When eating out, what could be better than a crisp juicy salad with a little grilled meat on top for a healthy low calorie meal? This can be especially appealing during the warmer months of the year. It’s midsummer as I write this so still plenty of warm weather left even where I live in the Midwest. Summer may also mean more road trips and therefore more of a need to quickly find and purchase a healthy low calorie meal while on the go.
Yes, salads CAN be a great choice if you are watching your calorie intake but don’t be fooled! Most full meal restaurant salads are packed with hidden fat and sugar, yes sugar! Calorie counts can easily push past 600-700, even 1,000! And if the fat and sugar weren’t enough there’s the issue of too much sodium! Whenever possible, have a sense of what you will choose BEFORE going to a restaurant (look it up online).
My husband and I just returned from a short 2-day trip to Wisconsin. While on the road we stopped at Culver’s for a quick supper. Now mind you Culver’s is not what I would have chosen for staying on track with my healthy low calorie eating. But it was late. We were tired and Culver’s was one of the few choices we had when we were ready to eat. More importantly, I think my husband had just found a way to get me to go with him to Culver’s for a meal so he could have frozen custard for dessert!
Now imagine my surprise when I learned Culver’s has a new Spinach and Strawberry Salad with an option to add grilled chicken pieces on top. That salad really hit the spot. I ate the whole thing without adding even a little salad dressing. It was that good. I won’t go so far as to say that I haven’t had anything better because I certainly have! But hey it sure beats choosing one of the many high calorie grease-laden meals from the menu. There are quite a few that make me think I could easily end up in the emergency room with heart problems as soon as the grease hits my arteries! At my age you think about these things but no matter how young you may be I hope you also come up with some image stopping pictures in your mind to decrease your chances of selecting less than desirable entrees.
Back at home I tried unsuccessfully to find the calorie count for the Spinach and Strawberry Salad. It must be so new it’s not even listed at the company website. However, when I compare it in my mind with similar meals at other restaurants my guess is that it weighs in at about 400 calories and possibly less. That’s just a guess so don’t take my word on that. When I find the calorie count, I’ll let you know.
[UPDATE: I've now found a listing for a Strawberry Fields Salad made with crisp salad greens, flame roasted chicken, grape tomatoes, fresh strawberries, blue cheese crumbles, and topped with lightly roasted pecans. The calorie count is actually 451! Evidently the pecans account for 200 of those calories but otherwise contribute healthy fat and other nutrients. The blue cheese crumbles account for 100 calories and provide a lot of great flavor but 5 grams of saturated fat. Just goes to show you that Nutritionists don't always get it right. Although I don't remember the blue cheese. Maybe that's a new addition this year?]
Here’s a short list of other good options for low cal salads when you’re eating out:
Wendy’s
Mandarin Chicken, without almonds, crispy noodles, or dressing
180 calories
.5 g saturated fat
630 mg sodium
2 g dietary fiber
12 g sugar
24 g protein
40 mg calcium
The Mandarin Chicken Salad without the added ingredients gets my top vote for a healthy choice. It has the lowest sodium count of just about any other fast food salad. However, the dietary fiber and calcium count could be better but with only 180 calories for the meal you can easily add a low fat dairy product such as yogurt or milk to boost the calcium. And you might have an apple for additional fiber (you may have to bring one along to eat later after your meal).
McDonald’s (3 fairly good choices):
Caesar Salad with Grilled Chicken, without dressing
220 Calories
3 g saturated fat
890 mg sodium
3 g dietary fiber
5 g sugar
30 g protein
200 mg calcium
The other possibilities from McDonald’s:
Southwest Salad with Grilled Chicken, without dressing (320 calories)
Bacon Ranch with Grilled Chicken Salad, without dressing (260 calories)
Arby’s
Market Fresh Santa Fe Salad with Grilled Chicken, without dressing
279 calories
4 g saturated fat
679 mg sodium
6 g dietary fiber
25 g protein
210 mg calcium
Note: This salad is currently listed as being available but it was not on the menu when I checked a local Arby’s just yesterday.
Burger King
Garden Salad with Tender Grilled Chicken, without dressing or croutons
240 calories
3.5 g saturated fat
720 mg sodium
4 g dietary fiber
33 g protein
150 mg calcium
Dairy Queen
Grilled Chicken Salad, without dressing
280 calories
5 g saturated fat
890 mg sodium
4 g dietary fiber
8 g sugar
31 g protein
700 mg calcium
Au Bon Pain
Caesar Salad
240 calories
6 g saturated fat
310 mg sodium
4 g dietary fiber
13 g protein
350 mg calcium
This salad has more saturated fat than I would like. I try to keep my saturated fat intake at 12 grams or less for the day. So the salad is O.K. if I remember to choose foods with little or no saturated fat the rest of the day.
Schlotzsky’s Deli
Baby Spinach and Feta, without dressing or croutons
197 calories
5 g saturated fat
447 mg sodium
4 g dietary fiber
4 g sugar
10 g protein
My sources for this information were Calorie Lab and Calorie King online. Hopefully the databases are up to date! (Restaurants change their menus fairly often.)
To learn more about low calorie restaurant food especially if you are on a low calorie diet of 1200 to 1500 calories you might find some of my previous articles to be helpful:
A Low Calorie Restaurant Food Guide
Low Calorie Italian Food: What to Choose at an Italian Restaurant
Low Calorie Chinese Meals: Restaurant or Take Out
Healthy Restaurant Food: Is it Low Calorie?
I’m leaving for another road trip very soon so this information may come in handy for me. Hope it helps you as well. Before I finish up this article, I’d like to share a nagging question. Why the heck can’t these restaurants come up with more creative low calorie salad choices??? Some days I can’t stand the thought of eating another grilled chicken salad!!!! What about you?
Till next time, watch those calories and eat healthy food!
