Surprisingly Healthy Taco Bell Menu Items
Low(er)-Cal Cuisine
Known for its cheese-encased burritos, greasy chalupas, and dye-filled freezes, Taco Bell isn’t exactly healthy (duh). That said, a bean burrito is a whole lot better than some of the fast-food chain’s heftier queso-filled offerings.
So what should you eat if you’re hankering for Taco Bell but don’t want to ruin a month’s worth of dieting? According to the chain's superfans on Reddit, the healthiest Taco Bell items include the Power Menu Bowl, fresco-style tacos, and the Fiesta Veggie Burrito — and there's more.
Here are the most popular healthy Taco Bell menu options with calories and prices.
Editor's note: This story was updated in March 2024. Prices and availability are subject to change. Nutrition information may vary based on customization.
Fresco-Style Crunchy Taco
Price: $1.69
Calories: 140
Pro tip: You can order almost any item “fresco style” at Taco Bell, which substitutes caloric cheeses and sauces with diced tomatoes (also great if you’re vegan). Taco Bell's fresco-style Crunchy Taco is one of the chain’s lowest-calorie options, and it comes with seasoned beef, lettuce, and tomatoes.
Power Menu Bowl
Price: $6.29
Calories: 420-460
You can order the Taco Bell power burrito bowl with or without chicken for a healthier, veggie-filled Taco Bell meal that comes with tomatoes, lettuce, rice, beans, cheese, and guacamole. The chicken bowl is loaded with 27 grams of protein, though it’s also high in sodium.
Fiesta Veggie Burrito
Price: $2
Calories: 570
Though the fiesta veggie burrito is by no means the healthiest Taco Bell item, it’s loaded with goodies, like sour cream and cheese, and yet manages to be lower in calories than many of the meat-filled burritos. Still, Taco Bell's fiesta veggie burrito's calories clock in at 570 and it's packed with over 1,000 milligrams of sodium and 8 grams of saturated fat.
Chipotle Ranch Grilled Chicken Burrito
Price: $2
Calories: 510
If you must have a burrito, you could do a lot worse than Taco Bell’s chicken option. It's both high in protein and (relatively) low in calories and sodium.
Cheesy Bean and Rice Burrito
Price: $1
Calories: 420
Sure, the Cheesy Bean and Rice Burrito might not be the most flavorful item on Taco Bell’s menu, but it is cheap, vegetarian, and only 420 calories.
Wondering how many calories in the bean burrito at Taco Bell? The bean burrito has a mere 350 calories, and includes beans, cheese, onions, and red sauce (though you can customize it to your heart's content)
Black Bean Crunchwrap Supreme
Price: $4.39
Calories: 520
It may just be 20 calories fewer than its meatier twin, but every calorie counts if you’re dieting while at Taco Bell. Order it fresco style (440 calories) if you want the healthiest Crunchwrap possible.
Veggie Mexican Pizza
Price: $4.49
Calories: 470
The Mexican pizza is back … and it’s sort of healthy? At the very least, it's one of the lowest sodium options on this list (690 milligrams), so it could be a good choice for hypertensive Taco Bell fans.
Sauce Packets
Price: Free!
Calories: 0
Not only is it zero calories (OK, how?), but the sauce packets — from the diablo to the hot sauce — are also free! You can’t get any healthier than that.
Water
Price: Free!
Calories: 0
We saved Taco Bell’s healthiest menu item for last. This clear concoction is meat-free, sodium-free, sugar-free, and 100% guilt-free. It also comes out of the tap!
This article was originally published on Cheapism
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