Chipotle Execs Don't Care if You Overeat

It was a sad, sad day for all Chipotle lovers when The New York Times revealed research that most meals at Chipotle have over 1,000 calories and a full days’ worth of sodium, because even though it seemed highly improbable that a burrito the size of a newborn baby would be good for you, we all wanted so badly to believe. If that news made you wonder if Chipotle would revamp their menu so that a burrito wouldn't set you back over half your calories for the day, you don't have to wonder anymore, because Chipotle's execs don't care if you eat too much. I for one am happy to know that if I want to eat my weight in burrito bowls and guacamole, nobody is going to stop me!

After the New York Times article came out, Chipotle's spokesperson Chris Arnold said that food is "something to be enjoyed. Not a science experiment aimed at engineering away calories or grams of fat." In other words, Chipotle is delicious and you should #treatyoself. He added, "People can pick and choose exactly what--and how much--they eat. We let them put ingredients together in whatever way makes sense to them." AKA, "If people want to load up their orders with refried beans, cheese, sour cream, and guac, that's none of our business." I can't say for sure, but I imagine he sipped a cup of Lipton tea after that last statement.

(No, I will never stop using this gif. I don't care that nobody else says this anymore!)

As a person who loves Chipotle (so in other words, as a human), but who also loves my pants fitting correctly, ordering can be a real struggle. Nobody wants to go to Chipotle to order a salad with no beans, cheese, or guacamole (because what's even the point?), so rather than telling you what to get to minimize calories, I've come up with a list of heavy-hitters (in terms of calories and fat) that you should be aware of if you're watching your weight. Please note, I am not a dietician. Just a person with an internet connection (I got all this information off of Chipotle's Nutritional Calculator, proof that they're really not trying to hide anything).

Carnitas

In comparison with all the other meats, the carnitas has (have?) the most calories per serving (220) and 13 grams of fat, which might not seem like that much, but compared to chicken and stead (7 and 6.5g, respectively), it's pretty significant.

Sour cream

I mean, you know this. Sour cream adds 115 calories and 9.5g of fat. So if you love sour cream and simply can't do without it (and I am 100% not judging here, seeing as I've been known to eat sour cream on a spoon on more than one occasion), maybe don't go all-in with the other indulgent toppings.

Guacamole

I'm so sorry, y'all. But in addition to an extra $3 or whatever unjust price they're charging now, adding guacamole will cost you 230 calories and 375mg of sodium. But then again, avocados are a good source of healthy fat so like, you're basically doing yourself a disservice if you don't get guac. At least, that's what I tell myself.

Now I just really want to gorge myself on Chipotle, with all the fixins. Well played, Chipotle execs. Well played.

Images: Mike McCune, minjungkim / Flickr; Giphy