3 Noom-Friendly Meals At Taco Bell

Taco Bell may not seem like the best choice when you’re trying to lose weight, but with Noom’s flexible approach, you can eat out without worrying about sabotaging your results, as long as you know what to order.

Being both a Noom user and Taco Bell lover, I’ve come up with some tips to help you stay on track with your calorie range.

I’ll also share what I consider to be the top 3 noom-friendly meals at Taco Bell.

• Read my complete review of Noom (My Unbiased Opinion As A Nutrition Coach).

Can You Eat At Taco Bell On Noom?

Yes, you can eat Taco Bell while on Noom but you’ll have to be creative with your order to ensure that you’re not blowing your calorie budget and overconsuming red foods.

Noom’s philosophy is that all foods can fit into your diet as long as you’re staying within your calorie range and prioritizing nutrient-dense foods over foods with fewer nutrients.

In order to prioritize nutrient-dense food, Noom recommends consuming 30% green foods, 45% yellow foods, and 25% red foods. 

If you follow this ratio, you’ll also be more likely to stay within your calorie range.

Taco Bell has a number of high-calorie menu items that are high in red foods, so it’s important to know what and how to order so you’re sticking to mostly green and yellow foods.

• Read my complete Noom Fast Food Guide where I provide meal options at 6 different fast food restaurants.

How To Eat A Noom-Friendly Taco Bell Meal

Here are some tips for eating at Taco Bell while following Noom: 

Tip #1: Limit Your Fat Sources

Fat sources have the highest number of calories per gram, and Taco Bell’s menu items are high in fat so I recommend being strategic about what foods you’re choosing based on the number of fat sources they contain.

The main fat sources at Taco Bell are:

• Beef
• Steak
• Cheese
• Sour Cream
• Guacamole

When ordering your meal, I recommend choosing one fat source rather than multiple to reduce the calorie content of your meal and make it easier to stick to your Noom calorie range.

For example, one taco with beef and cheese has 190 calories whereas one beef taco supreme with beef, cheese, and sour cream has 220 calories.

Keep in mind that although fat sources do enhance the flavor of your meal, they won’t keep you full for long so having multiple fat sources won’t be more satiating than just having one.

Tip #2: Order Double Meat

When ordering at Taco Bell it’s best to double up on your protein source in order to get enough to stay full for longer periods. 

As a rule of thumb, it’s best to aim for 20 to 30 grams of protein per meal but most menu items at Taco Bell would have less than this without doubling up.

For example, one soft chicken taco has 12 grams of protein whereas a soft chicken taco with double meat has 22 grams of protein.

Although Noom doesn’t give you specific protein targets, it’s best to prioritize protein at meals because it is the most satiating nutrient and can help to reduce cravings and overeating.

Tip #3: Add Vegetables

Taco Bell doesn’t have many green foods to choose from so you have to be intentional about including them where possible. Green foods will provide more vitamins, minerals, and volume to your meal for very few calories.

The vegetable options at taco bell include:

• Lettuce
• Tomato
• Onion

I recommend adding all of these to your order (assuming you like them) so that you’re making the most of the options they have available.

Tip #4: Aim For One Carb Source Per Meal

At Taco Bell it’s easy to double up on carb sources which would increase your calorie intake without increasing your level of satiety, so I recommend sticking to one carb source per meal.

For example, a chicken burrito that comes with rice would have around 420 calories whereas a chicken burrito without rice would have around 300 calories.

The carb sources at Taco Bell are:

• Tortillas
• Taco Shells
• Rice
• Beans
• Chips

The 3 Best Noom Taco Bell Meals

1. Chicken Burrito (with extra chicken)

A chicken burrito is my top pick for a Noom-friendly meal at Taco Bell because it will keep you full for longer periods, it has a higher percentage of green foods, and it’s delicious.

This would be the perfect pre-workout or post-workout meal because it has lots of protein and carbs with minimal fat. If you wanted this to be even lower in fat, then you could skip the cheese.

How To Order It

• Chicken Burrito, without rice or beans, with Double Meat, Lettuce, Tomato, Cheese, and Onion

How This Performs In Noom

• 352 Calories, 41% green foods, 0% yellow foods, 59% red foods (based on approximate measures)

Green Foods: Chicken, Lettuce, Tomato, Onion
Yellow Foods: N/A
Red Foods: Flour Tortilla, Cheese

2. Two Soft Beef Tacos

Another noom-friendly option is the beef tacos which are the best option for those who want a traditional Taco Bell experience without all of the calories. 

These tacos would be best eaten further away from your workout because they are higher in fat. If you workout around lunchtime then these would make for an excellent dinner option. 

If you’re planning to order the beef tacos then I recommend that you prioritize green foods at other meals throughout the day since these are lower in green foods.

How To Order It

• Two Soft Beef Tacos with Lettuce, Tomato, and Onion, but with no Cheese

How This Performs In Noom

• 378 Calories, 3% green foods, 39% yellow foods, 58% red foods (based on approximate measures)

Green Foods: Lettuce, Tomato, Onion
Yellow Foods: Beef
Red Foods: Flour Tortillas

3. Double Chicken Quesadilla

If you’re a quesadilla lover like I am then you’ll love this noom-friendly upgrade to a classic quesadilla. Doubling up on protein will help keep you full for longer, and adding veggies helps to boost the nutrient content of this meal.

Similar to the beef tacos, I recommend eating this either 3 hours before or after your workout to allow the fat from the cheese time to digest.

How To Order It

• Chicken Quesadilla with Double Meat, Lettuce, Tomato, and Onion

How This Performs In Noom

• 494 Calories, 29% green foods, X% yellow foods, 71% red foods (based on approximate measures)

Green Foods: Chicken, Lettuce, Tomato, Onion
Yellow Foods: N/A
Red Foods: Flour Tortilla, Cheese

Meals To Avoid At Taco Bell

There are more options at Taco Bell that aren’t Noom-friendly than that are Noom-friendly so it’s important to know what to avoid.

The meals to avoid are:

• Burritos with rice and beans. The tortilla that’s used as a shell for the burrito is a carb, and rice and beans are also carbs. Including 3 different carbs sources in one meal is unnecessary.

• Burritos, Tacos, or Quesadillas with beef and cheese. Both beef and cheese are high in fat so including both of them in your burrito will drastically increase your calorie intake.

• Nachos or Fries. The nacho and fry menu items don’t have enough protein and are high in carbs and fats, so they won’t keep you full for long despite being high in calories.

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