You've probably ordered up at the Mexican-inspired fast food joint known as Taco Bell, but do you know how it all got started? Glen Bell, inspired by friends and neighbors, created his own version of the crunchy taco in 1951. Eleven years later, Bell opened his first Taco Bell restaurant in Downey, CA.
As of November 2022, there are over 7,500 Taco Bell stores in the U.S.—meaning, if you're driving near or far, you're bound to pass by one of these bad boys. So, the next time you stop by Taco Bell for breakfast, be prepared with what you want to order. Below are the best and worst options from the entire breakfast menu, ranked from least to most healthy, to help you choose wisely the next time you visit Taco Bell.
14
Cinnabon Delights® 12 pack
Per order: 930 calories, 53 g fat (13 g saturated fat), 480 mg sodium, 104 carbs (3 g fiber, 59 g sugar), 9 g protein
The worst thing you can order up for breakfast is this 12-pack of donut holes filled with icing. This is way too many calories for one person, and the amount of sugar is close to 15 teaspoons of granulated sugar! If you do choose this option, it is meant to be shared by numerous people.
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13
Breakfast Crunchwrap Sausage
Per order: 730 Calories, 47 g fat (15 g saturated fat), 1290 mg sodium, 52 g carbs (4 g fiber, 3 g sugar), 20 g protein
This calorie-heavy option has hash browns, eggs, a sausage patty, cheddar cheese, and creamy jalapeño sauce wrapped inside a grilled flour tortilla. The carbs are equivalent to eating close to 3.5 slices of bread and the fried potatoes and processed meat just make it less healthy compared to roasted potatoes and a leaner piece of meat.
12
Breakfast Crunchwrap Bacon
Per order: 670 Calories, 40 g fat (13 g saturated fat), 1300 mg sodium, 52 g carbs (4 g fiber, 3 g sugar), 21 g protein
In this menu option, you'll find bacon, egg, cheese, hash browns, and creamy jalapeño sauce rolled into a flour tortilla and grilled to make it crunchy. The calories are really high, especially if you're on a 1,600 or 1,800-calorie diet. The sodium is equivalent to over 1/2 teaspoon of salt, which is about 56% of the daily recommended max.
11
Breakfast Quesadilla Sausage
Per order: 510 Calories, 29 g fat (15 g saturated fat), 1130 mg sodium, 40 g carbs (3 g fiber, 3 g sugar), 23 g protein
This option consists of a flour tortilla filled with eggs, sausage and melted three-cheese blend. Calorie-wise it can fit into a healthy eating plan, but the saturated fat and sodium are quite high providing 68% and 49% of the daily recommended max, respectively. The processed sausage really adds to those unnecessary amounts of saturated fat and sodium— and you'd really be better off with a different option.
10
Breakfast Quesadilla Steak
Per order: 510 Calories, 25 g fat (14 g saturated fat), 1310 mg sodium, 41 g carbs (3 g fiber, 4 g sugar), 28 g protein
This morning meal is made with a flour tortilla filled with eggs, marinated grilled steak, and a melted three-cheese blend. As many of the other options, the artery clogging saturated fat and sodium are high for one meal. To cut back on both, ask for a lighter portion of cheese (which is also doable on their website and app).
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9
Breakfast Quesadilla Bacon
Per order: 510 Calories, 27 g fat (14 g saturated fat), 1250 mg sodium, 41 g carbs (3 g fiber, 3 g sugar), 25 g protein
This quesadilla contains eggs, bacon, and a three-cheese blend in a flour tortilla. As expected, the saturated fat and sodium are higher than needed in one meal, providing 64% and 54% of your daily recommended amount, respectively.
8
Grande Toasted Breakfast Burrito Sausage
Per order: 570 Calories, 31 g fat (12 g saturated fat), 1190 mg sodium, 51 g carbs (4 g fiber, 3 g sugar), 21 g protein
This burrito has egg, sausage crumbles, a three-cheese blend, potatoes, and tomatoes. Calories are within reasonable breakfast limits, but that saturated fat is 55% of the daily recommended amount (and remember, you need to eat lunch and dinner, too). Do ask for lighter cheese to cut back slightly on the calories and saturated fat.
7
Grande Toasted Breakfast Burrito Bacon
Per order: 570 Calories, 30 g fat (11 g saturated fat), 1310 mg sodium, 52 g carbs (4 g fiber, 3 g sugar), 23 g protein
This burrito contains egg, bacon, potatoes, a three-cheese blend, and egg. It does provide 50% of your daily recommended maximum of saturated fat, which makes it not the best way to start your day.
6
Grande Toasted Breakfast Burrito Steak
Per order: 570 Calories, 28 g fat (10 g saturated fat), 1,370 mg sodium, 52 g carbs (4 g fiber, 4 g sugar), 27 g protein
This larger sized burrito has steak, eggs, a three-cheese blend, potatoes, and tomatoes. Calories are doable if you watch what you choose to eat for the rest of the day. The saturated fat content is high at 45% of the recommended daily max, and the sodium amount is 62% of your daily recommended max. If you're watching your heart health, ask for lighter amounts of cheese or potatoes (which are both doable when ordering online, too).
5
Cheesy Toasted Breakfast Burrito Sausage
Per order: 350 Calories, 17 g fat (6 g saturated fat), 770 mg sodium, 38 g carbs (2 g fiber, 3 g sugar), 10 g protein
This breakfast burrito has eggs, sausage crumbles, and nacho cheese sauce. The calories can fit within a healthy eating plan, but the processed sausage and cheese sauce aren't the highest-quality ingredients.
4
Cheesy Toasted Breakfast Burrito Bacon
Per order: 350 Calories, 16g fat (5 g saturated fat), 880 mg sodium, 38 g carbs (2 g fiber, 3 g sugar), 13 g protein
This burrito includes bacon, egg, and nacho cheese sauce. The calories are reasonable for breakfast but a better-quality source of cheese for breakfast would be healthier. Sodium is still high for breakfast at 38% of your recommended daily amount.
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3
Cheesy Toasted Breakfast Burrito Potato
Per order: 340 Calories, 14 g fat (3.5 g saturated fat), 770 mg sodium, 44 carbs (3 g fiber, 3 g sugar), 9 g protein
This burrito includes egg, potato, tomato, and nacho cheese sauce. Both potatoes and tomatoes contribute to the daily recommended dose of vegetables. Calories and saturated fat are rather reasonable for this option, but Taco Bell does give you the option to swap it for real shredded cheese for an additional $0.65.
2
Cinnabon Delights® 2 pack
Per order: 160 Calories, 9 g fat (2 g saturated fat), 80 mg sodium, 17 carbs (0 g fiber, 10 g sugar), 2 g protein
The only reason these donut holes get a top spot on this list is because they are portion controlled. If you're going to munch on sweets, this isn't a terrible option to choose.
1
Hash Browns
Per order: 160 Calories, 11 g fat (1 g saturated fat), 280 mg sodium, 14 carbs (1 g fiber, 0 g sugar), 1 g protein
It's sad that fried hash browns get the top spot on this list, which says a lot about the healthy options (or not-so-healthy options) on Taco Bell's breakfast menu.
As you can see, Taco Bell doesn't have many nutrient-dense, healthier options on their breakfast menu. This doesn't mean you have to avoid Taco Bell altogether. In fact, it's important to treat yourself to the foods you love from time to time. But now that you have more information on the nutrition information for each menu item, you can go in to your next Taco Bell breakfast feeling more prepared.
FAQs
Taco Bell's Entire Breakfast Menu—Ranked From Least to Most Healthy? ›
The highest-calorie Breakfast Crunchwrap is the sausage version, which features eggs, sausage crumbles, hashbrowns, cheddar cheese, nacho cheese sauce, and creamy Jalapeno sauce combined in a soft flour tortilla. You'll get 21g protein, 4g fiber and 51g carbs for 700 calories.
Which Taco Bell breakfast has the most calories? ›The highest-calorie Breakfast Crunchwrap is the sausage version, which features eggs, sausage crumbles, hashbrowns, cheddar cheese, nacho cheese sauce, and creamy Jalapeno sauce combined in a soft flour tortilla. You'll get 21g protein, 4g fiber and 51g carbs for 700 calories.
Is the breakfast Crunchwrap unhealthy? ›The least nutritious option among Taco Bell's burrito menu is the famous Crunchwrap Supreme which provides 530 calories, 21 g total fat (32% DV), 6 g saturated fat, 71 g carbohydrate (24% DV), 16 g protein, and 1,200 mg sodium (50% DV).
How many calories are in a breakfast Crunchwrap at Taco Bell? ›Taco Bell Breakfast A.m. Crunchwrap Bacon (1 serving) contains 51g total carbs, 47g net carbs, 42g fat, 21g protein, and 670 calories.
Why is Taco Bell apologizing for its previous breakfast menu? ›Taco Bell is apologizing for its breakfast menu. In recent years, it has been littered with questionable foods, such as the Naked Egg Taco or even the Waffle Taco, that have since been discontinued. Turns out, people just want the basics and the chain is finally accepting that.
What is the most calorie dense breakfast? ›Calorie Dense Foods
Some great calorie dense breakfast options include: avocado, cheese, protein powders, whole milk, nuts, and butter.
Beans are full of protein, fiber and antioxidants, which makes the bean burrito a great option for a quick and healthy meal.
How many calories in a Taco Bell bacon breakfast burrito? ›Taco Bell Breakfast Grande Scrambler Burrito Bacon (1 serving) contains 65g total carbs, 60g net carbs, 33g fat, 21g protein, and 650 calories.
How many calories in a breakfast Crunchwrap without meat? ›Taco Bell Vegan Crunchwrap Supreme (1 serving) contains 64g total carbs, 64g net carbs, 11g fat, 10g protein, and 458 calories.
How many calories in a Taco Bell breakfast quesadilla? ›Taco Bell Breakfast Quesadilla Bacon (1 serving) contains 37g total carbs, 33g net carbs, 26g fat, 19g protein, and 460 calories.
How many calories in a breakfast quesadilla? ›
442 Calories. 23g Fat (48% calories from fat)
Is a Crunchwrap from Taco Bell healthy? ›No, Taco Bell's Crunchwrap Supreme is not considered a healthy option. This menu item contains 660 calories, 36 grams of fat, and 1600 milligrams of sodium. It also contains trans fat and is high in calories, fat, and sodium.
What was Taco Bell sued for? ›The lawsuit, filed last week in federal court in California, claims calling Taco Bell's filling "seasoned beef" is false advertising. The suit alleges the meat mixture has binders and extenders and does not meet federal requirements to be labeled beef.
Why did Taco Bell change their breakfast hours? ›Taco Bell had limited its breakfast hours, particularly because individuals were not on the roads commuting to work due to the pandemic, meaning breakfast sales declined, according to Nation's Restaurant News.
What did Taco Bell remove from its menu? ›Man to eat Taco Bell for 30 days for health experiment
Starting on April 19, Taco Bell customers will no longer be able to purchase the Quesarito, which has been a menu staple since it debuted in 2014, The Takeout reported.
There are two swaps that will go a long way in saving you calories and/or fat when ordering at Taco Bell: 1) Swapping ground beef for grilled chicken. 2) Asking for your food “fresco style,” which swaps out cheese & dairy-based sauces for tomato.
What is the number 1 healthiest fast-food restaurant? ›1. Chipotle. "My favorite fast-food restaurant is Chipotle because they offer a nice assortment of meal options with fresh ingredients," says Kimberley Wiemann, MS, RDN, a Long Island, NY-based dietitian.
Which Taco is the healthiest? ›Pick a lean filling
Choose a lean plant or animal-based protein that has been cooked with little added fat. Options to consider include grilled chicken, broiled fish, or roasted veggies. These tend to be lower in calories than their fried counterparts.
“Any breakfast in the 100- to 150-calorie range will be too little and you'll run the risk of letting your hunger build and overeating throughout the latter half of the day,” she says.
Is 300 calories for breakfast too much? ›How many calories should you eat for breakfast? Everyone's ideal calorie intake will be a little different, depending on what your total daily calories needs are. But if weight loss is your goal, Zumpano recommends aiming for 300 to 500 calories for breakfast.
Can I eat Taco Bell and still lose weight? ›
This is a healthy rate of weight loss at a little over 2 pounds per month. She says that she reduced her calories to 1250 per day while still eating meals at Taco Bell. The fact is that most people who reduce their intake to 1250 calories per day are likely to lose weight, whether they eat at Taco Bell or not. 4.
Is Taco Bell healthier than Chipotle? ›Yes, the Taco Bell burrito is healthier than the Chipotle burrito (even though their burritos are twice the size of the Taco Bell burrito) because it has lower fat and cholesterol. However, in terms of ingredients, Chipotle is the healthier alternative because they use non-GMO and fresh ingredients.
How many calories in a sausage Egg and cheese breakfast burrito? ›310 Cal.310 Cal. Start your day off with a loaded Egg and Sausage Burrito from the McDonald's breakfast menu McDonald's Breakfast Burrito recipe is loaded with fluffy scrambled egg, pork sausage, melty cheese, green chiles, and onion! It's wrapped in a soft tortilla, making it the perfect grab and go breakfast.
How many calories in a grande breakfast burrito from Taco Bell? ›Taco Bell Grande Toasted Breakfast Burrito - Steak (1 Burrito) contains 51g total carbs, 47g net carbs, 28g fat, 27g protein, and 560 calories.
How many calories in a bacon egg and cheese breakfast burrito? ›270 Cal.
How many calories are in a breakfast crunchwrap supreme? ›There are 530 calories in a Crunchwrap Supreme from Taco Bell.
How many calories in a Taco Bell Crunchwrap with beans? ›Taco Bell Black Bean Crunchwrap Supreme (1 serving) contains 77g total carbs, 69g net carbs, 17g fat, 13g protein, and 510 calories.
How many calories are in Taco Bell Crunchwrap black beans? ›The Black Bean Crunchwrap Supreme stands at 510 calories and consists of black beans, nacho cheese sauce, tomatoes, reduced-fat sour cream, and lettuce.
How many calories are in a hash brown from Taco Bell? ›| Calories 160 | (669 kJ) | |
|---|---|---|
| Sodium | 270 mg | 11% |
| Total Carbohydrate | 13 g | 4% |
| Dietary Fiber | 2 g | 8% |
| Sugars | 0 g | |
A chicken quesadilla from Taco Bell can be an unhealthy meal. The quesadilla contains 540 calories, 18 grams of fat (7 of them saturated), 26 grams of carbohydrates, and 20 grams of protein. It also contains 1280 milligrams of sodium, which is more than half of the recommended daily sodium intake.
Is Taco Bell cheese quesadilla unhealthy? ›
No, the Cheese Quesadilla from Taco Bell is not likely to be considered a healthy choice. It contains 290 calories, 14g of fat, 6g of saturated fat, 1g of trans fat, 700mg of sodium and 24g of carbohydrates. Also, it doesn't contain much in the way of nutrients aside from small amounts of calcium, iron and vitamin C.
How many calories in a ham egg and cheese quesadilla? ›A quesadilla is high in protein and calcium while also being a good source of fiber and iron. This simple dish can easily meet your health goals by adding vegetables, lean meats, and beans that make your quesadilla more filling and even more nutritious.
What is in a smart ones breakfast quesadilla? ›Smart Ones Breakfast Quesadilla delivers delicious Mexican style flavors to satisfy your cravings in an easy to make microwave meal that's ready in minutes. This frozen breakfast features a tasty tortilla filled with egg whites, mozzarella cheese, chopped bell pepper and turkey bacon.
Is it unhealthy to eat Taco Bell everyday? ›Too much Taco bell can also result in brain aneurysms. "Saturated fats raise the amount of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol in the blood," says Cowin. "High LDL increases the risk for heart disease and stroke. Saturated fat should not include more than 10% of your daily calories.
How many calories are in a cheesy gordita crunch? ›Taco Bell Specialties Cheesy Gordita Crunch (1 serving) contains 41g total carbs, 36g net carbs, 29g fat, 20g protein, and 500 calories.
How many calories are in a chalupa? ›Chalupa With Beef, Cheese, Lettuce, Tomato And Sour Cream, Taco Bell Chalupa Supreme (1 Taco Bell chalupa) contains 32.3g total carbs, 30.1g net carbs, 30g fat, 19.3g protein, and 479 calories.
How many calories in a Taco Bell breakfast taco? ›| Calories 660 | (2762 kJ) | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Fat | 42 g | 65% |
| Saturated Fat | 13 g | 65% |
| Trans Fat | 0 g | |
| Cholesterol | 135 mg | 45% |
For example, a 300-calorie breakfast could be two eggs, 1 slice of multigrain bread, and 1 large apple which comes out to about 282 calories. What are some low-calorie breakfast foods? Low-calorie breakfast foods include eggs, egg whites, fruit and yogurt, high protein waffles, vegetable frittatas, oatmeal, and toast.
How many calories in a sausage breakfast burrito from Taco Bell? ›Taco Bell Grande Toasted Breakfast Burrito - Sausage (1 Burrito) contains 50g total carbs, 46g net carbs, 31g fat, 21g protein, and 560 calories.
How many calories are in a sausage Egg and cheese burrito from Taco Bell? ›
Calorie Burn Time
How long would it take to burn off 340 Calories of Taco Bell Cheesy Toasted Breakfast Burrito with Sausage Crumbles & Egg?
- Burrito Supreme sub chicken for beef, 'Fresco Style' 340 Calories.
- Crunchy Taco "Fresco Style" 140 Calories.
- Burrito Supreme sub steak for beef, 'Fresco Style' 340 Calories.
- Fresco Bean Burrito. 350 Calories.
- Fresco Soft Taco with beef. 160 Calories.
Steak 'n Shake Breakfast Potato And Egg Taco (1 serving) contains 20g total carbs, 20g net carbs, 10g fat, 5g protein, and 190 calories.
Is 200 calories too little for breakfast? ›How Many Calories For Breakfast? It's important to eat at least 200 calories for breakfast and max out at around 400 calories. As the saying goes, “breakfast is the most important meal of the day.” It can help you be in a better mood on a full stomach, and it gives you the energy to tackle your day head-on.
Is 700 calories for breakfast too much? ›Although every person's daily caloric intake is individual, based on their personal goals and needs, nutrition experts estimate that average daily consumption at each meal should be broken down as follows: 300 to 400 calories for breakfast, and 500 to 700 calories each for lunch and dinner.
How much weight can you lose in 2 weeks eating 500 calories a day? ›If you can eat 500 fewer calories every day, you should lose about a pound (450 g) a week. Always talk with your health care provider to determine a healthy weight for you before starting a weight-loss diet.
Is it OK to eat 600 calories for breakfast? ›Not necessarily. You have to consider your calorie needs overall, your lifestyle, active or sedentary and what your other meals will have in terms of calories. An adult man probably needs 2000 calories a day. 600 for breakfast leaves you 1400 for the rest of the day.
Is it OK to have high calorie breakfast? ›People's metabolisms are more active after breakfast
Additionally, eating a high-calorie breakfast was linked to lower hunger pangs and sweet cravings throughout the day. Compared with a richer breakfast, a low-calorie breakfast is more likely to cause snacking throughout the day.
"Four hundred calories is a good ballpark for breakfast for most people," says Keri Gans, MS, RDN, author of The Small Change Diet. "Starting the day with breakfast may help to provide energy and set a healthy tone for the day."