School is once again in full swing which means I’m eating a lot more Taco Bell. And according to my Twitter feed, a lot of you are too: about 60% of my followers said they eat at Taco Bell at least a few times a month.

Less than 5 minutes away from Apple Valley High School, a 24-hour Taco Bell shines on County Road 42. Its neon purple design attracts attention away from the several other restaurants nearby, such as McDonald’s, Panda Express, and Dairy Queen. The popular chain restaurant has options for students at every time of the day – breakfast, an after school snack, or even for when you have those 3 am munchies.

But what makes this Mexican restaurant so enticing? Could it be its cheap menu? Could it be its authentic Mexican food? Could it even be its healthy options?

I turn to the halls of our schools and the depths of the Internet to find out.

The Menu

So why is Taco Bell so popular among Apple Valley students? Senior Malaina Carver sums it up: “It’s cheap. It’s fast. It’s easy. It’s delicious. And there are vegetarian options.”

Nate Larson, junior, agrees: “It’s inexpensive and the food tastes good. And they’re everywhere!” (He’s right. Today there are 5,604 Taco Bell locations across the country. That’s a lot of tacos!)

Taco Bell’s menu is quite diverse, including choices anywhere from cheap dollar options to breakfast to a taco encased in a Dorito shell! It’s incredibly creative. Taco Bell even offers foods WITHIN other foods. A burrito inside a quesadilla? Yep. A Quesarito.

Is it actually Mexican food?

The short answer is no. Spanish teacher Señora Dreier enthusiastically says, “Taco Bell is so not authentic Mexican food. It’s American fast food with a Mexican spin.” In fact, it barely falls under the category of Tex-Mex, along with other fast food restaurants like Chipotle and Qdoba.

Tex-Mex is really a combination of Mexican cuisine and American culture, making use of ingredients such as beef, cheddar cheese, and wheat flour – ingredients that aren’t often found in traditional Mexican dishes. (Chicken, white cheese, and corn flour are the staples of authentic Mexican food.)

Although Taco Bell doesn’t really serve authentic Mexican food, it doesn’t stop our students from enjoying their burritos.

But Taco Bell can’t possibly be healthy, right?

When you think of Taco Bell, some might be ashamed, thinking that the fast food restaurant is guilty-pleasure food. Nate Larson has this mindset, saying, “Taco Bell is not healthy at all.” But be prepared to be amazed: Taco Bell is actually one of the healthiest fast food restaurants. 

Yes, yes, there are definitely ways to eat terribly at Taco Bell, but eating their food doesn’t have to be bad for you.

Taco Bell has all of its nutrition information available online, with a full list of ingredients. They state on their website: “Whether you’re looking for vegetarian, made without gluten, high protein, lower calorie/lower fat, in the mood for something indulgent, or all of the above, Taco Bell has food for all.”

How often do you eat at Taco Bell?

• A few times a month (38%, 26 Votes)
• Never (29%, 20 Votes)
• A few times a year (28%, 19 Votes)
• A few times a week (6%, 4 Votes)

Total Voters: 69

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Taco Bell has been reducing sodium, replacing artificial flavors with their natural counterparts, and removing high fructose corn syrup! And they aren’t stopping there. They plan to continue improving their menu under the direction of their dietician, Missy Nelson, who has been the head of Taco Bell’s nutrition strategy team since 2012. In regards to the Bell’s healthy options, Business Insider quotes Nelson: “We just really encourage people to customize to however it(Taco Bell) fits their lifestyle.”

Taco Bell continues to bless our students with delicious food options and now, we don’t even have to feel guilty about it.