Milly Gaines
Fast food is often loaded with carbohydrates and unhealthy fats, making it challenging to find keto-friendly options. However, Taco Bell stands out as a popular fast-food chain that offers a surprising array of choices for those on a ketogenic diet. From breakfast to dinner, there are several ways to tweak the menu to fit your keto needs. This includes swapping out tortillas, rice, and beans for lettuce, extra meat, and low-carb sauces. While these options are convenient, it's important to remember that fast food is still highly processed and best enjoyed in moderation. So, if you're on the keto diet and craving Mexican food, Taco Bell can be a great choice, but it shouldn't become a regular part of your keto meal plan.
Keto options at Taco Bell
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Meals | Crunchy Taco, Doritos Locos Taco, Power Menu Bowl, Chicken Burrito Supreme, Soft Taco Supreme Chicken, Mini Skillet Bowl, Chicken Chipotle Melt, Cheesy Toasted Breakfast Burrito, Grande Toasted Breakfast Burrito |
| Modifications | Served in bowls with lettuce, tomatoes, onions, jalapeños, and cheese |
| Customization | Taco Bell invites customers to "customize" any of the items on their menu |
| Carb count | Less than 5g net carbs |
| Low-carb sauces | Creamy chipotle sauce, spicy ranch, avocado ranch sauce, Pico sauce, Avocado Lime Crema, guacamole, sour cream |
| High-carb options to avoid | Nacho cheese sauce, sweetened dressings, rice, beans, tortillas |
| Keto-friendly snacks | Cheddar crisps |
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What You'll Learn
Keto-friendly options at Taco Bell
Taco Bell has several keto-friendly options, although it's worth noting that these are still highly processed foods and should be consumed occasionally. Here are some keto-friendly choices to consider when ordering at Taco Bell:
Crunchy Taco
The Crunchy Taco contains seasoned beef, shredded cheese, and lettuce on a crunchy corn tortilla shell. While tortillas are typically high in carbs, the small size of this taco makes it a better option for keto dieters.
Doritos Locos Taco
Similar to the Crunchy Taco, the Doritos Locos Taco contains seasoned beef, lettuce, and cheese. However, the shell is dusted with Nacho Cheese Doritos flavouring, adding a crunchy and flavourful twist.
Sides
Taco Bell offers a small bowl of seasoned black beans as a side option. While beans are usually high in carbs, this small serving can fit into a keto diet in moderation.
Burrito Bowls
For a more substantial meal, you can order burritos without the tortilla, which will be served in a bowl. Try the Chicken Burrito Supreme without the tortilla and beans, resulting in a tasty chicken bowl with only 4 net carbs.
Power Menu Bowl
The Power Menu Bowl is another excellent option for keto dieters. Customize it by ordering it without rice or beans and adding extra lettuce, pico de gallo, guacamole, and sour cream.
Sauces
When it comes to sauces, opt for low-carb options like creamy chipotle sauce, spicy ranch, avocado ranch, or Pico sauce. Avoid high-carb sauces like nacho cheese sauce and sweetened dressings.
Remember, you can always use the nutrition calculator on the Taco Bell website to customize your order and view the nutrition information. While these options can be made keto-friendly, they are still fast food, so it's best to consume them in moderation as part of a balanced keto diet.
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Customising your order
Taco Bell allows you to customise your order, so don't be afraid to get creative with your keto meal. You can ask for any meal to be served over lettuce to add bulk without too many carbs. You can also add vegetables like tomatoes, onions, or jalapenos.
One option is to order the Mini Skillet Bowl but replace the potatoes with a meat of your choice. You can also add extra fat with some guacamole, cheese, or a drizzle of any of the low-carb sauces.
If you're ordering a burrito, you can ask for it without a tortilla, and it will be served in a bowl. For example, you can order the Chicken Burrito Supreme without the tortilla and beans, and it will essentially become a chicken burrito bowl.
For breakfast, you can order the cheesy toasted breakfast burrito without the tortilla shell, which will bring it down to 3 net carbs. You can also skip the cheese sauce and make your own keto-friendly version at home.
Remember to check the nutrition calculator on the Taco Bell website to customise your order and view the nutrition information.
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Keto breakfast options
While it is possible to make keto-friendly choices at Taco Bell, it is important to remember that fast food is still highly processed and best enjoyed occasionally. Taco Bell's Crunchy Taco, for instance, contains seasoned beef, shredded cheese, and lettuce on a crunchy corn tortilla shell. Tortillas are generally high in carbs, but this taco's small size makes it a better option for keto dieters. Similarly, the Doritos Locos Taco, which has a shell dusted with Nacho Cheese Doritos flavoring, can be modified to fit a keto diet.
Now, let's move on to some keto breakfast options:
- Eggs are a staple for keto breakfasts. You can make scrambled eggs, fried eggs, or omelets. For a special treat, try Eggs Lorraine, which combines Canadian bacon, Swiss cheese, and sour cream.
- Meat is also a popular choice for keto breakfasts. Bacon, sausage, ham, and turkey are all good options. You can have them with eggs or make breakfast sandwiches with low-carb bread or bagels.
- Avocado toast is another keto-friendly option. You can make it with avocado, cheese, and almond flour bagels.
- If you're looking for something sweeter, try almond flour waffles or pancakes. You can also make a smoothie with berries and coconut, or a shake with chocolate and almond butter.
- For a quick and easy breakfast, try keto-friendly yogurt with granola, or cottage cheese with garlic, salt, and pepper.
- If you're feeling creative, try making keto breakfast pizzas with a cauliflower base or hash browns.
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Low-carb sauces
Taco Bell has a variety of low-carb sauces that can be used to enhance the flavour of your keto meal. The creamy chipotle sauce is a popular choice, and other options include spicy ranch, avocado ranch sauce, and Pico sauce. These sauces are all low in carbs and can be paired with various menu items to add some extra flavour.
You can also add hot sauces to your meal, with most options containing 0g net carbs. Fire Sauce is a popular choice, adding flavour to your meal with only 1 net carb. If you're looking for a sauce with a bit more kick, Diablo Sauce is a hotter option, although it contains more carbs than Fire Sauce.
When ordering keto at Taco Bell, it's important to be mindful of hidden sugars in some sauces and dressings. Pre-mixed sauces like the creamy jalapeño sauce should be avoided, as they can contain added sugars. Instead, opt for low-carb sauces like guacamole, sour cream, or shredded cheese to add flavour and texture to your meal.
Some keto-friendly sauces at Taco Bell include:
- Creamy chipotle sauce
- Spicy ranch
- Avocado ranch sauce
- Pico sauce
- Hot sauces (e.g. Fire Sauce, Diablo Sauce)
- Guacamole
- Sour cream
- Shredded cheese
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Keto snacks
Taco Bell has joined the keto craze with its line of keto snacks, including their popular cheddar crisps. These crisps have only 2 grams of carbs, 11 grams of fat, and 14 grams of protein, making them a decent alternative to potato chips when you're craving something salty and crunchy.
For a quick keto-friendly meal on the go, Taco Bell's Crunchy Taco is a good option. It contains seasoned beef, shredded cheese, and lettuce wrapped in a crunchy corn tortilla shell. While tortillas are typically high in carbs, the small size of this taco makes it a more keto-friendly choice. Similarly, the Doritos Locos Taco, which features a shell dusted with Nacho Cheese Doritos flavoring, can be modified to fit your keto diet by removing the shell and enjoying the fillings in a bowl over lettuce.
If you're looking for a more substantial keto snack, the Mini Skillet Bowl can be customized by replacing the potatoes with your choice of meat and adding extra fat with guacamole, cheese, or low-carb sauces like creamy chipotle or avocado ranch. You can also try the Chicken Burrito Supreme without the tortilla and beans, transforming it into a delicious chicken burrito bowl with only 4 net carbs.
Taco Bell also offers keto-friendly breakfast options, such as the Chicken Chipotle Melt without the tortilla, or the Cheesy Toasted Breakfast Burrito with sausage crumbles or bacon, egg, and nacho cheese sauce, but ordered without the tortilla shell to reduce the carbs.
While Taco Bell provides convenient keto-friendly options, it's important to remember that these meals are still highly processed. Therefore, they should be enjoyed occasionally rather than becoming a regular part of your keto diet.
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Frequently asked questions
There are several keto-friendly options at Taco Bell, including the Crunchy Taco, Doritos Locos Taco, and a side of black beans. You can also order the Power Menu Bowl without rice or beans and with extra lettuce, or the Chicken Burrito Supreme without the tortilla and beans.
Yes, there are several keto-friendly sauces at Taco Bell, including creamy chipotle sauce, spicy ranch, avocado ranch sauce, and Pico sauce. However, it is important to avoid the nacho cheese sauce and sweetened dressings, as these are high in carbs.
Yes, you can order the Cheesy Toasted Breakfast Burrito without the tortilla shell, which will only have 3 net carbs. You can also order the Grande Toasted Breakfast Burrito without the tortilla shell, or the Chicken Chipotle Melt without the tortilla.
Yes, Taco Bell offers a Mini Skillet Bowl that can be customised by replacing the potatoes with meat. You can also add extra cheese, guacamole, or low-carb sauces to increase the fat content while keeping the carb count low.
Yes, Taco Bell offers cheddar crisps as a keto-friendly snack option. These crisps have only 2 grams of carbs and can be a good alternative to potato chips when you're craving something salty. Keep in mind that fast food, including keto options, is still highly processed, so it's best to enjoy these options occasionally rather than making them a regular part of your diet.
