I try to stay away from fast food, but there are just times when I need something quick and convenient, you know? Nonetheless, a busy lifestyle is no excuse for ordering a double bacon cheeseburger -- when you're on the go, you owe it to yourself to make the healthiest choices possible. For me, that often means choosing the vegetarian option -- it tends to be lower in fat and overall calories than the meat option, and you don't have to deal with those icky 'where did this cheap meat come from' questions in the back of your mind.

One veggie option I love is a vegetarian burrito from Taco Del Mar. It's got rice, beans, cheese, salsa and enough flavour to make my meal a delicious one. But just because it's vegetarian, doesn't mean it's healthy. So ...

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So, I tried the new Havana Chicken (with a touch of lime) Lowest Fat! burrito from California Tortilla yesterday. And, boy, was it a tasty burrito. Mesquite chicken, Mexican rice, black beans, spicy low fat Havana sauce with a touch of lime, fresh salsa and romaine.

One of the things I like about getting burritos at California Tortilla -- besides the chance to sample the varied hot sauces from their Wall of Flame -- is that they offer a small and regular size. Most restaurant burritos are made one size -- huge. They're often more than I want or anyone should have. Another bonus within this Mexican food chain: lite versions of menu items.

That means in the case of my new Cuban burrito discovery, if you opt for the small lite version you're taking in less than 4 grams of fat and less than 30 carbs. If you want to try one, there are locations in several states including my home state of Virginia despite the name. Ironically, there are no locations listed for California. You might also check out the listing of grand openings planned to see if there is one planned for your area. California Tortilla gives free burritos and drinks to all patrons during certain hours on the first day of business for all new restaurants and a free burrito every week for a year for the first 10 people in line. (My town was the lucky one in February!)

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There's a long list of things you should cut out of your diet if you're trying to lose weight, but the truth is that you could eat virtually anything and as long as you only at a certain amount of it, you could lose weight. So, if you wanted to eat nothing but pizza, as long as you ate only 1200-calories worth of pizza a day, you could theoretically lose weight.

Lots of people have capitalized on this idea. An ex-contestant on the Apprentice developed a diet of nothing but bagels; Jared the Subway guy lived off of sandwiches; This guy in Sweden is losing weight eating hamburgers everyday; and then there's the subject of this post, Justin, who is losing weight by eating only one chipotle burrito a day -- and at 1,330 calories, that chipotle burrito is the only thing he can eat if he wants to lose weight.

Is this the smartest way to lose weight? My answer is no, particularly since none of these 'diets' include exercise and I doubt they can be sustained in the long run, but at least these people have found something that works for them. What do you think?

(Via Sunny's Shape-up Blog)

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Did you get your free burrito? In case you missed it, Chipotle gave away free burritos for tax day this year. It's tough to pass up a free lunch, I know. So maybe you went for that free tax day burrito and now you're wondering exactly how far you've thrown off your diet.

Chipotle is all about letting you customize, so let's say you were fairly reasonable and chose a chicken burrito instead of steak, but added cheese, guacamole, and veggies. How many calories did that free lunch really cost you?

A) 550 calories
B) 700 calories
C) 850 calories
D) 1150 calories

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