The 10 Healthiest Things You Can Order At Del Taco
One of the best parts about fast food taco chains is the concept that you can have delicious tacos, quesadillas, taco salads, and more almost instantly. Though taco chains like Taco Bell and Taco John's have great selections, one of the best taco chains is Del Taco, which offers a plethora of options.
Mexican food lovers can head to Del Taco and get tacos, quesadillas, nachos, salads, fiesta packs, desserts, and so much more. Unfortunately, one of the down sides of eating fast food is that it is not always the healthiest option for those trying to watch what they are eating or add more healthy food groups into their diet. Most fast food restaurants struggle to give you a single menu item under 300 calories, with nutritional value to boot.
Luckily, Del Taco has 10 menu items that are relatively healthy, and great in a pinch if you want to save money and eat something healthier for your body. Be it a burrito, taco, or item from the snack menu, or made for meat eaters or vegetarians, healthy food lovers can still find something right for them at Del Taco. For a list of the 10 items and their nutritional information from somewhat healthy to the healthiest option, read on.
10. Taco Salad with Chicken
Out of the 10 items, the taco salad with chicken has to be the least healthy. Made with marinated, grilled chicken, the taco salad uses layered tortilla chips, grated cheddar cheese, house-made pico de gallo, finely-chopped lettuce, house-made guacamole, sour cream, and it's garnished with cilantro. The whole salad comes with a side of Del Taco's Salsa Casera.
This item has 420 calories and 26 grams of fat, but what sets it apart is its 26 grams of protein. The protein is great for your body because it is made of amino acids, which build and repair bones and muscles and are important in the production of enzymes and hormones. Protein also is a great source of energy.
But even with the health benefits, the dish is still delicious. One Twitter user wrote, "My favorite taco treat used to be Del Taco's taco salad!" The taco salad has a great texture combination, as well as a beautiful explosion of flavor that will leave you feeling full and energized.
9. Breakfast Burrito
One of the healthiest items comes from the breakfast menu. The breakfast burrito comes made with a few meats, including crispy bacon, freshly-grilled carne asada, and, most healthy, egg. There is also a great selection of cheese. The egg and cheese breakfast burrito has cheddar cheese combined with some delicious scrambled eggs, and topped with the Del Taco red sauce all wrapped in a hot flour tortilla.
Altogether, the burrito has 380 calories and 16 grams of fat, already making it healthier than most of the menu items. However, there are also zero total sugars. Automatically, though, what makes it healthy is the nutrients you get from the eggs. There is not only a lot of protein in eggs, but there is also vitamin D, which helps maintain your immune system and bone health, and choline, which assists your liver, metabolism, and fetal brain development.
The breakfast burrito at Del Taco happens to be a fan favorite in addition to its health properties. One Twitter user wrote, "I'm only going to sleep so I can get a breakfast burrito from Del Taco." It is not only a great way to start the day, but also happens to be a good source of nutrients.
8. Crunchtada Tostada
Next up on the list is the Crunchtada Tostada. This specialty item on the menu is a great example of how a classic snack can be quick and healthy at the same time. For under $3 and with only 330 calories, the Crunchtada Tostada has this thick corn shell layered with Del Taco's in-house prepared slow-cooked beans. This mixture is topped with the house-grated cheddar cheese and finely-chopped lettuce, and it's all brought together with the tangy Del Taco Salsa Casera sauce. This open-faced taco makes for a great main dish and an even better healthy option.
The Crunchtada offers complex carbohydrates with the use of the corn shell. Part of what makes this healthy is the lack of simple carbs and more focus on complex carbohydrates, that are filled with bran and fiber to make your digestion more prolonged. Because of this, your glucose is steadily released, which prevents blood sugar spikes. Additionally, the open-faced snack has less heavy ingredients to leave you satisfied, but not junk-filled.
One Twitter user said it best: "The Crunchtada Tostada from Del Taco is life." It quickly became a cheap and delicious snack for people to have a low calorie, high substance Mexican snack.
7. Shrimp Tacos
It is always a hit or miss experience ordering fish tacos in a fast food setting, but Del Taco consistently proves that its fish tacos are worth the risk. One of the best taco options that has some health benefits is the shrimp tacos, which is armed with 18 grams of fat and 310 calories. Served alongside a lime wedge, the shrimp tacos have fried jumbo shrimp, a savory Del Taco sauce that is a secret recipe, pico de gallo, and finely-chopped cabbage. It's held together in a hot flour tortilla.
There is a low amount of sugar and calories in the shrimp tacos, but there is also a normal quantity of cholesterol so you do not go overboard. The average person should not intake more than 300 milligrams of cholesterol a day, and someone with heart disease risk factors shouldn't have more than 200 milligrams of cholesterol daily. The shrimp tacos have 40 milligrams of cholesterol, so you can easily stay under the recommended amount for the day — even with multiple tacos.
Fans of Del Taco also enjoy these shrimp tacos. "I hate to be the one to have to tell you, but the Del Taco shrimp tacos are delicious," one Twitter user wrote. Del Taco only keeps these tacos available for limited periods of time, so you should make sure to try them before they rotate out of the menu.
6. Breakfast roller
And just barely missing the top five on the list is the breakfast roller, which is a less intense version of a breakfast burrito. The breakfast roller is made up of a great combination of scrambled eggs and Del Taco's freshly-grated cheddar cheese, all topped with zesty Del Taco red sauce and wrapped up in a flour tortilla. You can also add crispy bacon, for some added calories and fat. It is a thin, simple version of a burrito that acts more as a snack than a main dish.
Aside from the fact that the breakfast roller has 250 calories and 11 grams of fat, it also has zero total sugars and 11 grams of protein. The average person should only consume between 225 and 325 grams of carbohydrates, and because the breakfast roller only has 24 grams, it sits at a great spot for being low enough not to go overboard.
The breakfast roller is one of the most beloved items on the entire menu, but in particular the breakfast menu. One Twitter user clearly loved the ingredients of the breakfast roller writing, "yummy Del Taco egg and bacon breakfast roller." For a great option that will not fill you up, the breakfast roller will have you covered.
5. Crispy Chicken Tacos
Kicking off the top five is the Crispy Chicken Tacos. There are four variations to the taco. All of the variations include crispy chicken, finely-chopped lettuce, and house-grated cheese in a hot tortilla, but the Crispy Chicken Guac'd Up Tacos have guacamole on top, the Ranch Crispy Chicken Tacos have a creamy ranch sauce, the Chipotle Crispy Chicken Tacos have a chipotle sauce, and the Habanero Crispy Chicken Tacos have a habanero sauce. All four variations sit between 230 and 260 calories, and 13 to 15 grams of fat.
These tacos are low in cholesterol and carbohydrates and decent with protein amounts. In addition to having good amounts of protein, chicken also has nutrients like niacin, which aids in the production of energy and overall brain health; selenium, which assists immune system function, fertility, and thyroid health; and phosphorus, which helps repair your tissues and cells.
These chicken tacos are a staple of all taco restaurants and fast food taco spots, but the Del Taco Crispy Chicken tacos are a tough competitor to beat. One Twitter user wrote, "Del Taco has Crispy Chicken Tacos and I'm telling you, I haven't looked back." For a classic taco with some healthy benefits, the Crispy Chicken Tacos are a great choice.
4. Grilled Chicken Taco
In fourth place, we have the Grilled Chicken Tacos. These tacos are a very simple dish in theory, but delicious and healthy in practice. This taco is composed of marinated, grilled chicken, finely-chopped lettuce, a savory Del Taco sauce, and grated cheddar cheese, all served warm in a flour tortilla.
The Grilled Chicken Tacos have 210 calories and 12 grams of fat. Though the taco itself has many healthy properties, one of the reasons it is so low in calories is because of the fact that it uses grilled chicken instead of crispy chicken. Grilled meats have less fat on them because the more you cook the meat, the more fat comes off. The less fat, the healthier the meal. Plus, reduced fat also helps lower cholesterol in eaters.
The dish is a classic and it is one that Del Taco does right. One Twitter user clearly enjoyed the flavor writing, "The grilled chicken tacos at Del Taco smaaaaccckkk." These tacos taste just like homemade ones, and sometimes even better.
3. Original Beer Battered Crispy Fish Taco
Third place belongs to the Original Beer Battered Crispy Fish Tacos. Served alongside a freshly-cut lime wedge, these tacos are made of wild-caught Alaska Pollock fillet in beer batter using Samuel Adams Boston Lager. They are topped with a savory Del Taco sauce, pico de gallo, and finely-chopped cabbage, all served warm in a corn tortilla. These tacos, like the shrimp tacos, can be hit or miss at some fast food restaurants, but at Del Taco they are always a hit.
With 200 calories and 11 grams of fat, the Original Beer Battered Crispy Fish Tacos are already a healthy menu item. However, the inclusion of fish has a lot of added health benefits. Fish has omega-3 fatty acids, as well as vitamins like B2 and D, and it's rich in calcium and phosphorus. Additionally, fish is a great source of minerals like iodine, iron, magnesium, potassium, and zinc. Fish is recommended for people to eat at least twice a week to maintain a truly healthy diet.
The fact of the matter is, Del Taco's fish tacos are arguably the best of any fast food fish taco. One Twitter user echoed this statement writing, "Del Taco fish tacos [are the] best quality — fast food chain — taco in the USA." These tacos have great nutritional value and well-combined ingredients.
2. Chips and Guac
In second place, and one of the best snack combinations on this menu and in general, is Chips and Guacamole. The house-made guacamole at Del Taco is made with Hass avocados, fresh lime juice, a secret seasoning, pico de gallo, and it's served with house-made tortilla chips. You can either get the snack-sized version or the regular-sized version.
Because this menu item is smaller than some of the others, that is part of what contributes to it being a healthier item. However, this menu item is also healthy because of the inclusion of guacamole. Avocados contain dietary fiber, folate, magnesium, potassium, Vitamin B, Vitamin E, and Vitamin K.
Chips and guacamole make for a great side dish or quick snack to tide you over if you have a lot going on and little time to cook. One Twitter user humorously rejoiced in the sale of guacamole at Del Taco writing, "Del Taco now sells guac!? Game changer." Chips and Guacamole are a cheap and easy snack to satiate your palate at Del Taco.
1. Chicken & Carne Asada Tacos Del Carbon
In first place, and by far the healthiest option from Del Taco, are the Tacos Del Carbon. There are two kinds of these tacos: the Chicken Tacos Del Carbon and the Carne Asada Tacos Del Carbon. The Chicken Tacos Del Carbon are made with marinated, grilled chicken, Del Taco's tangy green sauce, chopped onions, and cilantro, all served in a hot corn tortilla. The Carne Asada Tacos Del Carbon are also served in a warm corn tortilla and are made with grilled carne asada, chopped onions, cilantro, and Del Taco's tangy green sauce.
The Chicken Tacos Del Carbon have 110 calories, the Carne Asada Tacos Del Carbon have 120 calories, and both have less than five grams of fat. Both taco variations are low in carbohydrates and cholesterol, and packed with protein. Tacos al Carbon translates to meal prepared over charcoal, and Del Taco's play on this phrase (aka Del Carbon) is a delicious and easy dish that will wow anyone who tries it.
One Twitter user summed it up best writing, "I swear Del Taco's Chicken Del Carbon Tacos are the best fast food tacos you will try! It's my only guilty pleasure." These tacos have a simplicity to the recipe, offset by the complexity of the flavor. These two tacos are delicious options for meat lovers to enjoy while still having a healthy fast food menu option.