Burn It Off: How Many Laps to Undo Taco Bell's Big Box Meal?

Although Taco Bell's Big Box Meal has enough food and calories in it to feed a whole family for dinner, Taco Bell says it's a "meal that's made for men." In your big box, you'll get: a large soda (pictured as the Baja Blast), the new Volcano Taco, a Burrito Supreme, a Crunchwrap Supreme, and Cinnamon Twists. So how many 400-meter laps (that's one standard track lap) would you have to run to burn off this enormous meal? 10? 20? 100?

Per Taco Bell's website (and a few other sources, since Taco Bell offers no information on the Baja Blast or any other soft drinks), here are the caloric totals for this "manly" meal:

According to SparkPeople.com's fitness tracker, a 150-pound woman who runs a 10-minute mile pace (6 mph) will burn 30 calories per lap. To burn off the Big Box Meal, you'd have to jog (at a pretty good pace no less!) over 59 laps, which is just under 15 miles!

I don't know about you, but I don't think it's worth it.

How about you split that meal three ways instead, allowing each person to pick one of the food items and sharing the cinnamon twists? (By the way, are you are as surprised at the high calorie count of that seemingly light dessert as I am?) When you share the food and choose water, you'll take in a much more reasonable amount of calories.

Comments

THEWITCHOFSALEM

Well if you eat only one is not that bad, and once again moderation is the key!!! you have 5 meals in one box share it with you fam , friends, kids, whoever is with you at the time, if you are alone then choose something else more healthy and with less calories, and always think twice before choosing something unhealthy to eat I usually eat home made meals I try not to buy fast food, that's another way to save money and eat less. Report

ROXYDODGERS1FAN

That is way to much food for one person in one meal...I like the idea of sharing it...makes more sense than sitting there and eating it all...I am not surprise with the calories or fat...fast food in always high in calories and fat... Report

INKYBINX

Wowee. This is what I love about SparkPeople. You cut right to the chase. I have a lot of denial aobut calories and I know that. This is actually my main problem. Once I know how many calories something has , I run from it. But when I don't know, it's like I just block out that piece until I'm finished eating. Then it's like DAMN. But by then the food is already in the system. I don't think we have that Big Box up here in Canada, and not as many choices. I think that's a good thing. Once I know that something has 600 or more calorie(or1700_), then I know to completely stay away and not go there. This is great information for those of us who have Denial, and just zone out until we've finished eating. Keep sending me the numbers. that helps me stop and "Think Before I Eat." Report

KWRIGHT26

I couldn't fit that much food into my body. I would eat just the crunchwrap and drink water, thanks. I like to get a pinto's and cheese there with a fresco chicken taco. Mmm. Report

AZOUTLAW

I used to eat that for lunch almost daily! Now I am way more sensible about what I eat. Report

VEGPUNK

Wow! Eew! I was floored. I knew they were highly caloric meals and I'd never touch one like it, I never equated it to how much exercise it would take to burn it off. Wow. Report

5AQKHANSEN

OMG!! I am not a big Taco Bell fan. After reading this article, really glad I am not. Report

MOMMAMITRA

I usually get a couple of taco supremes, but it will be a while before I go back. I am rewarding myself with food treats for milestones made. After I practice will power then I will practice control. Report

7SEVENJ9

See, I am full after just the crunchwrap supreme (which is delicious, I might add), and I'm happy to see that it is low on the calorie scale (well, for taco bell!!) Report

EDEN30

I don't like what is on that list anyway.. and the dessert that is listed I don't like there tried it once and no thank you. I infact try to stay away from there and any fast food place as much as possible Report

DODANEODWYER

I wouldn't even bother to purchase - that whole concept is really off-putting for me. Just another example of a FF chain trying to lead the gullible public into poor eating habits. Report

WOMAN15R

Wow- that is super gross. I did enjoy the volcano taco now and then in the past, and even though it seems to be the least horrible on the list, still pretty bad! Report

QWERTYZ13

OMG about the Cinnamon Twists. I don't really ever eat them, but I did when I was a kid! No wonder I got chubby. Report

BIGRED1974

As theprevious posts stated some of the calorie information is incorrect. Cinnamon twists do not have that many calories. THat is the equivalent of about 3 orders. The rest of the taco information is correct. When I need something fast and don't want to cook. I get the soft tacos fresco style and add my own low cal cheese and sour cream. However, I will agree that is a huge meal. Report

LIZZYT33

this is insane! thanks for posting this, but judas priest- almost fifteen miles to work off a lunch. first of all, even for taco bells standards a big box meal contains not just a lot of calories, but a lot of food! dont let me fool you, i have to work on portion control myself, but geeze, thats a lot of food. its insane. thanks for putting it into perspective, in terms of laps and miles, it really helps. hrm, fifteen miles, or this lunch?

thanks
Liz Report

ARMYGIRLJENN

I see where you are coming from lapinguina but I just started this new healthy lifestyle and I have eaten one of those Taco Bell Big Boxes when it had the Chalupa as the main entree. I like hearing stuff like this cause it puts my mine in perspective. Honesty I didn't think that those cinnamon twists where THAT bad. Surprise,surprise :) I still need to learn some of this stuff. Trust me I'd love to tear me up a couple of chalupas but I won't cause I know the end result. Report

LAPINGUINA

I get a lot of mixed messages from this site. I hear that every once in awhile it's ok to indulge as long as you don't make it a habit, then I see these proseltyzing blogs about how much effort it would take to burn off a meal from Taco Bell. Obviously, a healthy lifestyle doesn't include much Taco Bell, but if I've got healthy habits and every once in awhile I want to indulge myself, I shouldn't be beating myself up for it, should I? Give us some credit for being sensible, intelligent human beings! Report

LAKENDAL

I can't eat that much anyway. We don't eat that much fast food at my house if and when I eat taco bell I usually just get a couple of tacos. The box ix just too much food and with the exception of the twists there is nothing in it I'd eat anyway. Report

JUSTFUCHS

Welp, I just ate the whole thing. I'm going to give it an hour or so before I attempt to run it off! Report

ONEAL_70

INCORRECT NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION!! check calorie king, or even taco bell's website the cinnamon twist are actually 170 CALORIES as opposed to 560. So that is 390 calories less than what is stated. It is still way too much for any one meal. If you get hard tacos fresco style they are only 150 calories each and all that is missing is the cheese which is more than made up for by the salsa they put on them. Report

CUPCAKEPANTS

I just went there the other day with my BF. He eats a lot but even he couldn't finish that. It makes for a cheap meal if you split it though, which is what we did in the end. It's just like a triple whopper meal at Burger King- who can seriously eat all that?!! Report

LEODORA

Ouchie! Report

MARYONE

WOW I can't even believe they sell this stuff and people buy it! It is more than the food I eat in a whole day... gross! Report

1LBDOWN

Gross. Report

SKAYT77

Holy Cow! I definately don't like exercise THAT much! Report

ABLAHETKA

With the gas you'll have from eating all that food, it can propel you around the track and save you at the pump :D Report

SHELL367

It would take me 4 hours on the treadmill at my weight/activity level to burn off that Big Box...and that's with taking out the soda because I only drink diet sodas.

UGH! That's a lot of work!! Report

RUBY26

EWww, now I remember why I don't Run for the Border anymore, but these fast-food giants should be ashamed for even selling this stuff! Report

LINDOKAS

Is it bad that I hadn't heard of this "meal" and now I want to go out and eat it?? *cry* Report

CHARLIBLAH

WOW!!!! What a great way to look at it. I am getting dizzy just thinking about it :) and a belly ache too! I think it is sad that they advertise this a a meal. It is a days worth of calories (not to mention fat). I wish I lived in an area where they are required to show nutrition info on the menus. Report

SPOTLITE5

WOW! Makes you think huh? Report

NICA717

Well, that's way too high in fat, but you could ditch the Cinnamon twists and drink and have one item per meal in a day for 980 calories if you really had to have a Taco Bell fix! Report

THEALEXIS

Ceasar salads are looking better every day! lol Whenever I have to go to a fast food restaurant I order a salad (except for my rare Wendy's small chili). I usually end up taking off most of the stuff that's on it (don't need the extra calories) if a Ceasar or garden salad was unavailable. Report

WAZZU.REN

Ironically, I just saw the commercial with Adam Carolla advertising this over the weekend. And I said to my fiance that portion sizes are so out of whack and I was complaining about how much I hate fast food companies (yes, I had a tangent!). So now I load this up this morning and see this....not TOO shocking!!

And yes - if you do the research, the calorie counts ARE correct. Sad. Report

LIVE_TO_LOVE

Wow! I had one of these a couple of weeks ago! NEVER again!! Report

CRYSTALBREEZY

Those numbers are shocking, as is the quantity of food included in the meal. I avoid Taco Bell, since I got sick from their food on two separate occasions, but ridiculously high-calorie meals are a potential problem anytime you're not cooking & counting your own food, or where nutritional information isn't freely posted or easily available.

I live in NYC, and even though many of the restaurants have not yet complied with the new law, those that have provide me with the immediate information I need to make choices that will keep me in range for the day. It seems meddlesome to some people, and I'm sure the franchise owners aren't thrilled about it, but it's a good idea that I hope will be strongly enforced. I wish they'd encourage(not force) smaller restaurants to do the same thing. Report

PRINCESS_MANDY

Oh I would not take me 15 miles at all! Beacuse after running 2 it would make me vomit. lol Report

THIRTEENREASONS

Taco Bell gave me a food poisoning a few years ago. Since then, I've avoided fast food, except a few occasions at a sitdown resturant. Report

ERINNICOLEJ

I hate to admit that I love a Taco Bell indulgence once in a while. But this is crazy! The government shouldn't have any say in what we eat or in what restaurants choose to offer, but I do wish that they would make it mandatory for restaurants to post nutritional information, just like NYC's new legislation. Not so much as to discourage people from buying certain items (though that would be unavoidable I think), but to make it easy (or just possible in some cases) for someone to make a wiser choice if they so desire. I LOVE to eat out but I hate the fact that I must look up nutritional info on the web before I get to a restaurant, or that there are some restaurants that don't make any information available no matter how hard you look. If I spontaneously want to go have lunch with a friend, it should be convenient for me to choose something relatively healthy just by looking at the menu. Report

JASAQUINDA

That's more calories tan I consume in a day! I have to agree that the fast food industry is out of control. Fortunately we are intelligent people, have places like SparkPeople to reference for information, and can easily avoid bad choices. Report

SCRUBS07

Before I started using SP I used to eat a Big Box meal at least once a week. Now, to think about all those calories that I didn't even know I was consuming is absolutely horrifying. They just started a program in NYC where all restaurants and fast food places MUST have the calories on their menus (including drive thru) and it really has helped put things in perspective. Report

ACHIGG_1

The fast-food industry is all about making money, but what business or industry isn't all about making money? Use your brain and check out the foods online (resturant sites are pretty good sources for info) before you go, or ask to see the nutritional information at the fast-food place before you order. Report

LKBRIDGE

Of course the fast food industry is out to make money-any business is. To blame the obesity problem on these places is ridiculous. No one forces us to eat there and I know lots of people who make those types of places a habit because the don't want to cook or clean up the mess of cooking at home-they are lazy. It is O.K. to eat at those places in moderation-once or twice a month but not weekly and surely not daily. It's gotten far too easy to blame the fast food industry for our weight problems, yet they are found everywhere because we the consumers utilize them. I don't think the govt. should regulate what they can or can't sell-eating a big box meal is ridiculous and if you eat it then expect to be obese. Let's start taking responsibility for ourselves by the food choices we make, quit blaming fast food. Report

LISA32989

I wish SP would quit focusing on how to undo damage from unhealthy habits focus on how to live healthy! The food comparisons are usually BOTH foods I wouldn't touch, most of the ads are for foods I don't eat, and then this! How about teaching people how to make better choices if they get stuck with Taco Bell as their only option for a meal? Report

TTMILTON

I over my daily limit of calories I try to avoid fast food as much as proably at this point at one it in my life i was eating it four times a week which help get me to the weight i am now. noone should eat that much at one sitting Report

BIGTOSS03

I like Taco Bell but this is one meal that I definitely have to stay away from. That is just too many calories for one meal for anybody except those trying to gain. Report

RAEBRALOP

That's disgusting. No wonder it's called Taco Hell... not just for the heartburn you'll have afterwards! Report

PIANO*LADY

I think for the fast-food industry, it's all about making money. I'm glad you posted these stats. The taco supremem is my favorite, and this will make me think twice before indulging so often. Report

WENDI_WA1

That is totally insane. That is more calories than I want in a day and way more fat grams than I am used to. I can not imagine anyone actually eating all of that, unless its over a week span. Even my sons couldn't eat all that at once and they eat well. Can you just imagine what that meal is doing to your arteries and heart? Report

COURTSDONEWITIT

That is unreal! Thanks for sharing Ill defenitly think twice before I decide to eat fast food!! Report

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Burn It Off: How Many Laps to Undo Taco Bell's Big Box Meal?

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