Question on McD's salads

KacieHetrick

Today for lunch I had a Bacon Ranch Chicken salad from McD's, even though the salad from McD's was made with grilled chicken (not crispy) totaled out at 430 calories and 21g of carbs I still feel gross after eating it... Anyone else have an issue with salads from McD's? Is it not as good as I thought it might be? I've been eating spinach with granny smith apples and clementines with the clementine squeezed for the dressing for a week for lunch so I thought I'd mix it up but I'm thinking that wasn't a great choice. I drank water with it too.

KacieHetrick

*Normally I don't eat at McD's but the ladies I work with were going for lunch and beggers can't be choosers! LOL Next time I won't forget my bag of spinach!

oneIT

I always eat the southwest salad from there. Its OK. There is not alot of choices out there.

deadstarsunburn

I feel like places like this inject the food with calories. I can't even imagine how they manage to get some of those stats so high!

amaried621

The worst part of that salad is going to be the dressing. When you think of McD's nothing about that screams healthy so I understand you still feeling icky after eating it. Salads are a great choice, adding chicken is great so you get your protein, just have to watch the dressing. I always get mine on the side when I get a salad out somewhere. It's amazing how much dressing you DON'T use.

ArnonsaeJ

With a salad its all about the toppings, try switching out the dressing for something lower in calories, or not eating the croutons (idk if they're on it or not).

GouchisGirl

It is probably the sodium (1230 mg)..... Salads are great, but that is where they get you. Especially fast food. Hope you feel better.

OLFATUG

I have never had a good experience with fast food salads. I often get sick after eating them and theorize it has something to do with people not washing their hands -=shudder=-.

Articeluvsmemphis

it's just the dressing. like most salads are maybe 200calories but with extras like dressing and croutons, or nuts, or any of those high calories or fatty additivies, it adds up. I don't eat their salads just because they tastes gross, but the stats aren't bad. a banana has more carbs than that, lol I love chik fil a salads though

willnorton

only if you are eating a low carb lifestyle...I get the side salad which has hardly any cals and I get creamy ceasar dressing which is also low in carbs..
then I get either a double cheeseburger with no bread and no ketsup and break it up on the salad...or i get the quarter pounder with no bread and no cheese and no ketsup,....

its very low carb meal..

if you are just looking at cals...then my suggestion will probably not work..

good luck

Bill

lindalee0315

I'm a fan of the southwest salad with grilled chicken. It has 290 calories, but you can rack up another 100 with the dressing. I like it, it has protein, and it's spicy. When I'm in a hurry or too lazy to make something, it's something I turn to.

AmeChops

Wowzers!! The grilled chicken and bacon salad with the low-fat caesar dressing from McDonalds here in the UK at it comes out as:

205 kcal
24g protein
11g carbs
6g fat

I've not had it with bacon, only grilled chicken but it was pretty good.

pftjill

Well, not being mean, but bacon ranch-you should have steered clear of that choice all together-haha. Sorry-I guess we all learn from our mistakes. I crave burgers a lot and every time I give in to it I get sick-not fun.

thepanttherlady

I don't eat their salads any more but not because I think they're icky. Just way too many calories for a meal for my liking. I'd rather get something really yummy if I'm going to eat higher calories.

When I go I usually get the Maple Oatmeal with fruit. It's 290 calories and oh so yummy. It's served all day long here in So Cal, but not sure about any where else.

smangani

I havn't had that one. I usually get Grilled Chicken Cesar Salad. Yummm. My favorite!

I agree though - calculate without the dressing first. It's amazing how much dressing you don't use. I personally don't like very much. I squeeze a very small amount and mix it up. Works great!

ddecarr

The Southwest salad with Southwest dressing and grilled chicken actually has decent nutrition values, even the sodium isn't that bad considering this is a once in a while meal. And the salad tastes good too.

MercenaryNoetic26

Bacon and Ranch are key words. Overall, this choice was better than most for McD's. I found having a McDouble with NO/cheese and a side salad with the Low-fat Italian is very guiltless.

fitaliciag

I agree. I only get the Southwest salad and put one pack of dressing.

Shweedog

Bacon+Ranch=Calories. I do love me some bacon and ranch though! LOL!

Laurayinz

You would have been better off getting the grilled chicken sandwich and a side salad, or even a kids nugget meal with apples. It's amazing how much a salad can be "ruined".

kittzle

How do you get 430 calories from it? Is that including a full package of the dressing? The website has it marked as 230 calories, with 10 grams of carbs. I get this one often and add spinach to it when I get back to my office. With half the dressing package it's 315 calories + however much spinach I use.

lexibelk

I have never had a good experience with fast food salads. I often get sick after eating them and theorize it has something to do with people not washing their hands -=shudder=-.

I tried not to think about that!! Thanks! haha

But yeah, I've had nothing but bad experiences with fast food salads. Might as well get something else not so icky from there and try again the next day.

DrG3n3

If I go to McDonalds for a salad, I get the bacon ranch grilled with the dressing. I think the sodium actually is closer to 1500 than 1230 mg with the dressing, the cheese and bacon. I wouldn't settle for less. Absolutely LOVE this salad. I get it if I crave it and only when I can fit it in. But this comes from someone who eats 1800 calories a day and had half a pizza last night. I figured just because I want to lose weight doesn't mean I can't have good food. I also get a McDouble and Small fry occasionally as well.

tpenha

I hear what your saying, I have tried the salads there and didnt care for them. I rather make my own and package it for work.

SueScott5plus

I usually get the Ceasar Salad with the grilled chicken but I bring my own dressing when I remember. It's a good salad when time is short.

KacieHetrick

I had it with half of the dressing, no croutons and didn't eat half of the bacon bits( because they were gross!) , it's the only salad I could think of on their menu and since I was going I just told the lady that was running that that would work...Should have looked up the info before hand. I won't ever do that again though! LOL The sodium is insane! I didn't even see that was how much was in there! Thank you for all of the feedback, I hardly ever eat fast food and always end up sick after I do, should have known.

Also, the carb count is very important to me (since I was advised to stay under 45 carbs per meal by my dr. but I try to stay under 100 for the entire day) I was diagnosed with Hashimoto's disease last year and it went undiagnosed for so long that the weight I gained (100 lbs in a year, then undiagnosed for 5 years after) also caused damage to my pancreas so until I drop some weight I'm on this low"er" carb diet. I think that I will continue this indefinitely just because I feel better when I don't eat a lot of carbs.

I appreciate everyone's feedback! Thank you all very much!

KacieHetrick

So I recalculated the salad with only half the dressing 315 calories...Still feels like 800!

ROCKERFOREVER81

I prepare my own salads and bring them to work for lunch: I save money and calories See the documentary "Super size Me" it's scary...but it is just my opinion and others opinions here in this section are respected.

KacieHetrick

I usually prepare my own too, it was just a hectic morning and forgot! I brought my spinach today though! Along with my clementine and apple to cut up! So yummy! Nothing processed, no sodium, just fresh!

10kaday

Mcdonald salad is good just make sure it's grilled chicken and ask for a low calorie dressing on it.

shannonewallace

i heard a quote once that going to mc donalds for a salad is like going to a *kitten* for a hug

LOL

but in all seriousness we all have to do what we can some days when things dont go 100% how we want them, the good part is your initial choice was a salad over all of the other things on the menu that you probably would have gotten before your journey without hesitation. Then you still checked to see what the calories were and logged - so props there, and hey, now thanks to some great advice from the above posters you know for next time what you can do to make a slightly better choice!