Whenever I am on the line at Chipotle, I face an internal battle with myself debating whether to pay the $1.00 extra for Guac on my burrito bowl. Just for the taste, $1.00 is completely worth it to me. However, I always wonder if those extra calories are, or if it a waste to my body. If I am at a party and I see chips and guacamole, I can never resist.
I can’t say that I am always good about my eating habits, but I typically like to know how many calories are in each meal and snack I consume. Chipotle may not be the best place to go when you are trying to diet, but I have definitely created a bowl or salad under 450 calories. After playing around with apps and nutrition facts I have learned that the typical serving of Guac at Chipotle is 230 calories. Today I had a hot pocket that was 250, and it definitely was more hunger satisfying then a big scoop of guacamole.
So is it worth it?
Well, Guacamole’s main ingredient is avocado. I know that an avocado is technically a fruit, but lacks the sugar content of typical fruits like apples and strawberries. Instead, avocados are high in fat content. The word “fat” definitly has a negative connotation associated with it because no one wants to be “quote on quote, fat”.
I found a really cool article about a study done at Penn State involving avocados in diets. A group of overweight volunteers were split up and given different diet plans. One of the diets was higher in fat, and included one avocado a day. The group in this diet was found to have reductions in their cholesterol in comparison to the other diets. Although this does not prove anything and chance could be an option, it seems to me that avocados can indeed reduce cholesterol.
Even though avocados are fatty, they can have several health benefits. The fat is not trans fat, rather it is polyunsaturated. Protein, fiber, and potassium are other nutrients that avocados provide to our bodies. (Szalay)
Avocado individually, or added to a low calorie salad seems to be pretty beneficial. But it is often used as an add-on ingredient, such as with chips or something else unhealthy. I can conclude myself that there is enough evidence out there for me to continue eating it frequently. The key is to eat it wisely.
Fun fact that I learned: The word avocado comes from an Aztec word meaning testicle. Weird right? (Szalay)
Pictures:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guacamole
http://www.picserver.org/h/health-benefits.html
After seeing the picture of the avocado I decided to read this article. It was very relatable because like you, I am a huge guac and chipotle fan. It’s good to know that although it is fatty that the fat is actually good for you, that make me feel a little bit better about spending the $1.00 every time I go out to eat.
I was drawn to this post because I do this really awesome thing where I still eat avocados (and guacamole) even though I know I’m allergic to it. I don’t eat it often enough to really worry about what it could be doing to my health, but I can definitely relate to loving guac so much that I always want to opt for that $1 addition to my Chipotle orders. So when I saw your post, I started wondering why I’m allergic to this food that everyone is obsessed with right now. I looked it up and got to this article, which told me that there are actually two different reasons why people may be allergic to avocados. The first kind of allergy is the birch-pollen allergy, which is definitely what I have. The second is called the latex fruit allergy, where avocados and natural latex have really similar allergens, causing people to have an allergic reaction to it. The birch-pollen allergy is less dangerous since it’s generally just itchy mouth, throat, etc, whereas the latex fruit allergy is more likely to cause anaphylaxis. I guess I was lucky to just have a birch tree allergy!
I enjoyed reading this because I have just recently really started eating a lot of avocado. I love them. I add avocado on to most of my sandwiches now. I never really thought about what I was adding on though. I understand how the guac at chipolte can add up to 230 calories to your bowl but I have read a lot of articles that say a lot of about the benefits of avocados. They are loaded with a bunch of different nutrients including vitamin K, folate, vitamin C, potassium and more. Fun fact avocados (that I found here ) actually have more potassium than bananas.
oops this should have said “Fun fact (that i read here) avocados….
I find it funny that although the extra calories is bad for you when you add guac to your burrito bowl, it actually is helping you lose weight in the long run. I’ve personally never liked guac but it seems to me like a good supplement for living a healthier and slimmer life. I found a website that compared Guac vs Sour Cream.
Check out what it says: http://www.twofoods.com/compare/query/U291ciBjcmVhbQ==/R3VhY2Ftb2xl
Hey Amanda! I thought your post was super interesting especially the fact about guac being 230 calories! If you are trying to consume a low-calorie Chipotle meal, definitely ditch the extra guac since it is a little over half of your actual bowl/salad!
I did however find this article that suggests avocados are acually good to eat when trying to lose weight! My conclusion from reading your post and the article I read, is that avocados are actually healthy and should be eaten, especially since our body should have a daily fat intake, it should be a healthy fat like avocado not something processed!
PS. The fun fact cracked me up, hahaha.
I really liked reading this article, especially because the choice weather or not to get guac at chipotle is one we all face daily. I like the point you made in this article when it comes to the word “fat”. Today, fat definitely has a negative connotation associated with it, but this may not always be the case. there are good and bad kinds of fat. Here’s an article explaining the difference between good and bad fats. check it out