Most people on weight-reduction diets believe that having a salad for meal is a low calorie option that’s preferable to eating a Whopper or a Big Mac. Not always the case. Many salads come loaded with dried fruits, nuts, avocado, corn, and beans. Nutritious ingredients, yes, but caloric—especially if lots of cheese is sprinkled on top.
Salad dressing can be a real calorie-killer. Even a little bit of dressing on a big salad can become a LOT of dressing! Perhaps that’s why I’ve observed that people who eat salads for meals tend to be heavier than people who eat sandwiches. As for myself, I’ll take my sandwich with a small (but colorful) side salad.
Let’s see how some salads compare:
Entree | Calories | Fat: Total | Fat: % of calories | Sodium |
Whopper | 670 | 39 g | 52% | 970 mg |
Big Mac | 550 | 29 | 48% | 1,000 |
| | | | |
Burger King Caesar Salad with Tendercrisp chicken | 670 | 43 | 58% | 1,760 |
Cheesecake Factory Grilled Chicken Tostada Salad | 1,130 | 39 | 31% | 2,150 |
Panera Fuji Apple Chicken Salad | 710 | 34 | 43% | 1,380 |
Olive Garden Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad | 610 | 40 | 59% | 1.230 |
Applebee’s Grilled Shrimp ‘N Spinach Salad | 960 | 65 | 61% | 2,500 |
Without dressing | 630 | 46 | 66% | 1,660 |
For more information on how to create a super sports salad, check out my Sports Nutrition Guidebook.
Nancy Clark's Recipes for Athletes are also available as an app.
