The Healthiest Orders at Chipotle: A Complete Nutrition Guide

All menu item photos property of Chipotle

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If you’re looking for some of the healthiest options at Chipotle, look no further!

No matter what your goals are, whether your diet is keto, plant-based, high-protein, or something else entirely, I’m going to help you find the best options for your diet.

Since Chipotle is built around the concept of choosing your own ingredients to build your perfect meal, it makes it incredibly easy to customize your meal to fit your diet preferences.

If healthy fast food is what you’re after, then Chipotle is one of the best options!

I’m going to lay everything out for you in this post to help you not only identify the best Chipotle menu options for your diet but also be able to build your perfect meal with some healthy eating tips.

That being said, I also want to direct you to Chipotle’s Nutrition Calculator, because they do an amazing job of allowing you to plug in exactly what you want to order to see how the calories and nutrition stack up!

After you go through this blog post to learn more about the Chipotle menu, you can use their calculator to build your meal.

How Ordering at Chipotle Works

At most fast-food restaurants, you’re simply selecting an item from the menu. Take Burger King, for example.

If you want a Whopper, you’d simply order that right off the menu. Sure, you can ask for simple substitutions, like no cheese or extra pickles, but generally speaking, the meal is already built for you.

Chipotle works a little bit differently. At Chipotle, you select the type of food you want, and then you get to build that meal exactly the way you prefer it by selecting the meat, vegetables, toppings, etc.

At the time of writing this post, Chipotle offers these options:

• Burritos
• Burrito Bowls
• Tacos
• Salads
• Quesadillas
• Lifestyle Bowls

Select any of those and customize them however you’d like!

Which option is right for you? Well, that depends on what you’re looking for. Here’s an infographic that breaks down the entire Chipotle menu that will allow you to build your own meal:

For burritos, quesadillas, and tacos, you’ll start with your tortilla. For bowls or salads, you’ll start with either rice or lettuce (lettuce contains only 5-10 calories, so it is not included in this graphic).

After that, the ingredients are totally up to you! You can select one meat, go with a double portion, or select two different meats. Of course, if you’re vegan, you can go with sofritas or beans instead.

Then, you can choose any toppings you’d like! Ordering at Chipotle allows you to build exactly what you want.

Since the protein options at Chipotle are the stars of most dishes, let’s explore those a little bit deeper…

What Are The Protein Options at Chipotle?

The star of most of the menu items at Chipotle is the meat (Chipotle even has a solid meat alternative if you are vegan, too).

How do the nutrition facts of each meat stack up? I’m so glad you asked. Let’s compare the different protein options that Chipotle offers.

Keep in mind that the nutrition here is based on a single serving size of meat, which will generally be the same for burritos, burrito bowls, salads, and 3 tacos.

If your typical order consists of double meat, simply double the calories and macros.

Chicken Options

Grilled Chicken: 180 Calories, 7g Fat, 0g Carbs, 32g Protein

Chicken Al Pastor: 200 Calories, 11g Fat, 4g Carbs, 23g Protein

Pollo Asado: 210 Calories, 12g Fat, 3g Carbs, 22g Protein

If you’re looking to maximize your protein intake, look no further than chicken!

Grilled chicken is typically very low in fat, if not fat-free, but at Chipotle it is marinated overnight in an adobo sauce, which leads to some extra calories & fat.

Still, with 32 grams of protein, it is an incredible source of protein! And since it’s the classic protein option at Chipotle, you know it’s delicious.

Pollo asado, on the other hand, is a newer addition to the Chipotle menu. It is a marinated and grilled chicken that is seasoned with a blend of garlic, chili, and herbs.

It’s spicier than the regular chicken breast, so if you want a little heat in your meal, it’s a great option. While lower in protein than the grilled chicken option, it’s still an excellent protein source.

Chicken al pastor is the other type of chicken that Chipotle offers. It’s grilled chicken that is seasoned with a blend of spices and marinated in pineapple juice, which gives it a sweet and tangy flavor.

Chicken al pastor is a relatively new addition to the Chipotle menu, but it has clearly become very popular. If you want to switch things up and try something with a little sweetness and a different flavor, this is the way to go.

Beef Options

Steak: 150 Calories, 6g Fat, 1g Carbs, 21g Protein

Garlic Guajillo Steak: 250 Calories, 15g Fat, 3g Carbs, 27g Protein

Barbacoa: 170 Calories, 7g Fat, 2g Carbs, 24g Protein

Steak is the other classic and popular protein option at Chipotle that is right up there with chicken.

While not quite as high in protein as chicken, it contains just 150 calories per serving, making it an excellent protein source for most diets.

Wondering what cut Chipotle uses for their steak? Well, it’s a combination of a ton of different cuts: bottom rounds, top rounds, eye of rounds, inside round, outside round, sirloin, knuckle, ball tip, and sirloin top. No wonder it tastes so darn good.

Garlic guajillo steak is a newer addition to the Chipotle menu, and I hope it sticks around. It is made with the same high-quality steak as the classic steak option, but it is marinated in a blend of garlic, guajillo chili, and other spices.

This gives it a slightly spicier and more complex flavor than the classic steak, similar to pollo asado.

UPDATE: As of April 2023, this steak has been discontinued. Let’s hope it makes a comeback soon!

Finally, barbacoa is a slow-cooked beef that is served shredded. It’s extremely tender and flavorful, and it works extremely well for tacos or burritos!

Pork Options

Carnitas: 210 Calories, 12g Fat, 0g Carbs, 23g Protein

If you’ve never had carnitas before, it is Mexican pulled pork. And if you’ve ever had pulled pork, you know that the tenderness comes from the fact that pork has a higher fat content (typically being made from pork shoulder).

Carnitas are very similar to barbacoa, with the obvious difference being that carnitas are pork and barbacoa is beef.

In terms of texture, carnitas is typically more tender and moist than barbacoa, which has a slightly denser and chewier texture. Barbacoa also tends to be a bit more on the smoky side, so it can create a completely different flavor profile for your dish.

Nutritionally, carnitas and barbacoa provide nearly the same amount of protein, but barbacoa is a bit leaner than pork carnitas.

Vegan Options

Sofritas: 150 Calories, 10g Fat, 9g Carbs, 8g Protein

Black Beans/Pinto Beans: 130 Calories, 2g Fat, 22g Carbs, 8g Protein

Vegans, rejoice! Chipotle has a vegan “meat” option, and its name is Sofritas. While lower in protein than the meat options, if you’re looking for a vegetarian substitute, this is the way to go.

Sofritas is tofu, prepared in the style of chopped meat. It has all the flavors you come to love from Chipotle, without any of the animal products (tofu is made from soy beans, in case you didn’t know!)

If you prefer to keep things plant-based but prefer to not consume soy, you can keep things classic by going with black beans. With 8 grams of protein per serving, black or pinto beans are both solid vegan protein options.

Top 5 Healthy Eating Tips at Chipotle

Rather than break down the nutritional information of every single item at Chipotle (that’s what the infographic at the top of this post is for), I think it will be much more beneficial for me to give you some tips on how to get the most out of your next meal at Chipotle

Tips #1: Double Up Your Meat

You can ask for double protein on any dish, which can go a very long way in maximizing your meal.

By getting double meat, you’re obviously getting much more protein in, but it helps to make the meal much more filling. If you order a salad with double chicken, you’ll find that salad to be much more filling and satisfying.

Tip #2: Use Salsa Instead of Sauce

When it comes to sauces and dips, those calories can really sneak up on you. Sour cream and queso both have over 100 calories per serving, which can really add up in your meal.

On the other hand, the range of salsa on the menu has anywhere from 15-30 calories per serving.

Since it’s not uncommon to use at least 2 servings of sauce, especially on something like a burrito bowl, this can lead to huge calorie savings.

Leaving off the sour cream and using fresh tomato salsa on your burrito bowl instead can save you 170 calories (assuming you have 2 servings). That’s quite the difference!

Tip #3: Go Easy on The Sides

Look, I know it’s silly to tell you to avoid the side of tortilla chips or the guacamole. They’re both insanely delicious. However, I advise you to monitor your intake of these if you’re trying to keep your calories low.

A side of chips, which you can easily polish off on your own, comes in at over 500 calories. Add a small cup of guacamole to dip ’em into, and you’re looking at nearly 900 calories!

If you absolutely want to enjoy those chips & guac (I mean, of course you do) then try to share them with a friend! While it’ll still add extra calories, you’re at least cutting those calories in half by sharing.

Tip #4: Focus on Volume

If you want to fill up on fewer calories, it’s important to focus on volume. In other words, you want to eat more food while eating fewer calories.

Chipotle used to offer cauliflower rice, which made it easy to add volume to your meal without a ton of extra calories. At the time of writing this, that’s no longer an option, but there are still plenty of ways to increase the volume of your meal.

Instead of ordering a burrito, go with a burrito bowl. Not only do you save over 300 calories by ditching the flour tortilla, but getting a bowl allows you to fill up with even more food.

Think about it: which will you fit more food in, a single burrito, or an entire bowl?

When you order a bowl, focus on adding lettuce and fajita veggies, which will add a ton of volume without a bunch of calories.

Don’t worry: the following section has a bunch of bowl ideas for you to order!

Tip #5: Order “Light” Options

Most people don’t realize this, but you can ask for half scoops of any ingredient, just like you can ask for double portions of meat.

I love adding beans to my burrito bowl, but since I typically opt for a double portion of meat, I don’t feel like I need all those beans. That’s where half scoops come into play! When ordering black beans or pinto beans, you can ask for a half scoop to easily save yourself 50-60 calories.

Similarly, I almost always ask for light dressing or sauce. While the amount is not going to be exactly half, you can save quite a bit of calories by asking for light dressing.

The chipotle honey vinaigrette has a sneaky high amount of calories at 220 per serving. By asking for light dressing, you can save yourself nearly 100 calories! Or, you can always ask for dressing or sauce on the side of you want to control the exact amount you use.

10 High-Protein Bowls You Can Order at Chipotle

Chipotle offers a handful of “Lifestyle Bowls” that allow you to order a bowl based around your dietary needs. Whether you’re focused on a paleo diet, keto, gluten-free, Whole30, you name it, Chipotle has you covered.

Here are all of the current lifestyle bowls offered by Chipotle:

I like to focus my meals around protein, so I want to help you hit your protein goals as well! If you want a high protein bowl idea, here are 10 awesome options.

Conclusion: How Healthy is Chipotle?

As you can see by this post, Chipotle has a ton of amazing options for any diet.

Calories & macros aside, Chipotle also offers some of the highest-quality ingredients you’ll find in fast food.

Chipotle is committed to using only 53 fresh ingredients, nothing artificial, no added hormones, and their food is never frozen.

If food quality is what you are after, then Chipotle is an amazing option!

No matter what your goals are, or what “healthy” means to you, it’s clear that you can find an awesome meal at Chipotle to fit your goals.