Chains surprise students with less healthy options
Despite the amount of fast-food and packages of Ramen noodles that college students love to consume, there is no doubt that many have joined the health food craze. Healthier options are swarming Carolina Dining, Strom is constantly crowded, farmers markets are full of students and they are looking for the best places to find cheap and nutritious food.
One of the most popular college town crazes, especially here in Columbia, is the Mexican burrito restaurant. USC students spend their lunchtimes, dinner breaks and late nights at places like Chipotle, Moe’s Southwest Grill, Qdoba and Salsarita’s Fresh Cantina. When looking for the healthiest option, it is hard to know which to choose.
The restaurants can be deceiving in their advertisements for healthy choices. We asked students which chain they thought would be the healthiest option, meaning least fat, calories and sodium, if they were to get a burrito in a flour tortilla with chicken, black beans, rice, sour cream and cheese.
“Probably Chipotle. They don’t serve queso so I would think they’re healthier,” Alex Scully, fourth-year ceramics student.
“I’d think Chipotle, they always talk about their organic stuff,” Lauren Batista, fourth-year hospitality student.
“Chipotle. It just seems like the healthiest option,” Kevin Keating, third-year exercise science student.
Each student based their reasoning off of how the chain is advertised. Chipotle prides itself on healthy eating, but some things aren’t always what they seem.
“Moe’s, they have whole wheat options,” Andie Goodwin, fourth-year hospitality student.
Nutrition facts are available on each chain’s website.
Chipotle: Advertised as “the very best sustainably raised food possible with an eye to great taste, great nutrition and great value.”
Calories: 990 Fat: 39 grams Sodium: 1700 mg
Qdoba: Advertised that “You can’t be passionate about food without being passionate about ingredients. So when it comes to that, we leave nothing to chance. And that means we carefully select only the freshest, most flavorful ingredients.”
Calories: 1044 Fat:39g Sodium: 2020mg
Salsarita’s Mexican Cantina: Advertised as, “Casual. Creative. Quick. Comfortable.”
Calories: 850 Fat: 26g Sodium:2940mg
Moe’s Southwest Grill: Advertised that they “bring the highest quality ingredients to every guest, every day, everywhere.”
Calories: 820 Fat: 30g Sodium: 1210mg
The best choices are Salsarita’s, which does not advertise itself as a healthy option restaurant, and Moe’s, which has four grams of extra fat, but beats Salsarita’s in calories and sodium. One student looked a little more closely at the options and made the right decision based on more than just advertising.
“Salsarita’s because it’s the smallest chain nationally,” guessed fourth-year biology student Chris Kline. “I figured they probably have the least processed foods, hence the healthiest. Chipotle just gives you way too much to be the healthiest.”
Looking past the advertising of your favorite chains may be hard to do, but is worth it when seeking the most nutritious option. Although eliminating toppings like sour cream and cheese can cut between 120 and 220 calories, even some lighter options can be deceiving. For instance, the dressing for Chipotle’s salad contains 27 grams of fat. So, when trying to stay healthy during your burrito craving, the best option is to look at the facts first.