What's the best of the fast food salads?

My neighbor is a courier and eats NOTHING but fast food. I want to give him a few more fast food salad ideas so he can get off the burgers and fries. Tell me what your favorites are and if you have a prefered dressing. He's an older gentlemen who is supposed to be watching his salt. (Thus my concern with the fries. :grumble: )

Trust me, I am not an advocate of fast food anything - but there are times when I have to make it work for whatever reason. So far I have tried, and favor in this order:

Burger King Apple Cranberry Grilled Chicken Salad - NO DRESSING
Chick Fil a Chargrilled Chicken Salad - Fat free honey mustard
McDonald's side salad with balsamic viniagrette

These are the only ones I have tasted, so I am not sure if there are better ones out there or not. Thanks in advance!!

Thanks guys!!

Replies

  • Learning2LoveMe
    Learning2LoveMe Posts: 1,430 Member
    My fav from any fast food place is Chick-fil-a's Grilled chicken garden salad... I don't remember the exact name, but it's the one without nuts or any of that craziness on it (I'm not a fan of fruit or nuts in my salad).

    Second best would be Jack in the Box grilled chicken salad. It comes with balsamic vinaigrette automatically. Personally, I can't eat a salad without ranch.. and they have a tasty lite ranch dressing. Yum :happy:
  • alyssa92982
    alyssa92982 Posts: 1,093 Member
    I get McDonalds Sante Fe chicken salad with grilled chicken. Kinda high with sodium but with the dressing it comes with all together its like 400 calories I believe
  • wender125
    wender125 Posts: 93 Member
    Mcdonald's has a side garden salad that I get now instead of fries. fresh veg topped with a bit of grated cheese. it's perfect. comes with balsamic dressing - but it's really high in sugars.
  • Illona88
    Illona88 Posts: 903 Member
    You can get a salad at Subway as well.
    All the veggies with a ranch dressing.
    Maybe some turkey or roast beef, if you want some protein as well.
  • ber3023
    ber3023 Posts: 146 Member
    I watch sodium as well, due to blood pressure issues. I have found that at most fast food places, it's lower in sodium to do a kids meal or their smaller burgers than to eat their salads. We don't have a lot of different fast food places in my smaller town, but my go-to-meal from Mcdonald's is either the 4pc chicken mcnuggets kids meal, which has a tiny serving of fries and apple slices, or a grilled chicken caesar salad, but use their low fat italian dressing instead of the caesar dressing. Wendy's is usually a Jr hamburger w/ only veggie condiments and a side salad with fat free french.
  • Agator82
    Agator82 Posts: 249 Member
    Apple Pecan chicken salad - Wendy's
    Southwest Chicken Salad - McD's
  • katcunock
    katcunock Posts: 664 Member
    A subway salad is defo the best, after that I'd say mcdonalds grilled chicken salad.
  • AmyLRed
    AmyLRed Posts: 856 Member
    i also love the chicken cranberry apple salad from burger king, no dressing and i get no bleu cheese

    My other go-to is Wendys Berry almond chicken salad. The full size one is 360 cals with the almonds and does not need dressing. It is really really yummy!!
  • chocl8girl
    chocl8girl Posts: 1,968 Member
    Wendy's salads are heavenly. (Mostly because that's pretty much the only fast food place I will set foot in anymore, so I don't know any other ones). The Berry Almond Chicken and the Apple Pecan Chicken (half size, because at this point I can't even EAT the full size ones LMAO) are my staples on the rare occasions when the kids want to eat fast food, for less than 300 calories each.
  • I know you asked for salads but I am watching my sodium as well and found another solution at Mc Donald's. I get a six piece chicken nuggets with honey packet and a fruit and yogurt parfait snack size. He could add a side salad to that as well.
  • UpEarly
    UpEarly Posts: 2,555 Member
    Do you consider Panera to be fast food? Their salads are way better than anything you'll find at McD's, BK or Wendy's!

    I love their Asian Sesame Chicken Salad and their Strawberry Chicken Poppyseed. I think they weigh in at 450 and 380 calories, respectively.
  • These are great recommendations, thanks guys! You know I never have had a salad from Wendys, maybe I will tell him to pick one up for me too!
  • rbn_held
    rbn_held Posts: 689 Member
    Wendy's Berry Almond Chicken salad. I usually just get the half size
  • LiliWray
    LiliWray Posts: 101 Member
    Wendy's Caesar salad with grilled chicken instead of spicy chicken. Either the avocado ranch or the raspberry vinaigrette are wonderful with this.

    Also, El Pollo Loco's charbroiled chicken salad with either light creamy cilantro or the citrus vinaigrette.