Why do salads from chains ruin my diet?
amalin84
Posts: 12 Member
I notice when I order a salad from a chain (ie: Au Bon Pain, Panera, Fresh City, etc) when I check the nutrition facts its always off the charts! 600+ cals for a salad???! High sodium?! High Fat?! My typical salad choices are Caesar, Cobb (no bacon), Greek and Garden. Usually add on chicken or tuna. Rather basic choices you can get anywhere. When I make the same salad at home and use store-bought dressing, it hardly ever ruins my diet. Homemade with dressing, usually runs under 400 cals. True, I use low-fat dressing, and skim cheese (if any), and cook my own chicken and make my own tuna salad but do the cals and fat % and sodium really creep up that fast & easy?
Yes, I can continue to make my own salads at home but sometimes I am lazy or am running late or just want to feel fancy and have someone else make my salad. Whats the deal?
Yes, I can continue to make my own salads at home but sometimes I am lazy or am running late or just want to feel fancy and have someone else make my salad. Whats the deal?
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Replies
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I notice when I order a salad from a chain (ie: Au Bon Pain, Panera, Fresh City, etc) when I check the nutrition facts its always off the charts! 600+ cals for a salad???! High sodium?! High Fat?! My typical salad choices are Caesar, Cobb (no bacon), Greek and Garden. Usually add on chicken or tuna. Rather basic choices you can get anywhere. When I make the same salad at home and use store-bought dressing, it hardly ever ruins my diet. Homemade with dressing, usually runs under 400 cals. True, I use low-fat dressing, and skim cheese (if any), and cook my own chicken and make my own tuna salad but do the cals and fat % and sodium really creep up that fast & easy?
Yes, I can continue to make my own salads at home but sometimes I am lazy or am running late or just want to feel fancy and have someone else make my salad. Whats the deal?
I know, its a mystery right? You put all the same stuff in but somehow the restaurant chains have higher calories - perhaps its how they cook their chicken or something - Ive also heard they add things (Idk what) to keep them fresh that might be it - but i really don't know. Or maybe we are just underestimating what we put in our own salads - Also could be portion bevause think of the salad at home v. the ginormous salad you get at panera.
when I am being lazy or dont have enough time to pack a lunch - I usually get a burrito bowl from chipotle (yum) with brown rice, chicken, peppers and onions, black beans, and corn salsa - got some veggies, slow buring carbs and protein in there for about 600 calories -keeps me full all day. I tend to want more and more and more if I eat only salads.0 -
Ummm the deal is its a food chain salad. They dont care how many calories are in it, bc its called a salad people get it thinking its healthy, but it doesnt matter to them what is actually in it. If you wanna know exactly what your eating you have to make it yourself.0
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Most (almost all) restaurant chains are going to sell salads that taste good. That means added salt, fat, and maybe even sugar. You could try specifying what goes into it. I'm not sure how well that would work.
I have the same problem with salads I buy, but I now know what to expect, so I plan ahead for it by cutting back on other meals, or I skip buying a salad. Oh wait, I forgot, sometimes I just figure the hell with it and order the salad anyway.0 -
Dressing and toppings, pretty much. Cheese is 100 calories for 1 oz typically, then there are often nuts, and it adds up real fast... For Caesar salads, it's the croutons (and cheese)! For Cobb, the cheese and avocado (healthy, but they typically put a lot of them). Greek, same, lots of cheese... not sure how many calories are in olives, I hate them. Garden... yeah it's mostly the dressing, lol.
Frankly at home my salads often end up high calories as well when I use regular cheese and dressing (even if just olive oil and vinegar), but I weigh everything, so I know I'm accurate.0 -
they all put crap in it.0
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Try Mcdonalds or Wendys.0
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Perhaps choose a different salad. Panera has several that are 400 and under. And they are good.0
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I work in foodservice and the calories in salads can be horrendous!!
BUT you can make them lower.
1. order the small sized version.
2. Dressing on the side. Don't pour it on, just dip. Better yet use your own dressing.
3. No cheese or light on the cheese. Some salads have over a 1/2 cup of cheese. Mega calories and fat!
4. Croutons - avoid them unless you make you own. Many packaged croutons are fried, so each big ole crouton can be 25-30 calories each.
Good Luck!0 -
I'm currently reading Salt Sugar Fat by Michael Moss. It takes kind of a historical look at the food industry. Most of us already know that salt, sugar and fat are added to foods by the manufacturers. This book explains why. It also talks about some of the giants like Kraft who tried to reduce salt sugar and fat in their products and how it almost destroyed them. Overall, it's a pretty interesting book.0
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Interesting. I'll have to check that out.0
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Good point. I'll have to check that out ... and thank you for endorsing my love of chipotle
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Thank you for the tips!I work in foodservice and the calories in salads can be horrendous!!
BUT you can make them lower.
1. order the small sized version.
2. Dressing on the side. Don't pour it on, just dip. Better yet use your own dressing.
3. No cheese or light on the cheese. Some salads have over a 1/2 cup of cheese. Mega calories and fat!
4. Croutons - avoid them unless you make you own. Many packaged croutons are fried, so each big ole crouton can be 25-30 calories each.
Good Luck!0 -
I notice when I order a salad from a chain (ie: Au Bon Pain, Panera, Fresh City, etc) when I check the nutrition facts its always off the charts! 600+ cals for a salad???! High sodium?! High Fat?! My typical salad choices are Caesar, Cobb (no bacon), Greek and Garden. Usually add on chicken or tuna. Rather basic choices you can get anywhere. When I make the same salad at home and use store-bought dressing, it hardly ever ruins my diet. Homemade with dressing, usually runs under 400 cals. True, I use low-fat dressing, and skim cheese (if any), and cook my own chicken and make my own tuna salad but do the cals and fat % and sodium really creep up that fast & easy?
Yes, I can continue to make my own salads at home but sometimes I am lazy or am running late or just want to feel fancy and have someone else make my salad. Whats the deal?
It's the salad dressings and other extra stuff that pump up the calorie numbers0 -
I honestly hate this. The only people who are order salads are the ones watching their calories. It doesn't make sense how a salad at Applebee's has more calories than their Sizzling Entrees under 550 menu. Petition for low calorie salads!0
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That's a lot of the reasons why I stopped ordering salads out because I could eat a something besides a salad for around the same calories depending on what I get. I agree with the above statement that a lot of times they add more cheese then a serving size actually is. It amazes me how you can make the same salad, burger, whatever and it's less calories!0
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Yep! I eat out a lot for my job...I work in sales.
You basically have to tell them No cheese, no croutons, and put the dressing on the side. Or substitute for oil and vinegar.
Subway salads ... you can add what you want
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I honestly hate this. The only people who are order salads are the ones watching their calories. It doesn't make sense how a salad at Applebee's has more calories than their Sizzling Entrees under 550 menu. Petition for low calorie salads!
I second this petition!0 -
I fail to see how an entree sized salad being 600 calories is an issue.0
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I fail to see how an entree sized salad being 600 calories is an issue.
Yeah, no kidding.
Also, not everyone who eats salads is on a diet.0 -
I fail to see how an entree sized salad being 600 calories is an issue.
Yeah, no kidding.
Also, not everyone who eats salads is on a diet.
Also, how does 200 calories ruin one's day?0 -
I fail to see how an entree sized salad being 600 calories is an issue.
600 isn't so bad. Especially if it has fruits, nuts, cheese which are calorie heavy.
There are some salads that are like 800/900 calories. And 500 of those calories are from dressings .... That is what is ridiculous.0 -
I fail to see how an entree sized salad being 600 calories is an issue.
Yeah, no kidding.
Also, not everyone who eats salads is on a diet.
Also, how does 200 calories ruin one's day?
Beats me. I am also curious as to why everyone seems dietary fat-phobic.0 -
My problem is the double meat and cheese that sits on the salad between the buns.
Kidding.... Yummy!0 -
It depends on what you select ... I'm eating a salad right now from Just Salad, roasted turkey health cobb - its only 250 calories (even though it has swiss and avocado). I enjoy the taste of the veggies so I don't use dressing, I have them put it on the side. Salads from restaurants are a joke ... it's less calories to get steak and potatoes. If you look at the low cal options at TGI Fridays, Cheesecake Factory, Applebees etc - notice how salads never make the cut.0
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A 600 calorie entree salad isn't a big deal at all, and you're getting a lot of nutrition in there. If you wanted less calories, get the dressing on the side and put it on yourself...most restaurants are going to use full fat (nothing wrong with that, dietary fat is essential), but they also put on about a gallon of it on the salad.
calories have nothing to do with nutritional value...don't confuse the two.0 -
Restaurnts know that fat, sugar and salt make food taste good so they load everything down with those items so you will buy it. You and I wouldn't put 1/3 of a cup of sugar in our tomato sauce!, but "Hunts" type manufacturers do because they want our money. Typically when we eat at home, it tastes better, costs 1/2 as much, has 1/2 the calories, and we don't put xldiaoygapyroids and red dye number p3817 in our meatloaf, according to the eat this not that books.0
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I can calorie slash ANY salad at a restaurant. LOL. It's a hobby. I will ask for no cheese or nuts and then I bring my own red wine vinegar to the restaurant OR ask for oil/vinegar on the side. That way I end up with the protein and veggies...hopefully some egg or avocado for fats...and sometimes I'll ask for the cheese but on the side so I can add a small amount. Don't be afraid to customize. :-) Oh...and no croutons!0
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I get annoyed, too. No, I obviously don't expect every single chain to cater every (or any) menu item to my tastes and preferences. And I know I can customize stuff. But, sometimes, I just don't have time to make myself lunch or we've run out of lettuce or whatever the problem is (I bring a salad from home nearly every day), and I need to pick up lunch at work, and I can't find ANYWHERE near my office that sells a meal/salad with macros/nutrition that come even close to what I want (I strive to get my lunches to be about 350-450 calories and ~30g or more of protein, has at least a serving of veggies (preferably besides lettuce), and keeping the carbs low-ish because I like to spend my carbs on snacks), especially without paying an arm and a leg for "double meat" or whatever the case may be. That doesn't seem wholly unreasonable to me, but apparently, it is. Honestly, the best option tends to be Chipotle, believe it or not. Yes, I *can* work nearly anything into my day if need be, but there's not a single restaurant option near me I can rely on to be something that I don't need to WORK into my day, it just fits the way I want it to, and that's annoying.0
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They factor in an entire package of dressing. Since I only use 1/4 of a package, I figure out the salad ingredients individually and then use the info on the dressing packet and divide it by 4. I like a taste of dressing, not drowing in dressing.0
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Perhaps choose a different salad. Panera has several that are 400 and under. And they are good.
This! Their new power salads in their hidden menu are all under 400 calories. They use fresh lemon that you squeeze on yourself and olive oil, hummus or something along that line instead of dressing. They are yummy!0
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