Eating Healthy at Chipotle

This popular restaurant chain has built its brand around a holistic philosophy on nutrition and health, or ''Food with Integrity.'' Chipotle focuses on serving food that is unprocessed, sustainable, naturally raised, added-hormone free, and organic. However, it's still important to watch how much you are eating--just because food is fresh and wholesome doesn't mean it's calorie-free! Here are some helpful nutritional tips to help you navigate the menu on your next visit to Chipotle.

• A major plus this Mexican buffet-style restaurant offers is that you control how they make your burrito, taco, or salad with more than 60,000 ways to build your entrees.
  
  
• Sodium content at fast food restaurants tends to be quite high, but Chipotle does offer lower sodium ingredients, which can be very helpful for those watching their intake on the go.
  
  
• One of the negative aspects of this wholesome restaurant is the large portion sizes. Each individual ingredient looks great nutritionally; however, when you put four or five of them together, your meal ends up being way over the calories for a recommended meal intake. Depending on what you pile on your burrito, you could end up downing over 1,000 calories in one sitting; a recommended portion for a meal is around 500 calories.
  
  
• You can find nutrition information for each individual ingredient at the Chipotle website. Many of the more popular combinations will put your calorie intake over the top. A Burrito with cilantro-lime rice, pinto beans, chicken, red salsa, cheese, sour cream and romaine lettuce (995 calories, 39 gr fat, 2,240 mg sodium) or a Fajita Burrito with cilantro-lime rice, barbacoa, sauteed peppers and onions, cheese, sour cream, green salsa and romaine lettuce (850 calories, 38 gr fat, 1,940 mg sodium) would only be good choices if you are sharing them with a friend or taking half of the serving home. Even a Vegetarian Burrito with cilantro-lime rice, vegetarian black beans, romaine lettuce and guacamole (695 calories, 26 gr fat, 1,260 mg sodium) pushes the nutrient limits for a recommended meal intake.

• Burrito Bol with cilantro-lime rice, chicken, and lettuce (335 calories, 10 gr fat, 520 mg sodium)
  
  
• Three Hard Tacos with vegetarian black beans, sauteed peppers and onions (320 calories, 8 gr fat, 450 mg sodium)
  
  
• Burrito Bol with cilantro-lime rice, pinto beans, sauteed peppers, onions and Romaine lettuce (285 calories, 5 gr fat, 650 mg sodium)
  
  
• Burrito Bol with carnitas, sauteed onions and peppers, cilantro-lime rice, Romaine lettuce and tomato salsa (345 calories, 11 gr fat, 1,300 mg sodium)