I didn't read every response, but I always get brown rice and black beans at Chipotle and that, containing fiber and bring whole foods, is going to beat the heck out of white bread. I skip the sour cream and cheese, but I get the guac and the salsas and lettuce (a bowl). And it's two meals.

Avocados, black beans, brown rice, fresh salsa = MUCH more healthy in terms of nutrition than processed white meat chicken, processed white bread bun, and reconstituted french fries at burger king. None the less if you order beef with "cheese."

But I am much less concerned with fat I guess than I am about the food being nutritious. I just accept if I'm eating out, it ain't diet food.

Anonymous wrote:If I was making burritos at home, I would use tortillas, canned black beans with spices, brown rice with a little oil and salt, sauteed veggies in oil, sour cream, and guac - maybe some cheese for the kids, but I dont like it.

I dont see how thats any different from what I am getting at Chipolte?

The main differences would be:

1) The quantity of oil and salt you'd use would likely be much less;
2) You'd likely rinse your black beans (at least I would hope you'd have the good sense to do this).
3) Your portion size would likely be smaller.

You might also use low-fat sour cream or even non-fat plan yoghurt if you were trying to eat more healthy.

All of those are big when combined.

If I was making burritos at home, I would use tortillas, canned black beans with spices, brown rice with a little oil and salt, sauteed veggies in oil, sour cream, and guac - maybe some cheese for the kids, but I dont like it.

I dont see how thats any different from what I am getting at Chipolte?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:According to the Chipotle website, 3 oz of rice contain 3 g of fat, including .5 g saturated fat. That's a lot of fat for a small amount of cooked white rice.

Yeah, but for a takeout meal I don't think that's outrageous at all.

Except that a regular adult burrito does not have only 3 oz of rice. They put in closer to 8-10 oz of rice, so really they are adding about 300 calories (130 calories for 3 oz) and 9g of fat of which 7.5g is unsaturated fat. And that's only the rice. This is what happens in fast food where they add fat to the rice.

Anonymous wrote:If you just use the nutritional chart...

BK: 4 piece nugget and small fries: 530 calories, 26 gm of fat, 790 sodium, 59 carbs, 14 sugar

Chipotle: Tortilla, chicken, rice, cheese: 610 calories, 27 gm fat, 1330 sodium, 67 carbs, 8 sugar

That is what my little one would order.

So about the same except for sodium in the tortilla is amazingly high - 670 mg sodium

Are you comparing the 4 piece BK nuggets with the adult sized burrito? They seem like very different amounts of food. My toddler would eat 4 pieces of childen and a small fries and be happy. Or I'd get her a kids meal at Chipotle.

The kids meal would be the make your own taco kit:

1 taco shell, chicken, black beans, white rice and cheese. Size of tortilla chips.

http://www.chipotle.com/en-us/menu/nutrition_calculator/nutrition_calculator.aspx

444 calories, 15 g fat, 510 g sodium.

I don't think fat is the root of our obesity problem. I think it's sugar and simple carbs.

Know what I add to my rice at home? Oil and salt (sesame and soy suce).

I think, for fast food on the go, as an extremely active vegetarian family, Chipotle beats some alternatives by a mile. Can you overindulge there? You betcha. Will it stop me from going? Not a chance.

If you just use the nutritional chart...

BK: 4 piece nugget and small fries: 530 calories, 26 gm of fat, 790 sodium, 59 carbs, 14 sugar

Chipotle: Tortilla, chicken, rice, cheese: 610 calories, 27 gm fat, 1330 sodium, 67 carbs, 8 sugar

That is what my little one would order.

So about the same except for sodium in the tortilla is amazingly high - 670 mg sodium

I love Chiplotle and my kids eat fast food occasionally but I do think it is misleading that their website says...

"Foods that are unprocessed and un-tampered with (like at Chipotle) are more filling and nutritious than the synthetic foods you might find at other restaurants."

Anonymous wrote:Saturated is good for you. You're all barking up the wrong tree.

I don't think deep fried saturated fat is good for you!

Saturated is good for you. You're all barking up the wrong tree.

Anonymous wrote:According to the Chipotle website, 3 oz of rice contain 3 g of fat, including .5 g saturated fat. That's a lot of fat for a small amount of cooked white rice.

Yeah, but for a takeout meal I don't think that's outrageous at all.

By comparison a medium Burger Kind french fries (4 oz) has 20 g fat of which 5 g are saturated. Now that's a LOT of fat for a small amount of cooked potatoes!

Also - the tortilla used in a Chipotle burrito has 9 g of fat of which 3 g are saturated.

I think the rice at Chipotle is fine, but I'd skip the tortilla. Remember again -- this is Fast Food we are talking about. Not home cooking.

According to the Chipotle website, 3 oz of rice contain 3 g of fat, including .5 g saturated fat. That's a lot of fat for a small amount of cooked white rice.

Anonymous wrote:I don't normally do this, but this issue about the rice was definitely buggin me because I know that when I do the calculator for Chipotle that it is not very many calories. So I did a little research and the Chipotle rice is 170 calories for 4 oz. I compared that to a standard calorie calculator, which had 4 oz of rice at 147 calories. So, what I take from that is that if there is any added fat in the rice from Chipotle it is not much and hardly likely to make the difference between healthy and unhealthy.

It's 23 calories, holey moly that's a lot!!!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I always get a salad at chipotle. The kids have rice and beans. We avoid the chips. Not sure why this is a bad meal?

It's the sodium and hidden fat (e.g., in the rice). But, I think that if you're going to do fast food, Chipotle is the best of what's out there.

Ok. Rice does not contain fat. It is a carb. Carry on.

FYI, Chipotle adds oil and salt to their rice. Carry on.

I don't normally do this, but this issue about the rice was definitely buggin me because I know that when I do the calculator for Chipotle that it is not very many calories. So I did a little research and the Chipotle rice is 170 calories for 4 oz. I compared that to a standard calorie calculator, which had 4 oz of rice at 147 calories. So, what I take from that is that if there is any added fat in the rice from Chipotle it is not much and hardly likely to make the difference between healthy and unhealthy.