High Protein Chipotle Bowl: Crafting Your Ideal Bowl

If you’re looking for a quick and healthy meal on the go, Chipotle is a great option. The high protein Chipotle burrito bowls are a tasty way to get a balanced mix of macronutrients and micronutrients that helps you meet your protein needs.

One of the best things about Chipotle bowls is that you can individualize them to your tastes and nutrition needs and make a balanced meal.

Another benefit of Chipotle bowls is that you can make them gluten free if you’re looking for gluten free carbs and quality protein meal options. 

In this post, we’ll share our favorite high protein Chipotle bowl recommendations and their nutrition and protein content to help you make a more informed decision about which bowl best meets your needs. 

What to choose for 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 are the key nutrients and 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, sofritas (plant based option made from tofu) 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 bow. You can choose from the fajita vegetables, corn salsa, pico de gallo, lettuce and tomatoes.

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?

Chipotle has many protein options to build a protein bowl tailored to your taste preferences.

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 Chipotle protein bowl 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 of your favorites and your specific choices.

Eating more protein than the recommended 25-35 grams at a meal doesn’t build more muscle. (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. Plant based protein sources have less protein per serving than animal based sources.

Second, if you plan to save half of your bowl to reheat later for another meal or snack (be sure to refrigerate leftovers). Ordering double protein will ensure you have plenty of protein for later. 

How many calories are in a Chipotle high protein bowl?

When you choose a Lifestyle Bowl from the Chipotle menu, the nutrition information is readily available on the Chipotle website..

The high protein bowl from Chipotle has 845 calories, 82 grams of protein, 68 g of carbs and 28 g of fat.

This table below contains a list of the lifestyle bowls and their nutrition facts.

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

Here are five build your own high protein Chipotle bowls that we’ve crafted to provide a balanced meal and meet performance plate guides.

How much protein is in a Chipotle Chicken Bowl?

Grilled chicken, brown rice, black beans, fajita vegetables, fresh tomato salsa and guacamole. The Chipotle Chicken Bowl provides 47 grams of protein, 75 grams of carbohydrates, 17 grams of fiber and 37 grams of fat.

How much protein is in a Chipotle Steak Bowl?

Grilled steak, brown rice, pinto beans, fajita veggies, fresh tomato salsa and guacamole. The Chipotle Steak Bowl provides 36 grams of protein, 75 grams of carbohydrates, 19 grams of fiber and 36 grams of fat.

How much protein is in a Chipotle Sofritas Bowl?

Double sofritas tofu, brown rice, black beans, fajita vegetables, corn salsa and guacamole. The Chipotle Sofritas Bowl (vegetarian bowl) provides 26 grams of protein, 96 grams of carbohydrates, 22 grams of fiber and 41 grams of healthy fat.

How much protein is in a Chipotle Carnitas Bowl?

Slow-cooked pork, brown rice, pinto beans, fajita veggies, fresh tomato salsa and cheese. The Chipotle Carnitas Bowl provides 42 grams of protein, 67 grams of carbohydrates, 12 grams of fiber and 28 grams of healthy fat.

How much protein is in a Chipotle Barbacoa Bowl?

Shredded beef, brown rice, black beans, fajita vegetables, corn salsa and guacamole. The Chipotle Barbacoa Bowl provides 39 grams of protein, 77 grams of carbohydrates, 18 grams of fiber and 37 grams of healthy fat.

Chipotle high protein bowls for athletes

Athletes love Chipotle for the flexibility in building healthy bowls. You can load your bowl with carbs, protein and veggies, and tailored to their energy needs and taste preferences.

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. 

Final thoughts

High protein Chipotle bowls are a convenient and nutritious option.

By crafting bowls that include high-quality protein sources, whole grains, colorful vegetables and healthy fats, you can build balanced meals that will satisfy your hunger and help you feel full and satisfied.

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 meal for the night before a game for athletes.

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