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3 Things You Shouldn't Order from Taco Bell—According To Employees

From hair gel-like beef to rehydrated ingredients, order these Mexican-style dishes at your own risk.

Sorry to break it to you, but the odds of finding a fresh, wholesome meal at Taco Bell is about as likely as running into a unicorn on your driveway. Sure, some of their dishes are high-protein and low in fat, but that's where the good news ends. The vast majority of the food is drenched with bone-weakening sodium and artery-clogging saturated fats. And until sometime next year, much of the meat will continue to be spiked with artificial preservatives and additives. Taco Bell's employees know this and yet, many of them happily eat their deeply discounted meals while they're on the clock. However, there are still a few dishes on the menu employees would never, ever eat—even if it were free! And we know this because a number of them took to forums on sites like Reddit to air the chain's dirty laundry.

Read on the find out which dishes those employed by the Bell would never let pass their lips! And next time a south of the border cravings hit, dish out a few extra bucks and head to Chipotle or make one of these 20 Healthy Mexican Recipes at home instead.

Bean Burrito

Bean Burrito

Beans are a healthy, fat-free source of protein, fiber, and nutrients like iron and phosphorus—when they're real, atleast. Yup that's right, Taco Bell doesn't use freshly baked legumes in its popular burrito. Instead, they use a rehydrated slew of mystery ingredients. A former employee explained that the Bell's "beans" are made by mixing Franken-ingredients with water until you "can't see white anymore." Um, gross!

Related: Every Menu Item At Taco Bell—Ranked!

Grilled Steak Soft Taco

Taco Bell Steak taco

As a group of health-conscious eaters, we totally get why you'd choose the grilled steak soft taco over many of Taco Bell's other menu items. After all, this pick is grilled, boasts a safe-sounding 200 calories, and has a decent amount of protein. But you might want to rethink your order. According to a former Taco Bell employee, when the steak sits out too long, it begins to form a hair gel-like consistency. Yuck! That's definitely not normal for a fresh, unadulterated slab of beef. If this ex-employee got the boot for revealing this nasty news, he's totally a martyr in our book.

Steakhouse Nachos With Steak

Taco Bell Steak Nachos

If there's anything to avoid at all costs at Taco Bell, it's this pick. Not only do the Steak Steakhouse Nachos contain both of the aforementioned questionable ingredients (ahem, beans and steak), it's also the ultimate button buster. With 1,130 calories, 56 grams of fat, and a sodium count only 190 milligrams short of what the American Heart Association recommends for the entire day, this plate of nachos is definitely on our Not That! list.

 

April Benshosan
April is a born-and-raised Brooklynite who has a passion for all things health, wellness, and tastebud-related. Read more about April
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