Taco Bell is a popular fast-food chain known for its flavorful and convenient Mexican-inspired offerings. While fast food often gets a bad reputation for being unhealthy, Taco Bell provides several options that can align with your health goals. By making informed choices, you can enjoy a satisfying meal without compromising your nutritional needs.
Understanding Nutritional Information
Before ordering, take advantage of the detailed nutritional information available on the Taco Bell menu or website. Familiarize yourself with calorie counts, macronutrient breakdowns, and sodium content for each item. This knowledge empowers you to make healthier choices that fit your dietary requirements. Tools like the Nutrition Calculator strip away the guesswork. You see the impact of every ingredient in real time.
The Power of "Fresco Style"
One of the simplest ways to reduce calories and fat at Taco Bell is to order items "Fresco Style." This modification replaces high-calorie ingredients like mayo-based sauces, shredded cheese, and sour cream with freshly diced tomatoes. This easy swap can cut 20-100 calories from most menu items, enhancing freshness and flavor without the added guilt. For example, a Crunchy Taco ordered Fresco style comes down to just 140 calories per serving.
Choosing Grilled Over Crunchy
When selecting tacos or burritos, opt for grilled options like the Grilled Chicken Soft Taco or the Veggie Power Menu Bowl. Grilled proteins are typically leaner and lower in fat than their fried or crunchy counterparts. Additionally, soft tortillas offer a lighter alternative to fried shells. Sticking to grilled protein choices, avoid fried or breaded options.
Incorporating More Vegetables
Adding more vegetables to your meal can significantly enhance its nutritional value. Upgrade to a Power Menu Bowl, which includes a variety of fresh veggies, or ask for extra lettuce, tomatoes, and other toppings at no additional cost. Consider customizing with extra chicken, it costs more, but doubles the protein payload.
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Mindful Portion Control
Taco Bell’s menu features a range of sizes, including smaller portions like the "Taco" and "Crispy Chicken Soft Taco." Opting for these smaller items can help you keep portions in check. You can also consider sharing a larger item, like a burrito, to moderate your intake.
Smart Side Selections
When choosing sides, skip the nachos and cheesy items. Instead, consider sides like the Black Beans or seasoned rice. These are better choices that can complement your meal without adding excessive calories or fat.
Low-Calorie Menu Options
Power Menu Bowl: Veggie or Chicken
The Power Menu Bowl delivers balanced macronutrients and plenty of texture. The Veggie version contains 420 calories, 12g of fiber, and 9g of protein, thanks to black beans, seasoned rice, guacamole, romaine lettuce, tomato, and reduced-fat sour cream. The Chicken Power Bowl offers an added 26g of protein with a moderate 470 calories. Skip the cheese, ask for extra lettuce, or go light on rice to drop even more without losing satisfaction.
Bean Burrito Fresco Style
The traditional Bean Burrito sits at 350 calories. Make it Fresco style and bring that down to 320. It contains 9g of fiber and 13g of protein, driven mostly by pinto beans and the soft flour tortilla. This item delivers satiety at a lower caloric cost than most fast-food burritos. Add jalapeños or onions for virtually zero extra calories and a bold flavor profile. For a low-sodium trick, ask for “easy sauce” or remove red sauce entirely to cut sodium without overhauling the item.
Healthiest Options at Taco Bell
Grilled Chicken Power Bowl
The Grilled Chicken Power Bowl, with 470 calories and 27g of protein, combines grilled chicken breast, seasoned rice, black beans, romaine lettuce, guacamole, pico de gallo, avocado ranch sauce, shredded cheddar cheese, and reduced-fat sour cream. The protein-to-calorie ratio offers strong nutritional value for those focusing on fullness and muscle recovery.
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Three Soft Tacos with Chicken or Steak
Each chicken taco contains around 12 grams of protein and 160 calories, bringing the trio to roughly 36 grams of protein and under 500 calories. Steak options offer similar figures, though slightly higher in fat, depending on the cut used at the time. Keep things balanced by skipping the extra sauces or swapping to fresco-style. Add black beans to one of the tacos to boost satiety with minimal calories.
Chicken Over Beef
Swapping out seasoned beef for grilled chicken reduces saturated fat intake while maintaining a high protein yield. For example, replacing beef with chicken in a Crunchwrap removes about 4 grams of saturated fat and adds an extra gram or two of protein.
Plant-Powered Picks at Taco Bell
Taco Bell's menu easily supports vegan or vegetarian preferences using black beans, potatoes, and guacamole in place of meat or dairy.
Black Bean Crunchwrap Supreme (Fresco Style)
Choosing the Fresco Style strips out sour cream and cheese, replacing them with diced tomatoes and a focus on fiber-forward, plant-based ingredients. The result? A warm, crunchy shell packed with 12 grams of protein, 9 grams of fiber, and under 500 calories.
Veggie Power Bowl
Built around a foundation of rice, black beans, guacamole, lettuce, tomatoes, and reduced-fat sour cream, the veggie power bowl offers 12 grams of plant-based protein and over 10 grams of fiber. Remove the cheese and sour cream to cut back on calories or go fully dairy-free.
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Vegan Adaptations
Skip meat, cheese, and sour cream; add black beans, lettuce, pico de gallo, potatoes, or guacamole. The Black Bean Chalupa becomes fully vegan once you remove the cheese and sour cream. Even breakfast can be modified. Order fresco style to remove dairy and replace with tomatoes. Ask for beans in place of beef in any item. Opt for guacamole, potatoes, lettuce, tomato, and onions to bulk up veggie content. Steer toward tortillas, chalupa shells, or rice bowls-many of these are already vegan-friendly.
Plant-Based Swaps
Black beans deliver 8g of protein and just 0.5g of saturated fat per half-cup serving, making them a filling and lower-fat alternative to meat. Pinto beans come close, offering 7g of protein per half-cup along with added fiber. Seasoned potatoes bring in 2g of protein per serving, but they create texture and satisfaction that mimic traditional meat fillings. Pair them with lettuce, tomatoes, guacamole, and jalapeños to build a rich flavor profile without animal protein.
Beyond Meat
Some Taco Bell locations offer Beyond Meat’s plant-based protein, a meatless ground beef substitute made from pea protein and rice. When available, request it in place of any meat option, either through the app or at the counter. It works especially well in burritos, tacos, and Crunchwraps. Order a Black Bean Crunchwrap Supreme and sub out the beans for Beyond Meat for a soy-free protein boost. Customize the Power Bowl by choosing Beyond Meat in place of grilled chicken while keeping all the fresh veggies and rice. This option contains 13g of protein per 3-ounce serving with no cholesterol and zero animal-derived ingredients.
Taco Bell Nutritional Comparison Table
| Item | Calories | Protein (g) | Fiber (g) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grilled Chicken Power Bowl | 470 | 27.0 | |
| Veggie Power Bowl | 420 | 12.0 | 10.0 |
| 3 Soft Chicken Tacos | 480 | 36.0 | |
| Bean Burrito (Fresco) | 320 | 13.0 | 9.0 |
| Crunchy Taco (Fresco) | 140 | ||
| Black Bean Crunchwrap Supreme (Fresco) | 500 | 12.0 | 9.0 |
| Chicken Power Bowl (customized) | 450 | 26.0 | |
| Soft Steak Tacos (3) | 500 | 33.0 | |
| Black Bean Chalupa (No Dairy) | 340 | 8.0 | 6.0 |
| Beyond Meat Taco (Est.) | 190 | 13.0 | 3.0 |
| Potato Taco (Est.) | 230 | 4.0 | 2.0 |
| Breakfast Soft Taco (customized) | 300 | 15.0 | 2.0 |