Free Bear! Obama Sighting at Woodley Park Chipotle

In a world where the President is stalked every second of the day… even where he eats his lunch, napkin in hand, with people he barely knows… If the nation wasn’t already watching Obama’s every move, they’re watching now. His recent visit to Chipotle spiked social media and finally answered the question to WWOOAC (What Would Obama Order at Chipotle)? 

www.latimes.com

Obama is known for his addiction to good burgers and unannounced visits to other fast food joints like Shake Shack and premium coffee palaces like Starbucks. Each of these establishments showcases a facet of Obama’s ideology and fulfills more than just his hunger. Shake Shack employees make more than $10 per hour; a policy Obama loves for good business. Maybe he can order something from the Chipotle secret menu to see if that works better. Howard Schultz, Starbucks’ CEO, also fell in love with the thought of increasing minimum wage and Chipotle practices sustainability, promotes from within, and cares about its footprint on the environment. Visiting these restaurants not only promotes his own policies but gives you that, “he’s a real guy,” feeling. Right?

So why the Woodley Park Chipotle? Not only is this location praised as the best Chipotle by Washington City Paper in D.C., we’d expect nothing less from the Captain of the S.S. U.S.A., but what better way to start off a working families summit than to eat at a fast food restaurant where almost everyone makes minimum wage? This Chipotle is also known for getting your order right almost every time (yikes?). 

www.businessinsider.com

“The bear is loose!” he exclaimed while finally making it outside the pearly-white columns and shadow-like security (they still hovered and served Obama his meal, don’t worry). He was photographed with other working parents who were joining him at the summit (Shirley Young, Lisa Rumain, Shelby Ramirez, and Roger Trombley) while walking briskly towards the Woodley Park Chipotle. A quick few snapshots and interviews later and Obama enjoyed his meal with minimal interruptions. 

www.npr.org

But let’s get down to the meat and tortilla chips of the matter. Obama went mild with his order and there was nothing bear-like about it. A chicken burrito bowl with white rice, tomatoes, salsa verde, lettuce, cheese, and guacamole; seems he didn’t order any extra guac. This rounds out to a total of 710 calories, 37.5 grams of fat, 11 g of saturated fat, and 1955 mg of sodium! Although there are no trans fats, there’s still a whole ton of fat. Fiber rolls in at 9 grams, carbs 51 grams, cholesterol 155 mg, sugar 6 grams, protein 45 grams, vitamin A 72% DV, vitamin C 44% DV, calcium 31% DV, and iron 26% DV. For someone whose wife is all about the healthy food plans, this order really tips the scales. 

Let’s break it down. Based on popular numbers, the President is 52, 6’1”, 184 lbs, active, and awkwardly lifts weights. Using these numbers, we can figure out that for a 2,000 calorie per day diet he should have 130 grams of carbs, 30 grams of fiber, 67 grams of protein, under 2,000 mg of sodium, about 44-78 grams of fat, under 22 grams of saturated fat, under 300 mg of cholesterol or if he has heart-trouble 200 mg, and under 2 grams of trans fat. Yet the meal at Chipotle screeches in just under these numbers. That means he can eat the Chipotle for lunch but let’s hope he didn’t eat breakfast or has an extremely light dinner.

I get it. We all pig out and enjoy fast food (America! Yeah! Drive-thrus!) every so often. I too indulge in a Smash Burger…burger or Jimmy John’s sandwich or a Freshetta pizza. However, this does point out what a small meal at Chipotle’s (this is what President Obama refers to it as) will cost you. Eating there frequently may put you into a happy food coma but it is in no way healthy. The huge amounts of fat, salt, and cholesterol will clog up your system and leave you with only the ability to drive through the restaurant instead of walk in.

Some think that since you see a lot of salsa, lettuce, beans, and brown rice that the options are health. The calorie counts aren’t as high as a Big Mac and you get out relatively unscathed, right? Not exactly. It is true you can configure your bowl, taco, salad, or burrito to be less scary but even if you get just a plain salad with lettuce and chicken you end up with 190 calories (not bad at all), 7 grams of fat, 3 grams of saturated fat, 125 mg of cholesterol (yikes!), 33 grams of protein, 315 grams of sodium (yikes!), and 80% of your vitamin A (strange…). The “healthy” option of chicken isn’t so awesome after all. Running the Chipotle Nutrition Calculator with steak is only 10 more calories but is less total fat (6.5 grams), saturated fat (2 grams), and cholesterol (65 mg). Steak it up, America! Be careful though, steak still runs rampant at 325 mg of sodium.

When it comes to fast food choices, many people believe that red meats are a no-no and chicken is your best bet. Although this is true in some instances, reading up on the nutrition facts will help you make the most informed decision. When it comes to Chipotle, it’s better to invest in the steak (which in my opinion tastes better and never as salty) than the chicken. The steak is healthier overall and 10 mg of sodium isn’t going to kill you if you’re choosing steak over chicken.

www.breitbart.com

So what have we learned? Besides the fact that Obama probably thought he was choosing the healthier option with chicken, even though he wasn’t, the meal he chose was loaded with tons of junk and he probably would have been equal or better off just going with his burger addiction. He also chose the best Chipotle in the area who almost gets it right every time! And maybe the healthy food initiative is more his wife’s thing. But I can’t fault him for picking up the tab for his fellow summit mates and enjoying a nice lunch out like we all do sometimes. 

Remember if you want the President to happen upon you the next time you eat out in D.C., pick a place that supports his ideas, is probably famous for burgers, or is near a gathering he’s going to soon. The President of the United States coming to a restaurant near you! 

Check your own numbers here, here, and here for Chipotle nutrition facts calculator.