Best and Worst Restaurant salads

16 years ago

ShopSmart, the best-buys magazine from the publisher of Consumer Reports, recently put 20 chicken-based salads from eight popular restaurants to the test and revealed the nine healthiest salads to order when dining out:

1. Panera Bread's BBQ Chopped Chicken Salad, with mild BBQ sauce, no dressing (350 calories)

2. On the Border's Citrus Chipotle Chicken Salad, with Mango Citrus Vinaigrette (290 calories)

3. Panera Bread's Asian Sesame Chicken Salad, with crispy wonton strips and almonds, no dressing (320 calories)

4. Panera Bread's Fuji Apple Chicken Salad, with pecans, no dressing (370 calories)

5. Wendy's Chicken Caesar Salad with Grilled Chicken Fillet, with home-style garlic croutons, no dressing (240 calories)

6. Olive Garden's Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad, without Caesar dressing (430 calories)

7. McDonald's Premium Southwest Salad with Grilled Chicken, without Creamy Southwest dressing (320 calories)

8. Burger King's Tendergril Chicken Garden Salad, without ranch dressing (270 calories)

9. Sonic's Santa Fe Grilled Chicken Salad, without ranch dressing (312 calories)

Do you notice a trend in the top-rated salads? Most of the calorie counts are given without the dressings, which are often extremely calorie-laden. It doesn't mean you have to go without the rich flavor of dressing all together -- simply ask for the dressing on the side and go easy when you drizzle it on, or ask for oil and vinegar and go light on the oil.

Shocking Salad Alert! ShopSmart warns also salad lovers in their April issue to beware of the two worst salads they found: Chili's Grilled BBQ Chicken Salad and Chilli's Quesadilla Explosion Salad. With barbecue sauce and ranch dressing, the Grilled BBQ Chicken Salad packs in 1,060 calories -- nearly half of your allotted calories for the day. And the Quesadilla Explosion Salad? Even worse with a whopping 1,400 calories!

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Comments (19)

glenda_al
Original Author
16 years ago
Do you eat a salad without dressing?
Jodi_SoCal
16 years ago
I seldom eat anything but Caesar salads. Since the dressing is mixed in when served, I always use dressing. :-)

My favorite Caesar is the Blackened Chicken Caesar from Mimi's. Oh great, now I'm craving it...

Jodi-
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gadgets
16 years ago
I don't eat my salads 'bare', but never have liked much dressing on them. I've always ordered it on the side and drizzle it on myself.

Shirley
jannie
16 years ago
my favoeite salad comes from Panera bread-Romaine lettuce, mandarin oranges, strawberries, raspberries and blueberries with a Raspberry venegraitte dressing. And some poppy seeds sprinkled on for crunchiness!
molly109
16 years ago
I love Applebee's Oriental Chicken Salad - but I
don't even want to know how unhealthy it is. LOL I
just crave it sometimes.

However, the dressing on it isn't real heavy.
susanjf_gw
16 years ago
undressed salad is a sin, lol...

we have place called the chicken king, that has what they call mi cherry salad...of course i ge it with crispy chicken, a raspberry dressing...omgoodness!
alisande
16 years ago
I love Panera's Fuji Apple Chicken Salad. Of course, I always get it with a multi-grain baguette (one of the rare times I eat bread).

Once a week I bring Wendy's Mandarin Chicken Salad to work. I substitute Italian Vinaigrette for the standard Oriental dressing, which is rather sweet.

But mostly I eat my own salads, which are good, too. :-)
angelaid
16 years ago
No nekkid salads here either. Love my own Caesar salad with Cajun Shrimp, smoked salmon or chicken.
Green salad with ranch or blue cheese and maybe a little Catalina w/the ranch or blue cheese.
Marilyn Sue
16 years ago
I think my husband likes his Thousand Island salad dressing with a little lettuce salad under it. I never saw anyone use so much salad dressing!

Sue
juellie1962
16 years ago
Molly - I was going to say the exact same thing. I LOVE that oriental chicken salad and also, don't wanna know what the nutrition facts are. mmmm....now I can't stop thinking about it.
glenda_al
Original Author
16 years ago
I too ask for my dressing on the side, except for the yummy caesar salad.
eccentric
16 years ago
Extra Virgin Olive Oil (has to be a fruity one) and balsamic vinegar. Or nothing. I admit to being way to fond of arugula with way too much olive oil and Italian dense white bread on the side. Don't need vinegar for that (and my rosacea is the better for it). My husband has learned to like the oil and vinegar - years ago it was creamy salad dressing garnished with a tiny piece of lettuce. I used to call in chip dip on a plate.
phyllis__mn
16 years ago
I used to love Applebees Oriental salad, but last time I had it, the greens were all cabbage. How disgusting was that, as I had always had the lovely little various greens. So now I don't dare order it.
Georgysmom
16 years ago
I love Panera's Asian sesame chicken salad. I order it every time we go there before the movie.
Happyladi
16 years ago
I always get the dressing on the side and then dip my fork into the dressing. I get the taste of the dressing without all the calories.
kacram
16 years ago
I need to try Panera Bread, it sounds good!
I used to eat salad all the time without dressing, plain or maybe with a squirt of lemon. DH loves his salad dressing and I now use it too. There are a lot of good 20 and 25 calorie dressings out there. I always order dressing on the side. and never have caesar salad dressing.
sheilajoyce_gw
16 years ago
That quesadilla explosion salad is the one that has lots of quesadillas rolled up and cut in halves as part of the "salad." It is not a salad and it is not low cal.
wildchild
16 years ago
I always order dressing on the side. I eat my salad by dipping the tines of my fork into the dressing and then picking up the salad.

I can't eat a pre-dressed salad. Too slimey.

Caesar salad dressing is deceptive. One of the worst out there for those counting calories.
User
16 years ago
For years every Friday night we go to Panera, and I get a soup and Fuji Apple chicken salad (dressing on the side)w/ a whole grain baguette. I love their coffee and the ambiance of the place.

Best and Worst Restaurant salads

Comments (19)

glenda_al
Original Author

Jodi_SoCal

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gadgets

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molly109

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alisande

angelaid

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glenda_al
Original Author

eccentric

phyllis__mn

Georgysmom

Happyladi

kacram

sheilajoyce_gw

wildchild

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Best and Worst Restaurant salads

Comments (19)

glenda_alOriginal Author

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glenda_alOriginal Author

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glenda_al
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