Costa Vida Nutrition Calculator: The Short Answer
The Grilled Chicken Quesadilla at Costa Vida has 850 calories, with 46g of protein, 42g of fat and 1730mg of sodium — the standard build, exactly as the Costa Vida Nutrition Calculator lists it.
For context, the Costa Vida Nutrition Calculator tracks 17 items, and the average one runs about 702 calories. 3 of them come in under 300 calories and 4 under 500, while the heaviest — the Chicken Nachos (Large) — reaches 1250. Where a single item sits inside that spread matters more than the item's reputation: menus, not names, decide what a meal costs.
The Full Breakdown: What Is in the Grilled Chicken Quesadilla?
The full profile of the Grilled Chicken Quesadilla at Costa Vida: 850 calories, 46g of protein, 72g of carbohydrates, 42g of fat, 5g of fibre, 6g of sugar and 1730mg of sodium. Against a 2,000-calorie reference day, that is 43% of the day's calories, 75% of the sodium guideline and 12% of the 50g sugar daily value — which is why the same item can be a light choice in one day and the whole budget in another.
Where those calories sit matters as much as the total. Protein contributes 184 of them, carbohydrate 288 and fat 378 — so the Grilled Chicken Quesadilla is a fat-led item, which is why smaller portions of it still satisfy. That split, not the headline number alone, is what decides how long the meal keeps you full.
How Does It Compare With the Rest of the Costa Vida Menu?
One number means little without the menu around it. The table below lines the Grilled Chicken Quesadilla up against the lightest item at Costa Vida, the highest-protein item, the best protein-per-calorie pick and the heaviest item on the menu.
For context, the Costa Vida Nutrition Calculator tracks 17 items, and the average one runs about 702 calories. 3 of them come in under 300 calories and 4 under 500, while the heaviest — the Chicken Nachos (Large) — reaches 1250. Where a single item sits inside that spread matters more than the item's reputation: menus, not names, decide what a meal costs.
| Item | Calories | Protein | Carbs | Fat | Sodium |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grilled Chicken Quesadilla | 850 | 46g | 72g | 42g | 1730mg |
| Black Beans (Side) | 160 | 9g | 28g | 1g | 420mg |
| Chicken Nachos (Large) | 1250 | 52g | 110g | 67g | 2380mg |
| Grilled Chicken Tacos (2) | 560 | 36g | 56g | 21g | 1040mg |
What Pushes the Number Up (and How to Pull It Down)?
At Costa Vida, the headline item is rarely the whole story: size upgrades, sauces, cheese and the side you add by habit regularly contribute as much as the main itself. The menu's own extremes prove the point — the same kitchen produces the Black Beans (Side) at 160 calories and the Chicken Nachos (Large) at 1250. The gap between a light visit and a heavy one is almost never the restaurant; it is two or three quiet additions.
The reliable defence is to decide the extras on purpose. Keep one rich addition — a sauce, a cheese, a dessert — rather than stacking them, and let high-volume, low-calorie items do the filling: the Chicken Nachos (Large) leads this menu for fibre at 12g, and fibre is what makes a lighter order still feel like a meal three hours later.
- Lightest item on the menu: Black Beans (Side) — 160 calories
- Heaviest item on the menu: Chicken Nachos (Large) — 1250 calories
- Best protein per calorie: Grilled Chicken Tacos (2) — 6.4g per 100 calories
- Items under 300 calories here: 3 of 17
What About the Sodium and Sugar?
Calories get the attention, but at Costa Vida the quieter numbers deserve a look. The saltiest item on the menu, the Chicken Nachos (Large), carries 2380mg of sodium — 103% of the full day's 2,300mg guideline in a single item — while the least salty, the Horchata (16 oz), carries just 80mg. Salt rarely tracks calories: plenty of light-looking orders are sodium-heavy, and plenty of hearty ones are moderate.
Sugar is more concentrated. The Horchata (16 oz) holds 52g — more than the American Heart Association's full-day suggested limit for women (25g) and men (36g) — while most savoury items sit in single digits. The practical rule: check the drink and dessert line first, because that is where the sugar in a Costa Vida order almost always lives.
How Does This Fit the Rest of Your Day?
No Costa Vida order happens in isolation, so place this one against a reference day of about 2,000 calories, 2,300mg of sodium and a 50g sugar daily value. The average item in the Costa Vida Nutrition Calculator runs about 702 calories, which means a typical one-item-plus-side order lands near a third of the day's energy before a drink is counted. That is not a problem to solve — it is a budget to be aware of, and the awareness is most of the value: the rest of the day can run lighter precisely because lunch was counted.
The pattern that works for most people is asymmetry. On a day when Costa Vida is the main event, let the other meals be simple and protein-led, drink water by default, and treat the Horchata (16 oz) (52g of sugar) as the dessert decision made in advance rather than at the till. On a day when the other meals are the occasion, Costa Vida can be the light one instead — the Black Beans (Side) at 160 calories proves the menu supports it. Either way, the plan is made once, calmly, instead of being renegotiated at every meal.
- Menu average: ~702 calories per item across 17 tracked items
- Lightest anchor: Black Beans (Side) — 160 calories
- Best protein per calorie: Grilled Chicken Tacos (2) — 6.4g per 100 cal
- Fibre leader: Chicken Nachos (Large) — 12g, against a 28g daily target
- Salt ceiling to watch: Chicken Nachos (Large) — 2380mg in one item
The Bottom Line
The Grilled Chicken Quesadilla at Costa Vida has 850 calories, with 46g of protein, 42g of fat and 1730mg of sodium. If your build differs from the standard one — an extra sauce, a different size, a swapped side — run it through the Costa Vida Nutrition Calculator before you order: thirty seconds there replaces every guess in this article with your exact total.
People Also Ask
What Is the Lowest-Calorie Mexican Food Order?
The lowest-calorie mexican food order at Costa Vida is the Black Beans (Side) at 160 calories (9g protein, 420mg sodium). As a complete meal, anchoring on the Grilled Chicken Tacos (2) (560 calories, 36g protein) plus the lightest sides keeps a full order at 370 calories — under the 500 mark with real protein in it.
How to Build a High-Protein Burrito Bowl?
Build it around the Chicken Nachos (Large) (52g protein): the worked build below, summed from real Costa Vida items, totals 52g of protein for 1250 calories — 4. 2g of protein per 100 calories across the whole tray.
How Many Calories Are in Macaroni Salad?
The Macaroni Salad (scoop) at Hawaiian Bros has 920 calories, with 11g of protein, 70g of fat and 1780mg of sodium — the standard build, exactly as the Hawaiian Bros Nutrition Calculator lists it.
How Many Calories Are in Rice and Chicken?
Jasmine Rice (2 scoops) and Honolulu Chicken Plate (as served) together come to 1960 calories at Hawaiian Bros — 500 plus 1460 — with 62g of protein and 3630mg of sodium in the pair.