Q: So, does this mean I can eat at Qdoba too? They’re basically the same, right?
A: NO! This is what sets Chipotle apart. You can find Chipotle’s Ingredients HERE. You can find Qdoba’s HERE. Just as an example, here’s the difference in ingredients for brown rice between the two:
Chipotle Brown Rice: Brown Rice, Bay Leaf, Cilantro, Lemon Juice, Lime Juice, Rice Bran Oil, Salt, Water
Qdoba Brown Rice: Brown Rice, Rice Seasoning (Fire Roasted Tomatoes, Fire Roasted Garlic, Chipotle Pepper Puree [Water, Chipotle Pepper], Salt, Vinegar, Sugar, Yellow Onions, Spices, Soybean Oil), Pan Release Spray (Canola Oil, Capric/Caprylic Triglycerides, Phosophated Mono and Diglycerides, Calcium Stearate, Silicon Dioxide, Propellant [Non-Chlorofluorocarbon])
Mmmmm…propellant!
Q: Can’t you find clean options just about anywhere? I mean, just get the grilled chicken, right?
A:I really wish this was true. Someone was asking for clean options at Chik-Fil-A in our group one day, so I went to their online menu to try to find something. Here’s what I found for the ingredients of their grilled chicken nuggets:
Grilled Nugget Ingredients:Grilled chicken (whole breast filet, seasoning [water, apple cider vinegar, soybean oil, yeast extract, salt, modified corn starch, palm oil, dehydrated garlic, dehydrated onion, corn maltodextrin, sea salt, natural flavor, sugar, chicken stock, cane molasses, chicken fat, spice, natural flavor {including smoke}, dextrose, lemon peel, citric acid, red bell pepper, orange juice concentrate, grape juice concentrate, natural flavor, paprika, vinegar, xanthan gum, ascorbic acid, and spices]). SOURCE: Chik-Fil-A website
Maltodextrin, sugar, modified corn starch…
Q: What about sodium? Isn’t Chipotle super high in sodium?
A:Yes. If you get the burrito bowl with brown rice, chicken, black beans, mild and medium salsa, cheese, and guac, it’s about 2000mg of sodium. The recommended daily limit for adults is 2300mg. So, it would take up most of your sodium limit for the day. You can drop it down a bit by opting for lettuce instead of rice, leaving the cheese off, and doing just one salsa.
However, see the IMPORTANT note at the top of this post. We’re not recommending you eat at Chipotle every day. I think it is pretty widely accepted that high levels of sodium increase the risk for high blood pressure, heart disease, and stroke. So, we’re not advocating for Chipotle as a daily thing. If you go easier on the salt in your home cooked meals and don’t eat at Chipotle 5 times a week, you can easily stay in the recommendations.
