A new salad test from ShopSmart, publisher of Consumer Reports and featured in the April 2010 issue, investigates the nutritional value and taste-factor of 20 chicken-based salads sold at eight major chains.
"Just because it's a salad doesn't mean it's diet food. Add-ins can sometimes add up to almost as many calories as a bacon burger," said Lisa Lee Freeman, editor-in-chief of ShopSmart.
The top healthy choices at major restaurant chains include:
- Panera Bread's BBQ Chopped Chicken Salad, with mild BBQ sauce, no dressing (350 calories)
- On the Border's Citrus Chipotle Chicken Salad, with Mango Citrus Vinaigrette (290 calories)
Runners-Up
- Panera Bread's Asian Sesame Chicken Salad, with crispy wonton strips and almonds, no dressing (320 calories)
- Panera Bread's Fuji Apple Chicken Salad, with pecans, no dressing (370 calories)
- Wendy's Chicken Caesar Salad with Grilled Chicken Fillet, with home-style garlic croutons, no dressing (240 calories)
The best from other chains:
- Olive Garden's Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad, without Caesar dressing (430 calories)
- McDonald's Premium Southwest Salad with Grilled Chicken, without Creamy Southwest dressing (320 calories)
- Burger King's Tendergrill Chicken Garden Salad, without ranch dressing (270 calories)
- Sonic's Santa Fe Grilled Chicken Salad, without ranch dressing (312 calories)
Not so hot:
- Chili's Grilled BBQ Chicken Salad with barbecue sauce and ranch dressing (1060 calories) and Quesadilla Explosion Salad (1,400 calories)
