We all start the week with our best intentions.
But maybe picking up a salad for lunch is not the way to go about it.
Office workers will be well-accustomed to the lines pouring out of Chop’d, Just Salad, Pret, Sweetgreen and FreshCo from about 1pm.
You may have just stood in one of those lines yourself.
However, that hefty plastic bowl of greens packs a lot of calories – especially when you add all the recommended trimmings.
Daily Mail Online has crunched the numbers on your favorite midday meal, looking as well at the supposedly less healthy alternatives.
And nutritionist Abbey Sharp, RD, has given us her take on when a salad really is a healthy option.
Daily Mail Online has crunched the numbers on your favorite midday meal, and looked at the supposedly less healthy alternatives. Some of the most popular salad on the high street are packed full of sugar and fat
Sharp, who blogs at Abbey’s Kitchen, says you need to be prepared to make special requests if you want to get your lunch at one of the big salad bars.
‘Just because a menu item is listed as containing 10 different high calorie items, it doesn’t mean you need it,’ Sharp explains.
‘Think about getting a sieve of protein, lots of water rich low calorie veggies, a source of fat and if you want, one type of carbohydrate based food.
According to Sharp, you should go for:
– one source of protein like grilled (not fried) chicken
– one small portion (1oz) of nuts or 1/4 cup of avocado
– no bacon, cheese, or croutons which tend to drive up those calorie counts
– one source of carbohydrates if you want it – like corn, fruit or a grain like quinoa. But avoid dried fruit because it provides a much more concentrated source of sugar that is a lot less satisfying
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As for dressing, you will already have some fat if you include nuts or avocado, Sharp advises, so try to go easy on the dressing.
‘A lot of salad dressings are packed with sodium, sugar and fat so I usually suggest ordering on the side and using it very conservatively,’ she explains.
‘With so many add ins, you often have enough flavor going on to satisfy.
‘If possible, ask for a few lemon wedges to add a spritz more flavor and then dip your fork in the dressing before spearing your greens.’
With that in mind, take a look at what’s inside your favorite salads:
Chop’t
Santa Fe ($8.99)
930 CALORIES
Avocado, grape tomatoes, corn, Vermont pepperjack, homemade fried onions and romaine lettuce = 510 calories
+ recommended chicken = 150 calories
+ recommended Tex Mex ranch = 110 calories
+ complimentary bread = 170 calories
This is the ultimate ‘first-time favorite’ at Chop’t, the self-professed ‘farm-to-fast-food revolution’.
On the firm’s website they say they are rebranding fast food as a healthy alternative.
‘Fast food messed up. We have to fix it,’ their credo states.
But once you add all the trimmings recommended to go with your Santa Fe salad, you’re taking in a hefty 930 calories .
That is almost half the daily recommended allowance of 2,000 calories for women.
NUTRITIONIST VERDICT: Sharp says high calories aren’t always so bad, given that they keep you fuller for longer.
However, most of the core ingredients fall foul of Sharp’s recommendation list.
If you want to make this nutritionist-friendly, you’ll have to drop the Tex Mex ranch dressing, the bread, the fried onions, and the Vermont pepperjack cheese.
Once you add all the trimmings recommended to go with Chop’t’s Santa Fe salad, you’re taking in a hefty 930 calories. That is almost half the daily recommended allowance of 2,000 calories for women
Just Salad
Asian Sesame Grain ($9.49)
635 CALORIES
Iceberg-Red Cabbage-Mesclun Mix, grilled chicken, wheatberries, quinoa, string beans, crispy wontons = 510
+ recommended dressing = 125 calories
Excluding additional bread, this sweet and crispy salad still comes to a third of your daily calorie intake.
It includes crispy wontons and a sweet-tasting Asian dressing.
If this is a daily favorite of yours, you might consider packing in some more regular gym time.
NUTRITIONIST VERDICT: As Sharp says, stay clear of croutons and sweet dressings.
So the crispy wontons are hardly ideal.
And you may not be getting the flavor you were craving if you had to skip the sweet dressing for a squeeze of lemon.
In terms of fiber, Sharp recommends having just one source, making the combination of quinoa and wheatberry excessive.
Excluding additional bread, this sweet and crispy salad still comes to a third of your daily calorie intake
FreshCo
South Beach Salad ($10.25)
900 CALORIES
Chicken, craisins, walnuts, fresh apples, blue cheese, mesclun, romaine = 650
+ recommended honey balsamic dressing = 250 calories
Thanks to the Chop’t Santa Fe salad, this is not the most calorific of the bunch. But it’s close.
The indulgent tasting chicken and walnut bowl is a significant 650 calories alone.
Though that may seem like a win for something with blue cheese in it, that is all lost when you add the 250-calorie recommended honey dressing.
At 900 calories, you’re well on your way to completing your daily calorie intake.
NUTRITIONIST VERDICT: Sharp recommends against cheese, dried fruit, and sugary dressings, which all drive up your fat and sugar intake.
So you’ll have to cut out all the gooey and sweet elements of this salad to make it acceptable.
McDonald’s
Southwest Grilled Chicken Salad ($4.79)
390 CALORIES
Grilled chicken, cheddar and jack cheese, chili lime tortilla strips, and a Southwestern vegetable blend of tomatoes, corn, black beans, and peppers = 350 calories
+ recommended low fat balsamic vinaigrette = 40 calories
To everyone’s surprise, here is McDonald’s with the least calorific salad of the bunch.
It has largely to do with the fact that it is a smaller portion size and does not pack in so many calorific ingredients.
NUTRITIONIST VERDICT: Regardless of the calorie count, there are some problems here.
The chicken may be grilled, but there are two kinds of cheese plus a helping of tortilla strips.
To everyone’s surprise, here is McDonald’s with the least calorific salad of the bunch
Pret a Manger
Southwestern Chicken Avocado Power Lunch ($8.49)
690 CALORIES
Chargrilled chicken, avocado, roasted corn salsa, cilantro, lime, white red quinoa, black green lentils, edamame, parsley = 640
+ recommended chimichurri dressing = 50
Pret’s colorful salad bowl also contains far more calories than you could find in a simple sandwich.
However, nutritionists say this bowl shouldn’t be given a hard time.
Most of the calories come from slow-release fiber like quinoa and good fat like avocado.
It may hurt your pocket but it won’t hurt your body as much as some of its rivals.
NUTRITIONIST VERDICT: Sharp says a salad should have some protein, some fiber, and a bit of fat.
Pret’s power lunch contains lentils and quinoa but doesn’t violate any other nutritional standards.
Nutritionists say this power bowl by Pret shouldn’t be given a hard time. Most of the calories come from slow-release fiber like quinoa and good fat like avocado
Sweetgreen
Mexican Corn Elote Bowl ($9.85)
680 CALORIES
Quinoa and farro, arugula, roasted corn and peppers, goat cheese, spicy sunflower seeds, cilantro, tomato, shredded cabbage, lime, cilantro, jalapeno vinaigrette = 580 calories
+ complimentary bread = 100 calories
Considering that this total includes a slice of bread, Sweetgreen’s bowl of quinoa, arugula and roasted corn is actually quite nutritious.
And it comes with the jalapeno dressing on the side.
But it does contain some no-nos.
NUTRITIONIST VERDICT: Sharp would advise against cheese. But that’s about it.
This bowl has a good combination of protein, fat and carbohydrates.
Considering that this total includes a slice of bread, Sweetgreen’s bowl of goat cheese, quinoa, arugula and roasted corn is actually quite nutritious
ELSEWHERE ON THE HIGH STREET…
McDonald’s Bacon Cheese Sirloin Third Pound Burger ($5.00)
TOTAL CALORIES: 810
Burger King Extra Long BBQ Cheeseburger ($3.99)
TOTAL CALORIES: 590
Subway Footlong Buffalo Chicken
TOTAL CALORIES: 420
BUT IT MAY STILL BE BETTER TO EAT A CALORIE-HIGH SALAD…
Sharp says: ‘My personal opinion is that yes, it’s still better to go for the salad in many of these cases but only if you’re prepared to make a few special requests.
‘Despite being lower in calories, the burgers are often relatively small.
‘So you may be hungry again in an hour or feel tempted by a side of fries.
‘They’re also loaded with sodium and saturated fat if your opting for cheese, a double party and other add-ons like bacon.
‘So with some special ordering you should be able to significantly drive down the calories of a salad so they’re more comparable with a fast food sandwich but they generally will be far more satisfying and generously portioned to keep you full longer.’