# How healthy is Chipotle? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 12, 2005, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-healthy-is-chipotle/321328 "2005-09-12T21:21:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![CynicalGabe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@CynicalGabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CynicalGabe)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2005, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-healthy-is-chipotle/321328/1 "2005-09-12T21:21:43Z")
I just watched “Supersize Me”. I don’t normally eat fast food, maybe once a month, tops. However, I am a bit overweight (6’2", 220lbs). I have an addiction to Chipotle burritos. I eat them maybe twice a week. Chicken burritos, no beans, no salsa (I hate beans and tomatos). So there is a good slopping of sour cream in there, which I imagine is the most unhealthy thing in the whole deal. I’ve decided to cut out the soda from now on. My question: how unhealthy are they (the burritos)? Compared to something like a Big Mac? Of course, I already know I need to get more exercise. I plan to start jogging on the beach a few times a week, which should permit me to exercise and collect sand dollars simultaneously. ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2005, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-healthy-is-chipotle/321328/2 "2005-09-12T21:29:39Z")
[Try This](http://www.chipotlefan.com/index.php?id=nutrition_calculator) Looks like a lot more fat and carbs than you’d think. Not necessarily diet food. ---
**Author:** ![Lamar\_Mundane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lamar\_Mundane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamar_Mundane)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2005, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-healthy-is-chipotle/321328/3 "2005-09-12T21:31:57Z")
Healthy is a tough word to define in this case. Grilled chicken, rice, veggies, salsa are all good foods and good for you, but put them all together and throw in some cheese and sour cream and suddenly you have 1000+ calories and about a day’s worth of saturated fat. All in all, I’d say that is not healthy. ---
**Author:** ![tremorviolet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e47774/32.png) [@tremorviolet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tremorviolet)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2005, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-healthy-is-chipotle/321328/4 "2005-09-12T21:35:34Z")
Yeah, the biggest problem with Chipotle is that the burritos are so big. You can very easily eat over half your daily recommended calorie intake. (sadly, the same is also true of a hometown favorite, Freebirds Burritos) Here’s and [article](http://www.cspinet.org/new/200309301.html) detailing problems with “healthy” Tex-Mex. ---
**Author:** ![sciguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e68b1a/32.png) [@sciguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sciguy)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2005, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-healthy-is-chipotle/321328/5 "2005-09-12T22:33:46Z")
Ouch, I had no idea the sodium was so high there. I plugged in my standard order (carnitas fajita, tomatos, red salsa, sour cream, cheese, side of chips) and it ended up at a whopping 4376 mg of sodium. :eek: Switching to the steak (my other favorite) dropped it down to “only” 3809 mg. And the chips don’t even seem to be the worst contributor, it seems to be the tortilla, rice, and meat. But it’s just so tasty… ---
**Author:** ![SlyFrog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a3d4f5/32.png) [@SlyFrog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlyFrog)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2005, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-healthy-is-chipotle/321328/6 "2005-09-12T22:44:36Z")
Yeah, those things are kind of heart bombs. Of course, as always, it depends on what you order. A chicken burrito _without_ cheese and sour cream has to be far better for you than the “typical” order. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Arky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/87869e/32.png) [@An\_Arky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Arky)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2005, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-healthy-is-chipotle/321328/7 "2005-09-12T23:00:57Z")
Yup, it’s more about the quantity. Maybe if you were busting your ass on the farm every day, you’d _need_ thousand calorie lunches. But if you’re sitting behind a desk, half that is enough. ---
**Author:** ![CynicalGabe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@CynicalGabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CynicalGabe)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2005, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-healthy-is-chipotle/321328/8 "2005-09-12T23:14:21Z")
> [@Hampshire](#): > > [Try This](http://www.chipotlefan.com/index.php?id=nutrition_calculator) > > Looks like a lot more fat and carbs than you’d think. > Not necessarily diet food. That nutrition calculator makes the Baby Jesus cry. ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2005, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-healthy-is-chipotle/321328/9 "2005-09-13T00:27:23Z")
I thought this was going to be about the chipotle pepper, I never heard of this chain. ---
**Author:** ![groman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/73ab20/32.png) [@groman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/groman)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2005, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-healthy-is-chipotle/321328/10 "2005-09-13T00:32:53Z")
I’d be a minority here and claim that the most unhealthy part of this is the tortilla wrap. Try eating it without the tortilla wrap, with a fork. I’d venture a guess you won’t be able to eat the whole thing. Regards, Groman ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2005, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-healthy-is-chipotle/321328/11 "2005-09-13T01:04:12Z")
Another vote for the “it’s just too big a single serving” department. Better split it and keep half in the fridge for tomorrow’s lunch. If you really love them so much you can just reserve them for “splurge” ocassions, being sure that the rest of the time you’re being a Very Good Boy… ---
**Author:** ![CynicalGabe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@CynicalGabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CynicalGabe)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2005, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-healthy-is-chipotle/321328/12 "2005-09-13T01:24:53Z")
The way I order them (chicken, rice, sour cream, and cheese), they are not nearly as big as they are “fully loaded”, so to speak. Its about the right size for a full meal for someone my size. Splitting it in half would leave me still hungry. ---
**Author:** ![groman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/73ab20/32.png) [@groman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/groman)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2005, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-healthy-is-chipotle/321328/13 "2005-09-13T01:27:42Z")
> [@CynicalGabe](#): > > The way I order them (chicken, rice, sour cream, and cheese), they are not nearly as big as they are “fully loaded”, so to speak. Its about the right size for a full meal for someone my size. Splitting it in half would leave me still hungry. Which is generally the feeling you want to achieve after a meal unless you are completely exhausted from physical work at the end of the day. Physical work is roughly self limiting, but not so with food for all people.