Sodium in Every Chipotle Ingredient - Ranked Lowest to Highest
| Ingredient | Calories | Sodium | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water | 0 | 0mg | Zero sodium |
| Romaine Lettuce | 5 | 5mg | Negligible |
| Sour Cream | 115 | 30mg | Lowest sodium topping |
| Shredded Cheese | 110 | 175mg | Low |
| Fajita Vegetables | 20 | 175mg | Low |
| Black Beans | 130 | 210mg | Low |
| Green Chili Salsa | 15 | 230mg | Low - best salsa choice |
| Pinto Beans | 130 | 280mg | Low to moderate |
| Chicken | 180 | 310mg | Lowest sodium protein |
| Steak | 150 | 320mg | Low sodium protein |
| Brown Rice | 215 | 340mg | Moderate |
| White Rice | 210 | 350mg | Moderate |
| Guacamole | 230 | 370mg | Moderate |
| Chips | 540 | 420mg | Moderate for the portion |
| Roasted Corn Salsa | 80 | 430mg | Moderate to high |
| Queso Blanco | 120 | 440mg | High |
| Barbacoa | 170 | 465mg | Moderate |
| Fresh Tomato Salsa | 25 | 470mg | High - surprisingly salty |
| Sofritas | 150 | 480mg | Moderate to high |
| Red Chili Salsa (Hot) | 30 | 500mg | High |
| Burrito Tortilla | 300 | 550mg | High |
| Carnitas | 210 | 590mg | High - highest protein sodium |
| Quesadilla | 775 | 1,430mg | Very high |
Best Low Sodium Chipotle Order
Low Sodium Bowl - 890mg sodium total
Bowl + Chicken (310mg) + Black Beans (210mg) + Fajita Veg (175mg) + Green Salsa (230mg) + Sour Cream (30mg) + Romaine (5mg)
375Calories
43gProtein
890mgSodium
Frequently Asked Questions
A typical Chipotle bowl with chicken, white rice, black beans, fresh salsa and romaine contains approximately 1,090mg of sodium. Adding sour cream (+30mg), cheese (+175mg), or queso (+440mg) can push a bowl over 1,500mg of sodium - more than two thirds of the 2,300mg daily recommended limit in a single meal.
Chicken has the lowest sodium of all Chipotle proteins at 310mg per serving. Steak is similar at 320mg. Carnitas is the highest at 590mg per serving - nearly double that of chicken. For low sodium orders, chicken or steak are the clear choices.
Fresh tomato salsa is the highest sodium topping at 470mg per serving despite being only 25 calories. This surprises most people because it looks light and healthy. Green chili salsa is actually the lowest sodium salsa at 230mg. If you are strictly limiting sodium, green salsa is your best topping choice.
Yes, with careful ingredient selection. A low sodium Chipotle bowl using chicken, black beans, fajita vegetables, green salsa and romaine - with no salsas high in sodium, no sour cream, no cheese and no queso - comes to approximately 890mg of sodium. That is manageable within a 1,500mg daily sodium limit for people on medically supervised low-sodium diets.