When you think of Taco Bell, you're probably not thinking about healthy eating.
Sure, it's possible to have a light meal at the Bell, but those healthy options are not
what we're here to talk about today.
These are the absolute worst items you can order when you run for the border.
Should you really eat any food with a name that starts with "XXL"?
Probably not!
With 870 calories per serving, and half of those calories coming from fat, eating one
of these big boys is about half the food you need in a day.
But it also loads you up with about 90 percent of your daily sodium allowance.
This oversized burrito is stuffed to maximum capacity with salty seasoned beef, way too
much rice, guac, cheeses galore, avocado ranch sauce, and beans.
For anyone looking to eat moderately, maintain a balanced diet, or not suffer a heart attack,
we'd suggest steering clear of this monster burrito option.
The Beefy 5-Layer Burrito is tempting.
You're getting a lot of food for not a lot of moolah when you order this item.
After all, it's two tortillas, stuck together with a tasty filling of nacho cheese, then
filled with seasoned beef, beans, sour cream, and even more cheese.
That said, you're also getting 500 calories, a glob of saturated fat, and more than half
of your daily allowance for sodium.
So you might order this multi-layered burrito thinking you're getting a lot of bang for
your buck, but you're actually also getting a heap of gross preservatives, fat, and salt
you didn't ask for.
Maybe the old saying is true after all.
If it seems too good to be true, it probably is.
"Nachos: They're like a party for your mouth!
Nachos!"
Clocking in at 750 calories per serving with nearly half of them derived from fat, Taco
Bell's classic Nachos Bell Grande should give you pause.
This meal's main components of seasoned beef, cheese sauce, chips, sour cream, and refried
beans collectively contain way too many unpronounceable preservatives, modified additives, and ingredients
with the word "gum" in them to feel good about.
If you can get over how heavily processed it all is, you then have to wrap your head
around consuming 1,310 grams of sodium, 85 grams of carbs, and 38 grams of fat.
If you didn't pay attention in health class: Those numbers are way too high!
Why is Taco Bell's Cheesy Gordita Crunch so bad for you?
Well, first of all, it's actually two tacos masquerading as one.
An unseemly amount of cheese is combined with the eatery's signature overly salty beef,
fatty ranch sauce, and nutrient-free iceberg lettuce, then wrapped in a hard shell that's
wrapped in doughy flatbread.
Eat one of these gorditas and you'll have consumed a whopping 850 milligrams of sodium.
If you're aiming to retain control of your blood pressure levels, stay far away from
this menu item.
In theory, ordering a 12-pack of Cinnabon Delights from Taco Bell sounds like a great
idea.
In a way, it is… until you start looking at the nutritional information.
If you do snack your way through the whole thing, you're eating a whopping 930 calories,
and 480 of those are from fat.
There's also 59 grams of sugar in those 12 little balls of deliciousness, and there are
53 grams of fat, too.
That's more bad stuff than what's in the XXL Grilled Stuft Burrito, and that includes fat!
If you're splitting that order of Cinnabon Delights between four people, as the official
serving size suggests, you're not doing too terrible, but who really does that?
Just one of these giant breakfast burritos contains about your entire day's recommended
sodium intake.
The steak clocks in at the top, with 1480 mg of sodium.
The bacon and the sausage come in at 1470 mg and 1310 mg, respectively, and that's still
pretty horrible.
Why?
The American Heart Association says typical adults eat around 3400 mg a day, but the ideal
limit is around 1500 mg.
That's extra-important for anyone who's keeping an eye on their blood pressure, and too much
sodium leads to heart disease.
So it's probably best to skip this massive breakfast treat unless you plan on splitting
it up into thirds and eating it over the course of an entire day.
Or you could just stick to one soft breakfast taco and a small cup of coffee so your run
for the border doesn't turn into a run for the E.R.