Can I Eat Low Sodium At Chipotle
Chipotle is a popular quick service restaurant that I have had many requests to Hack their menu and report on the best choices we can make to order from their menu. I had high expectations from a chain that takes so much care in the selection and sourcing of their ingredients. You can read about that here.
I was disappointed when I used their Nutrition Calculator to find out that many of their bean and salsa choices were far higher in sodium than many brands we can find locally in grocery stores, or can easily make on our own with our own recipes, especially for salsa.
So Can I Eat Low Sodium at Chipotle?
Chipotle classifies their menu in seven different categories – burritos, burrito bowls, tacos, salads, chips & drinks, kids build your own, and kids quesadilla. As there are many choices for each, I will let you know lowest sodium choice in each of their categories. So, can I eat low sodium at Chipotle? Let’s find out.
Burritos:
Not a good choice. Their flour tortilla that wraps the burrito is 690 mg. When you add just chicken as a filling, you are already at 1000 mg. this would blow through most people’s allotment of mg in just one meal.
Burrito Bowls:
We have more choices here without the tortilla wrapper. Their chicken comes in at 310 mg. (the lowest amount of all their meat/tofu choices). The steak is only 320 mg. And sadly, their Sofritas (tofu and vegetables) is the highest with 555 mg.
The best of their “filling” choices is the brown rice at 165 mg or the fajita vegetables at 175 mg. the worst are the pinto beans at 300 mg an the white rice at 375 mg.
When it comes to additional toppings, the amounts vary as well. Romaine lettuce is best with 0 mg of sodium. Sour Cream has 30 mg and Cheese gives you 190 mg. The best of their salsa choices is the tomatillo-green chili salsa at 255 mg. The worst choices are the guacamole at 375 mg and their tomatillo-red chili salsa at 500 mg. I found that going with the cheese and leaving off the salsa, I can get away with adding a few dashes of Tabasco Sauce that they provide at the drink station.
At this point when just ordering a bowl with chicken, brown rice, sour cream, lettuce, and cheese, you are at 690 mg total. It is over the standard 500 mg a meal many of us strive for, but is about the best you can do numbers wise, and still have it taste good.
Tacos:
If trying the tacos, choose either of the corn options for 30 mg. The rest of the toppings should be like the burrito bowl above.
Salads:
If you are ordering a salad, DO NOT order the Vinaigrette dressing, it has 850 mg of sodium. Follow the recommended for burrito bowls for the rest.
Kids Build Your Own & Kids Quesadilla:
For both the kids quesadilla and the kids build your own, opt for the corn tortillas and the toppings described above for the burrito bowl.
Chips & Drinks:
The main course above pretty much means no chips and salsa or guacamole unless you want this meal to top 1000 mg of sodium. Finally, if you are feeling like a Margarita, both their Sauza and Patron Margaritas have only 5 mg of sodium! So Salute!
I, too, am a member of the Meniere’s Facebook group, which led me to your blog. Just read your Chipotle post… I LOVE Chipotle, and can’t eat 1,000+ mg meals. I found you CAN ask for plain white or brown rice… presumably near zero if not zero mg of salt. I just thought you might like to know.
Thanks for the info on the blog; I’ll read every word!
Awesome to know!
Today I was in an unfamiliar neighborhood and needed a quick meal. Choices were few, one of them being Chipotle. I would have never entered a Chipotle with intentions to eat but with your site’s help I ate there today for the first time. Thank you!
I’m so glad I could help!
Great site, glad I found it through this article.
I was recently diagnosed with pre-hypertension and have become more acutely aware of my sodium intake.
While digging up info regarding this issue I came across something worth noting in regards to Chipotle…
Potassium! While it’s difficult to get lower sodium eating here you can add a good amount of Potassium to your meal here via either type of beans, or even guacamole, to help combat high blood pressure.
Cheers!
Glad you found us! Potassium is one of those good/evil minerals the body need. Some people need it. Others, like myself, a transplant patient, has to restrict it, especially in potassium chloride form as it interacts negatively with many of the transplant medications I take. Many Liver and Kidney patients also have to restrict. If you need more potassium as prescribed by your docs, then by all means do so. There are so many reasons people need to live a low sodium life, and so many facets for diets. Welcome again!