Taco del Mar

These restaurants have the large, high-calorie offerings we see at many eateries, but also many choices that fit the needs of those of us with smaller appetites or who are watching calories and fat, such as their “Almost” burritos and the option of whole versus refried beans.

For those concerned about sodium intake, the chain has no truly low-sodium meals. (For someone on a 2000 mg per day sodium diet, a complete meal needs to contain less than 500 to 700 mg sodium.)

•Chicken Taco Salad with whole pinto beans, one-half scoop cheese (in place of a whole scoop) two soft corn tortillas (in place of the taco salad shell) and no sour cream: 455 calories, 16.5g total fat, 36.5g protein, 4.8g saturated fat, 14g fiber, 1165 mg sodium.

Taco del Mar’s taco salads are more nutrient rich than their other main dishes, but they are also much higher in calories, fat and sodium. A chicken taco salad without these changes has 900 calories, 45g fat and 1870 mg sodium.

•Rice and whole pinto beans with fish: 450 calories, 20g protein, 7g total fat, 1g saturated fat, 8g fiber, 1320 mg sodium.

•Almost Jumbo Burrito, chicken with whole pinto beans: 460 calories, 24g protein, 10g fat, 2g saturated fat, 6g fiber, 900 mg sodium.

— Lori S. Brizee, registered dietitian, Central Oregon Nutrition Consultants