Look deep into my...burrito

Many have surmised that Chipotle burritos very well may contain crack, or some similarly addictive substance. But while Chipotle isn't about to tell us what they put in those things to make them so irresistible, the company has gone further and refused to post the nutritional content of its undoubtedly-unhealthy menu. Have you ever wondered what they're hiding?

Center for Science in the Public Interest, formerly discussed here for its focus on Splenda, took matters into its own hand one day, and sent some of the dishes to the lab for independent analysis. The results may be disheartening (though kind of obvious) to the chain's die-hard fans. If ignorance is bliss when it comes to your fast-food splurges, DCFüd encourages you to stop reading here: you have been warned.

[Webmaster's note: To be fair to the giant evil corporation that keeps us all addicted to their Burritos, Chipotle did finally start providing nutritional information in late 2003. You can view their version in the pdf document here -- amg]

CSPI's findings include that the chain's chicken burrito, containing black beans, rice, cheese and salsa (we're not even talking sour cream here), contains a whopping 1,000 calories and 12 grams of saturated fat, otherwise known as death in a tortilla. The vegetarian burrito, which also includes guacamole, is even worse, at 1,120 calories and 14 grams of saturated fat. If that's not bad enough, add sour cream and order a Barbacoa burrito (with spicy shredded beef), and you're talking about 1300 calories – you could eat a Quarter Pounder, large fries and a large Coke for that, the Center points out.

Health-conscious consumers should stick to the joint's burrito bowls, which shave off 340 calories by eliminating the tortilla. They're certainly not diet foods at that point, but at least you're not on your way to hitting our daily calorie allowance at that point.

Check out CPSI's press release for more details and for how to get the full report. Confession: this knowledge pretty much confirmed the obvious for this occasional Chipotle customer, and probably won't be keeping her away when the rare craving hits.