13 Restaurant Salads On A Skip-To-Order Scale
Restaurant salads can be dietary angels or caloric demons in disguise. Many chain restaurants pack their ‘healthy options’ with more calories than a burger and fries!
Smart ordering means knowing which leafy landmines to dodge and which nutritional treasures to seek out. Your waistline and taste buds will thank you for this insider intel.
1. Applebee’s Oriental Chicken Salad
Holy calorie bomb! This crunchy catastrophe packs a whopping 1,440 calories and 99 grams of fat into one deceptive bowl.
The crispy chicken, fried noodles, and sugar-laden dressing transform what could be healthy into dessert territory. Skip this salad unless you’re planning to share it with three friends!
2. Chili’s Quesadilla Explosion Salad
Kaboom goes your diet! This explosive mix features a full cheese quesadilla sliced and arranged around a salad that’s already drowning in ranch, corn relish, and tortilla strips.
At 1,400 calories and 96 grams of fat, this meal masquerading as a salad contains nearly a day’s worth of calories. Yikes!
3. The Cheesecake Factory Caesar Salad With Chicken
Unexpected! A startling 1,510 calories are provided by this seemingly innocuous choice. Portion quantity and creamy dressing are not compromised at The Cheesecake Factory.
Large amounts of chicken and parmesan crisps may seem like the epitome of protein, but what about when combined with their thick caesar dressing? White flags of surrender are flying from your arteries!
4. Panera Bread Southwest Caesar Salad with Chicken
Don’t be fooled by Panera’s health halo! Their Southwest Caesar with chicken sneaks in 650 calories and 34g of fat, mostly from the creamy dressing and crispy tortilla strips.
Black bean corn salsa adds nice flavor but can’t compensate for nutritional drawbacks. Half portions exist for a reason – use that option!
5. Buffalo Wild Wings Crispy Chicken Salad
Wings aren’t the only calorie catastrophe at BWW! Their Crispy Chicken Salad delivers a jaw-dropping 1,220 calories thanks to breaded chicken that’s practically deep-fried.
Topped with tons of cheese, bacon bits, and ranch dressing, it’s basically chicken wings with some token lettuce. Might as well order actual wings!
6. California Pizza Kitchen Thai Crunch Salad
Crunch your way to calorie overload! CPK’s Thai Crunch Salad might sound exotic and healthy, but clocks in at 1,200 calories with the standard dressing amount.
Crispy wontons, fried rice sticks, and peanut dressing create a textural wonderland – and a fat festival. Ask for dressing on the side to salvage some nutritional value.
7. TGI Fridays Million Dollar Cobb Salad
Worth a million calories? Almost! This monster salad earns its name by costing you nearly 1,300 calories in one sitting.
Loaded with bacon, blue cheese, avocado, egg, and ranch dressing, it contains more fat than three McDonald’s cheeseburgers. Even splitting it leaves you with a hefty caloric investment!
8. Wendy’s Taco Salad
Fast food salads rarely deliver on health promises, and Wendy’s Taco Salad is Exhibit A! At 660 calories, it’s not the worst offender until you add the included taco chips and sour cream.
The chili topping adds protein but also sodium and fat. Better options exist even within Wendy’s own menu – their half-sized salads make more sense!
9. Sweetgreen Harvest Bowl
At last, a victor! Warm wild rice, kale, sweet potatoes, apples, goat cheese, and almonds are all perfectly balanced in Sweetgreen’s Harvest Bowl.
Without overpowering the flavors, the maple balsamic vinaigrette offers just the right amount of sweetness. It provides delight without sacrificing any of its 430 calories, which is precisely what a nutritious salad ought to accomplish!
10. Just Salad Tokyo Supergreens
It is in this nutritional powerhouse that superfood magic occurs! For a significant vitamin boost, Just Salad’s Tokyo Supergreens blends spinach and kale with broccoli, carrots, and edamame.
Flavor is provided by the miso ginger vinaigrette without being too rich in fat. It’s the epitome of clean eating that still satisfies hunger, with protein options and calories under 400!
11. Cava Greens + Grains Bowl
Mediterranean diet fans, rejoice! Cava’s customizable Greens + Grains bowl starts with a supergreens and grains base that’s fiber-rich and filling.
Add hummus, tzatziki, feta, and protein of choice for a balanced meal under 500 calories. The lemon herb tahini dressing adds creaminess without diet destruction – Mediterranean magic at its finest!
12. Mendocino Farms Avocado & Quinoa Superfood Ensalada
Superfood does not equate to super dull! Succulent roasted corn, protein-rich quinoa, creamy avocado, and chopped romaine are all combined in this California-inspired dish.
Without adding calories, the lime-cilantro jalapeño vinaigrette gives a burst of flavor. It provides long-lasting energy at about 480 calories, so you won’t be hungry an hour later!
13. Chopt Palm Beach Salad
Experience the tropical joy of Florida with your taste buds! In Chopt’s Palm Beach Salad, avocado, grape tomatoes, English cucumbers, hearts of palm, and romaine and kale are combined.
Calorie-wise, the light champagne vinaigrette keeps things in check. For protein, add grilled chicken without going over your calorie limit. This will give you the feeling of a vacation without the food regrets!