Navigating Chipotle for Low-Carb Options: A Keto-Friendly Guide

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Craving tacos and burritos but trying to avoid carbs? You’re not alone. With its seemingly endless tortillas, rice, beans, and corn, Chipotle may appear off-limits for low-carb and keto eaters. 

But you can still enjoy all the Tex-Mex flavors without sacrificing your diet. With a few simple swaps, you can easily transform a carb-loaded burrito into a keto-friendly bowl at Chipotle. 

Let’s uncover the best-kept secrets for ordering low-carb at Chipotle and provide actionable tips to stop feeling deprived and enjoy guac without guilt. 

Let’s dig in and take control of your Chipotle order!

Best Low-Carb Options At Chipotle

Chipotle is a popular fast-casual restaurant chain that serves Tex-Mex cuisine and is best known for its customizable burrito bowls and tacos. 

While some of Chipotle’s menu items can be high in carbohydrates from the tortillas, rice, and beans, there are many delicious low-carb options available. 

Here are the nine best low-carb food choices when eating at Chipotle:

Salad bowl with chicken, fajita vegetables, and salsa

A delicious keto supper is a chicken bowl with fajita vegetables and salsa. The chicken and the fajita vegetables are wonderful sources of lean protein and important vitamins and minerals.

The salsa makes the dish tasty without adding too many extra carbohydrates. This dish is a great option for anybody following a ketogenic diet because it is low in carbohydrates, rich in protein, and packed with good fats. It tastes wonderful and is excellent for feeding the body.

Salad, salsa, and Guacamole in a carnitas bowl

The Chipotle Carnitas Bowl with lettuce, salsa, and Guacamole are a great choice for the keto diet. In addition to having a lot of protein and good fats, it also has little carbs.

Salsa and lettuce are devoid of carbohydrates, and Guacamole is a dish with a meager carb count. This makes the bowl a fantastic alternative for people following the ketogenic diet who want to receive their recommended daily amount of healthy fats while maintaining low-carb consumption.

A rich combination of spices and herbs is also used to cook the carnitas, making it a delightful and filling dish.

Salad, salsa, and Guacamole in a barbacoa bowl

The Chipotle Barbacoa Bowl with lettuce, salsa, and Guacamole is a fantastic option for those following a ketogenic diet. This meal is an excellent source of satiating energy since it contains a lot of protein from the barbacoa and is low in carbs.

Lettuce, salsa, and Guacamole are soft in carbohydrates and rich in healthy fats. This dish provides a great keto lunch that will likely keep you satisfied and energized throughout the day when combined with the barbacoa.

You won’t miss the carbohydrates because of this meal’s delicious and enticing flavor and texture combination. It is also a simple dinner to prepare and works well for meal planning.

Salad, salsa, and Guacamole in a sofritas bowl

A delicious keto-friendly choice is the Chipotle Sofritas Bowl, which comes with lettuce, salsa, and Guacamole. The sofas are prepared with organic tofu, roasted poblanos, chipotle chilis, and several spices that give the meal a distinctive flavor.

Salad ingredients like lettuce, salsa, and guacamole offer taste and crunch. The bowl is a perfect keto meal since it has low carbohydrate content, high protein, and healthy fat content.

Making it an even better choice is that all components are natural and free of added sugars. Last but not least, the taste combination makes this recipe a wonderful way to savor the flavor of Mexican food without the extra calories or carbohydrates from rice or tortillas.

Salad bowl with Guacamole, salsa, and vegetables from a fajita

A great option for someone on the keto diet is the Chipotle Salad Bowl, which includes chicken, fajita vegetables, salsa, and Guacamole.

This meal has a significant protein content with just 9g of net carbohydrates per serving. With 26g of lean protein per meal, chicken is an excellent source of protein. Dietary fiber keeps you feeling full and controls digestion and is in reasonable amounts in the fajita vegetables.

The salsa and the Guacamole are low in carbohydrates and a great source of healthy fats, essential for the keto diet. This meal is a fantastic choice for someone on the keto diet since it offers a nice protein, fat, and fiber ratio.

Salad, guacamole, salsa, and carnitas in a burrito bowl

The carnitas, lettuce, salsa, and guacamole Chipotle Burrito Bowl are great for individuals on the keto diet. This recipe offers an excellent balance of healthy fats while being low in carbohydrates and high in protein.

A delectable, nutrient-dense meal may be created by combining carnitas, a lean cut of pork rich in taste, with lettuce, salsa, and Guacamole. The lettuce gives some crunch, and the Guacamole adds healthy fats.

Carnitas is a lean protein source, while salsa provides taste and minerals. This is a fantastic option for individuals who want to limit their consumption of carbohydrates because all of the components are low in carbs.

Additionally, the nutritional combination in this meal makes it a fantastic choice for people trying to stick to the keto diet while maintaining or losing weight.

Salad, guacamole, salsa, and barbacoa in a burrito bowl

The Chipotle Burrito Bowl, which comes with barbacoa, lettuce, salsa, and Guacamole, is a fantastic choice for keto dieters. This combination of items may make a great supper with low-carb and high-protein content. The lettuce and salsa offer flavor and texture, while the barbacoa is an excellent dose of lean protein.

Guacamole provides good fats and is a fantastic source of fiber. Additionally, rich in potassium, magnesium, and iron, this meal is an excellent option for people trying to achieve their daily dietary requirements. Anyone on the keto diet seeking a filling and tasty lunch should consider this burrito bowl.

Salad, Guacamole, salsa, and steak in a burrito bowl

A delicious choice for people consuming a ketogenic diet is a Chipotle Burrito Bowl with beef, lettuce, salsa, and Guacamole. This meal option is terrific for those trying to stick with their keto objective because it is strong in protein, fiber, and healthy fats. Salad and salsa provide freshness and taste, while the steak offers a substantial supply of protein.

Adding the Guacamole’s creamy, rich flavor and healthy fats helps you feel full and maintains ketosis.

Steak, lettuce, salsa, and Guacamole make for a well-balanced dinner rich in nutrients and satiating.

Salad, Guacamole, salsa, and vegetarian burrito bowl

The Chipotle Burrito Bowl with veggies, Lettuce, Salsa, and Guacamole is a wonderful option for people following a ketogenic diet. With only a few carbs, this meal is a great protein and good fat source.

Salad ingredients like lettuce and vegetables are a rich source of fiber, and salsa and Guacamole bring taste and nutrition to the burrito bowl.

The Guacamole’s high-fat content also contributes to your feeling fuller for longer. With this dish, you may still have a filling supper while adhering to the keto diet.

What to Avoid for Keto at Chipotle?

If you want to eat a low-carb meal at Chipotle, here are some foods you want to avoid. Here’s a simple guide to ordering low-carb at Chipotle:

  • Rice: White rice has around 53 grams of net carbs per serving. Brown rice has around 48.4 grams of net carbs. Avoid both types of rice.
  • Beans: Black beans and pinto beans each contain around 15-20 grams of net carbs per serving. Bean choices are limited to these two varieties. Avoid them both.
  • Corn: The corn salsa topping contains around 15 grams of net carbs per 2-3 oz serving. The corn itself provides nearly 30 grams of net carbs per 3/4 cup serving. Avoid the corn salsa and any added corn.
  • Tortillas: The flour tortillas contain around 45 grams of net carbs each. The smaller corn tortillas have around 15 grams of net carbs each. Skip both flour and corn tortillas.
  • Chopped Chicken: The chopped grilled chicken contains fillers like maltodextrin and modified food starch which can spike blood sugar. Stick to whole chicken breast or thighs.
  • Red and Green Chili Salsas: The red and green chili salsa options have 2-4 grams of added sugar per 2 oz serving. Stick to salsas like mild tomato or tomatillo with under 1g sugar.

How do you avoid carbs at Chipotle? (Some Quick Tips)

Here are some tips for avoiding excess carbs at Chipotle:

  • Order a salad or burrito bowl without rice/beans: Opting for a salad or bowl without rice or beans as the base is one of the easiest ways to cut carbs. The salad comes with lettuce, while the bowl contains none.
  • Ask for extra lettuce and veggies to displace rice/beans: Ask for extra portions of low-carb lettuce, tomatoes, peppers, and salsa to help fill up your bowl instead of rice or beans. But make sure to keep their net carbs in mind while doing so.
  • Limit high-carb toppings like corn, beans, and rice: Avoid ordering corn, black beans, pinto beans, or rice as toppings. These all contain high amounts of net carbs.
  • Stick to fattier meats like steak, chicken, or carnitas: Choose fattier meat options like steak, chicken thigh, carnitas, or barbacoa. 
  • Get cheese and guacamole instead of rice/beans: Add extras like cheese, sour cream, and guacamole to add more fat to replace the carbs from rice and beans. But watch portion sizes.
  • Choose lower-carb salsa options like tomato salsa: Opt for salsas like fresh tomato, roasted chili corn, or tomatillo, which are lower in sugar. Avoid the higher-sugar red and green chili salsas.
  • Don’t drink sugary sodas – opt for water, tea, or coffee: Skip sugar-sweetened sodas and instead choose water, unsweetened tea/ coffee, or diet soda if you need a fizzy drink.

Conclusion

Chipotle is a flexible option for finding low-carb meals on the go. 

By selecting low-carb ingredients like lettuce, veggies, fattier meats, guacamole, salsa, and cheese, you can build a customized keto or low-carb bowl, salad or taco. 

Avoid rice, beans, chopped meats, corn, and sugary salsas. With the right choices, you can enjoy Mexican flavors while still sticking to your low-carb diet when dining at Chipotle.