Taco Bell Nutrition Facts

When you read Taco Bell nutrition facts, remember this, anything restaurant food that is fried may contain trans-fatty acids. When it comes to fats, there are good ones and bad ones. Trans-fats are the absolute worst.

Taco Bell does not have as many fried foods on their menu are most fast food restaurants, except for the “crispy potato soft taco”. A single serving, for example of one of their crunchy tacos, contains less than a half gram of trans-fat. But, if you eat two tacos, then your total intake is at least one gram.

The restaurant did switch from partially hydrogenated soybean oil to canola. Canola oil is one of the healthiest to use for cooking, as it contains a balanced amount of omega-6s and omega-3s.

But, still, the trans-fat content of their food varies, probably because of the taco shells. Depending on how the shells are made, shortening might be in use. In addition, there are some naturally occurring trans-fats, particularly in beef.

Food manufacturers in the US are allowed to say that their products contain 0 grams of trans-fat, as long as there is less than a half gram per serving. So, the posted taco bell nutrition facts live up to those requirements. They are in “compliance” so to speak.

It is important from a health perspective to avoid trans-fats, because they cause cholesterol imbalances. Even though a food may be cholesterol-free, if it contains trans-fatty acids, it causes an increase in LDL or bad cholesterol levels and a decrease in good HDL cholesterol levels.

The only thing that a cholesterol-rich food like eggs could do is cause an increase in total levels. Recent studies indicate that people who regularly eat eggs actually have lower blood cholesterol levels than those that don’t.

If you are reading the taco bell nutrition facts, because you need to lose weight, you will notice that a single serving, such as one of the beef soft tacos, contains over 200 calories, provides only 10 grams of protein and contains over 620mg of sodium. High sodium foods are bad from a health perspective, because they increase a person’s risk of high blood pressure. From a weight loss perspective, they are bad, because they cause fluid retention.

If you must eat out, use the taco bell nutrition facts as a comparison tool. Don’t be fooled by the salads, they are even higher in calories than other menu items.