In the five years that I’ve been a customer at Chipotle I’ve never been disappointed with the quality or taste of the food. I have also never heard someone turn down free Chipotle.
This Monday, March 10 from 6:30 – 7 p.m. in the Ecumenical Christian Ministries building on Oread Avenue there will be FREE CHIPOTLE (you can’t tell me that isn’t the best combination of words you’ve ever seen). Bring a friend and they can enjoy some free Chipotle as well! And you definitely won’t want to miss it after reading this:
It’s no secret that college kids LOVE Chipotle, a deliciously guilty pleasure. It’s fast food, and when we think of fast food ingredients, our initial thoughts lead us to fake meat and greasy, processed ingredients. But hey, you don’t have to feel guilty when eating Chipotle because guess what? They make those beautifully constructed burritos we love so much with non-processed and free range ingredients! Yes, that’s right. Chipotle isn’t like any other fast food place.
Most of the items on their menu are animal friendly and organic. “Chipotle: Food With Integrity,” as their slogan says, works hard to protect our planet from industrial ranching and factory farming by sourcing their ingredients in a different way. According to their website, they prefer to work with family owned and operated farms to maintain the high quality of great tasting food we all know and love. The restaurant chain doesn’t just choose a farm because they’re family owned and operated, though. They like to spend time with the families, meeting and speaking with them to ensure that they’re working towards the same goal.
photo courtesy of Chipotle.com
The Mexican grill prides itself on using free range, naturally raised pork and beef. According to Chipotle, the animals are raised outside or in deeply bedded pens, instead of in steel or concrete pens. They are not given antibiotics and are fed a vegetarian diet so they can enjoy happier and healthier lives and give us that wonderful tasting food we love so much. 100% of the pork and beef served in their restaurants is naturally raised.
Chipotle also sources 100% of their chicken from family owned farms that raise them without antibiotics. Chickens, by law, must already be raised without added growth hormones. A majority of the cheese and sour cream that is served at Chipotle comes from pasture-raised dairy cattle. These cattle have daily access to pastures, never given added hormones and are fed an all vegetarian, plant-based diet.
photo courtesy of Chipotle.com
Chipotle says that the less time food is en route, the better it is. That’s why Chipotle sources as much local food as they can. According to their website, Chipotle’s definition of local includes sourcing within 350 miles of each restaurant. Not only does it guarantee a higher quality of food, but it also supports rural economies. Although they use organic and local ingredients, Chipotle says it’s not possible to get all of their ingredients like that. Here are some of the ingredients that have been grown organically and/or locally:
- 40% of their beans are grown organically which has reduced 140,000 chemical pesticides since 2005. They say they are increasing the number of organically grown beans every year and may even do more in upcoming years.
- 50% of at least one produce item when it is seasonally available and more than 50% and more than one item when seasonally available:
– Romaine lettuce
– Red onions
– Green bell peppers
– Jalapeño peppers
– Oregano
Not only can they feed you, but they can make you laugh, too! Chipotle Mexican Grill released a new satirical series on Hulu.com February 17 titled “Farmed and Dangerous.” The series is a comedy that pokes fun at corporate agribusiness and industrial farming. The show plays on how far they’ll go just to provide a positive image of industrial agriculture, Chipotle says.
photo courtesy of thedailymeal.com
So I guess there’s no joking around when Chipotle Mexican Grill says, “It’s all fun and games until someone wrecks a planet”!