"What Does the Dietitian Order?" @ Chipotle

Reviewed March 3, 2011 by Jennifer Helvey and Angie Sberna, Graduate Students/Dietetic Interns

3 out of 4 Forks

We have a two-for-one review for Chipotle! Jennifer and Angie both offer their advice for what and how to order at this Mexican grill.

Jennifer:  I ordered the burrito bowl with cilantro-lime white rice, whole pinto beans, diced chicken, tomato salsa, sautéed peppers and onions, green tomatillo salsa, and shredded Romaine lettuce. I’m lactose intolerant so I opted out of the added cheese and sour cream options. This was easily done as Chipotle is set up cafeteria style so you just tell them what you do and do not want and they are happy to oblige. I also chose to order a cup of water (at no extra charge) and added a lemon slice to jazz up the flavor. The calorie breakdown and nutrition information for Chipotle is available online. The calorie total for my meal was 505.

Angie:  I ordered a burrito bowl with plain white rice (sans cilantro… I don’t like it!), diced chicken, whole black beans, sautéed peppers and onions, tomato salsa, shredded Romaine lettuce, shredded cheese, and sour cream. I drank water with lemon. The total calorie count was 710 calories. In comparing Jennifer’s order with mine, the major calorie difference comes from the added cheese and sour cream (a total of 220 calories). I chose to include these toppings because I knew I was going to run later that day, burning around approximately 300 calories (this is a daily practice). So, it’s important to think about your daily eating and physical activity habits when ordering.  However, you can always ask for a smaller amount of any topping (such as the cheese or sour cream) or ask for them on the side!

Submitted by:

Jennifer Helvey, Graduate Student/Dietetic Intern

knoxbound@gmail.com

Angie Sberna, Graudate Student/Dietetic Intern

asberna1@utk.edu

Chipotle is a chain Mexican grill with one location in Knoxville, on The Strip near campus. Chipotle received 3 out of 4 forks because there is an extra charge for modifying menu items or substituting for healthier side dishes. Because this restaurant does not offer appetizers, we dropped the fork total to 4.