Studio 5 Health and Fitness Contributor, Melanie Douglass, R.D., NASM digs in to the best and worst restaurant salads.
Think salad is always the lowest calorie option in a restaurant? Think again! What was once a dish that started and ended with veggies, has become a platter of meats, cheeses, starches and thick dressings. Check out these two very different restaurant salads to see what I mean:
Salad #1: Too Many Ingredients
| Calories | |
| 13” tortilla |
600 |
| ¾ c rice |
160 |
| ½ c beans |
115 |
| 1 c chicken |
230 |
| 1 c tortilla strips |
150 |
| ¼ c guacamole |
70 |
| 1 T parmesan |
25 |
| ½ c dressing |
600 |
| 5 c of lettuce |
40 |
| Total |
1990 |
Salad #2: Simple
| 5 c lettuce |
40 |
| ½ c tomatoes |
15 |
| ½ c carrots |
25 |
| ½ c celery |
8 |
| ½ c broccoli |
15 |
| 2 T dressing |
140 |
| Total | 243 |
Interesting, right? Now, let’s look at some real-world examples. Here’s the nutritional scoop on six popular salads:
| Restaurant | Menu Item |
Calories | Fat | Saturated Fat |
Fiber | Sodium | Protein | Carbs |
| Olive Garden |
Green |
350 | 26 | 4.5 | 3 | 1930 | 7 | 22 |
| McDonald’s | Southwestern w/grilled chicken |
420 | 15 | 4 | 6 | 1300 | 31 | 41 |
| Wendy’s |
Apple |
580 | 27 | 9 | 6 | 1590 | 38 | 50 |
| California Pizza Kitchen |
Original BBQ (full size) |
1133 | 63 | 16 | 13 | 1460 | 46 | 95 |
| Chili’s | Quesadilla Explosion |
1400 | 88 | 26 | 12 | 2360 | 66 | 90 |
| Generic |
Mexican-style |
1990 | 97 | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a |
*Nutritional information is from www.calorieking.com and the USDA Nutritional Database. Mexican-style salad was purchased from a restaurant, separated into individual ingredients, weighed and analyzed using the USDA database for total entrée data.
To put things into perspective, think about this:
One double cheeseburger has 34 grams of fat. A cup of fudge ice cream has 26 grams. A dinner portion of Fettuccine Alfredo has 82 grams.
Although some of these salads are worse than 2 double cheeseburgers when it comes to fat content, keep in mind the fat in salads in usually heart-friendly monounsaturated fat coming from the dressings. In addition to healthier fats, most salads are plentiful in essential vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals and “freshness”! These are all good things. We just need to find some balance.
The bottom line? Salad is still best. Salads are simply suffering from the supersize phenomenon too; and many of these salads would be divinely healthy at a smaller portion size. If your salad comes on platter instead of a small plate or bowl, be sure to eat half of it or split with a friend. In addition, here are a few ordering tips to keep your salad in check, so you can stay on the path to better health and wellness.
Choose freely
Leafy greens
Raw vegetables (celery, carrots, broccoli, peas, asparagus)
Fruits
Light or fat-free dressings
Choose 1 – 2 items maximum
Beans
Meat
Cheese
Regular dressing
Nuts
Eggs
Guacamole
Starch (tortilla, rice or croutons)
Skip Entirely (don’t waste precious calories!)
Fried chicken
Bacon
Fried tortilla shells
Sour cream
Tortilla strips or chips
For more information or questions, email Melanie at Melaniedouglass@gmail.com
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