For those following a ketogenic diet, finding convenient and compliant meal options while eating out can be a challenge. Chipotle Mexican Grill, known for its customizable menu and fresh ingredients, can be a surprisingly keto-friendly destination. This article will guide you through navigating the Chipotle menu to create delicious and satisfying low-carb meals.
Understanding Chipotle's Keto Potential
Chipotle offers a wide variety of ingredients that can be combined to create a keto-friendly meal. The key is to focus on protein, healthy fats, and low-carb vegetables while avoiding high-carb items like rice, beans, tortillas, and certain salsas. Chipotle's commitment to fresh, customizable food makes it easier to adhere to specific dietary requirements.
Chipotle Lifestyle Bowls: A Convenient Starting Point
Chipotle offers Lifestyle Bowls designed to meet various dietary needs, including keto. These pre-configured bowls provide a convenient and balanced option for those seeking a quick and compliant meal.
The Keto Salad Bowl
The Keto Salad Bowl is an excellent choice. You can also order it as a super greens salad with steak or chicken. This bowl typically features:
- Romaine Lettuce or Supergreens: A low-carb base packed with nutrients.
- Protein: Options like grilled chicken, steak, carnitas, or barbacoa.
- Fajita Veggies: Sautéed peppers and onions for added flavor and fiber.
- Toppings: Cheese, guacamole, and salsa.
When ordering as-is, the entire bowl has 590 calories, 43g of protein, and 20 grams of carbs.
Read also: Your guide to a healthy keto meal at Chipotle.
Customizing Your Bowl
While the Lifestyle Bowls are a great starting point, the real magic of Chipotle lies in its customization options. By carefully selecting ingredients, you can create a bowl that perfectly aligns with your macros and taste preferences.
Building Your Own Keto Bowl
Here's a step-by-step guide to building your own keto-friendly bowl at Chipotle:
- Choose Your Base: Opt for romaine lettuce or super greens as a low-carb foundation.
- Select Your Protein: Meat is such a good option (especially for those who follow the carnivore diet). Choose from grilled chicken, steak, carnitas (pork), or barbacoa (beef). Carnitas and barbacoa are both pulled meats. For a higher fat to protein ratio, carnitas and barbacoa are excellent choices.
- Add Healthy Fats: Don’t be afraid to ask for double meat or double guacamole if you need the extra fat macros.
- Incorporate Low-Carb Vegetables: Load up on fajita veggies for added flavor, fiber, and nutrients.
- Top it Off: Select keto-friendly toppings like cheese, sour cream, and salsa.
Keto-Friendly Toppings: The Flavor Enhancers
Chipotle offers a variety of toppings that can add flavor and richness to your keto bowl without derailing your diet.
- Guacamole: The infamous guacamole. Chipotle takes pride in their freshly made guacamole. It is well worth it.
- Cheese: Cheese is definitely a staple on the keto diet. It makes for the best keto bowl with tons of protein and fat.
- Sour Cream: It is high in fat! Sour cream isn’t always Matt’s go to topping, but it is packed with fat and would only bring his net carbs to 11 grams. New keto dieters may also enjoy sour cream while eating keto because it will provide a creamy base that gives them an easy fat source.
- Salsas: Opt for the fresh tomato salsa or tomatillo red chili salsa in moderation.
Ingredients to Avoid
To maintain ketosis, it's crucial to avoid high-carb ingredients at Chipotle.
- Rice: Both white rice and brown rice are low quality carbs that should be avoided on a keto diet. One 4-ounce serving of cilantro lime rice has 34g net carbs.
- Beans: This goes for both pinto beans and black beans. Pinto beans (the brown ones) are 21g of carbs per serving, and the black beans have 22g of carbs per serving.
- Tortillas and Chips: Burritos- or more accurately tortillas. This goes for chips as well which will not fit into a keto diet with their high carb count. Burritos are also normally PACKED with calories and carbs. Since these are made with wheat flour, they are much too high in carbs. I also encourage you to steer clear of the corn-based tortilla shells and chips too.
- Roasted Chili Corn Salsa: Corn is definitely not keto. The nutrition per serving is 16g of carbs (13 net).
- The Chipotle Honey Vinaigrette: This sneaky dressing at Chipotle has a whopping 17g of net carbs.
- Sofritas: The worst would be sofritas which we really don’t even consider as options on the keto diet. It has 165 calories, 10g of fat, 9g of carbs, 3g of fiber, and only 8 grams of protein. Chipotle does offer sofritas - which is marinated tofu. This isn’t a good choice on the keto diet because each serving has 6g net carbs!
Tips and Tricks for Keto Success at Chipotle
- Utilize the Nutrition Calculator: Chipotle provides a detailed nutrition calculator on their website, allowing you to calculate the exact macros of your custom bowl.
- Don't Be Afraid to Ask: Chipotle's staff is generally accommodating. Don't hesitate to ask about ingredients or request modifications to your order.
- Double Up on Protein: Don’t be afraid to ask for double meat or double guacamole if you need the extra fat macros. Order two types of meat- ex. 1/2 chicken 1/2 barbacoa.
- Consider Queso: The queso at Chipotle can definitely fit into your keto macros. Though it may contain some undesirable ingredients like tapioca starch for rice bran oil, it is only 4g of net carbs per serving. You’ll have to figure this into your macros when you order it.
Sample Keto Bowl Combinations
Here are a few sample keto bowl combinations to inspire your next Chipotle visit:
Read also: Your Guide to Healthy Chipotle
- High-Fat Bowl: Romaine lettuce, barbacoa, guacamole, cheese, and tomatillo red chili salsa.
- High-Protein Bowl: Super greens, grilled chicken, fajita veggies, cheese, and fresh tomato salsa.
- Simple Keto Bowl: Romaine lettuce, steak, cheese, and guacamole.
Keto Copycat Recipes for Home
I always advocate for cooking at home because you can control exactly how it tastes and how much of each ingredient you use. I compiled a few of my favorite low-carb copycat recipes for you below. So when you can’t visit your favorite keto restaurant, or there isn’t a keto option near you, next time, make these at home.
Stay on track with your low-carb eating plan with these delicious foods. Quick and easy delicous low-carb keto chicken burrito bowls are the perfect one-bowl meal. Can be cooked in the Instant Pot slow-cooker, or stove.
Read also: Healthy Eating at Chipotle