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Making a quick stop at the drive-thru doesn't always have to be unhealthy—aye, that even includes Taco Bell. Now hear united states out: While Taco Bell has its off-white share of cheesy, compact, and sour cream-loaded monstrosities, they're also i of the top chains with tons of options on the lower terminate of the caloric spectrum for meat and veggie lovers alike.

"At Taco Bong, there's a huge pct of items that are right on the money, calorie-wise," says Keri Gans, RDN, a nutritionist in New York and author of The Small Change Nutrition. "There's a huge variety of items to choose from that are below 500 calories."

Of grade, calories aren't the simply thing that determine whether or not a meal is good for you, simply when nosotros asked nutritionists for their take on Taco Bell, there was a lot well-nigh the fast food menu that they liked. Here's what'south good, what to avert, and how to order a good for you repast at Taco Bell.

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🌮 Taco Bell diet: Pros 🌮

"Overall, Taco Bell seems to be a healthier option for a fast food chain," says Yasi Ansari, RDN, CSSD, a registered dietitian and board-certified specialist in sports dietetics in California. It comes down to one major thing: customizing your meal. Much like Chipotle, Taco Bell lets you pick and cull for your gild, which means you tin can practise things similar bandy out starchy rice for protein-packed black beans and ditch fatty sauces for veggie-based salsas. Here'due south how to plough your fast food into health nutrient:

Load up on veggies

Most items on the menu give you lot the option of calculation extra lettuce and tomato—go on-y'all-total cobweb boosters that don't add whatsoever extra calories. When you can, add together 'em, says Ansari.

Power upward your sauce

"Another manner to make a menu item healthier is by adding more than green lettuce or salsa and decreasing the cheese, sour foam, and other sauces," Ansari explains. For example, instead of adding a kicking with the creamy jalapeño sauce, add fresh jalapeños instead.

Protein, poly peptide, poly peptide

"Increasing protein helps go on yous fuller for a longer period," Ansari explains, and so to keep your order healthy, look for means to boost your lean protein. There are several on Taco Bell'south menu: steak, black beans, grilled chicken, and eggs, are all proficient choices. The seasoned beef is higher in the calorie and fat department.


🌮 Taco Bell nutrition: Cons 🌮

While at that place are nutritious options at Taco Bell, there are a few things yous need to watch out for on the menu:

Sodium

The number one thing standing between you and a healthy repast at Taco Bell is the common salt. In general, Taco Bell'due south menu is super sodium heavy—the XXL Grilled Stuft Burrito, for case, has 2,140 grams of sodium. That'due south more than sodium than yous should be ingesting in an entire day, says Ansari. "The American Center Association recommends no more than 2,300 milligrams of sodium a day, but a more than platonic goal is i,500 milligrams per day for most adults," she says.

The issue? Backlog sodium tin can increase your claret pressure level, which tin can up your risk of heart attack and stroke. "If y'all're going to accept a high sodium Taco Bell lunch, then make sure you lot're watching your sodium the rest of the twenty-four hour period," says Gans.

Calories and fatty

If yous aren't paying attention, the calories and saturated fat content in your society can too hands leave of control. This is where the sauces tin can really make or suspension your meal. "Yous can subtract the saturated fat content [of any gild] by eliminating the sauces," Ansari says. Watch out for fatty add-ons like nacho cheese, sour cream, and creamy jalapeño sauce—a dollop of the latter adds 70 calories.

Monochrome meals

A full general dominion of thumb to keep in mind when ordering: you want your repast to be colorful, says Ansari. Monochromatic meals—aka the kind where everything on your plate is either brown or beige, like nachos—tend to be loaded with calorie-rich carbs and fat without leaving much room for real nutrition. "I like to meet more colour on carte orders," Ansari says. Effort to add color to annihilation you lodge past adding or swapping in menu items like lettuce and pico de gallo.

Taco Bell's Worst Calorie Offenders

XXL grilled stuft burrito

XXL Grilled Stuft Beef Burrito

870 calories, forty chiliad fatty (14 g sat fat), 2,140 mg sodium, 97 g carbs (13 g fiber), 6 g sugar, 32 k poly peptide

Taco Bell

fiesta taco salad

Fiesta Beef Taco Salad

760 calories, 39 g fat (10 g sat fat), 1,330 mg sodium, 78 m carbs (11 g fiber), 7 1000 sugar, 26 g poly peptide

Taco Bong

nachos bellgrande

Nachos BellGrande

750 calories, 38 g fat (6 g sat fat), 1,310 mg sodium, 85 thousand carbs (13 g fiber), 5 g saccharide, 19 g protein

Taco Bell

breakfast crunchwrap

Breakfast Sausage Crunchwrap

700 calories, 46 g fat (fourteen g saturday fat), 1,200 mg sodium, 51 g carbs (4 1000 fiber), 3 g carbohydrate, 21 g protein

Taco Bell

So, is Taco Bong healthy or what?

Taco Abdomen is actually one of the healthiest fast food joints out at that place—as long as you lot stay away from the few orders that are packed with calories. "What you want to await out for is ideally less than ane,000 milligrams of sodium, less than 5 grams of saturated fatty, and no more than than 500 calories," Gans says, which is surprisingly easy to notice on the menu. In fact, it's rather difficult to find single items that are more than 500 calories. You'll want to skip extra cheese, fat sauces, and piles of rice.


Healthy options at Taco Bong

Opt for one of these healthy orders next time you're craving Taco Bell. You lot'll still get your fix without overdoing information technology.

steak soft taco

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Steak Soft Taco

Tacos are a swell pick, because yous have total command of your fillings. Simply add together more lettuce and blackness beans to a steak taco to up the fiber and protein, suggests Ansari. One steak soft taco with cheese, extra lettuce, black beans, and pico de gallo for a punch of flavor is just 250 calories. Order ii and you have a 500-calorie meal with 30 grams of protein total.


Homemade Texas Caviar Been Dip

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Power Carte Bowl

"I am loving the Ability Bill of fare Bowls," Ansari says. "This meal is rich in protein and quality carbohydrates and overall, it'southward less in calories and sodium than the other carte items. Plus, you tin can customize it." Keep the cheese, pico, and gauc! Ask for actress black beans instead of rice, and add together extra lettuce and tomatoes to heave the fiber. Pass on the avocado ranch dressing and sour cream, and your meal only comes to 260 calories for the veggie choice. Adding craven will take you lot up to 360 calories.


Chicken Burrito

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Power Menu Burrito

Yes, you can brand a burrito healthy—but nix the the reduced fat sour foam and avocado ranch sauce for actress veggies, Ansari says. With grilled chicken, shredded cheese, pico, guac, and actress lettuce and tomatoes, you have a flavorful repast at just 400 calories. You lot'll as well get a whopping 26 grams of protein, every bit well as v grams of gut-filling fiber.


egg taco

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Breakfast Soft Taco

If you're hitting up the drive thru on your way to piece of work, fuel upwardly for the day with an egg and cheese soft taco. "This item is lower in sodium content compared with other menu items," Ansari says. "I'd recommend asking for double the egg portion and pairing it upwards with a side of fruit (that tin can be brought from home) and a cup of coffee," she says.


Homemade Egg and Potato Breakfast Bowl

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Mini Skillet Basin

With fried potatoes and pico de gallo, the skillet bowl is definitely a hearty breakfast. To get in a healthy breakfast, skip the nacho cheese and increase the lean protein past ordering extra eggs. Extra pico de gallo and a piece of fruit from home also wouldn't hurt and volition nonetheless keep you below 500 calories, Ansari adds.

*All diet information has been pulled from Taco Bell's official website.