If you’re the type of person who goes to a fast food (or fast casual) restaurant and orders a salad, we’re willing to bet it’s because you care about eating a healthy meal. You know you should be eating a certain amount of vegetables a day, and that salads will help you do that.
But just how nutritious are salads at these restaurants? Here’s the thing: it varies, by a lot. Some salads can make for healthy meal, while others can pack more calories, fat and sodium than a Big Mac.
We rounded up the updated nutritional information on popular salads you can find at McDonald’s, Burger King, Wendy’s, Taco Bell ― yep, they make a salad ― and Panera. The findings were somewhat surprising: while we weren’t shocked to learn that a taco salad served in a fried shell is probably the least healthy salad choice out there, we were surprised to learn that you really can get a healthy salad option at some of the other chains.
Check it out ― in order from most caloric to least caloric ― and eat smarter:
Nutritional information:
760 calories
39g fat
1,320mg sodium
27g protein
Nutritional information:
710 calories
50g fat
1,800mg sodium
32g protein
Nutritional information:
690 calories
44g fat
1,120mg sodium
35g protein
Nutritional information:
600 calories
43g fat
2010mg sodium
40g protein
Nutritional information:
560 calories
24g fat
1,020mg sodium
38g protein
Nutritional information:
550 calories
33g fat
720mg sodium
36g protein
Nutritional information:
530 calories
41g fat
870mg sodium
11g protein
Nutritional information:
470 calories
19g fat
1,140mg sodium
39g protein
Nutritional information:
470 calories
19g fat
1,020mg sodium
37g protein
Nutritional information:
410 calories
20g fat
540mg sodium
25g protein