High Protein Chipotle Bowl: How to Build the Best for Athletes
During a rest day, low intensity training day or for a good recovery meal, eating a high protein Chipotle bowl can satisfy your hunger and help you meet your sports nutrition plan.
If you’re looking for a quick and healthy meal on the go, Chipotle is a great option. Their high protein burrito bowls are a tasty way to get a balanced mix of macronutrients and micronutrients that your body needs to support muscle recovery.
Another benefit of Chipotle bowls is that you can make them gluten free for those athletes you are looking for gluten free carbs and quality protein meal options.
Generally, athletes should aim for around 20 grams of protein for snacks and between 25-35 grams of protein at meals depending on individual nutrition needs.
One of the best things about Chipotle bowls is that you can individualize them to your tastes and nutrition needs.
In this post, we’ll share the best high protein Chipotle bowl recommendations and their protein content to help you make a more informed decision.
What to look for in a high protein Chipotle bowl
When choosing a high protein bowl at Chipotle, it’s important to look for options that include high-quality protein sources, whole grains, colorful fruits and vegetable and healthy fats. Here’s why:
- Protein: Protein is essential for building and repairing muscle tissue, supporting immune function, and maintaining a healthy metabolism. Choose protein sources like chicken, steak, tofu (sofritas) or beans.
Generally protein servings at Chipotle will provide at least 20-30 grams of protein per serving depending on your choice.
- Whole grains: Whole grains like brown rice provide complex carbohydrates that supply sustained energy, some protein (4 grams/serving), promote fullness and provide fiber to support digestive health. (1)
Additionally, you’ll still want to make sure you add rice since you want about ½ – ⅓ of your plate to be carbohydrate to help replenish your energy stores.
- Vegetables: Colorful vegetables provide a variety of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants that support overall health. They also have anti inflammatory benefits.
Aim for at least two servings of vegetables on your bowl.
- Healthy fats: Healthy fats such as guacamole provides satiety and helps your body absorb important nutrients like vitamins A, D, E, and K. Avocados are also high in fiber and anti inflammatory nutrients.
You can include a small serving of guacamole on your high protein chipotle bowl for healthy fat.
What has the most protein at Chipotle
At Chipotle, the regular chicken has the most protein per serving with 32 grams and is the leanest animal protein option at 7 grams of fat per serving. The second highest protein is the specialty garlic guajillo steak with 27 grams of protein and 15 grams of fat per serving.
Per the Chipotle website. Here is the protein content for the standard menu options:
| Protein | Calories | Fat (g) | Carbohydrate (g) | Fiber (g) | Protein (g) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 180 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 32 |
| Barbacoa | 170 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 24 |
| Carnitas | 210 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 23 |
| Steak | 150 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 21 |
| Sofritas | 150 | 10 | 9 | 3 | 8 |
| Black Beans | 130 | 1.5 | 22 | 7 | 8 |
| Pinto Beans | 130 | 1.5 | 21 | 8 | 8 |
| Cheese | 110 | 8 | 1 | 70 | 6 |
| Cilantro-Lime Brown Rice | 210 | 6 | 36 | 2 | 4 |
| Cilantro-Lime White Rice | 210 | 4 | 40 | 1 | 4 |
Should you get double protein at Chipotle
You don’t need to get double protein at Chipotle to meet your protein needs for building and and repairing muscle. You’d be surprised at how quickly protein adds up when you add a protein source, beans, rice and cheese.
Check out the Chipotle calculator to get a nutrition analysis based on your favorites and your specific choices.
Eating more protein than the recommended 25-35 grams at a meal doesn’t build more protein. (2) In fact, Chipotle’s “high protein bowl” on the Lifestyle menu provides almost an entire day’s protein needs in one sitting.
The general recommendation is to eat protein at every meal and spread your protein needs throughout the day.
However, there are a couple reasons to order double protein.
First, if you’re opting for the sofritas or beans as your protein source, doubling up will help you meet your protein needs.
Second, if you plan to save half of your bowl to reheat later (be sure to refrigerate leftovers) then ordering double protein will ensure you have plenty of protein for later.
How many calories are in a high protein bowl from Chipotle
When you choose a Lifestyle Bowl from the Chipotle menu, the nutrition information is readily available. The high protein bowl from Chipotle has 845 calories, 82 grams of protein, 68 g of carbs and 28 g of fat.
| LIFESTYLE BOWL | Calories | Fat (g) | Protein (g) | Carbs (g) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HIGH PROTEIN BOWL | 845 | 28 | 82 | 68 |
| BALANCED MACROS BOWL | 805 | 35 | 47 | 81 |
| GRAIN FREEDOM BOWL | 460 | 24 | 40 | 12 |
| WHOLESOME BOWL | 460 | 29 | 35 | 18 |
| GO HALF VEGGIE BOWL | 615 | 23 | 30 | 73 |
| VEGGIE FULL BOWL | 695 | 29 | 18 | 95 |
| PLANT POWERED BOWL | 720 | 38 | 18 | 83 |
Top 5 build your own protein bowls at Chipotle
- Chicken Bowl: Grilled chicken, brown rice, black beans, fajita vegetables, fresh tomato salsa and guacamole. This bowl provides 47 grams of protein, 75 grams of carbohydrates, 17 grams of fiber and 37 grams of fat.
- Steak Bowl: Grilled steak, brown rice, pinto beans, fajita veggies, fresh tomato salsa and guacamole. This bowl provides 36 grams of protein, 75 grams of carbohydrates, 19 grams of fiber and 36 grams of fat.
3. Tofu Bowl: Double sofritas tofu, brown rice, black beans, fajita vegetables, corn salsa and guacamole. This vegetarian bowl provides 26 grams of protein, 96 grams of carbohydrates, 22 grams of fiber, and 41 grams of healthy fat.
- Carnitas Bowl: Slow-cooked pork, brown rice, pinto beans, fajita veggies, fresh tomato salsa and cheese. This bowl provides 42 grams of protein, 67 grams of carbohydrates, 12 grams of fiber and 28 grams of healthy fat.
- Barbacoa Bowl: Shredded beef, brown rice, black beans, fajita vegetables, corn salsa and guacamole. This bowl provides 39 grams of protein, 77 grams of carbohydrates, 18 grams of fiber and 37 grams of healthy fat.
Conclusion
High protein Chipotle bowls are a convenient and nutritious option for busy athletes. By choosing options that include high-quality protein sources, whole grains, colorful vegetables and healthy fats, you can fuel your body for optimal performance.
Try our recommended protein bowls or customize your own bowl to fit your specific needs and preferences. This include gluten free options as well.
Chipotle bowls can make great pre game meals or even a good meal for the night before a game if you make adjustments to add more carbs.
Steph Magill, MS, RD, CD, FAND has over 20 years in public health and nutrition experience. As a performance nutritionist, Stephanie specializes in sports nutrition and provides simple and actionable information so that athletes can be well fueled for high performance on and off the field. Stephanie has a Master’s Degree in Nutrition and is a Fellow of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
