When given the choice at your favorite restaurant, a salad may seem like the best selection for your health and waistline. But unless it is made with fresh, dark greens and free from artery-clogging cheese or dressing, the decision may not be so simple.
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!
Even if you're not eating nearly a day's worth of calories with your restaurant salad, there's nothing better than getting creative with your salad bowl home. ShopSmart suggests using a good quality oil for homemade dressings and mixing in fresh fruit juice.
You can also swap out mayo for pureed avocados or low-fat yogurt. Think outside the bowl, too. A dollop of spicy mustard or chili can add a brand new flavor -- no dressing needed. You can also add in whole grains like brown rice or chunks of lean meat, canned tuna or beans for a heartier salad that feels more like a meal
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