I just started working at Chipotle. You might already know this (I didn’t), but one of the perks of working there is that your work day includes a free meal and employees get 50% discount during days off. What this means that I’m going to be eating the hell out of Chipotle from now on. But, is it a good idea? Let’s find out…

First, I would like to put some stuff on the table. This article is not trying to either get you to eat or defer you from eating at this fast food restaurant. I’m writing this just because I like the place, and decided that I will welcome it into my lifestyle. I did my research and now is time to share it with you. Also, this article is not sponsored by Chipotle.

The Good

Food with integrity, is the first thing that comes to my mind when talking about Chipotle. I personally don’t care about the next one, but I know that a lot of people do, and that is that they don’t use any genetically modified food (GMOs). One thing I really love is that they make sure that the ingredients that they get are raised in a responsible environment. All meat ingredients are from pasture raised and antibiotic free animals, and the vegetable sources are into variety and rotational crops, thus ensuring the long-term health of the soil.

These are the keto safe foods from Chipotle:

• Chicken, Steak, Carnitas, and Barbacoa: 0g net carbs.
• Romaine Lettuce: 1g net carb.
• Fresh Tomato Salsa: 1g net carb.
• Cheese: 1g net carb.
• Guacamole (it’s extra): 2g net carbs.
• Sour Cream: 2g net carbs.

The Bad

But what’s not ideal about Chipotle on a ketogenic diet?

I’m sad to inform that there’s a few examples of pesky carbs hiding in plain view. These carbs. can silently add up and mess up your macros. Sometimes is more about the ingredients like in the case of the Queso which contains milk, corn starch, and tapioca starch. Make sure to check their ingredient statement to see exactly what you’re eating. Spoiler alert! Rice bran oil on almost everything. Lets just say that it’s less than optimal. Rice bran oil is full of omega 3 fatty acids. In other words, is not better than corn soy or canola oil when you’re on keto.

Be careful when ordering the following items:

• Tomatillo Green Chili Salsa: 4g net carbs.
• Tomatillo Red Chili Salsa: 3g net carbs.
• Fajita Vegetables: 5g net carbs.
• Sofritas (tofu): 6g net carbs.
• Queso (without chips): 7g net carbs.
• Roasted Chili-Corn Salsa: 13g net carbs.
• Pinto Beans: 13g net carbs.
• Black Beans: 15g net carbs.

The Ugly

What’s really ugly about Chipotle? Well, carbs of course! I would usually say “if it fits your macros” but none of them do. It’s pretty simple, stay away from:

• Vinagrette: 19g net carbs.
• Corn Tacos (3 shells): 26g net carbs.
• Flour Tacos (3 tortillas): 38g net carbs.
• Brown Rice: 34g net carbs.
• White Rice: 39g net carbs.
• Flour Tortillas: 47g net carbs.
• Chips (by themselves): 66g net carbs.

What do I usually get?

The first thing that I did before going to Chipotle for the first time after starting the ketogenic lifestyle was going to their nutrition calculator page. There you can add and remove ingredients to your bowl or salad simply by checking the box for what you would like. Sadly, you cannot add extra stuff, like extra avocado or extra meat, but it does tell you the nutrition information for each individual ingredient.

I really don’t mind eating the same thing over and over as you might know from my meal replacement coffee recipe. This is just an example of my usual order:

Macros