:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/photo_images/1390897/GYI0062274635.jpg)
Throughout the past season, and maybe longer, there has been several in depth discussions about spending $11 at Taco Bell (to the tune of at least 54 comments). I took it upon myself to find how far $11 will go at Taco Bell.
Step 1. I went to the local Taco Bell in Mulvane, KS and got the prices.
Step 2. I went to the Taco Bell website and downloaded their nutrition information.
Step 3. Calculated the Calories/Dollar value for each item. Here is a chart of the leading and lagging items (food items only, no drinks for this chart):
| Item | Cost | Calories | Calories/Dollar | Total Fat | Sodium |
| Beefy 5-Layer Burrito | 0.99 | 560 | 566 | 22 | 1470 |
| Volcano Burrito | 1.99 | 790 | 397 | 41 | 1770 |
| Bean Burrito | 0.99 | 370 | 374 | 10 | 1150 |
| Cheesy Double Beef Burrito | 1.29 | 470 | 364 | 20 | 1460 |
| Fresco Bean Burrito | 0.99 | 350 | 354 | 8 | 1170 |
| Caramel Apple Empanada | 0.89 | 310 | 348 | 15 | 310 |
| Gordita Nacho Cheese - Chicken | 2.69 | 270 | 100 | 10 | 760 |
| Gordita Supreme® - Chicken | 2.69 | 270 | 100 | 10 | 630 |
| Gordita Supreme® - Steak | 2.69 | 270 | 100 | 11 | 550 |
| Gordita Nacho Cheese - Steak | 2.69 | 260 | 97 | 11 | 690 |
| Fresco Ranchero Chicken Soft Taco | 1.99 | 170 | 85 | 4 | 680 |
| Fresco Grilled Steak Soft Taco | 1.99 | 160 | 80 | 4.5 | 550 |
The Beefy 5-Layer Burrito is the king of calories per dollar spent at Taco Bell. I love how the Fresco Bean Burrito, a part of the Drive Thru Diet, is one of the worst items per dollar.
Step 4. I had to figure out how much money the state will take in this endevor. The tax rate in Sedgwick County Kansas is 7.9% or on $11, $0.80. I was left with only 10.20 to work with.
Step 5. Setting the rules. I decided to look at 6 different meals:
- Highest possible calories, no drink or duplicates
- Highest possible calories, a drink, no duplicates
- Highest possible calorieswith duplicates
- Lowest possible calories, no drink or duplicates
- Lowest possible calories, a drink,no duplicates
- Lowest possible calories with duplicates
I figured these options would give me a nice range of values for people to make their choices from.
Step 6. Setting the nutritional standard. Here are the FDA's recomended daily intake of the nutrional values I collected.
| Calories | 2000 |
| Total Fat | 65 g |
| Sodium | 2300 mg |
Results:
| Meal | Cost (with Tax) |
Calories | Grams of Fat | mg of Sodium | Meal |
| Highest, no drink or duplicates | $10.42 | 3065 | 158 | 9110 | Beefy 5-Layer Burrito,Volcano Burrito, Bean Burrito, Cheesy Double Beef, Burrito, Fresco Bean Burrito, Caramel Apple Empanada, Nachos, Cheesy Bean and Rice Burrito |
| Highest, a drink, no duplicates | $10.82 | 3027 | 137 | 8025 | Beefy 5-Layer Burrito, Volcano Burrito, Bean Burrito, Cheesy Double Beef Burrito, Fresco Bean Burrito, Caramel Apple Empanada, Nachos and a Mountain Dew (40 oz) |
| Highest with duplicates | $10.70 | 5600 | 220 | 14700 | 10 Beefy 5-Layer Burritos |
| Lowest, no drink or duplicates | $10.16 | 860 | 31 | 2470 | Gordita Supreme® - Steak, Gordita Nacho Cheese - Steak, Fresco Ranchero Chicken Soft Taco, Fresco Grilled Steak and Soft Taco |
| Lowest, a drink, no duplicates | $10.85 | 820 | 20 | 2025 | Strawberry Frutista Freeze® 16 oz, Gordita Nacho Cheese - Steak, Diet Pepsi 16 oz, Fresco Ranchero Chicken Soft Taco and Fresco Grilled Steak Soft Taco |
| Lowest with Duplicates | $10.25 | 0 | 0 | 625 | 5 Diet Pepsis 40 oz |
I expected the calories for the top meals to actually be worse, but damn look at the fat.
Holy cow, 158 gram of fat in the highest calorie meal(no drink or duplicates). That is the equivalent of 14 tablespoons of butter, or almost 2 whole sticks. That meal has most the same of amount of sodium as two tablespoons of salt. Talk about bloated.
Alright Royals Review, now we know what $11 at Taco Bell will bring you and knowing is half the battle. The other half is being drunk or stoned enough to actually try to eat that much Taco Bell.