What Is Fresco Style At Taco Bell, Anyway?

As varied as Taco Bell's standard menu is, part of what's so appealing about its ordering system is its customizability. You can change any menu item at Taco Bell and tinker with every ingredient, but there is one option at the kiosk, online, and on the mobile app that is pre-set. A choice called "Make it Fresco" replaces items like cheese, sour cream, and mayo-based ingredients (such as dressings) with pico de gallo instead. 

This function can help those watching their calorie intake. The ingredients that Fresco-style replaces tend to be calorie-dense ones, so if you're keeping tabs on how much you're consuming, the Fresco function simply makes it easier for you by doing it all in one fell swoop. 

Pico de gallo is a great substitute, as it naturally adds moisture that you're losing from components like dressings and sour cream, without adding additional fat. Fresco style is also a quick way to make an order lactose-free, since it eliminates dairy-based ingredients. And if you're a serial Taco Bell orderer, you can also order Fresco-style via the drive-thru or at the counter as well; the employee will know exactly what you mean, since this is standard practice at Taco Bell. Best of all, there's no additional charge for ordering food this way.

As useful as that button is, not every item on Taco Bell's menu is eligible for the Fresco treatment. In some cases, that's because those ingredients are integral to the item, like, say, a quesadilla. (Remove the cheese from a quesadilla, replace it with pico de gallo, grill it, and that's a recipe for disaster.) Then there are simply items where sauces and cheeses aren't eligible to remove, like a side of black beans or a dessert. 

If there are any menu items where the Fresco button isn't a choice, like Taco Bell's Mexican Pizza, you can simply use the customization system to omit any ingredient you don't want, like the cheese, for example. Unfortunately, you won't be getting pico de gallo as a free substitution in this case, but there are a few low-calorie (but chargeable) toppings you can add, like onions, lettuce, or red sauce, which won't add much to your overall count. But for the most part, if you're just looking for a quick way to trim down on calories, you can easily do so with the click of the Fresco button on most items at no additional cost. Or you can do like we do, and just go wild with customization to create secret Taco Bell menu items instead.