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vegantrash:

Eating Out, Eating Well, Eating Vegan: Chipotle

Eating out can be terrifying when trying to eat well and vegan. While vegan options are becoming more easily available in mainstream restaurants, the options that are provided aren’t always acceptable by those who are trying to eat with a health conscious mind. Do not fret my veggie loving friends, there are food establishments in existence that have tastebud-pleasing, veggie options that wont make you feel terrible about eating! Yes, this is excluding the typical and tired, last resort of a garden salad: no cheese, no croutons, with oil and vinegar. Yawn.

Lets look at my personal favorite fast, cheap, & tasty, (non-vegan restaurant, but with healthy vegan options) chain first: Chipotle!

Besides the obvious meat, cheese, and sour cream, the non-vegan item list at Chipotle is wonderfully short:

• Pinto Beans (cooked with bacon).
• Vinaigrette (contains honey).

Thats it!! But don’t get too excited yet, just because it is vegan friendly, doesn’t mean that its good for your waistline. For instance, ordering a burrito bowl instead of a burrito will save you a whopping 290 calories and 9 grams of fat! Who needs that oversized flour filler-holder anyway? The best part is what’s inside!
 

Here are some items at Chipotle that are worth skipping:

 

• Soft Flour Burrito Tortilla - [290 calories - 9 grams of fat]
• Crispy corn Tortillas (3) - [180 calories - 6 grams of fat]
• Soft Corn Tortillas (3) - [180 calories - 1.5 grams of fat]
• Soft Flour Tortillas (3) - [270 calories - 7.5 grams of fat]
   

Now I am on the fence with the Fajita Vegetables. They contain green bell peppers and red onions sautéed in soybean oil with oregano. There are only 20 calories and 0.5 grams of fat, but I’m just not a big fan of the “sautéed in soybean oil” part. Because of this, I usually stay clear of the fajita vegetables, but you decide based on what feels right for you.

I know, your heart is broken because you took something away, well instead of being all sad and stuff, pile on these waistline-friendly options:

 

• Cilantro-Lime Brown Rice - Steamed brown rice, cilantro, citrus juice and salt. [160 calories - 4 grams of fat]
• Guacamole - Avocados, cilantro, red onions, jalapeño peppers, citrus juice, salt, and spices. [150 calories - 13 grams of fat]
• Roasted Chili-Corn Salsa - Sweet corn, roasted poblano peppers, jalapeño peppers, red onions, and cilantro. [80 calories - 1.5 grams of fat]
• Fresh Tomato Salsa - Sweet tomatoes, red onions, jalapeño peppers, and cilantro. [20 calories - 0 fat]
• Tomatillo-Green Chili Salsa - Tomatillos, tomatoes, jalapeño peppers, red onions, cilantro and spices. [15 calories - 0 fat]
• Tomatillo-Red Chili Salsa - Pureed chiles, tomatillos, and spices. [40 calories - 1 gram of fat] 
• Romain Lettuce - [5 calories - 0 fat]

What a wonderful selection of vegan-friendly, mexican-inspired deliciousness! Imagine the possibilities of what you can create! My favorite combination is the Burrito Bowl with: Cilantro-lime brown rice, black beans, chili-corn salsa, guacamole, lettuce, and red tomatillo salsa. This tasty concoction contains 555 calories and 20.5 grams of fat (13 of those grams are from the wonderful avocado in the guacamole)!

So when you are traveling or your friends want you to join them for dinner, suggest Chipotle where they can eat their dead animals (if they must do so) and you can eat well, health-conscious, and vegan too! If you are into pre-planning like me, check out the nutrition calculator on Chipotle’s website to build your meal beforehand so you know exactly what to order. 

Oh, and don’t forget to slather on the oh-so-tasty Chipotle hot sauce at the condiment bar for bonus flavor.