Building a High-Protein Chipotle Bowl for Athletes

Athletes frequently enjoy stopping at Chipotle for a quick meal on-the-go. It can be helpful for athletes to know the best choices for building a high-protein Chipotle bowl, which can help them with meeting their sports nutrition needs.

Let’s take a look at the protein needs of athletes. Then we will explore ways to build a high-protein Chipotle bowl.

Protein Needs of Athletes

Including protein in the diet is important for athletes. Protein has many essential roles in the body.

Protein helps transport oxygen and other molecules throughout the body, provides structure for cells, and serves as enzymes and hormones that help regulate body functions (1).

In addition, protein is necessary for supporting athletes with building and repairing lean muscle mass.

To get the most benefit from protein, athletes are encouraged to spread their protein intake throughout the day with several meals and snacks. Athletes should aim to consume ~0.25-0.3 grams of protein per kg of body weight at each eating occasion (2, 3). 

In general, this calculates to be in the range of 20-40 grams of protein at each meal/snack (2), with larger athletes needing more protein than smaller athletes.

As a reminder, eating protein alone will not result in muscle gain. Protein intake must be combined with a well-planned strength and conditioning program to promote muscle growth.

Building a High-Protein Chipotle Bowl for Athletes

Based on the amount of protein athletes should aim to eat at each meal, we will look at ideas for creating a Chipotle bowl that contains ~40 grams of protein.

All the nutrition information included in this article comes from the Chipotle® website. Menu options and nutrition information may change as products are updated.  For the most current nutrition information, refer to the Chipotle website.

High-Protein Chipotle Bowl Options

Chipotle offers several lean sources of protein, which are great options for building your burrito bowl.

The three protein options at Chipotle that contain the least amount of saturated fat include:

• Chicken: 32 grams protein, 3 grams saturated fat
• Steak: 21 grams protein, 2.5 grams saturated fat
• Barbacoa: 24 grams protein, 2.5 grams saturated fat

*The nutrition facts above are all based upon one serving of the protein choice.

Other Sources of Protein

In addition to protein from chicken or beef, there are other ways to add protein to your bowl.

Including beans, rice, shredded cheese, or roasted corn-chili salsa in your bowl will all boost the protein content of the meal.

• Black beans: 8 grams protein
• Pinto beans: 8 grams protein
• Cilantro-lime brown rice: 4 grams protein
• Cilantro-lime white rice: 4 grams protein
• Shredded cheese (1 oz): 6 grams protein
• Roasted chili-corn salsa: 3 grams protein

*The nutrition facts above are all based upon one serving.

Vegetarian High-Protein Chipotle Bowl Options

Chipotle offers sofritas as a plant-based source of protein for their burritos and bowls.

Sofritas are made with soy beans (tofu) that are cooked with a variety of spices, such as cumin, garlic, chili, poblano peppers, and onions for flavor.  

• Sofritas (1 serving): 8 grams protein 

Unlike the protein from many plant-based sources, soy protein is considered a complete protein (2). A complete protein contains all 9 of the essential amino acids our bodies cannot make.

Thus, the sofritas can a good option for athletes following a vegetarian or vegan diet to add to their Chipotle bowls.

What About Double Protein Bowls?

A popular option at Chipotle is ordering a bowl with a double serving of protein.

A double serving of chicken, steak, or barbacoa will quickly boost the protein content of your bowl (i.e., 64 grams of protein with a double serving of chicken).

Building a bowl with double protein is a good option if you plan to eat part of the bowl now and save the rest for later. If this is your plan, consider ordering tortillas on the side or double rice to ensure you get plenty of carbohydrates in both meals as well.

Given the lower protein content of sofritas, I would suggest athletes consider ordering a double-serving to boost the protein content of their bowl.

Additional Burrtio Bowl Ingredients

When building a Chipotle burrito bowl, I encourage athletes to think beyond protein to add in other important nutrients. Athletes can add carbohydrates to their bowl with rice, beans, and roasted chili-corn salsa.

Including a variety of vegetables, such as freshly made salsas, lettuce, and fajita vegetables can help boost the vitamin and mineral content of your bowl.

Finally, guacamole provides a great source of healthy fat, vitamins, and minerals, as well as fiber to your bowl.

Athletes should be sure to load their Chipotle bowls up with a variety of nutritious carbohydrate and veggie toppings. This is an easy way to create a nutrient-dense meal that can support an athlete with meeting their sports nutrition needs.

Example High-Protein Chipotle Bowls

Based on this, there are numerous ways athletes can build a Chipotle bowl that provides ~40 grams of protein. 

Here are several options for high-protein Chipotle bowls:

• Chicken, cilantro lime brown rice, black beans, fresh tomato salsa, lettuce, guacamole (46 grams of protein)
• Steak, cilantro lime brown rice, pinto beans, roasted chili-corn salsa, shredded cheese (42 grams of protein)
• Barbacoa, cilantro lime brown rice, black beans, roasted chili-corn salsa, fajita veggies (40 grams of protein)
• Sofritas (double-serving), cilantro lime brown rice, black beans, roasted chili-corn salsa, fajita veggies, shredded cheese, guacamole (40 grams protein)

Athletes should be sure to load their Chipotle bowls up with nutritious carbohydrate and veggie toppings, thus creating a nutrient-dense bowl that meets your sports nutrition needs.

High-Protein Chipotle Bowl: Post-Game Meal

A Chipotle bowl can be an easymeal for athletes to enjoy following a game to help them with meeting their recovery nutrition needs.

The three key areas athletes should focus on when it comes to recovery nutrition include:

• Hydration: Replace fluid and electrolytes lost in sweat
• Carbohydrates: Refill energy stores used during the activity
• Protein: Build and repair lean muscle mass

A well-planned Chipotle bowl can easily provide athletes with a great source of both protein and carbohydrates. Many of the bowl toppings (proteins, beans, salsas) contain sodium, which can help athletes replace the sodium lost in sweat.

Athletes should make sure enjoy their Chipotle bowl with water to help with meeting their hydration needs.

Using the keys above, athletes can build a tasty post-game meal that fits into their sports nutrition game plan.

Ready to Build a High-Protein Chipotle Bowl for Athletes

You now have a variety of ideas for building a high-protein Chipotle bowl that can help you with meeting your sports nutrition needs.  For additional sports nutrition ideas for dining out, check out my blog: 10 Whataburger Healthy Options for Athletes.

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About the Author

Mandy Tyler is a Sports Dietitian Nutritionist in the San Antonio, TX area. She is a Registered and Licensed Dietitian, a Board-Certified Specialist in Sports Dietetics, a Licensed Athletic Trainer, and is a Certified Exercise Physiologist through the American College of Sports Medicine.  Mandy has experience working with athletes at the high school, collegiate, and professional levels. She believes the key to reaching one’s full potential, both in everyday life and in sports performance, relies on a healthy nutritional foundation. 

If you are looking to take your performance to the next level, make sure to check out my new Sports Nutrition Game Day Guide. This downloadable guide is written to help athletes develop an individualized plan to achieve peak performance on game day.