Chipotle Problem

DesertMirage

So I work at Chipotle, and while it's a fast pace job where I'm always on my feet for my 8 hour shift I eat for free there. And when I go on break it's usually dinner since I work 3-11. Everyone eats their lunch or dinner there because employees eat for free. I try to eat healthy options since there are so many. But I feel like everyday eating chipotle for dinner isn't particularly healthy. I was thinking I could bring food but it's kind of looked down upon... Anyone have any ideas?

mbeuchert24

I don't really have any advice because I don't know Chipotle's menu that well. But I understand what you mean...I worked at Panera for a few months right after I started my last attempt to eat healthier. We didn't get free meals, but they were heavily discounted. I went in at 5:00am or 6:00am which was way to early for me to eat before leaving for work...so I'd end up eating some crap from there.

DesertMirage

Ha ha their is a Panera right next to our Chipotle and all of their employees come to us to eat dinner. It's kind of funny. I've been trying to cut their portions down too. I have their corn soft taco instead of flour and have two instead of 3 with no sour cream or cheese. Chicken, lettuce, tomato, (and sometimes rice or corn).

emilymiesel

So I work at Chipotle, and while it's a fast pace job where I'm always on my feet for my 8 hour shift I eat for free there. And when I go on break it's usually dinner since I work 3-11. Everyone eats their lunch or dinner there because employees eat for free. I try to eat healthy options since there are so many. But I feel like everyday eating chipotle for dinner isn't particularly healthy. I was thinking I could bring food but it's kind of looked down upon... Anyone have any ideas?

Start bringing your own food. Chipotle is packed with Fat!! I just ate there and picked healthy stuff..my food was 2000cals with like obscene amts of fat/sodium and wayyyyyy too much protein (like 80ish). Who cares what's frowned on you need to take care of yourself!

hroush

I'm definitely thinking cut down the portion size. I've been there a couple times and always took half home. Splitting into two meals means half the calories.

I'd say make one with chicken, beans, and other veggies, leaving out the rice. It would be even better to throw these in a bowl to leave out the wrap.

DesertMirage

I'm thinking since I work 5 days a week, I can every other day bring my own food. I already bring a clean canteen full of water since I don't drink soda and sometimes a healthy snack like apple slices or mini carrots.

Another issue I have is that I get back from work so late, and I'm so exhausted from work that I don't have time to work out. And I know everyone says do it before I go to work but I'm taking a summer chemistry course from 8am-1230 every weekday, have just enough time to get home, grab some food change and head to work for my 8 hour shift of running around on my feet.

kellyscomeback

Start bringing your own food. Chipotle is packed with Fat!! I just ate there and picked healthy stuff..my food was 2000cals with like obscene amts of fat/sodium and wayyyyyy too much protein (like 80ish). Who cares what's frowned on you need to take care of yourself!

Ditto! I thought Chipotle was healthy until I read the nutrition facts and since then I haven't been back. 300 calories for 1 tortilla is a joke!

Bring your own lunch, it will save you calories, fat and sodium. If you are strapped for cash and need to eat a free meal get the salad with chicken, light black beans, no cheese and regular salsa. There isn't much there that's truly health when you start looking at the nutrition facts.

Wake up before your class to work out, even a 20m work out will make you feel better and help make health decisions.

NA_Willie

If I worked at Chipotle I would weigh 500 pounds. I go there about once a week but I get the bowl and chicken and no sour cream or cheese.

DesertMirage

Ha ha ha I work at the register and work very hard to not over eat their food. Although I enjoy their all natural message and think most of the food really good I just don't want to eat there 5 days a week. I look back at my fitness pal diary and sigh because dinner is always chipotle.

NA_Willie

I used to work at an office where a Chipotle moved very close (walking distance) and I ate Chipotle five days a week for two months until I changed companies. Chipotle is proof that God exists.

dls06

I would bring my food and limit eating theirs to once a week. You are not going to eat with the customers. Eat it in the back and they can't say anything.

nanc94

i love chipotle...chicken fajita bowls rock (darn i might have to go get some today :ohwell: )

i would just bring my own food..can you possibly step out and have your lunch somewhere else if they dont like you bringing your own food..

eating there 5d a wk..is a bit much...no matter how differently you make it...it all taste the same after a while...

as far as working out....if you could get in a good 30min workout before school or work...at least you're getting some in

jid314

My wife and I eat at Chipotle all the time on our diets.

I am ONLY counting calories, so that may be the difference to some of you. Only counting calories thus far has lost me 19 lbs.

This is about 560 calories, confirmed by chipotle.com;

Chicken burrito BOWL, black beans, rice, fajita vegetables, corn salsa - NO cheese, NO sour cream, NO chips.

560 calories is a little over a third of my calorie allowance daily - but its a good, filling lunch or dinner.

Beastiephile

I go to Chipotle from time to time. If you opt out of the tortilla and just get a bowl of salad with veggies, black beans and salsa with a little dressing, it's very low cal and pretty healthy as far as eating out goes.

christine24t

Don't get any kind of shell! Lots of veggies, no rice, sour cream or guac. You can eat there and be healthy. If you get free meals at work, you might as well take advantage of that. Use the Chipotle nutrition website to guide your decisions.

jbucci1186

When I go to chipotle, I get the chicken burrito bowl with no beans, sour cream, or guacamole and extra lettuce... i think it's around 600 calories or less without those things in it?

Also, I do recommend bringing your own food if you can.

good luck!

chaimtime

The ingredients can't be bad. They don't add anything into their tomatoes or lettuce, or even chicken.

What I did notice is that the flour products, tortillas, chips, and tacos are double the calories as the meal itself.

Like everyone said, your best bet is the bowl skipping all the fatty stuff (sour cream, cheese, guacamole). That bowl is huge and for 700 calories that should fill you up real good.

dustyhockeymom

Start bringing your own food. Chipotle is packed with Fat!! I just ate there and picked healthy stuff..my food was 2000cals with like obscene amts of fat/sodium and wayyyyyy too much protein (like 80ish). Who cares what's frowned on you need to take care of yourself!
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I eat there every few weeks since it's my son's favorite post practice dinner. I have never eaten over 600 calories and I am always stuffed. I don't think I could eat 2000 calories there if I tried.

jalapenos

I go to Chipotle from time to time. If you opt out of the tortilla and just get a bowl of salad with veggies, black beans and salsa with a little dressing, it's very low cal and pretty healthy as far as eating out goes.

Exactly! grilled meat and veggies.... you can't go wrong with that!

tameko2

My wife and I eat at Chipotle all the time on our diets.

I am ONLY counting calories, so that may be the difference to some of you. Only counting calories thus far has lost me 19 lbs.

This is about 560 calories, confirmed by chipotle.com;

Chicken burrito BOWL, black beans, rice, fajita vegetables, corn salsa - NO cheese, NO sour cream, NO chips.

560 calories is a little over a third of my calorie allowance daily - but its a good, filling lunch or dinner.

This is the same for me - I get the bowl and that solves the calorie issue - I let myself have sour cream if I want to budget for it.

Its really not that bad for you unless you're trying to avoid fat and sodium I guess. Obviously no chips and guacomole is really high cal so - but if I didn't get rice, I'd get the guac probably.

Go look at their nutritional facts, its not as bad as someone made it out to be

mystiedragonfly

Yes, bring your food to work. Every once and a while (maybe once a week?) it is okay to eat a burrito bowl there. Lots of lettuce. Lots of the fresh tomato and corn salsas. The chicken is also cooked acceptably.

Stay away from the guacamole. (Oh the heavenly Chipotle guacamole!!)

Also, Panera being right beside you. Head over there for soup and salad. I LOVE that.

electromg

I looooovee Chipotle!!!
I would eat Chipotle twice a day if I were you. I wouldn't be able to stop myself!! HAHA

Okay, so first off, don't trust the website's calorie estimates. You should jot down your portions and have a better estimate. See, these fast food places are required to post their calories--but its on the assumption you are being served less--and takes advantage of the legal "margin of error". So basically they can skew the numbers a LOT.

Anyway, I know the tortillas are beyond delicious, but you need to not eat them! White carbs do more damage than good. Lets say you can have a full sized burrito once a week. Yes, ONCE a week. The other days make this:
A burrito bowl with mainly black beans, fajita vegetables, (some chicken if you eat meat, but not a whole lot), corn, lettuce, and a little salsa. Now THAT sounds tasty to me right now. I know you may be "addicted" to the whole enchilada, erm, burrito....but seriously, it fades!!! Black beans are very very healthy for you! High fiber diets are some of the most successful diets, and you would get protein too that would last. You wouldn't get the hunger later that you would from white rice and the tortilla. Since you are eating a lot of sodium, drink extra water, even more than the requirement.

So that was long, but I know you can do it! Remember, once a week you get what you want!

jllipson

I just had Chipotle on Thursday. I had the bowl, skipped the rice, had pinto beans, fajita veggies, no meat, tomato salsa, medium salsa, sour cream, cheese, guacamole and lettuce - I' pretty sure it was under 600 calories. I found a Chipotle calorie calculator on-line and use it before I go, to decide what to have.
If I were in your shoes, I'd pack 3 days, eat there 2. That gives you less days of Chipotle and more days of healthier eating.

sarad777

OMG Chipotle...mmm...so good. I am hungry now. Had my first bowl in Colorado a couple weeks ago!

ImperfektAngel

You could do a healthier plate such as the salads but Im pretty sure everything in the menu is packed with salt, everyday of eating too much salt would not be good for you.

JennsRAQ

Could you go for a run/walk during part of your lunch to squeeze in some exercise? Or go up and down some stairs?

I'm in the - Chipotle can be reasonable! - camp. I'd focus more on eating a salad with yummies on top (half portions of meat, beans, etc - double portions of veggies... no tortilla or rice) and maybe bringing some fruit to eat with it

DesertMirage

Wow thanks for all the replies guys!!! I brought watermelon as a snack today and on Monday I'm going to make myself a nice healthy dinner and hopefully every other day bring my food.

Anyone have some good (non messy) recipes for dinner that can be packed to go, they want to share?

kriots

eat lunch in your car if you have too. frankly i wouldn't care what people would think. Its your life, take control of it! Twll them you are sick of mexican food, burnt out whatever, thats pretty normal.

EricInArlington

restaurant trade baby! I used to do that back in the day, find a few places that you want to eat at and trade food, ether that or pack a lunch like me, Weight Watchers meals

jujubean1992

bring your own food and tell them to stuff it! your having fuel not food!

NikkisNewStart

Bring your own food... the extra sodium increases your risk for heart related disease and stroke and I'm sure you are consistently going over. Even 2500 mg a day is too much based on the American Heart Association.

Secondly... the saturated fat is probably disgusting.

While you may look fantabulous on the outside... if you aren't giving your body awesome fuel... your insides are going to look like sludge and eventually it will catch up to you in terms of disease.

Think about the future- Chipotle won't be there for you in 20 years when you're laying in a hospital bed after having a heart attack. Take care of yourself first.