The Taco Bell Breakfast Crunchwrap is a tasty and convenient breakfast option for those on the go. With its combination of eggs, cheese, bacon or sausage, and hash browns wrapped in a soft tortilla, it provides a satisfying mix of flavors to start your day. However, with its hearty ingredients, some may wonder just how many calories are packed into one of these portable breakfast wraps.
Getting an accurate calorie count requires looking at the different ingredients that go into a Breakfast Crunchwrap and the size options available on the Taco Bell menu. This article will provide a thorough breakdown of the calorie count for different Breakfast Crunchwrap varieties so you can make an informed decision if choosing one for your morning meal.
Breaking Down Breakfast Crunchwrap Ingredients
A standard Breakfast Crunchwrap from Taco Bell contains the following ingredients wrapped in a soft flour tortilla:
- Eggs – The Breakfast Crunchwrap comes with scrambled eggs as the main protein source. A large egg contains about 72 calories, so the two eggs in a standard Crunchwrap add roughly 144 calories.
- Cheese – Taco Bell uses a three cheese blend of cheddar, pepper jack, and mozzarella cheese in their Breakfast Crunchwraps. About 1/4 cup of shredded cheese is used, which contains around 110 calories.
- Bacon or Sausage – You can choose between bacon or sausage as the meat option for your Breakfast Crunchwrap. Two strips of bacon add about 54 calories, while the sausage crumbles add around 80 calories.
- Hash Browns – The Breakfast Crunchwrap comes with Taco Bell’s signature hash browns inside. A serving of around 1/4 cup of hash browns contributes about 110 calories.
- Tortilla – A standard 10-inch flour tortilla used to wrap the Breakfast Crunchwrap has about 150 calories.
- Sauces – Breakfast Crunchwraps come with savory sauces like nacho cheese sauce and jalapeño sauce for added flavor. Together, these sauces add around 50 calories.
Adding up the calorie counts for each of these components gives you an idea of the total calorie content before taking size options into account.
Calories in a Regular Breakfast Crunchwrap
If you order a standard Breakfast Crunchwrap with bacon or sausage, here is the breakdown of calories for each ingredient:
| Ingredient | Calories |
|---|---|
| 2 Eggs | 144 |
| 1/4 Cup Shredded Cheese | 110 |
| 2 Strips Bacon | 54 |
| 1/4 Cup Hash Browns | 110 |
| 1 (10-inch) Flour Tortilla | 150 |
| Sauces | 50 |
| Total Calories | 618 |
As you can see, a regular Taco Bell Breakfast Crunchwrap with bacon contains about 618 calories. If you opt for sausage instead of bacon, the total calorie count comes out to around 644 calories.
This calorie total is for a standard Breakfast Crunchwrap. However, Taco Bell offers additional size options that can further increase the calorie content.
Calories in a Grande Breakfast Crunchwrap
Taco Bell offers a larger “Grande” size Breakfast Crunchwrap that naturally packs in more calories than the regular version.
The Grande size includes:
– 3 eggs instead of 2
– 50% more cheese and hash browns
– Larger 12-inch tortilla instead of 10-inch
With these bigger portions, here is the calorie breakdown for a Grande Breakfast Crunchwrap:
| Ingredient | Calories (Regular) | Calories (Grande) |
|---|---|---|
| Eggs | 144 | 216 |
| Cheese | 110 | 165 |
| Bacon | 54 | 54 |
| Hash Browns | 110 | 165 |
| Tortilla | 150 | 180 |
| Sauces | 50 | 50 |
| Total Calories | 618 | 830 |
The Grande Breakfast Crunchwrap with bacon totals around 830 calories, which is 212 more calories than a regular sized version. If you opt for sausage instead of bacon, the Grande Crunchwrap contains about 856 calories.
Calories in a Hash Brown Breakfast Crunchwrap
There is also a Hash Brown Breakfast Crunchwrap option on the Taco Bell breakfast menu. This version replaces the eggs and meat with a full serving of hash browns inside the tortilla.
Here is the calorie breakdown for a Hash Brown Breakfast Crunchwrap:
| Ingredient | Calories |
|---|---|
| 1/2 Cup Hash Browns | 220 |
| 1/4 Cup Shredded Cheese | 110 |
| 1 (10-inch) Flour Tortilla | 150 |
| Sauces | 50 |
| Total Calories | 530 |
Going with an all hash brown filling drops the calorie count to 530 calories in a regular size Hash Brown Breakfast Crunchwrap.
Lower Calorie Options
While the Breakfast Crunchwrap makes a convenient and portable breakfast, it is one of the higher calorie options on the Taco Bell morning menu.
Here are some ways to reduce the calorie content if you want a lighter Breakfast Crunchwrap:
- Order a standard size instead of Grande
- Choose bacon instead of sausage as the meat
- Skip the creamy sauces
- Ask for egg whites instead of whole eggs
- Request light cheese or no cheese
- Swap in a wheat tortilla instead of flour
Making some of these simple modifications can shave off anywhere from 50-150 calories from your Breakfast Crunchwrap total.
Comparing With Other Breakfast Sandwiches
The Breakfast Crunchwrap has a higher calorie count than some other fast food breakfast sandwiches. Here’s how it compares:
| Sandwich | Calories |
|---|---|
| Breakfast Crunchwrap | 618 |
| McDonald’s Egg McMuffin | 300 |
| Dunkin’ Bacon, Egg and Cheese | 420 |
| Starbucks Bacon, Sausage, and Egg | 450 |
| Panera Bacon, Egg and Cheese | 370 |
Taco Bell’s Breakfast Crunchwrap has about 200-300 more calories than most other popular fast food breakfast sandwiches. The combination of eggs, hash browns, bacon/sausage, cheese, and thick tortilla all contribute to a higher calorie count.
Nutritional Benefits
Despite its higher calorie count, the Breakfast Crunchwrap does provide some nutritional benefits:
- Contains 18g protein from the eggs and meat to help fill you up
- Has 775 mg of potassium from the potatoes
- Provides at least 10% of the RDI for vitamin A, vitamin C, iron and calcium
- Uses vitamin D fortified eggs and milk to increase vitamin D intake
- Has probiotics from the cheese which support digestive health
- Whole wheat tortilla option adds fiber
So while not the lightest breakfast choice, the Breakfast Crunchwrap does supply important nutrients to help kickstart your day.
Conclusion
Taco Bell’s Breakfast Crunchwrap can make a tasty and satisfying grab-and-go breakfast. A regular size Breakfast Crunchwrap contains around 618 calories with bacon or 644 calories with sausage. Ordering the larger Grande size bumps the calorie count up over 800 calories.
Compared to other breakfast sandwiches, the Breakfast Crunchwrap is one of the higher calorie options. But customizing your order with lower calorie substitutions and smaller sizes can reduce the calorie total. The Breakfast Crunchwrap also provides protein, potassium, calcium and other beneficial nutrients despite its higher caloric content.
Overall, enjoying a Breakfast Crunchwrap in moderation can be part of a balanced breakfast. Being mindful of the calorie count and opting for healthier customizations can help keep you feeling full and energized without overdoing it on calories.
