Football-Sized Burritos at Fast-Food Mexican Restaurants Pack Caloric Punch

MSN ^ | September 30, 2003 | Jennifer Warner

[traumer]

Fresh-Mex Restaurant Chains Get Grilled

Football-Sized Burritos at Fast-Food Mexican Restaurants Pack Caloric Punch

Sept. 30, 2003 -- With slogans that tout how their oversized burritos are so big that they beep when they back up, perhaps the popular "fresh-Mex" fast-food chains should have seen the food police salivating.

The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), the group that blew the whistle on the fat content of movie theater popcorn, Chinese food, and other fast-food restaurant fare, has now set its sights on the mushrooming Tex-Mex and fresh-Mex food chains, such as Chipotle, Baja Fresh, Rubio's, and La Salsa.

The group says the fast-growing McDonald's affiliated chain Chipotle doesn't disclose the fat or calorie content of its burritos. But independent laboratory analysis shows many of the massive burritos weigh in at more than 1,000 calories and 12 grams of fat...

[traumer]

hmmm, yummy...

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[ikka]

Chipotle burritos are truly wonderful. I was shocked when I found out the chain is owned by McDonald's, purveyors of grey tasteless burger matter to the world.

[cyborg]

Anything the liberals hate, I love. What's next Po' boys in New Orleans?

[WackyKat]

McDonald's, purveyors of grey tasteless burger matter to the world.

My theory? It's freeze-dried kangeroo meat

[chemicalman]

H___ no! And they better keep their fingers out my seafood platter, or they'll be missing some.

[connectthedots]

Great news. A 200# man can have a Chipolte burrito for breakfast, lunch and dinner and not gain any weight.

[Highest Authority]

"The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI"), is that wacko left wing extremist group of nutballs that almost destroyed the apple industry by spreading false information about five years ago. The whole group needs a good dose of brain exlax!

[John Jorsett]

Never eat anything bigger than your head ...

[snopercod]

They'll have to take my menudo from my cold, dead, hand, with the spoon still cluched in it.

[snopercod]

ROFL!

[Mr. Mojo]

Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), the group that blew the whistle on the fat content of movie theater popcorn, Chinese food, and other fast-food restaurant fare

These whining, leftist, do-gooders would be horrified if they paid a visite to Fatbuger (in L.A., on La Cienega). Their double king bacon egg cheese chili avocado burger with chili fries must have close to 2500 calories. .....and it sure is good.

[boris]

The only ethnic foods I will not eat are Mexican and Japanese.

Mexican : dog food.
Japanese: cat food.

'Nuff said.

[zarf]

There's a joint in Minnesota called "Burritos as Big As Your Head". Absolutely wonderful burritos.

[kaboom]

The fact is:

A Chipotle burrito will never stay inside your body long enough for you to digest 25% of it's contents. The first half hour you are stuffed, a few hours later it's like you never ate (that is, if you make it to the can in time).

[Brett66]

Only 12 grams of fat? That's not a whole lot, I think a typical Big Mac has about 60 grams. It's probably sky high in carbs though.

[Ferret Fawcet]

...double king bacon egg cheese chili avocado burger ...

That sure sounds evil... and delicious.

[Pahuanui]

The group says the fast-growing McDonald's affiliated chain Chipotle doesn't disclose the fat or calorie content of its burritos. But independent laboratory analysis shows many of the massive burritos weigh in at more than 1,000 calories and 12 grams of fat...

More than 1,000 cals and only 12 grams of fat? That must be one king-sized burrito.

[Agnes Heep]

I don't know what these things cost, but tenderloin steak retails at anywhere between $9 and $13 a pound. A half-pound steak, which is pretty much all lean and can be cut with a fork, pan-fried in olive oil, and a baked potato for about fifty cents, is a hell of a lot better, and probably cheaper.

[Loyal Buckeye]

Which reminds me of a story about a friend's Siamese (sp?) cat that wandered into the yard of, shall we say an immigrant, never to be seen again. I hear he joined them for supper, if you catch my drift.

[Catspaw]

There's another "Burritos as Big as Your Head" in Madison--or was a few years back. Great burritos AND really as big as your head :-))

[NCjim]

I hope the government hurries up and saves us from these killer burritos! NOT!

[philetus]

But you will eat snails, right?

[FITZ]

Most of what we call Mexican food isn't going to be very healthy for you but if you see them using flour tortillas, it's not very genuine Mexican anyway. I think foods like posole, caldo de res, chile rellenos, and fresh corn tortillas --not fried -- with shredded meat and pico de gallo are good kinds of foods to eat.

[Young Werther]

Urban legend suggests that there are no cats around the dumpsters at a Tex-Mex restaurants becasue they're in the meat, (are the meat!!?!!).

As A.E. Newman would say, "What! Me Worry!"

[Verginius Rufus]

That's the La Bamba chain--found in Illinois, Indiana, and Michigan too, maybe Kentucky. Mainly in college towns, I think. Tasty burritos and tortas, but I don't know what the calorie count is.

[Hugin]

Mexican food is fattening? Gosh, who knew?

[paulklenk]

[Old Professer]

2 tablespoons of peanut butter (35g) has 17g of fat and 190 calories; must be a lot of bread in that burrito.

[Old Professer]

Type II diabetes is endemic in Mexico.

[Servant of the 9]

The only ethnic foods I will not eat are Mexican and Japanese.

Mexican : dog food.
Japanese: cat food.

'Nuff said.

Nope

Japanese: Cat Food
Mexican : CAT

But it tastes sooo good.

So9

[FITZ]

I know. Much of the food is really bad for you --- high fat and high carbs ----- but you can find authentic Mexican food that is healthy if you're careful. Besides once you see a flour tortilla, it's not all that authentic. I've been all over Mexico and you rarely see flour tortillas there.

[MarkL]

The only ethnic foods I will not eat are Mexican and Japanese.

Mexican : dog food.

Japanese: cat food.

Another word for Sushi?

BAIT!

Mark

[petuniasevan]

[Timesink]

With slogans that tout how their oversized burritos are so big that they beep when they back up, perhaps the popular "fresh-Mex" fast-food chains should have seen the food police salivating.

Unlike their willing dupes in the news media, Miss Jennifer Warner?

[okie01]

""The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI"), is that wacko left wing extremist group of nutballs that almost destroyed the apple industry by spreading false information about five years ago. The whole group needs a good dose of brain exlax!"

The CSPI is a Ralph Nader creation.

And they need only two reasons to slam any kind of food:

1. Somebody enjoys eating it.

2. Somebody is making a profit selling it.

If the answer to both of the above is "Yes", they're ag'in it.

[witnesstothefall]

Barbacoa bump

[truth_seeker]

Chipotle, Baja Fresh, Rubios and El Pollo Loco are my FAVORITE eating places.

What is unhealthy about beans, rice, cheeses, fresh vegetables and fruit (tomatos) and a small portion of lean meat (chicken, steak, pork-mexican style)?

So what if it is 800 to 1200 calories? I only eat that once per day, plus a healthy breakfast and grazing between those two meals. No alcohol, of course.

And an hour of aerobic exercize, daily. Stable weight and waist size for 20+ years.