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...

[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.