- Taco Bell will not be most recognized for its wholesome choices, however they’ve a menu merchandise dietitians love.
- The Cantina Chicken Bowl is a dietitian favourite for its fiber, protein and veggie choices.
- Other favourite embrace a veggie bowl, tacky roll-up and bean burrito.
Taco Bell will not be the primary place that involves thoughts while you consider wholesome consuming, however that doesn’t imply it’s a must to throw all diet out the window when a craving hits. With the suitable order, you’ll be able to get pleasure from your favourite daring flavors and nonetheless be ok with what’s within the bag. Dietitians agree that in the case of balancing taste with diet, the Cantina Chicken Bowl stands out above the remainder.
Why Taco Bell’s Cantina Chicken Bowl Is a Top Pick
The savory mixture of rooster, rice, black beans, guacamole, veggies and cheese makes this bowl a satisfying decide, whereas additionally making it a nutrient-rich and filling alternative. Here’s what dietitians love most about this order.
Chicken Cantina Bowl Nutrition
Calories: 480
Total fats: 24 g
Saturated fats: 7 g
Sodium: 1,170 mg
Carbs: 43 g
Fiber: 10 g
Total sugars: 3 g
Added sugars: 0 g
Protein: 24 g
It’s High in Fiber
“While fast food may not seem like an easy option to add more fiber, the Cantina Chicken Bowl at Taco Bell is surprisingly an excellent source,” says Caroline Thomason Bunn, RD, CDCES, highlighting that almost 90% of Americans will not be hitting the advisable each day fiber targets. The Cantina Chicken Bowl has 10 grams of fiber, or 36% of the Daily Value. With beans, cabbage and avocado, you’re getting an enormous increase in fiber from complete meals to assist decelerate digestion for longer-lasting vitality whereas supporting a wholesome intestine microbiome and aiding digestion.
Eating this high-fiber meal does extra than simply hold you full and regulate your bowel habits. Research exhibits that diets increased in fiber might assist cut back the danger of continual illnesses like coronary heart illness and sort 2 diabetes, whereas supporting a wholesome weight and improved insulin sensitivity as nicely.
It’s Macro Balanced
If you’re targeted on balancing your macronutrients (carbs, fats and protein), this order makes your targets an entire lot simpler. “The Cantina Chicken Bowl includes lean protein, healthy fats and complex carbs, which creates a meal that is nourishing and will help you feel full longer,” says Ana Reisdorf, M.S., RDincluding that, “just eliminating a taco shell or tortilla saves a lot of calories and carbs.”
You even have flexibility on this order, with the choice to regulate toppings and add extras of sure components. Need extra protein? Add one other serving of rooster or beans. Fewer carbs, however don’t wish to quit the fiber? Skip the rice. The customization choices for this order make it straightforward to create a bowl that matches your distinctive macronutrient targets.
It’s Protein-Rich
“The Cantina Chicken Bowl includes tasty roasted chicken that helps me hit my protein goals,” says Erin Davis, M.S., RDN, CDCES. When ordered as is, you’ll get 24 grams of protein, which is essential for preserving you full, repairing and constructing muscle mass and supporting a wholesome immune system.
Twenty-four grams of protein in a meal is perfect for most individuals, but when your protein wants are kind of, you’ll be able to at all times modify your order accordingly. While the minimal each day allowance for protein is simply 0.8 grams per kilogram of physique weight (55 grams for a 150-pound particular person), many individuals profit from extra, contemplating elements akin to age, weight, exercise, well being standing, weight or diet targets and extra.
The protein increase you get from rooster, beans and cheese helps to stabilize blood sugar and hold vitality ranges regular for hours after you’ve eaten. Combined with the fiber from beans and veggies, this order feels filling and satisfying with out being overly heavy.,
It’s Loaded with Veggies
One of essentially the most spectacular advantages of the Cantina Chicken Bowl over the Burrito is that you would be able to actually pack it filled with veggies. Between lettuce, cabbage, pico de gallo and guac, you’ll get at the least a serving of greens with this meal. A quick meals order that makes it simpler to hit the each day aim of two to three cups of greens per day, which is related to a decrease threat of a number of illnesses, like diabetes, coronary heart illness, and a few cancers, is a dietitian’s dream. This is very necessary as only one in 10 adults are literally consuming sufficient greens every day.
And whereas this meal does have 51% of the advisable each day restrict for sodium, the additional increase of veggies delivers 15% DV of potassium, which can assist to blunt the detrimental results of sodium on blood strain.
Other Healthy Taco Bell Orders
Not into the Cantina Chicken Bowl? Try these different more healthy orders from Taco Bell:
- Cheesy Roll Ups: “They clock in at about 200 calories, 8 grams of protein and 15 grams of carbs,” says Jennifer Hanes, M.S., RDN, LDincluding, “when you’re starving, but dinner’s too close to eat a lot, these will tide you over.”
- Veggie Bowl: Although this order will not be obtainable in every single place, it’s a good way to replenish on fiber-rich greens. Hanes recommends including rooster for extra protein, however even with out meat, it’s a filling and satisfying meal.
- Cantina Chicken Burrito: While the bowl is our best choice, ordering it as a burrito, particularly for those who’re in search of a higher-carb possibility, is an effective possibility. “Not only is it delicious, but it is also high in protein with 24 grams from the slow-roasted chicken, and has 5 grams of fiber, which makes it more satisfying and nutritious,” says Sarah Alsing, M.S., RD.
- Bean Burrito: For a meatless possibility that’s filling and fiber-rich, a easy burrito with beans and cheese can do the trick. “It’s a perfect portion size for me and it delivers protein, carbs, fat and fiber, everything I want from a meal,” says Kelly Powers, M.A., RDN.
Our Expert Take
Taco Bell will not be recognized for serving wholesome meals, however that doesn’t imply your order can’t present invaluable diet to your day. The Cantina Chicken Bowl affords a mixture of protein, fiber and veggies that makes it stand out as a more healthy possibility, one which dietitians advocate and order themselves.
