A Chipotle bowl can contain a variety of ingredients, but one of the most common questions is whether or not lettuce is included. The short answer is yes, lettuce is a standard component of most Chipotle bowls. Keep reading to learn more about the types of lettuce Chipotle uses, the nutrition facts for Chipotle lettuce, and what bowls come with lettuce automatically.
Types of Lettuce at Chipotle
Chipotle offers two main types of lettuce for their bowls, burritos, tacos and salads:
Romaine Lettuce
Romaine lettuce is the classic long, sturdy, dark green lettuce leaves you’ll often see used for Caesar salads. Chipotle uses organic romaine lettuce grown in the USA. Romaine lettuce is known for its crunchy texture and slightly bitter, earthy taste. It’s high in vitamin K, vitamin A, and vitamin C. A 2 cup serving of shredded romaine lettuce contains:
| Calories | Protein | Fat | Carbs | Fiber | Sugar |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 | 1 gram | 0 grams | 4 grams | 2 grams | 2 grams |
Iceberg Lettuce
Iceberg lettuce is known for its very mild, watery taste and pale green leaves. It has high water content which leads to its signature crunch. Iceberg lettuce at Chipotle is also sourced from American farms. A 2 cup serving of shredded iceberg lettuce has:
| Calories | Protein | Fat | Carbs | Fiber | Sugar |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 | 1 gram | 0 grams | 4 grams | 2 grams | 2 grams |
As you can see, both varieties of lettuce have the same nutritional values for calories, protein, fat, carbs, fiber and sugar in a typical serving. The main difference comes down to taste and texture.
Nutrition Facts for Chipotle Lettuce
The nutrition facts for a 2 cup serving of Chipotle lettuce are:
- 20 calories
- 1 gram protein
- 0 grams fat
- 4 grams carbs
- 2 grams fiber
- 2 grams sugar
This is based on either the romaine or iceberg lettuce options. Lettuce is one of the lowest calorie items you can add to a Chipotle bowl. It provides vitamins A, K, and C. The fiber content is also decent at 2 grams per serving.
Adding lettuce to your bowl gives it some bulk without tacking on a lot of calories. The lettuce itself contains minimal protein and no fat. This makes it a smart choice for bowls when you are watching your calorie intake.
Some key health benefits of lettuce include:
- Lettuce is very high in vitamin K which is important for bone and brain health.
- The vitamin A in lettuce supports healthy vision and cell growth.
- Vitamin C helps boost immunity and acts as an antioxidant.
- Folate in lettuce aids in new cell generation and development.
- The fiber and water content help keep you regular and hydrated.
So while lettuce may seem nutritionally sparse compared to ingredients like beans, rice, and meat, it does pack some useful vitamins, minerals, and fiber into those crisp leaves. Adding lettuce to your Chipotle bowl provides nutrients and bulk without excessive calories.
Bowls that Come with Lettuce
Most of the signature bowls and salad options at Chipotle automatically come with lettuce included. Here are the bowls that contain lettuce:
- Salad bowl
- Burrito bowl
- Vegetarian salad bowl
- Vegetarian burrito bowl
- Chicken salad bowl
- Chicken burrito bowl
These bowls all come with a base of either romaine or iceberg lettuce, depending on availability. You can also add lettuce to any custom bowl for no extra charge.
The only bowls that don’t automatically come with lettuce are the ones containing just meat, beans, rice, and salsa. These include:
- Barbacoa bowl
- Carnitas bowl
- Steak bowl
With these meat bowls, you need to specifically request lettuce if you want it added. Keep this mind when ordering bowls featuring just one or two main ingredients.
Can You Substitute Spinach for Lettuce?
Since Chipotle aims for flexibility with their bowls, you can substitute spinach for the regular lettuce at no extra cost. Simply request spinach instead of romaine or iceberg lettuce when ordering your bowl in-person or online.
Just keep in mind that spinach and lettuce have slightly different nutritional profiles. A 2 cup serving of raw spinach has:
- 14 calories
- 2 grams protein
- 0 grams fat
- 2 grams carbs
- 2 grams fiber
- 0 grams sugar
So spinach contains a bit more protein and fiber. It also provides more vitamin K, folate, and antioxidants like lutein and zeaxanthin. The main downside is the oxalates in spinach may interfere with calcium absorption.
Overall, substituting spinach for lettuce in your Chipotle bowl is a healthy swap that adds more dense nutrition. Just be aware that the flavor and texture will differ quite a bit from the usual crispy romaine or iceberg lettuce.
Can You Get a Bowl Without Lettuce?
You’re free to order any Chipotle bowl without lettuce if desired. For example, you can get a vegetarian burrito bowl with just rice, beans, salsa, and other toppings excluding the lettuce. Keep in mind bowls containing only 1-2 ingredients may incur an extra charge.
Some reasons you may want to skip lettuce in your bowl include:
- You prefer eating bowl ingredients like rice, meat, and beans without lettuce getting in the way.
- You want a lower carb bowl.
- You have an allergy or sensitivity to lettuce.
- You don’t enjoy the taste or texture of raw lettuce.
Or maybe you just don’t feel like lettuce today. The great thing about Chipotle bowls is you can fully customize them to your liking.
The only time lettuce likely can’t be left off is with the salad bowl, since that comes premixed with lettuce as the base. For any other bowl, feel free to leave off lettuce or swap it for ingredients like extra rice, beans, or salsa.
What Are Some Lettuce Replacements Besides Spinach?
Besides swapping in spinach, some other low carb lettuce replacements for Chipotle bowls include:
- Kale – Provides vitamins A, C, K along with antioxidants.
- Arugula – Has a peppery taste and dense nutrient profile.
- Cabbage – Crunchy and full of vitamin C, potassium and magnesium.
- Romaine Hearts – Swap full leaves for just the tender heart centers.
- Radicchio – Bold purplish leaves with bitter, earthy flavor.
Kale or arugula would be closest to spinach as a lettuce sub. Cabbage and romaine hearts still provide crunch. Radicchio brings a pop of color and different flavor profile.
You can also top your bowl with extra salsa, guacamole, beans or other items instead of lettuce for a low carb option. Just keep in mind some substitutions may come with an upcharge if you order online or via the app.
Does Lettuce Cost Extra in a Bowl?
The good news is lettuce comes included in the price of most Chipotle bowls. Signature bowls like the salad, burrito bowl, vegetarian and chicken bowls all come with romaine or iceberg lettuce automatically. You don’t have pay extra to add lettuce to these standard bowls.
The only time you may be charged for lettuce is if you order a bowl with very few ingredients, such as:
- Double chicken bowl
- Double steak bowl
- Double barbacoa bowl
- Triple carnitas bowl
Bowls containing only 1-2 ingredients are not as commonly ordered. So while lettuce technically comes included in most items, special ordering a bowl with just meat and/or rice may warrant an upcharge. The good thing is there are so many ways to get free lettuce in a bowl when you order one of Chipotle’s standard options.
Does Lettuce Increase the Carbs in Your Bowl?
Lettuce is relatively low in net carbs compared to bowl ingredients like rice, beans, and tortilla chips. A 2 cup serving of lettuce contains 4 grams total carbs, 2 of which are fiber. This leaves just 2 grams of net digestible carbs from lettuce.
To compare, a serving of white rice has about 36 grams of digestible carbs after removing fiber. Black beans have around 17 grams of net carbs per half cup serving after fiber is subtracted.
So lettuce provides just a small fraction of the total carbs you’ll get in a typical Chipotle bowl. Limiting rice and beans will have a much bigger impact on decreasing overall carb content.
That said, skipping lettuce does remove a small amount of carbs:
- A bowl with lettuce has around 2 more grams of net carbs.
- Lettuce-free bowls will be slightly lower carb.
- Most other bowl ingredients have way more carbs than lettuce.
So unless you are strictly tracking carbs, the lettuce probably doesn’t make a huge difference. Removing rice and beans lowers carbs much more. But going lettuce-free does slightly reduce carb content for very low carb diets.
Does Lettuce Provide Protein in Bowls?
No, lettuce does not add any significant amount of protein to Chipotle bowls. A 2 cup serving contains just 1 gram of protein.
To compare, here are some protein amounts from other bowl ingredients:
- Chicken – 39 grams protein (for 3 ounces)
- Steak – 23 grams protein (for 3 ounces)
- Barbacoa – 22 grams protein (for 3 ounces)
- Carnitas – 19 grams protein (for 3 ounces)
- Black Beans – 15 grams protein (for 1/2 cup)
- Rice – 4 grams protein (for 1 cup)
As you can see, the lettuce pales in comparison to these other protein-rich ingredients. Even rice provides a little over 4 times as much protein as lettuce per serving.
So if you want to ramp up the protein in your bowl, definitely load up on the meat, chicken or beans rather than relying on lettuce. Think of lettuce more as a crunchy, low-calorie vehicle for enjoying the other more protein-packed ingredients. Removing it won’t change protein content in any meaningful way.
Does Lettuce Add Fiber to Your Bowl?
Lettuce does contribute a small amount of dietary fiber to Chipotle bowls. A 2 cup serving contains 2 grams of fiber, which is 8% of the daily fiber recommendation.
Here is how lettuce fiber compares to other ingredients:
- Black beans – 15 grams fiber (for 1/2 cup)
- Brown rice – 3 grams fiber (for 1 cup)
- White rice – 0 grams fiber (for 1 cup)
- Salsa – 2 grams fiber (for 1/4 cup)
- Guacamole – 7 grams fiber (for 1/4 cup)
Beans and guacamole offer substantially more fiber. But lettuce still beats out plain white rice in the fiber department while providing crunch.
Overall lettuce contributes valuable vitamins and phytonutrients, but it’s not a major fiber source compared to beans, brown rice, guacamole, and salsas. Removing lettuce slightly lowers total grams of fiber in your bowl. Still, it’s more important to include beans, brown rice, salsa, and other higher fiber toppings.
Conclusion
While lettuce may seem nutritionally sparse compared to other ingredients, it provides important vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients. Lettuce comes included in most Chipotle bowl options, but you can leave it off or swap it for spinach or other greens. Removing lettuce only slightly reduces carbs, fiber and protein in your bowl. The lettuce itself contains minimal calories and fat, making it a smart choice if you are watching your weight. Overall, lettuce provides nutrients and crunch without spiking calories or carbs. Enjoy it combined with protein and fiber-rich bowl ingredients to create a balanced meal.