How to Eat Healthy at a Colombian Restaurant

The healthiest choices at a Colombian restaurant are broth-based soups like sancocho, braised dishes like sudado, and grilled proteins — while limiting the fried fritanga items and the towering bandeja paisa.

Understanding Colombian Cuisine

Colombian food is hearty and comfort-driven. You'll find a lot of rice, beans, and starchy sides alongside proteins that range from grilled chicken to slow-braised beef. The variety is actually good news for health-conscious diners — there are genuinely light options on most menus if you know what to look for.

The main challenge is that some of the most iconic dishes are calorie-dense by design. Bandeja paisa, for example, is a massive plate built to fuel agricultural workers — it packs rice, red beans, chicharrón, chorizo, a fried egg, avocado, and an arepa onto a single platter. Delicious, but easily 1,500+ calories.

The Best Orders for a Lighter Meal

Sancocho is your best friend here. This hearty soup is built around a clear broth with chunks of meat (usually chicken or beef), plantain, corn, yuca, and potatoes. It's filling, warm, and far lower in fat than most entrées. A bowl of sancocho with a side salad is a genuinely satisfying meal.

Sudado (literally "sweated") dishes are braised rather than fried — sudado de pollo or sudado de res slow-cooks chicken or beef with tomatoes, onion, and spices. You get a lot of flavor without the added oil from frying.

Pollo asado (grilled chicken) is usually a safe bet. Ask if it comes with salad and rice — you can scale back the rice portion if you're watching carbs.

Mazorca (grilled corn on the cob) is a solid side. Skip the butter or go light on it.

Fresh-squeezed jugos naturales (fruit juices) are everywhere at Colombian spots and are generally better than sodas, though they still carry natural sugar. Water with a slice of lime is always an option.

What to Watch Out For

Fritanga platters are essentially an assortment of fried foods — chicharrón, morcilla, chorizo, patacones. These are meant for sharing and grazing, which makes them easy to overdo. If the table orders one, eat consciously rather than mindlessly picking.

Patacones (twice-fried green plantains) are tasty but come with the fat from double frying. If you want plantain, look for tostones that are baked or ask if there's a lighter preparation.

Aguapanela (a hot drink made from raw cane sugar) is traditional but quite sweet. It's fine as an occasional sip, not a full glass.

If you're trying to track what you're eating at restaurants, tools like MenuScore can help you scan the menu and get a rough calorie and macro breakdown before you order — especially useful at spots where dishes don't come with nutrition labels.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is bandeja paisa healthy?

Bandeja paisa is one of the more calorie-dense meals you'll find at a Colombian restaurant — a full plate can run 1,200–1,600 calories. If you want to try it, consider sharing it or eating half and boxing the rest. It does include protein, fiber from beans, and healthy fats from avocado, so the issue is really portion size.

Are arepas unhealthy?

Plain arepas made from ground corn are relatively modest in calories (around 100–150 calories each) and are a fine occasional choice. Where calories climb is when they're stuffed with cheese and meat, or fried. A simple grilled arepa on the side is one of the lighter carb options on a Colombian menu.

What's the lowest calorie protein at a Colombian restaurant?

Grilled chicken (pollo asado) or chicken in sancocho soup tend to be the leanest protein options. Braised beef dishes like sudado de res are also reasonable choices. Steer toward those over the fried or cured meats like chicharrón and chorizo if you're keeping calories in check.