The construction of a burrito takes a great amount of care and precision. It’s not simply a matter of throwing together some ingredients and slapping a tortilla around them. It’s much more technical than that. Artful, even.

For a burrito to achieve optimal taste and performance, four important elements must be considered. The fusion of ingredients, the melding of textures, the use of color, all with a focus on nutrients. Finally, all of this must be wrapped accordingly so said burrito lands in mouth, not all over lap. Here are some tips to help you along:

Ingredients
What you want to put in your burrito is your business. Vegetarian, vegan, high-protein or otherwise is up to you. But be sure to distribute your ingredients evenly from one end to the other. No one wants to eat a burrito with “ingredient zones” or pockets of just chicken, just beans, just cheese. Ingredients should be placed in layers lengthwise so each bite boasts all flavors melded together in Mexicana merriment.

Textures
Who likes a soggy burrito? *crickets* While the urge to get saucy in the creation of your burrito is oh so tempting, try switching out salsa for chopped tomatoes and cilantro or forgo the guac for fresh avocado.

Colors
When I think of Mexico or Mexicana cuisine, muted hues don’t really come to mind. Think fiesta flags, mariachi bands and the colourful cuisine. Some of the best tasting food in the world is bursting with color, like eggplant, onions and bell peppers.

Nutrients
Burritos offer the best opportunity to disguise something so delicious and fun to eat with tons of hidden vitamins and nutrients. The kids will never know. Try Luvo’s Organic Cajun Style Brown Rice & Bean burrito with 7 grams of fiber (29%) and 7 grams of protein.

Wrap it right
Finally, after carefully planning the creation of your burrito, you don’t want to botch it up with sloppy wrapping skills. I recommend trying what I call the “tuck and roll”. Simply pull the sides of your burrito inwards while pulling one end over with your thumbs and rolling tightly, pinning the sides into the burrito so there is nowhere for your ingredients to escape. This might take some practice, but it will avoid transforming your burrito into the best taco salad you ever had.

If you’ve executed your burrito build successfully, reward yourself with a lime margarita – on ice, sin sal.