# Dietary revelations courtesy of Chipotle **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 8, 2010, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dietary-revelations-courtesy-of-chipotle/553089 "2010-09-08T18:52:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![KarlGrenze](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/dbc845/32.png) [@KarlGrenze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGrenze)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2010, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dietary-revelations-courtesy-of-chipotle/553089/21 "2010-09-09T02:47:22Z")
I don’t remember right now if Chipotle has this, but some places have a “mini” or “kids’ size” burrito, which is still pretty generous and fulfilling. Moe’s used to have it (I think theirs is called junior now?). Try it, seriously. It is still a big freaking meal, and if you add unlimited sodas and perhaps chips, you got plenty. And slash the sour cream and guac for more fresh veggies and salsas. Mmm… Salsas… my reason to go to those places… ---
**Author:** ![Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e480ec/32.png) [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Least_Original_User_Name_Ever)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2010, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dietary-revelations-courtesy-of-chipotle/553089/22 "2010-09-09T03:09:36Z")
> [@Zsofia](#): > > Mr. OP, and please take no offense, it seems to me that if you’re looking to be more watchful of what you eat and Chipotle surprised you that you need to be thinking less “what” and more "how much. Because the new American monster burrito should set off warning bells in your skull. Now, it’s harder to tell with food in roll form, but it does help to think in Weight Watchers terms - a serving of meat is the size of a deck of cards. No, really. A Chipotle burrito should be two meals for a normal, healthy person - not one. When you think of your food in terms of piles on your plate it may become more obvious to you exactly what you’re taking in and how much of it would really make you satisfied - if I give my boyfriend a pound of meat, he’ll eat it, happily. If I give him a little bit of meat, he’ll eat it, and if he’s still hungry he’ll have some more. Appetite-driven. Think this way. I need to do this more, as well. Thinking about a portion of food that size helps visualize what/how much you should be eating. Take pizza, for example. I eat until there’s no more pizza left. ---
**Author:** ![GameHat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ed655f/32.png) [@GameHat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GameHat)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2010, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dietary-revelations-courtesy-of-chipotle/553089/23 "2010-09-09T03:19:08Z")
Calorie-wise, Chipotle isn’t shocking. I’m a big guy - bigger than I should be - and even I find it a bit difficult to finish one of their obscene(ly delicious) burritos. No, honestly - the reason I won’t eat at Chipotle anymore (and I do love the food) - is the **insane** sodium content. I’m talking really insane. I mean, I love salty. I would have a salt-lick if it wouldn’t attract deer. I don’t have the values, but Chipotle’s carnitas are so salty as to make me say, “damn, that is just **too** salty.” Plus I can see the effect on the scale nearly immediately - eat at Chipotle, have 3-4 lbs water gain the next day. The salt content is insane. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Love](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e8c25b/32.png) [@Dr.Love](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Love)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2010, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dietary-revelations-courtesy-of-chipotle/553089/24 "2010-09-09T03:40:43Z")
The OP needs not fear, for he can always go on [The Chipotle Diet](http://chipotless.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=13&Itemid=27)! Depending on what your [metabolic rate](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harris-Benedict_equation), 1000 calories for lunch might not be unreasonable. ---
**Author:** ![Zjestika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/8edcca/32.png) [@Zjestika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zjestika)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2010, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dietary-revelations-courtesy-of-chipotle/553089/25 "2010-09-09T04:56:26Z")
> [@DiosaBellissima](#): > > Chipotle is just about the only fast food that isn’t a total diet killer, so long as you do it right. Ooh, [Noodles & Co.](http://noodles.com/) is also good! And I think they’re owned by the same company because Chipotle and Noodles are often right next to each other. They have a great [under 400](http://noodles.com/he.pdf) .pdf on their website that shows what combinations you can get for under 400 calories. I like the Bankok Curry with shrimp and a small salad, 345 calories. I have some sympathy for the OP because Chipotle seems like real food, as in less processed than Taco Bell, so it must be good for you, right? But you can get fat eating healthy whole foods, too, if you eat too much. ---
**Author:** ![Glory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/7cd45c/32.png) [@Glory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Glory)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2010, 5:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dietary-revelations-courtesy-of-chipotle/553089/26 "2010-09-09T05:35:12Z")
> [@Zsofia](#): > > When you think of your food in terms of piles on your plate it may become more obvious to you exactly what you’re taking in and how much of it would really make you satisfied - if I give my boyfriend a pound of meat, he’ll eat it, happily. If I give him a little bit of meat, he’ll eat it, and if he’s still hungry he’ll have some more. Appetite-driven. Think this way. As a successful dieter (and weight loss maintainer, which is the REAL trick), my approach has 3 parts: 1. Eat more whole foods, avoid junk 2. Calorie counting 3. Volummetrics I like to sit down to a big yummy plate of food so I fill up the plate with low calorie foods, like a huge serving of roasted vegetables. I tend to think of the plate as divided into fourths - 1/4 protein 1/4 healthy carb 1/2 vegetables (with a little healthy fat). I love food and I hate to be hungry so this approach works for me. ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Knig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cdc98d/32.png) [@Typo\_Knig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Knig)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2010, 10:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dietary-revelations-courtesy-of-chipotle/553089/27 "2010-09-09T10:32:59Z")
**Diosa** , thanks for that link! I’m going “bol” at Chipotle from now on. I had no idea a steamed burrito was 290 cals :eek: And no more guac for me ☹ I had lunch at one yesterday. It was tasty, very fast, and filling. No mid-afternoon food rages for me! But now I see why. (Where’s an elephant smiley?) ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2010, 11:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dietary-revelations-courtesy-of-chipotle/553089/28 "2010-09-09T11:52:04Z")
> [@GameHat](#): > > Calorie-wise, Chipotle isn’t shocking. I’m a big guy - bigger than I should be - and even I find it a bit difficult to finish one of their obscene(ly delicious) burritos. > > No, honestly - the reason I won’t eat at Chipotle anymore (and I do love the food) - is the **insane** sodium content. I’m talking really insane. I mean, I love salty. I would have a salt-lick if it wouldn’t attract deer. > > I don’t have the values, but Chipotle’s carnitas are so salty as to make me say, “damn, that is just **too** salty.” Plus I can see the effect on the scale nearly immediately - eat at Chipotle, have 3-4 lbs water gain the next day. The salt content is insane. Yep, lots of salt. Especially the salsas. Not something you’d want to eat on a low sodium diet. ---
**Author:** ![Glory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/7cd45c/32.png) [@Glory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Glory)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2010, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dietary-revelations-courtesy-of-chipotle/553089/29 "2010-09-09T14:22:38Z")
> [@Typo\_Knig](#): > > **Diosa** , thanks for that link! I’m going “bol” at Chipotle from now on. I had no idea a steamed burrito was 290 cals :eek: And no more guac for me ☹ I don’t think the guac is so bad! Avocado is really good for you! I just get a serving and split it or just eat half. Half a serving is 75 calories, but 75 calories of good for you food. I have found in my quest for healthy eating, it’s sometimes hard to get enough healthy fats in my diet. A little guac at Chipotle is actually a good thing for me! Of course, I skip the cheese/sour cream (not because of calories, because dairy doesn’t agree with me) so I have some calorie wiggle room for guacamole. But yeah, the salt at Chipotle is nuts. I don’t get on the scale for 2 days after eating there. My weight always jumps 3-4 lbs, just from the salt! ---
**Author:** ![mack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mack)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2010, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dietary-revelations-courtesy-of-chipotle/553089/30 "2010-09-09T15:28:18Z")
[QUOTE=GameHat] No, honestly - the reason I won’t eat at Chipotle anymore (and I do love the food) - is the insane sodium content. I’m talking really insane. I mean, I love salty. I would have a salt-lick if it wouldn’t attract deer. [/QUOTE] Damn. I need to watch my sodium, too. Maybe I should just stay out of that place. Once all the high calorie/high sodium stuff is taken away what I’d be left with doesn’t seem to be much different than what I could round up at the cafeteria salad bar. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2010, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dietary-revelations-courtesy-of-chipotle/553089/31 "2010-09-09T16:05:42Z")
Moved MPSIMS --\> Cafe Society **twicks** , who doesn’t want to know the calorie count on the mango salsa salad with chicken she had at Qdoba yesterday, ‘cause it was frikkin’ delicious ---
**Author:** ![Cliffy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/59ef9b/32.png) [@Cliffy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cliffy)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2010, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dietary-revelations-courtesy-of-chipotle/553089/32 "2010-09-09T16:12:34Z")
Starting next year, I believe, all restaurants over 20 locations will be required to conspicuously post calorie content for all items, so at least you won’t be shocked anymore. Also, I thought everybody knew that those “juice” drinks are all bullshit. It’s just sugar water. I don’t mind the occasional sugar water, but don’t be fooled – there’s nothing healthy about them. –Cliffy ---
**Author:** ![DiosaBellissima](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a8b319/32.png) [@DiosaBellissima](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DiosaBellissima)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2010, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dietary-revelations-courtesy-of-chipotle/553089/33 "2010-09-09T16:15:42Z")
> [@Typo\_Knig](#): > > **Diosa** , thanks for that link! I’m going “bol” at Chipotle from now on. I had no idea a steamed burrito was 290 cals :eek: And no more guac for me ☹ Guac isn’t so bad, as long as they don’t go so heavy on it and you maybe get that in place of some other high calorie add on. I read some thing from the Mayo Clinic that said you should eat an avocado a day or something, because even though they are fatty, it’s a really good kind of fat. ---
**Author:** ![Serenata67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/serenata67/32/10646_2.png) [@Serenata67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Serenata67)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2010, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dietary-revelations-courtesy-of-chipotle/553089/34 "2010-09-10T16:09:00Z")
> [@tdn](#): > > Total calories that I typically get from Chipotle: 0 > > That place is nasty. Same here. Ate there once and that was enough for me. Never need to go back. ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Knig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cdc98d/32.png) [@Typo\_Knig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Knig)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2010, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dietary-revelations-courtesy-of-chipotle/553089/35 "2010-09-11T03:35:50Z")
I went back to Chipotle for lunch today, and got the vegetarian bol, with guac (thanks again, **Diosa**!) It was only slightly less filling than the burrito - still no mid-afternoon food rages! Yay Chipotle and your wonderfully oversized portions! The bol is much easier to eat. Sure I needed a fork, and eating a burrito as it falls apart in your hands is part of the fun, but I didn’t want to get lunch on my coat and tie. OTOH, my lunch had nearly 1400 mg of sodium. It’s a good thing I didn’t spill my drink on my burrito, or there would have been a bare alkali metal explosion (obligatory Mythbusters video [here](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_XdOmShVhI).) ---
**Author:** ![devilsknew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4da419/32.png) [@devilsknew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/devilsknew)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2010, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dietary-revelations-courtesy-of-chipotle/553089/36 "2010-09-11T04:19:39Z")
> [@mack](#): > > [QUOTE=Zsofia] > Yeah, did it not occur to you when they handed you a burrito the size of your head that maybe that’s a little more than you should be eating at one go? Chipotle burritos never struck me as being overly large. I think they’re kind of small compared to a lot of other places. At least I’ve never looked at one and thought ‘man, I’ll never finish _that_’. [/QUOTE] Yea, I’ve never found Chipotle burritos that big as far as the real fillings like meat and accoutrements. In fact, I find it kind of chincy in real burrito ingredients, all they seem to do is overstuff it with cheap filler- rice. That’s kind of a turnoff to me about their burritos, all of the frickin’ rice. Nobody wants a rice burrito. ---
**Author:** ![Stealth\_Potato](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Stealth\_Potato](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stealth_Potato)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2010, 5:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dietary-revelations-courtesy-of-chipotle/553089/37 "2010-09-11T05:41:50Z")
> [@Zsofia](#): > > The portion size is part of it - those burritos are way, WAY bigger than any sort of sensible portion. I dunno; usually I find they’re just about right. On a couple of occasions I’ve found it necessary to have two. 😃 > [@Cliffy](#): > > Also, I thought everybody knew that those “juice” drinks are all bullshit. It’s just sugar water. I don’t mind the occasional sugar water, but don’t be fooled – there’s nothing healthy about them. This is an important point. The OP’s pomegranate-cherry juice is the nutritional equivalent of a cherry coke. Personally, I avoid soft drinks for the most part and have fruit juices in moderation. Mostly I drink water. > [@Glory](#): > > I don’t think the guac is so bad! Avocado is really good for you! I’m told this is true, but honestly it doesn’t matter. Avocados are the fruit of the gods and nothing will ever separate me from them! ---
**Author:** ![Taomist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/53a042/32.png) [@Taomist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Taomist)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2010, 6:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dietary-revelations-courtesy-of-chipotle/553089/38 "2010-09-11T06:17:24Z")
I’ve never been to a Chipotle, and I’ve seen the South Park episode about it too many times to ever go there on purpose, I think. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2010, 6:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dietary-revelations-courtesy-of-chipotle/553089/39 "2010-09-11T06:48:55Z")
> [@devilsknew](#): > > Yea, I’ve never found Chipotle burritos that big as far as the real fillings like meat and accoutrements. In fact, I find it kind of chincy in real burrito ingredients, all they seem to do is overstuff it with cheap filler- rice. That’s kind of a turnoff to me about their burritos, all of the frickin’ rice. Nobody wants a rice burrito. Yeah. Who the fuck puts rice in a burrito? The only thing I like about Chipotle is they serve beer. ---
**Author:** ![devilsknew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4da419/32.png) [@devilsknew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/devilsknew)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2010, 9:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dietary-revelations-courtesy-of-chipotle/553089/40 "2010-09-11T09:10:11Z")
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