The healthiest things to order at Taco Bell under 500 calories are the simple ones: a Crunchy Taco or Soft Taco, the Mini Taco Salad, the Bean Burrito and the 3 Cheese Chicken Flatbread Melt. Pair one or two of them with a bean side and you get a filling meal for 350 to 500 calories. Below are the best picks with calories, sodium and protein for each, plus the combos and swaps that make the biggest difference.
Calories come from Taco Bell’s own U.S. menu pages, and protein and sodium from nutrition databases that match those calorie counts. Recipes and menus change, so check the Taco Bell app for the version at your restaurant.
Healthy Taco Bell options at a glance
| Order | Calories | Sodium | Protein | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crunchy Taco | 170 | 300 mg | 8 g | Lowest sodium |
| Crunchy Taco Supreme | 190 | 320 mg | 8 g | A little extra freshness |
| Soft Taco | 180 | 490 mg | 9 g | Easy to double up |
| 3 Cheese Chicken Flatbread Melt | 320 | not listed | 20 g | Most protein under 500 |
| Mini Taco Salad | 280 | 490 mg | 9 g | A bowl-style meal |
| Bean Burrito | 360 | 1,080 mg | 13 g | Meatless and filling |
| Spicy Potato Soft Taco | 240 | not listed | 5 g | Budget vegetarian |
| Pintos N Cheese | 170 | not listed | 9 g | High-protein side |
| Black Beans & Rice | 160 | 370 mg | 4 g | Lighter side |
| Cheesy Roll Up | 170 | not listed | 8 g | Small snack |
The best tacos under 200 calories
1. Crunchy Taco
Per taco: 170 calories, 8 g protein, 300 mg sodium, 10 g fat.
Seasoned beef, lettuce and cheese in a crisp corn shell. It’s the lowest-sodium entrée on this list, which makes it the best building block for a meal. Two of them land at 340 calories and 16 g protein, leaving room for a bean side.
2. Crunchy Taco Supreme
Per taco: 190 calories, 8 g protein, 320 mg sodium, 11 g fat.
The same taco with reduced-fat sour cream and diced tomatoes. It costs only 20 more calories than the plain version, so it’s a good pick if the basic taco feels too dry. Ask for it Fresco style if you’d rather swap the sour cream and cheese for pico de gallo.
3. Soft Taco
Per taco: 180 calories, 9 g protein, 490 mg sodium, 8 g fat.
Seasoned beef, lettuce and cheese in a flour tortilla. It has a touch more protein than the crunchy version but more sodium, mostly from the tortilla. If sodium is your main concern, stick with the crunchy shell.
Bigger meals that stay under 500 calories
4. 3 Cheese Chicken Flatbread Melt
Per melt: 320 calories, 20 g protein, 14 g fat.
My pick if protein is the priority. Chicken and a three-cheese blend in a toasted flatbread give you the most protein of any item under 500 calories here. Add a Crunchy Taco or Pintos N Cheese and you’re still under 500 calories with close to 30 g protein.
5. Mini Taco Salad
Per salad: 280 calories, 9 g protein, 490 mg sodium, 15 g fat.
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A small taco salad served in a bowl, so it eats like a full bowl for under 300 calories. If you want more protein, add a side of black beans or pair it with a Crunchy Taco.
6. Bean Burrito
Per burrito: 360 calories, 13 g protein, 1,080 mg sodium, 10 g fat.
Refried beans, cheese, onions and red sauce in a flour tortilla. It’s the most filling meatless option under 400 calories, with fiber from the beans. The trade-off is sodium, which is close to half of the 2,300 mg daily limit, so keep the rest of the meal light. Taco Bell lists added chicken at 45 calories if you want more protein.
7. Spicy Potato Soft Taco
Per taco: 240 calories, 5 g protein, 11 g fat.
Seasoned potato bites, chipotle sauce, lettuce and cheese in a flour tortilla. It’s a satisfying vegetarian pick, but it’s low in protein, so pair it with Pintos N Cheese or black beans rather than eating it on its own.
Sides that add protein, not just calories
8. Pintos N Cheese
Per side: 170 calories, 9 g protein, 6 g fat.
Pinto beans topped with red sauce and cheese. It’s the best side for protein and a much better match for a taco than chips. It turns a two-item order into a real meal.
9. Black Beans & Rice
Per side: 160 calories, 4 g protein, 370 mg sodium, 4.5 g fat.
A light side with fiber and modest sodium. It’s lower in protein than Pintos N Cheese but works well with a taco or the flatbread melt when you want more volume.
10. Cheesy Roll Up
Per roll up: 170 calories, 8 g protein, 8 g fat.
Melted cheese rolled in a flour tortilla. It’s a small snack rather than a meal, and it has as much protein as a Crunchy Taco. Treat it as a side next to a taco or salad.
Popular orders that go over 500 calories
A few items that often show up on healthy lists are now heavier than they look. Taco Bell lists the Cantina Chicken Bowl at 630 calories (with 25 g protein) and the Black Bean Crunchwrap Supreme at 520 calories. Both can still be reasonable meals, but they don’t fit under 500 as served. If you order the bowl, eating half and saving the rest is the simplest way to keep it lighter.
High-protein Taco Bell combos under 500 calories
- 3 Cheese Chicken Flatbread Melt + Pintos N Cheese: 490 calories, 29 g protein.
- 3 Cheese Chicken Flatbread Melt + Crunchy Taco: 490 calories, 28 g protein.
- Soft Taco + Pintos N Cheese: 350 calories, 18 g protein.
- Two Crunchy Tacos: 340 calories, 16 g protein, 600 mg sodium.
- Mini Taco Salad + Cheesy Roll Up: 450 calories, 17 g protein.
Combo numbers don’t include sauce packets or drinks. If you’d rather build taco-style bowls at home, our ground beef meal prep bowls under 500 calories cover a full week of lunches, and these breakfast burritos for meal prep freeze well for busy mornings.
How to order healthier at Taco Bell
- Order Fresco style. It replaces cheese, sour cream and mayo-based sauces with pico de gallo, which cuts fat while keeping the flavor.
- Add beans or chicken for protein. Taco Bell lists added chicken at 45 calories, a small cost for a more filling taco or burrito.
- Pick a bean side over chips. Pintos N Cheese or Black Beans & Rice add protein and fiber for under 200 calories.
- Keep creamy sauces to a minimum. Hot and mild sauce packets add flavor for very few calories, while creamy sauces add up fast.
- Drink water or unsweetened iced tea. A large soda can carry more calories than the tacos themselves.
How these picks were chosen
Each item is on the regular U.S. menu (limited-time items were left out) and comes in under 500 calories as served. Picks were chosen for being high in protein for their calories, lower in sodium, or an easy way to make a meal more filling. Calorie counts come from Taco Bell’s own menu pages. Taco Bell’s full nutrition calculator wasn’t available to us, so protein, sodium and fat come from nutrition databases whose calorie counts match the current menu, and any number we couldn’t match to the current recipe was left out. Lestta isn’t affiliated with Taco Bell, and this isn’t medical advice; if you’re managing a health condition, check with your doctor or a registered dietitian.
Sources
- Taco Bell: Tacos
- Taco Bell: Burritos
- Taco Bell: Specialties
- Taco Bell: Bowls
- Taco Bell: Bean Burrito (customization options)
- MyFoodDiary: Taco Bell Crunchy Taco
- MyFoodDiary: Taco Bell Crunchy Taco Supreme
- MyFoodDiary: Taco Bell Soft Taco
- MyFoodDiary: Taco Bell Bean Burrito
- MyFoodDiary: Taco Bell Mini Taco Salad
- MyFoodDiary: Taco Bell Black Beans & Rice
- FatSecret: Taco Bell 3 Cheese Chicken Flatbread Melt
- FatSecret: Taco Bell Spicy Potato Soft Taco
- FatSecret: Taco Bell Pintos N Cheese
- FatSecret: Taco Bell Cheesy Roll Up
