About Taco Bell Bean Burritos

I have loved Taco Bell bean burritos from the moment my mom (of all people!) introduced me to them in high school. Twenty years later I still search out Taco Bells wherever I go, because they are a convenient, relatively healthful vegetarian option. Plus, they taste really good!

Bean Burritos Are Vegetarian

There are very few decent-tasting vegetarian options at fast food restaurants, but I'm happy to say that Taco Bell bean burritos are one. The ingredients in the beans are just pinto beans, soy oil, and salt; the cheese is real cheddar cheese prepared without animal-based enzymes; the onions are onions; and the tortilla is made with wheat flour, water, ground corn treated with lime, and vegetable oil.

Calories in a Bean Burrito from Taco Bell

The Taco Bell bean burrito has some pretty impressive nutrition facts:

Granted, the sodium is high (two bean burritos would put you near the recommended daily limit), but the cholesterol is extremely low and the amount of dietary fiber is exemplary. There are no trans fats, and saturated fat provides approximately 10% of the calories in the dish, which is right in line with government nutrition recommendations. All in all, a bean burrito provides some surprisingly balanced nutrition as far as fast food goes!

Fun Things to Do With Bean Burritos

Have you ever gotten the combo meal with ten bean burritos, but found it was too much for your family to eat all of them right away? Here are some other, more exotic uses for Taco Bell bean burritos.

• Use three burritos to build a Barbie doll sofa.
• Put one burrito in each coat pocket to keep your hands warm on a cold day.
• Place a warm, wrapped burrito behind you in the car for a lumbar support if your back aches from the long drive to Taco Bell.

What Not to Do With a Spare Burrito

Things I do NOT recommend using spare bean burritos for:

• dog food (Think of the gas!)
• seat warmers (Sure, the burritos are soft and all, and they conform to the shape of your behind, but then all the filling squishes out and makes a mess. SO not worth it.)
• a substitute football (It's impossible to throw a decent spiral with a bean burrito. If you don't believe me, go ahead and try it.)

Bean Burrito Recipe

Although you will miss out on the Taco Bell aesthetic experience, you can make your own bean burritos at home. Taco Bell facilitates this process by selling their own brand of refried beans and sauces.

1. Lay out a large (12-inch) flour tortilla on a plate (or a piece of wax paper, for a more authentic fast food-style experience).
2. Heat the refried beans in the microwave for about 45 seconds, and then put a large dollop (about 1/3c) in the center of the tortilla.
3. Grate some cheddar cheese and put about half an ounce on top of the beans.
4. Dice an onion and add a tablespoon to the tortilla.
5. Sprinkle liberally with Taco Bell restaurant sauce.
6. Fold two opposite sides of the tortilla inward to meet in the middle, and then roll it up from the bottom.
7. Eat and enjoy!

What's Your Favorite Thing to Do with Bean Burritos?

References

• For more Taco Bell nutrition information, go to http://www.tacobell.com/nutrition
• For U.S. government nutrition recommendations, see http://www.cnpp.usda.gov/sites/default/files/dietary_guidelines_for_americans/DG2010Brochure.pdf

Comments

Brainy Bunny (author) from Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania on July 25, 2012:

Ha! I've heard of being afraid of heights, clowns, and spiders, but never bananas. I bet there a good story behind that one, Austinstar!

Lela from Somewhere near the heart of Texas on July 25, 2012:

And me with my banana phobia! Glad I'm over that.

Brainy Bunny (author) from Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania on July 25, 2012:

Taco Smell? That's a new one on me, Austinstar. We called it Taco Hell when we were kids. I can just picture you eating a Doritos taco with one hand and a banana with the other. Ha!

Lela from Somewhere near the heart of Texas on July 25, 2012:

Taco Smell is the best! I love the new Doritos Locos Tacos. Sodium be dammed! I only eat them once in a very great while and I eat extra potassium if I do. Well, something is going to kill me someday and it looks like food is going to be the culprit :-(

Brainy Bunny (author) from Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania on July 25, 2012:

Hey, Natasha. Yes, the bean burritos are a pretty good option, as long as you don't have to watch your sodium intake too closely.

Natasha from Hawaii on July 25, 2012:

Wow, who knew they were so comparatively healthy? Weird. Thanks for the info!

Brainy Bunny (author) from Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania on July 25, 2012:

Wow, those sure look . . . crisp. Think 8'll stick with Taco Bell!

Susan Zutautas from Ontario, Canada on July 25, 2012:

Yes deep fried. They still offer them. If you'd like to see them here's a link.

http://www.tacotime.com/menu/crisp_burritos.html

Brainy Bunny (author) from Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania on July 25, 2012:

Oh my goodness, Susan, a deep-fried burrito? Doesn't that make it something else, like a chimichanga? I've never had one, but it does sound pretty good (but not very healthy).

Brainy Bunny (author) from Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania on July 25, 2012:

You're too funny, GoodLady! Sorry there aren't any Taco Bells in Italy, but I think you've got plenty of good food there to make up for it. ;-)

Susan Zutautas from Ontario, Canada on July 25, 2012:

I worked at Taco Time when I was in high school. The bean burritos were not all that healthy back then as they were deep fried. I do like the Taco Bell burritos. Fun hub :)

Penelope Hart from Rome, Italy on July 25, 2012:

So I won't play spare burrito ball with our cat either! Very funny. Appetizing Hub. Makes me want to fly over to the USA right now. Oh mmmm.

Brainy Bunny (author) from Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania on July 24, 2012:

Ha ha! I'm so sorry to hear that. At least your brother was able to get an extra use out of it!

Jason Menayan from San Francisco on July 24, 2012:

No! My uniform was brown and orange, and very, very ugly! (Did I mention 100% polyester?) My brother used it as a Halloween costume a couple of years later. ;)

Brainy Bunny (author) from Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania on July 24, 2012:

Hey, livelonger. Did you get to wear one of those nifty purple polo shirts? They switched to black a long time ago here, but I have fond memories of the purple ones. (I had a friend who worked there in high school, too.)

I'm so glad the bean burritos are veggie, also (obviously!). Our house is strictly kosher, but I do eat vegetarian and dairy outside the home, so this always gives me a safety if I'm away from home and don't know the local restaurants.

Jason Menayan from San Francisco on July 24, 2012:

I am a vegetarian who keeps kosher, and am glad to hear that they're (still) veggie and ingredient-kosher. I must sheepishly admit that I worked at Taco Bell for a year and a half in high school, and bean burritos were my favorite then and still a favorite. The one thing I know they've changed, though, is that they use powdered/dried refried beans, and not fresh dried beans, which we used when I worked there in the late 80s. But, even then, lard was no longer used, and we used vegetable shortening.