Keto Diet And Taco Bell: What To Order?

Taco Bell is a fast-food chain that offers a variety of Mexican-style dishes. While it may not be the first choice for people on the keto diet due to its limited options, it does provide several keto-friendly choices and customization options. Eating keto at Taco Bell is possible, and with a few simple modifications, one can enjoy a keto-compliant meal. This involves avoiding high-carb ingredients like tortillas, taco shells, rice, and beans, while focusing on proteins and fats. Taco Bell's power menu bowl, for instance, can be made keto-friendly by omitting the rice and beans. Adding extra lettuce, pico de gallo, guacamole, and proteins like chicken or beef can make it a satisfying keto option. Similarly, the Fiesta Taco Salad can be ordered without beans, rice, and the shell to reduce its carb content. Other keto-friendly items at Taco Bell include the Mini Skillet Bowl, Grilled Chicken Power Bowl, and various low-carb sauces.

Crunchy Taco

Taco Bell's Crunchy Taco is a keto-friendly option that you can order straight off the menu. It contains seasoned beef, shredded cheese, and lettuce on a crunchy corn tortilla shell. While tortillas are generally too high in carbs for a keto diet, the Crunchy Taco's shell is on the smaller side, making it a suitable keto option.

The Crunchy Taco is one of only three items on Taco Bell's menu that can be ordered as-is and still contain 10 grams or fewer net carbs. The other two are the Nacho Cheese Doritos Locos Taco and a small bowl of seasoned black beans. It's important to note that these items are on the smaller side and may not be filling enough as a standalone meal.

For a more substantial keto-friendly meal at Taco Bell, you may need to make some modifications to other items on the menu. For example, you can order a Power Menu Bowl without beans or rice, resulting in a bowl containing chicken, shredded cheese, guacamole, lettuce, sour cream, tomatoes, and avocado-ranch sauce, with only 4 grams of net carbs. Similarly, the Beefy 5-Layer Burrito can be made keto-friendly by removing the tortilla, resulting in a fairly keto-friendly meal with 10 grams of net carbs.

While Taco Bell offers keto-friendly options, it's important to note that their meals are highly processed. Therefore, while these options can be suitable for a quick bite, they should not be a regular part of a keto diet, which ideally focuses on unprocessed, whole foods.

Power Menu Bowl

The Power Menu Bowl is one of the best options for those on a keto diet at Taco Bell. It is highly customizable and can be made keto-friendly with a few adjustments.

The Power Menu Bowl typically comes with beans and rice, but these can be omitted to make it keto-friendly. By removing the beans and rice, you're left with a high-fat, high-protein bowl that fits within the keto diet parameters.

The standard ingredients in the Power Menu Bowl include:

• Chicken or steak
• Shredded cheese
• Lettuce
• Pico de gallo (a salsa-like mix of tomatoes, onions, jalapeños, and cilantro)
• Guacamole
• Sour cream
• Avocado ranch sauce

Nutrition Information

The nutrition information for the Power Menu Bowl without beans and rice is as follows:

• Calories: 330
• Fat: 24g
• Protein: 21g
• Total Carbs: 8g
• Net Carbs: 6g

Customization Tips:

• You can further customize the Power Menu Bowl by adding extra lettuce for volume.
• Bacon can also be added for more flavor and protein.
• Wash it down with water or a diet soda.

Remember, while Taco Bell can be made keto-friendly, it is still highly processed and should be enjoyed in moderation as part of a balanced keto diet that focuses on unprocessed, whole foods.

Customising orders

Taco Bell is open to menu modifications and even invites you to "customize" any of the items on their menu. Here are some tips to customise your order to make it keto-friendly:

What to Avoid

• Tortillas
• Taco shells
• Chips
• Rice
• Beans
• Refried beans

What to Include

• Sauces: Creamy Jalapeno Sauce, Guacamole, Nacho Cheese Sauce, Creamy Chipotle Sauce, Avocado Ranch Sauce, Spicy Ranch, Red Sauce, Hot Sauce, and Diablo Sauce.
• Extra meat or cheese: For an extra dose of protein and fat, ask for extra meat or cheese.
• Lettuce: Ask for your meal to be served over lettuce to add bulk without too many extra carbs. You can also add tomatoes, onions, or jalapenos.
• Sides: Taco Bell's Crunchy Taco and Nacho Cheese Doritos Locos Tacos are keto-friendly options, as is their small bowl of seasoned black beans.

Custom Keto Orders

• Chicken Power Menu Bowl (no beans or rice): Chicken, shredded cheese, guacamole, lettuce, sour cream, tomatoes, and avocado-ranch sauce.
• Steak Power Menu Bowl (no beans or rice): Same as above, but with steak instead of chicken.
• Beefy 5-Layer Burrito (no tortilla): Seasoned ground beef, refried beans, sour cream, cheese, and cheese sauce.
• Burrito Supreme (no tortilla): Seasoned beef, sour cream, onions, lettuce, cheese, tomatoes, red sauce, and beans.
• Crunchwrap Supreme (no tortilla or shell): Seasoned beef, cheese sauce, lettuce, tomato, and sour cream.
• Chicken Quesadilla (no tortilla): Grilled chicken, shredded cheese, and creamy jalapeno sauce.
• Steak Quesadilla (no tortilla): Grilled steak, cheese, and creamy jalapeno sauce.
• Chicken Chipotle Melt (no tortilla): Grilled chicken, cheese, and creamy chipotle sauce.
• Nachos BellGrande (no chips or beans): Seasoned beef, sour cream, tomatoes, and cheese sauce.
• Cheesy Toasted Breakfast Burrito (no tortilla): Bacon, eggs, and cheese sauce.

Keto-friendly sauces

Sauces are a great way to keep your keto meals interesting and tasty. Here are some keto-friendly sauce options to elevate your dishes:

Creamy Jalapeno Sauce

This sauce is a perfect addition to your keto Taco Bell order, with only 1 gram of carb per serving. It will add a creamy texture and a mild spicy kick to your meal.

Guacamole

Avocados are a keto-friendly staple, and guacamole is a great way to include them in your diet. With only 1 gram of net carb, guacamole adds a creamy texture and a burst of flavour to your meals. It's a perfect dip for your keto-friendly chips or vegetables.

Nacho Cheese Sauce

Cheese is a great way to add fat and protein to your keto meals. The Nacho Cheese Sauce from Taco Bell has only 1 gram of carb, making it a tasty and keto-friendly option.

Creamy Chipotle Sauce

This sauce is a flavourful addition to your keto meals, with a smokey and spicy kick. The best part? It has 0 grams of carbs, making it a perfect choice for your keto diet.

Avocado Ranch Sauce

Avocado Ranch Sauce is another delicious option with only 1 gram of carb. It combines the creaminess of avocado with the tangy flavour of ranch dressing. It's a perfect dip or drizzle for your keto meals.

Spicy Ranch

If you like your food with a kick, Spicy Ranch sauce is a great choice. With just 1 gram of carb, it adds a tangy and spicy twist to your meals. It's perfect for dipping or drizzling over your favourite keto dishes.

Hot Sauce

Hot sauce is a keto-friendly condiment that can add flavour and spice to your meals. Look for options with zero carbs and no added sugar, such as Frank's RedHot Original Cayenne Pepper Hot Sauce.

Worcestershire Sauce

Worcestershire Sauce is a tangy and savoury addition to your keto meals. It typically contains around 1 gram of carb per teaspoon and goes well with savory dishes.

Soy Sauce

Contrary to popular belief, soy sauce can be a part of a keto diet. Most soy sauce brands have around 1 gram of net carb per tablespoon. Just make sure to choose ones without added sugar or molasses.

Mayonnaise

Mayonnaise is a versatile keto-friendly condiment. It can be used as a base for dips and dressings or added directly to your meals. Opt for brands without artificial carbohydrates or added sugar.

Mustard

Mustard is a keto-friendly staple with zero calories, carbs, or sugar. It adds a tangy flavour to your meals and can be used in various dishes. Look for natural brands with 100% natural ingredients.

Blue Cheese Dressing

Blue cheese is naturally low in carbs, and its dressing can be a delicious addition to your keto meals. Just be mindful of the type of blue cheese used and choose one with a low-carb content.

BBQ Sauce

You don't have to give up BBQ sauce on a keto diet. Opt for low-carb, sugar-free options like Yo Mama's Foods No Sugar BBQ Sauce. It's a great way to add flavour to your meat without the extra carbs.

Sugar-Free Ketchup

Regular ketchup is high in sugar and not keto-friendly. However, you can find sugar-free or no-sugar-added ketchup options that are suitable for a keto diet, such as Heinz No-Sugar Added Tomato Ketchup.

Remember to always check the nutrition labels and do your research when choosing keto-friendly sauces. Some manufacturers may indicate zero carbs, but the product may contain a small amount of carbs that can add up if you exceed the suggested serving size.

Breakfast options

Taco Bell has a variety of keto-friendly breakfast options, although they may require some modifications to fit within a keto diet. Here are some breakfast choices:

Cheesy Toasted Breakfast Burrito

Order the Cheesy Toasted Breakfast Burrito without the tortilla shell to reduce the net carbs to just 3 grams. This option includes bacon, eggs, and nacho cheese sauce. You can also add extra bacon, cheddar cheese, or sour cream to make it more filling and keto-friendly.

Breakfast Soft Taco With Bacon

Remove the soft taco shell and focus on the eggs and bacon. You can order a few and get them served in a bowl for a hearty breakfast. Alternatively, you can ask to have them wrapped in the egg used for the Naked Egg Taco Bundle.

Grande Toasted Breakfast Burrito

This burrito comes with sausage crumbles or bacon, a three-cheese blend, egg, and tomatoes. By removing the tortilla shell and potatoes, you can reduce the net carbs to just 2 grams.

Grande Toasted Breakfast Burrito With Steak

Similar to the previous option, this burrito includes steak instead of sausage or bacon. Ordering it without the tortilla shell and potatoes will result in 3 net carbs. You can further reduce the carb count by omitting the tomatoes.

Naked Egg Taco Bundle

The Naked Egg Taco Bundle features an egg as the "wrap", but it contains potatoes, which are not keto-friendly. Ask to replace the potatoes with steak and add guacamole for a more flavourful option.

Breakfast Crunchwrap

The Breakfast Crunchwrap typically includes bacon, cheese, scrambled eggs, and a hash brown in a tortilla. To make it keto-friendly, you would need to remove the tortilla and the hash browns.

Frequently asked questions