Avoid These 9 Unhealthy Menu Items at Taco Bell

There's a reason why Taco Bell is so successful. The restaurant is a guilty pleasure for many people who can't help returning there time after time. Like many fast food restaurants, much of the food is filled with salt and unhealthy ingredients, which make everything taste better. However, overindulging can lead to health problems down the road.

If you do go to Taco Bell, be careful about what you order. Depending on your choices, a meal at Taco Bell can range from under 500 calories for a single item to well over 1,000 calories for a typical combo with a main item, side, and drink. Some of the most popular meals at Taco Bell include:

• Crunchwrap Supreme (530 calories)
• Beefy 5-Layer Burrito (490 calories)
• Chicken Quesadilla (510 calories)
• Nachos BellGrande (730 calories)

To help you make the best choices at Taco Bell, we've created a list of meals, beverages, and desserts that you probably shouldn't order if you want to be healthy. From overstuffed burritos to high-calorie meals and unhealthy "salads", there's a lot that you'd be smart to avoid.

With that said, there are a few items at Taco Bell that are actually decently healthy. To guide you during your next trip, here is a list of food items you should avoid and some you should try.

This post was updated in April 2026 to include updated information about some of the items on the Taco Bell menu.

One of the menu items you shouldn't order at Taco Bell is the Black Bean Grilled Cheese Burrito. Even though it's vegetarian, it's one of the most unhealthy items in the entire restaurant. This burrito has 690 calories per serving and 37 grams of fat. Additionally, it contains 60% of your daily value of sodium. The burrito may look tasty, but it's best to avoid it for your own sake.

In general, the more layers a meal has, the more dangerous it probably is for your health. That's also the case with the beefy 5-layer burrito. It has about 500 calories, a significant amount of saturated fat, and over 1,200mg of sodium — more than half the recommended daily limit. The fault lies in the ingredients, including the meat and cheese.

It's not only the food items at Taco Bell that are bad for your health. Several of the beverages are just as dangerous. Of course, you never want to go overboard with soda. But you should also avoid the Mountain Dew Baja Blast Freeze. The beverage is full of sugar and has 51 grams of carbs. The green color is made from artificial coloring as well. You may be fine trying it here or there, but don't make it a habit.

Many people like to go to this restaurant for the nachos, but one item you shouldn't order at Taco Bell is the Nachos BellGrande. This dish packs about 730 calories, with calories coming from a combination of fat and carbohydrates. It has 82 grams of carbs, 38 grams of fat, and 1,050 milligrams of sodium. Plus, there are a lot of artificial ingredients added.

As of August 2025, you can still order the BBQ Chicken Topped Fries at Taco Bell for a limited time. This dish includes crispy nacho fries topped with BBQ chicken, a spicy ranch sauce, and nacho cheese. As delicious as it sounds, there are 510 calories in this menu item alone, as well as 1320 mg of sodium.

This menu option seems harmless enough, but in reality, it's one of the most unhealthy options on the list. The culprit here is the high sodium content. Just one quesadilla has 14 grams of saturated fat, 520 calories, and a massively unhealthy 1,270 milligrams of sodium. The only positive part is the 26 grams of protein, but it's not enough to make this meal healthy.

One of my favorites used to be the Crunchwrap Supreme, but I've recently discovered that it's one of the items you shouldn't order at Taco Bell. This is a small meal with minimal ingredients, but what is there is covered with salt. The numbers say it all. The meal has 7 grams of saturated fat, 540 calories, and 1,200 mg of sodium. That's more than half of what you should have in a full day, and that's from one small meal.

If you're a fan of the Crunchwrap and think that the breakfast option may be better for you, think again. In addition to being loaded with salt, it has a lot of fat. It has 47 grams of fat, to be exact. There are also 1,220 milligrams of sodium, 750 calories, and 53 grams of carbs. Eating this for breakfast regularly definitely isn't good for your health. The sausage option isn't even halfway healthy.

Many restaurants offer Cinnabon desserts, but I avoid them like the plague. They're another item that you shouldn't order at Taco Bell. The treats offer almost zero nutritional value. These are just deep-fried dough balls. Each 12-pack of snacks has 50 grams of sugar, loads of saturated fat, and about 930 calories per order. They may be a nice treat, but eat them sparingly and with caution.

While Taco Bell is far from being what you would consider a health food store, some menu items aren't too bad for you. They have smaller amounts of sodium and fat, and you'll love the taste. Some of these decent items include:

• Crunchy Tacos (Without a lot of extra toppings, crunch tacos are moderate in sodium and provide a decent amount of protein.)
• Bean Burrito (A standard bean burrito is packed with protein. Cover it with pico de Gallo sauce to increase your vegetable intake.)
• Doritos Locos Taco (No, it's not a healthy meal, but it's better than many others because it's lower in calories.)
• Chicken Quesadilla (If you must get a quesadilla, go for the chicken option because it provides a solid dose of protein without a lot of the bad stuff.)
• Chips and Guacamole (The more you eat at Taco Bell, the worse it will be for you. So go for a side. Guacamole is loaded with healthy fats that will give you a boost. Just don't eat too many chips)