What to eat and not to eat at Chipotle

If you are like me, you LOVE Mexican food.  One of my favorite things is a corn and black bean salad with cheese, gauc, and some sour cream all mixed together into one big happy family.

Chipotle's website is FABULOUS because it lets you customize your order based upon all their available options to find out and create a meal where you know exactly how many calories and nutrition you are getting from any of their meals.

It all adds up way too fast.  So it's best to be careful and do your homework.

But for lunch today, I am going to be getting a salad from there.  I am going to get it with black beans, sour cream, vinaigrette, and corn salsa.

Photo by http://www.chipotle.com/

What Not To Eat at Chipotle's

(1) Avoid adding chips

I know, I know, it's tempting.  But if you ask for chips, they alone will add a whopping 570 calories to your meal.  That is just way too much and not even worth the temptation.

Guacamole is one of my favorite foods, but it's really the chips that you can't afford.  If you want to ask just for salsa go ahead, it will only add on 20 calories to your meal, or for guacamole it will add on 170 calories.

(2) Avoid the carnitas

At 220 calories for 4oz, that will add quite the impact to your overall meal.

(3) Avoid adding rice

While they do offer both white and brown rice, it will add on 180/220 calories, respectively, to your meal.  That is a ton of calories.  If you are really wanting to add rice, as for a little bit of rice and hopefully slash this number in half.

What To Eat at Chipotle's

(1) Replace a meat/protein with beans.

With black beans and pinto beans to choose from, they are both less in calories (120/115 respectively) and less sodium then all the meat choices (cut in half).

If you want to add extra protein to your dish, ask for the Sofritas.   It's tofu but it is 145 calories for 4oz.
If you must have actual meat, then ask for Barbacoa which is shredded beef and is 165 calories for 4oz.

(2) Ask for a smaller portion

When you ask for something like sour cream, or really any ingredient, be sure to tell them you only want a little.  If you don't, they literally slather your meal with it and you would be having some lettuce with your sour cream instead of the other way around.  Hopefully this will help slash those calories in half.

(3) Order a salad or burrito bowl

If you follow my suggestions, both orders will end up about the same because you are skipping on the meat and rice.  However, the salad comes with a delicious vinaigrette that will add on 215 calories to your meal.  I happen to love it with the dressing, but I caution you to only use half of it to help counteract the calories.