Would you consider Chipotle healthy?

heavenlee816 · January 2020

I get the steak bowl load it up with vegs and only eat half in one sitting.

Nony_Mouse · January 2020

Do you mean in terms of weight loss, or overall nutrition?

For weight loss, so long as it fits your calorie allowance, go for it.

Nutritionally, as part of an overall healthful diet, also seems fine. It's possibly high in sodium, dressings and method of cooking for the steak are potential sources of extra fats (which is fine in the context of an overall healthful diet).

Get rid of notions of 'good' and 'bad' when it comes to food, and look at the overall picture in terms of calorie allowance and nutritional requirements rather than focussing on individual foods or meals, and you'll be fine

MikePTY · January 2020

Sure. Literally any food can be "healthy" in terms of a larger diet. Even high calorie, low nutrition food has its part, especially if indulging in it occasionally helps keep you on track with the rest of your diet.

As the smart mouse above said, labeling things "good" or "bad" is generally not helpful. Try to focus on hitting your calories, and then whatever nutrition goal you have. Chipotle can be a part of that.

AnnPT77 · January 2020

Eating a whole restaurant has too much fiber in the form of lumber, and too many minerals in the form of bricks/cement, so I wouldn't advise it.

Just kidding, couldn't resist riffing off the thread title. Sorry! :flowerforyou:

Nutrition is about getting reasonable, well-rounded macronutrients and micronutrients within a number of calories that helps you sensibly achieve your weight-management goals (lose, maintain, gain). Specific food choices - as long as one avoids anything truly dangerous/poisonous, or to which one is allergic or sensitive - matter much less in the big picture.

If you're hitting reasonable nutritional goals and calories the overwhelming majority of the time, it's fine. Half a Chipotle steak bowl (heavy on veggies) sounds pretty reasonable, if it works for you in that context.

Even the occasional calorie-dense but nutrient-sparse food isn't "unhealthy" in any important way, in the context of an overall healthy diet appropriate to the individual's goals and health status. Sometimes we put waaay too much stress on ourselves, by focusing on details and missing the big picture.

Best wishes!

kshama2001 · January 2020

Years back, my employer made us come in on Saturdays for part days. But they'd buy us lunch, which was often Chipotles. However, we'd spend 30 minutes or so discussing lunch, then eating lunch together, then in a food coma. So they really only got 90 minutes of productive time from us

These days when I get Chipotles I have far smaller portions.

I like their "Food with Integrity" stance: https://www.chipotle.com/food-with-integrity

I don't buy pork that was conventionally raised and it is nice to have an inexpensive option for eating pork out.

Reading various Michael Pollan books and articles is why I don't eat conventionally raised pork, for example: https://michaelpollan.com/articles-archive/an-animals-place/

lemurcat2 · January 2020

Price out the cals in your contemplated order, if what you mean are calories. They are available. You may have to watch that they don't load you up with the rice (and sometimes beans), however -- some say they've seen that.

Personally, I either get a bowl with rice and black beans with the fajita veg, the tomatoes, and the hot sauce (no cheese or sour cream) or the bowl with black beans + pork and then everything else the same. The guac is good and avocados healthy, but it adds a ton of cals so just be aware of that.

I don't have it a lot (it's long been the easiest Saturday option at my office if I don't come prepared with food, but I try to bring my own food), but I don't have an issue with the healthiness and I find the things I order super filling for the cals. High sodium like most restaurants of that type, I'm sure, and fewer veg than I like in a meal, but not bad given you also get the black beans.

H_Ock12 · January 2020

I would say it can be more nutritionally balanced than some other options for sure...but if I'm eating out, I'm not really concerned about the health benefits of my food. A fully loaded bowl, add chips, is a great carb loading meal.

lgfrie · January 2020

There's no way to declare Chipotle healthy or unhealthy in some overall sense. You can get a salad bowl piled high with veggies and one of their leaner meats or no meat, or conversely you can get a steak burrito with extra cheese and a large side of queso and chips. As always, the onus is on the customer to make good choices.

Chipotle is not a bad place to diet. All the calories are posted, and most of the stuff they sell can be worked into a daily calorie allotment, which is all that matters. Plus, it's very filling.

janejellyroll · January 2020

I can eat meals at Chipotle that completely fit into my nutritional and calorie goals. I can choose meals there that completely don't fit. It's impossible to judge an entire restaurant with a variety of choices without understanding what you're eating there and what you're eating the rest of the time.

Is it possible for Chipotle to be healthy? Yes.

fuzzylop_ · January 2020

Other than sodium levels being a bit higher than I would prefer, I can't think of anything I routinely consume there which would give me pause.

Dreamwa1ker · January 2020

They have a very useful nutrition calculator on their website: https://www.chipotle.com/nutrition-calculator
I use that to figure out my order and if I should portion it (e.g. as you said eating half). Obviously whoever dishes it up may go a little lighter or heavier than what that has calculated, but it should hopefully be ballpark close as they use the same dishers at all the stores. The food itself (I get the burrito bowl too) is actually pretty healthy as well as filling as it's a good mix of proteins, fats, carbs, fiber, it's the portion size that is generally the problem for me - I make something very similar to their burrito bowl at home but it's like half the size and heavier on veggies and beans than on meat. I've also had days I eat the whole thing but then have something really light for dinner - it's just making it fit your goals for the day or week.

NovusDies · January 2020

Unless I was employed there and planning on eating their food multiple times a week I wouldn't care. Single meals are not that important unless they cause a medical problem like an allergic reaction.

sgt1372 · January 2020

I cannot answer the question because I have never eaten at Chipotle and probably never will.

Would you consider Chipotle healthy?

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