Chipotle, Baja Fresh not so nutritional

Last September, the Center for Science in the Public Interest took a look at the cuisine in the big burrito chains. This is especially useful since the restaurants don't post much nutritional info themselves.

Sadly, lots of sour cream and cheese and rice seems to be counter-indicated. Plus the portion sizes are overly gargantuan. Who knew?

Fresh Mex: Not Always Healthy Mex ~ Newsroom ~ News from CSPI

First of all, says CSPI, fresh Mex-restaurants offer a lot of things fast food restaurants don't. Fresh veggies, grilled seafood and chicken, salsas, and beans abound. It's certainly possible to get a healthful meal relatively low in saturated fat and high in dietary fiber. But some menu items can easily top 1,000 calories -- and just about everything has too much salt. That's more calories than the vast majority of sandwiches or fast-food burgers, according to CSPI...

...Chipotle's Carnitas Burrito is like an artillery shell filled with a day's worth of saturated fat and sodium....

...Chipotle's Chicken Burrito Bols--burritos without the 340-calorie flour tortillas--are CSPI's only recommended "Better Bites" at Chipotle. A Bol with chicken, black beans, lettuce, and salsa [no rice, sour cream or cheese! - seb], has just 430 calories and four grams of saturated fat. Rice instead of lettuce adds about 200 calories.

If you want a Chipotle Burrito and not a Bol, CSPI advises consumers holding the cheese and sour cream. That can save 200 calories and a half a day's worth of saturated fat. We estimate that skipping the rice could save 200 calories more. And most Chipotle Burritos are big enough for two meals: Just ask your server to wrap each half separately.

I'd like the LazyWeb to provide me with a grid showing all the dishes from restaurants near a given address, rankable by various health criteria. Thanks.     4 comment(s)  

Mmmmm...burrito bol. <Homer Simpson drool />
      ...posted by TheBrad on June 22, 2004 10:29 PM

Chipotle's carnitas is so shaggin' good, though ... however, I'm with 'em on the no-cheese-or-cream thing. I'll usually get the Bol with no rice, and with lots of that yummy corn salsa. Y'know, if they'd just offer corn tortillas instead of flour for the soft tacos, they'd save us tons of calories and lard-fat.

Fortunately, the little family-run El Huarache Azteca in my 'hood makes 'em that way, along with the finest chicken and al pastor pork in creation. Ehh, who needs the chains anyway?

      ...posted by Chuck on July 1, 2004 2:24 AM

Right on Chuckie. Chipotle rocks. That sounds like how I order my grub from there! But..... I did not know about the corn tortilla action being less fattening, Duh!
      ...posted by Suzi on July 1, 2004 5:59 PM

Chipotle is what I m talkin about. The Brad knows whats up. But I am sure...El hurachuca can do it right on the spot!!!
      ...posted by Suzi on July 1, 2004 6:02 PM

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