Today's Tip: Tasty Tips for Taco Bell

Love Taco Bell but not sure how to make the best selections when you drive-thru?  Here are a few tips to keep your choices in check that I borrowed from HungryGirl.com.

Need-to-Know Menu LingoFresco - Each item on the Fresco menu has 350 calories or less and under 10 grams of fat! Plus, you can order ANY item Fresco-style, and Taco Bell will replace the cheese, creamy sauces, sour cream, and/or guacamole with pico de gallo. Think of it this way: Fresco is to Taco Bell what Skinny is to Starbucks!

Cantina Bell - These schmancy-looking items include upscale ingredients, like marinated grilled meats and cilantro-flecked rice. Does that mean these are automatically smart picks? NOPE. More details to come...

 

Tacos & Burritos

SÍ! Chicken, Steak, or Beef Soft Tacos

1 soft taco: 160 - 200 calories, 5 - 9g fat, 450 - 500mg sodium, 16 - 18g carbs, 2 - 3g fiber, 1 - 2g sugars, 9 - 13g protein -- PointsPlus® value 4 - 5*

1 Fresco soft taco: 140 - 160 calories, 3.5 - 7g fat, 410 - 490mg sodium, 16 - 18g carbs, 2 - 3g fiber, 2g sugars, 8 - 11g protein -- PointsPlus® value 3 - 4*

Whether you go regular or Fresco-style, soft tacos are among the best options on the menu. You could have three Fresco Chicken Soft Tacos for 420 calories and 10.5g fat. That oughta satisfy!

NO! Cantina Burrito

1 burrito: 720 - 760 calories, 25 - 28g fat, 1,710 - 1,920mg sodium, 94 - 104g carbs, 12 - 17g fiber, 7 - 8g sugars, 20 - 33g protein -- PointsPlus® value 18 - 19*

It looks like it could be the fresh and virtuous burrito of your dreams, but even the Veggie version is trouble. (It also comes in Chicken and Steak.) We suspect that's because a) it's large, and b) rice + beans + creamy dressing + giant tortilla = many, many, many calories. Pass!

SÍ! Burrito Supreme
1 burrito: 390 - 420 calories, 12 - 16g fat, 1,050 - 1,140mg sodium, 51 - 52g carbs, 6 - 8g fiber, 4 - 5g sugars, 17 - 20g protein -- PointsPlus® value 10 - 11*

1 Fresco burrito: 340 - 350 calories, 8 - 9g fat, 1,020 - 1,090mg sodium, 49 - 50g carbs, 6 - 7g fiber, 4g sugars, 18g protein -- PointsPlus® value 8 - 9*

What a difference from the aforementioned burrito bombs! The Fresco picks are our preference -- choose from Chicken and Steak -- but the originals won't do you in. And they'll certainly fill you up.

 

Curious about those Doritos Locos Tacos? They're not that much higher in calories or fat than the other tacos on the menu. The basics (not Supreme) each have 160 - 170 calories and 10g fat (PointsPlus® value 4*). We'd suggest getting one Fresco-style to slim down those stats.

 

Known Offenders: Nachos & Taco Salad

From Cheesy to Volcano - The nachos are so not worth it, whether in their simplest chips 'n cheese form (290 calories and 16g fat) or the over-the-top concoction that is the Volcano Nachos (990 calories and 59g fat).

See Ya, Salads - We often remind people that salads aren't always the smartest choices on the menu, and these guys are proof. The Fiesta Taco Salads have 730 - 780 calories and 35 - 42g fat! Your best bet is to get the Chicken version Fresco-style, and ditch that massive shell.

 

So there you have it...bottom line - order Fresco style and enjoy the taste of the beef or chicken, not the sauce.  You can also order the guacamole on the side, and add it yourself to keep the serving size in check.