Here's What It Means To Order Fresco Style At Taco Bell

Rules are made to be broken, and menus are made to be customized. At least, some menus were, and Taco Bell's is among them. The fast food chain actually encourages customers to make substitutions and other alterations to the official menu items; they even publish tips on how to order a vegan, vegetarian, or lower-calorie meal, or how to just switch things up for the sake of fun and tastiness.

If you aspire to be a regular Taco Bell menu customizer, and especially if you have certain dietary restrictions, there's one phrase you need to know: "Fresco style." Ordering a menu item Fresco style means leaving off certain ingredients, namely dairy and some egg-based items, and replacing them with diced tomatoes.

Many items on the Taco Bell menu include cheese, sour cream, or mayo-based sauces by default, but Fresco is your magic word to nix all that. This simple alteration is all you need to make certain items vegan, or if you're trying to cut down on fat and calories. It may be a health-conscious option, but it doesn't make you feel like your tacos are missing anything. Because the dairy- and egg-based ingredients are subbed out for juicy tomatoes, there's an added dimension of flavor. After all, the saying is "Live Más," not "live less."

The first thing you should know is that "Fresco style" is an official Taco Bell offering, not an off-menu creation or hack, so employees at Taco Bell locations everywhere are aware of the term and what it means. And while it's a super useful modification to know about, you should be sure you understand exactly what items it adds and removes.

Ordering something Fresco style will leave off, specifically, "mayo-based sauces, cheeses, and reduced-fat sour cream," according to Taco Bell. Note that it will not automatically make any menu item vegan — if you order a Crunchy Taco Supreme, Fresco style, it'll still have the beef that comes in it by default, just no cheese or sour cream. And it excludes mayo-based sauces, but not all egg-based ingredients. If you manage to arrive before breakfast ends and order the Cheesy Toasted Potato Breakfast Burrito, Fresco style, it will exclude the nacho cheese, but not the scrambled eggs.

As mentioned, Fresco style means you're adding tomatoes, so be aware of that when ordering. If you don't want tomatoes, don't use the F-word (fresco, that is). Just ask them to hold the cheese and chipotle sauce, or whatever it may be.

Nowadays, there are several ways to place an order at Taco Bell, from the restaurant's website to the good old drive-through. And while ordering online might seem easier to some, it's important to know that details like substitutions can still get lost in the shuffle this way.

It's possible to make all these alterations and more through Taco Bell's online ordering platforms or in-store tablets –- "Fresco style" is even presented as an option. But if you have an allergy or other serious dietary restriction, you may want to place your order in person and clearly articulate it to the staff member. Little notes on a piece of paper can easily be missed, so if some unwanted cheese means you won't be able to eat your lunch at all, it's probably safer to use your words.

But assuming communication is all clear, ordering Fresco style is a great trick for making Taco Bell's affordable and convenient food better suit a variety of dietary needs and tastes. Ordering the Black Bean Crunchwrap Supreme or a simple Bean Burrito, Fresco style, makes both of those dishes vegan-friendly. And don't forget, you can still swap meat out for potatoes in tacos and burritos for a delicious plant-based option.