If you’ve been following our series on the healthiest foods to eat at various grocery stores or chain restaurants, you’ll know that we use the free January app to analyze the menu and help you pick out the best food option for your health goals, looking at calories, macros, and even blood sugar impact. So let’s dive in: This week – is Chipotle healthy?

In our roundup of the healthiest fast food restaurants, you’ll note that Chipotle didn’t stack up too well. This came as a bit of a surprise, but as we’ll discuss further in this article, it’s easy for meals at Chipotle to quickly skyrocket over 1,000 calories — with super high sodium content to boot. 

This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t eat at Chipotle on occasion, and it doesn’t mean there aren’t healthier options to keep your diet on track. So let’s explore some of the better options and use screenshots from the free January app to discuss what makes these the preferred choice. 

Key takeaways:

• We all love the Chipotle chips, but they can quickly derail your meal. Stay clear if you’re looking to keep your calories in check.
• Opt for a bowl, not a burrito. The flour tortilla not only crucifies you when it comes to calories but it will also contribute to a spike in blood sugar
• Ideally, avoid rice altogether to limit the glucose spike, but if you do want rice, opt for brown rice over white rice. Brown rice is higher in fiber and will help keep your blood glucose under better control.
• Salad is king (not fun, we know!). Opt for a salad with minimal dressing and a protein option like chicken for the healthiest option.

Is Chipotle good for you?

Let’s start with the obvious question: Is Chipotle healthy? The answer is, sadly, “no.” But there are ways to make it “healthier.” What makes Chipotle unhealthy? Well, it comes down to high calorie content and high sodium. Here are some guiding principles to follow to make your Chipotle meal healthier.

• Avoid the tortillas and stick to a bowl
• Opt for fajita veggies (which have super low calories and are high in fiber)
• Add lettuce, which will help fill you up for little-to-no calories
• Add guacamole (yes, that adds an extra 230 calories, but it’s probably worth it based on the nutritional profile and frankly the extra taste it’ll bring to your bowl)
• Add some pinto beans, which again are high in fiber
• Ask for a half portion of cilantro brown rice (half a portion will significantly reduce the glucose impact)
• If you can, avoid the dressing altogether — adding the vinaigrette adds 220 calories and a further 820mg of sodium!

Healthiest food from Chipotle

Because Chipotle is effectively a la carte, the healthiest meal at Chipotle is up to you to decide what to add and what to avoid. Here’s what we recommend, using the free January app.

Note: you can try this in real-time yourself by using the January app. Download it for free here to play along.

Open up the January app and once you’ve signed in, click the “Search for any food” tab and type in Chipotle under “restaurants.” You’ll now be able to select Chipotle and see the entire menu. By simply scrolling through the items and looking at the calories and blood sugar impact, we can begin to build out our meal. If you click into an item, you’ll get a range of additional insights like all the macros and even healthier alternatives to consider. See the image above for an example.

Salad

As mentioned earlier, salad is going to be the best option for the healthiest meal at Chipotle — if not the most exciting. Lettuce has almost no calories and can be quite filling, so this should be your base. You can add some salsa to add a little flavor, some pinto beans which are great for fiber and protein (7g for a 4-ounce serving), and fajita vegetables. At this point, you’re probably looking at around 180 calories. For another 180 calories, you can add in some chicken (which has an additional 32g of protein). We recommend avoiding the vinaigrette as that saves you 220 calories and 850g of sodium (that’s a lot of sodium!). Instead, if you want to add some healthy fats go for the guacamole. That does add 220 calories, but it’s going to give you more bang for your buck in terms of health and taste.

Bowl

Let’s say you want something a little more appetizing than a plain salad. In this case, go for a bowl. Again, let’s add lettuce, the low-calorie salsa for flavor, some pinto beans for the fiber and protein, some fajita vegetables, and half a portion of brown rice. As you can see below, brown rice is better on your blood sugar, and half a portion keeps the calories and glucose impact down further, saving you 105 calories. Then, you can add your protein of choice.

Chipotle burrito vs bowl

We mentioned that the bowl is the way to go over the burrito, but why, exactly, is that? 

Let’s start with the calories. A flour tortilla adds a whopping 320 calories to your meal, before you’ve even added any ingredients. It would be easy for your burrito to crest 1,000 calories if you’re not careful. And if saving the 320 calories isn’t enough, you’re also reducing the sodium content by 600g, and eliminating 47g of carbs. Plus, as you can see above, the flour tortilla will likely spike your blood sugar quite substantially. Imagine how far out of range you’d likely be once you’ve added your other ingredients, like the rice. 

Long story short, always ALWAYS say no to the tortilla.

Are chips and guac from Chipotle healthy?

Imagine you just had that burrito that crested 1,000 calories and a ton of sodium, and then you munched on a side of chips and guac. That side alone would add 770 calories to your meal, around 40% of your daily caloric intake in just one side. The chips are the biggest issue here, providing 540 calories and a giant blood glucose spike to match. As mentioned earlier, the guacamole on its own isn’t too much of an issue in moderation, due to the healthy fats. So you’re better off including that on your salad or in your bowl rather than as an accompaniment to your chips. 

Conclusion

Many of us might think of Chipotle as a healthier fast food chain, but the reality is that you have to be very diligent about what you order to keep the calorie, sodium, and corresponding blood sugar impact in check. Whatever you do – avoid the flour tortillas and opt for a bowl, limit your rice intake, and avoid the chips. Be sure to use the January app to look up meal items from your favorite restaurants, so you can make the healthiest choices possible. After all, everything in moderation…

Co-authored by Millo Skhiri