The Best Chipotle Bowl for Protein

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If you’re looking for the best Chipotle bowl for protein, you’ve come to the right place! With options like chicken, steak, and barbacoa, you can easily customize your bowl to include plenty of protein. Plus, with fresh ingredients and delicious toppings, the Chipotle bowl is a healthy and tasty option for any meal. So, what are you waiting for? Start building your perfect protein-packed Chipotle bowl today!

The Importance of Protein

As you probably know, protein is an essential nutrient that helps to build and repair muscle tissue. It’s also necessary for a healthy immune system and plays a role in many other bodily functions. 

Most importantly, for me, protein also helps with satiety, meaning that it makes you feel full. If you feel full, you are likely to stop eating and consequently eat less.

When it comes to food, protein is found in both animal and plant-based foods. Chicken and steak are generally considered to be the healthiest animal based proteins. Tofu is an excellent source of plant-based protein. And here’s a surprise, beans and rice are a complete protein when eaten together. The good news is that all these excellent animal and plant sources of protein are available at Chipotle.

Protein at Chipolte

As we all know, Chipotle is a fast-food chain that offers Mexican-inspired cuisine. burrito bowls, tacos, quesadillas, and salads. Chipotle is one of the go-to fast food restaurants for a lot of people when they’re looking for a quick, tasty, and nutritious meal. 

The protein offered at Chipotle are:

• Chicken
• Steak
• Pollo Asado – a new chicken addition to Chipotle’s menu
• Barbacoa – while Chipotle’s steak is from different parts of the beef, barbacoa is comes from the beef shoulder
• Carnitas – the Mexican version of pulled pork
• Sofritas – plant-based protein. Essentially it is tofu cooked like the other animal protein at Chipotle
• Plant-based Chorizo – a new addition to Chipotle’s menu

Bowls at Chipotle

Chipotle makes two types of bowls, Burrito Bowls and Lifestyle Bowls. 

Simply put, a burrito bowl is a burrito in a bowl without the tortilla. The good news is that you save about 320 calories just by not having the tortilla.

A lifestyle bowl is a version of a burrito bowl that caters to specific diets. You can get a Keto Salad Bowl, Paleo Salad Bowl, Whole30 Salad Bowl, High Protein Bowl, Vegan Bowl, and Vegetarian Salad Bowl. 

Healthier Chipotle Toppings

Chipotle has a number of fresh ingredients and the best way to keep your burrito bowl healthy, consider adding brown rice and black beans or pinto beans. Both of which are excellent sources of complex carbohydrates and a good source of fiber. 

Also add low-calorie fajita vegetables, romaine lettuce, and tomatillo green-chili salsa and you have yourself a healthy burrito bowl. The nutritional value of these options adds roughly 300 calories to your bowl. 

Of course, you can order a small scoop instead of the regular portion of brown rice or just skip the rice if you prefer low carb or want to reduce your calories. 

I often order double fajita veggies, it usually fills me up with only 20 extra calories. You can also double the black beans or pinto beans for extra protein or fiber.

Depending on your nutritional requirements, guacamole is not only tasty but contains heart-healthy fats and fiber. But it is a high-calorie option, adding about 230 calories to the bowl.

To make my bowl healthier and to reduce the calories, I usually skip the cheese, roasted chili-corn salsa, fresh tomato salsa, sour cream, queso blanco toppings as well as white rice. 

Also, a side of chips add 540 calories to your meal, so it’s best to avoid it. Once you don’t order the chips, you also won’t need to order any of the dips that comes with it.

Although ingredients in lifestyle bowls are selected according to the specific diet requirements, they too can also be customized. 

Also read The Best Subway Sandwich for Protein

Best Chipotle Bowl for Protein

It’s important to remember that no one food is perfect for everyone. However, if you’re looking for the best chipotle bowl for protein, you have a few different options.

1. Chicken Burrito Bowl

32 grams of protein, 7 grams of fat, 3 grams saturated fat, 0 carbs, 0 sugar, 310 mg of sodium, 180 calories

One of the best options for protein at Chipotle is the Chicken Burrito Bowl. Chicken is a great source of lean protein and it’s also one of the healthiest meats you can eat. 

A Chicken Burrito Bowl with brown rice, black beans, fajita veggies, lettuce, and tomatillo green chili salsa is about 480 calories. Of course, you can skip the rice, if you’re watching your carb intake and reduce the calories to 360 calories.

2. Barbacoa Burrito Bowl

24 grams of protein, 7g fat, 2.5 saturated fat, 2 grams of carbs, 0 sugar, 530 mg sodium, 170 calories

The beef shoulder is another excellent source of lean protein and it also has a high iron content. The Barbacoa Burrito Bowl is one of the best Chipotle Bowls for protein. There are 470 calories in the Barbacoa Bowl with brown rice, black beans, fajita veggies, lettuce, and tomatillo green chili salsa. Or 350 calories without brown rice.

3. Steak Burrito Bowl

21 grams of protein, 6 grams fat, 2.5 g saturated fat, 2 grams carbs, 0 sugar, 330 mg sodium, 150 calories

Like barbacoa, the Steak Burrito Bowl is a great, healthy high protein bowl from Chipotle. It contains a lean, high-iron protein. It is about 450 calories with brown rice, black beans, fajita veggies, lettuce, and tomatillo green chili salsa or 330 calories without brown rice.

4. Plant-Based Chorizo Bowl

16 grams protein, 8 grams fat, 2 grams saturated fat, 16 grams carbs, 1 gram sugar, 6 grams of fiber, 690 mg sodium, 220 calories

If you’re looking for a vegetarian option, the Plant-Based Chorizo Bowl is a great choice. It is made from pea protein and seasoned with smoked paprika, adobo chili peppers, and garlic. The protein content is lower than the chicken and beef burrito bowls, but it’s quite tasty and even meat lovers would enjoy it. 

The calories are also a bit higher, but with brown rice, black beans, fajita veggies, lettuce, and tomatillo green chili salsa it is 520 calories. Or 400 calories without brown rice.

5. Sofritas Burrito Bowl

8 grams protein, 10 grams fat, 1.5 grams saturated fat, 9 grams carbs, 5 grams sugar, 560 mg sodium, 150 calories

The Sofritas Burrito Bowl is another good high protein bowl from Chipotle for vegans and vegetarians. Sofritas is a vegan-friendly protein made from tofu, vegetables, and spices. It’s high in protein and it’s also a good source of healthy fats and fiber.

It’s only has 8 grams of protein, but since it’s also only 150 calories, you can order double Sofritas to increase the protein to 16 grams. 

A single order with brown rice, black beans, fajita veggies, lettuce, and tomatillo green chili salsa is 450 calories. And only 330 calories without brown rice.

What High-Protein Bowl Will You Order?

So there you have it – the five best Chipotle bowls for protein, including meat and vegetarian (and vegan!) options! Now go forth and enjoy your healthy, delicious meal! And remember, even though Chipotle is typically a healthy option, everything should be enjoyed in moderation. Just because it’s healthy doesn’t mean you can eat as much as you want! Be mindful of your portion sizes.

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