515 calories, 13 grams of fat, 46 grams of protein, 60 grams of carbohydrates, and 1,095 mg of sodium.

3. Chicken and Tomatillo-Green Chili Salsa Burrito

If you’re craving a lighter burrito, omit the rice and high-calorie toppings like cheese and sour cream.

This burrito consists of a flour tortilla, chicken, a light serving of black beans, tomatillo-green chili salsa, fajita veggies, and romaine lettuce. 

It contains 605 calories, 17 grams of fat, 45 grams of protein, 71 grams of carbohydrates, and 1,425 mg of sodium.

4. Veggie Bowl

This veggie bowl is the perfect option if you’re following a plant-based diet.

It consists of a double portion of sofritas (plant-based protein), a light portion of brown rice, pinto beans, tomatillo-red chili salsa, fajita veggies, and romaine lettuce. 

It contains 590 calories, 25 grams of fat, 27 grams of protein, 67 grams of carbohydrates, and 2,075 mg of sodium.

5. Wholesome Bowl

The wholesome lifestyle bowl is a good choice if you're watching your carbohydrate intake.

It consists of a supergreens lettuce blend, chicken, fajita veggies, fresh tomato salsa, and guacamole. 

It contains 460 calories, 29 grams of fat, 35 grams of protein,18 grams of carbohydrates, and 1,380 mg of sodium.

The Healthiest Chipotle Topping to Order

We used Chipotle’s Nutrition Calculator to determine which toppings were the healthiest to order.

Here are our favorite topping options:

• Fajita vegetables. Sautéed onions and peppers are low in calories and high in fiber, making them the perfect choice if you’re trying to eat healthily.
• Fresh vegetables, which add freshness and bright flavors without adding a lot of calories.
• Tomatillo green chili salsa, which is lower in sodium than the other salsa options.
• Pinto or black beans, which are packed with protein and fiber.

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Is a Chipotle Bowl Healthier Than a Burrito?

In many cases, a Chipotle bowl is healthier than a burrito.

The tortilla alone for a burrito contains 320 calories and 50 grams of carbohydrates.

After adding rice, beans, protein, and toppings, a burrito can easily be over 1,000 calories, a significant portion of your daily calorie goal on a weight loss plan. Specifically, a burrito with carnitas (pork), brown rice, black beans, fajita veggies, guacamole, salsa, sour cream, and cheese contains over 1,300 calories.

Generally, a bowl will contain less calories. However, not all bowls are created equal.

Chipotle offers two types of bowls: burrito bowls and lifestyle bowls.

Burrito bowls are fully customizable, and lifestyle bowls feature pre-determined ingredients. 

If you choose high-calorie toppings for a burrito bowl, like cheese and sour cream, a bowl can also contain upwards of 1,000 calories.

In contrast, the lifestyle bowls range from 460 calories to 845 calories.

If you’re watching your calorie intake, opting for a lifestyle bowl may be a better choice than a burrito or a standard burrito bowl.

What to Avoid Ordering at Chipotle

You don’t need to avoid any menu items at Chipotle as all foods can fit into a healthy and balanced diet.

However, certain menu items may contain a lot of calories, which could hinder your weight loss goals.

Some menu items that may contain high amounts of calories include burritos, tacos, and quesadillas. 

However, it’s important to note that even “healthier” options like salads and bowls can rack up the calories if you add toppings like sour cream, cheese, and queso blanco. Plus, some of the salsa options, such as the fresh tomato salsa or the roasted chili-corn salsa, are high in salt, which could be an issue for people with high blood pressure.

Overall, it’s important to consider your meal in the context of your diet as a whole.

If you eat Chipotle occasionally, ordering a high-calorie menu item likely won’t hinder your progress too much.

If you eat out often, consider why that is and how it relates to your overall goals.

Tips for Making Healthier Choices at Chipotle

Here are a few tips for making healthier choices at Chipotle.

Choose Lean Proteins

Opt for grilled chicken, steak, or sofritas (plant-based protein) instead of options like carnitas (pork) or barbacoa (beef), which tend to be higher in fat.

Load Up On Vegetables

Fill your order with a variety of vegetables, such as fajita vegetables, lettuce, and salsa.

These add fiber, vitamins, and minerals to your meal without adding many extra calories.

Watch Your Portions

Be mindful of portion sizes, as Chipotle portions can be generous.

If you're watching your calorie intake, consider skipping or asking for smaller portions of extras like cheese or sour cream.

Choose Healthier Sides

Instead of chips, opt for sides like brown rice, black beans, or guacamole.

Be mindful of portion size, especially if you’re ordering a more calorie-dense meal such as a burrito or quesadilla. 

Choose a Bowl or Salad

A large flour tortilla contains 320 calories and 50 grams of carbohydrates.

‍Taco shells contain between 200 and 250 calories per three shells, depending on whether they’re made with corn or wheat flour.

Once you add the fillings, these menu options often have over 1,000 calories. Instead, opt for a lifestyle bowl or salad.

Skip the Rice 

If you decide to order a burrito or taco, the shells already provide your grain serving.

In these cases, you may want to skip the rice to reduce the overall calorie content of the meal. 

Since you’re already getting a serving of grains in the tortilla or taco shell, omitting the rice does not compromise the nutritional value of the meal.

Takeaway

Eating at Chipotle can fit into a healthy eating plan, provided you follow a few guidelines when ordering. 

By choosing lean proteins, loading up on vegetables, watching your portions, choosing healthier sides, choosing a bowl or salad, and skipping the rice in your burrito, you can eat at Chipotle while pursuing weight loss or other health goals.

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How a Dietitian Can Help

If you’re struggling to figure out how to eat at Chipotle while following a weight loss plan, a weight loss dietitian can help you choose the best food to order while sticking to your plan. 

When you work with a Nourish dietitian, they will help you set goals, provide personalized advice, and assist with meal planning.

Working with a dietitian can provide motivation and accountability when trying to lose weight.

You can find a dietitian who accepts insurance through Nourish.