Taco Bell Is Considered Healthy Now, So I Guess I’ll Keep Eating There
It's 2019 folks and everything is different now. For real. Taco-Bell is considered healthy now. This is up there with ketchup and pizza being classified as vegetables. Now we can 'Live Mas' literally and figuratively.
Surprisingly, the fast food restaurant has been leading the way in attempting to make its food healthier and more accessible to the health and diet conscious. Here's what they're doing and how they're doing it. Does it really matter though? We were eating it regardless.
It Started With Vegetarian And Vegan Options
Taco Bell first started getting its feet wet in the health craze when dietician and developer Missy Nelson took the helm. She got Taco Bell to release an entirely vegetarian menu that has been approved by the American Vegetarian Association. Get this - none of the vegetarian options exceed 500 calories. A Big Mac is 500 calories for reference.
An added bonus? Taco Bell has freaking beans. While that may not seem like a big deal, a lot of vegetarian options at fast-food and other restaurants come with no protein options for their dishes. It's usually either veggies or vamos.
Get Healthy And Drunk Here
If you're counting your calories all day you deserve a little reward. 'Little' means at least 16 ounces. At Taco Bell's flagship restaurant in Las Vegas, they understand the value of letting loose once in a while and they let you add vodka, tequila, or rum to your Freezes.
Not everyone likes to eat their tacos sober and Taco Bell knows that. Seriously, can you even remember the last time you went to a restaurant and had a taco without a margarita? Now hand me that Baja Blast double.
Cut The Fat And Get It All Fresco Style
Almost any menu item can be customized 'Fresco style.' When you order this, you replace mayo-based sauces, cheeses, sour cream and guacamole with pico de gallo. By removing these ingredients you can reduce the fat by up to 25%. What?
This is kind of a perfect option if you're a vegan, vegetarian, lactose intolerant, or someone looking for protein without the added salt and fat that milk products bring. They offer this style at every restaurant and even when you order online. I sound like a Taco Bell ad right now but it's crazy this exists here.
Don't Worry, They Still Have Their Heart-Stoppers
At the same time they're touting their below 500 calorie health-conscious options, Taco Bell is premiering 3 tacos that shove all health-conscious eaters to the back of the line - but that's not a bad thing. While eating healthy is great most of the time, we often go to fast food joints for cheat meals that make our souls and not our arteries happy.
So, in between eating your vegetarian 210-calorie spicy tostada, alternate with a Doritos Locos Taco, Waffle Taco, or the uber-cheesy Quesalupa. Actually, don't get the waffle taco. That thing sounds terrifying.
They've Lowered Their Salt Content By This Much
Across all their menus - the value, Cantina, and vegetarian - Taco Bell has lowered salt content by 15% since 2008. They've heard of inertia too because they've announced they're going to have it reduced to 25% soon.
Taco Bell has kept the health party going through other initiatives like removing artificial flavors and colors and replacing them with their natural alternatives. They're also using 100% cage-free eggs in their core menu as of 2018.
