Six salads that inspire a calorie crisis
Lara Abramov
| 2 min read
We all know that burgers are loaded with calories, sodium and fat. And, when eating out, the health-minded amongst us often opt for a salad. Of course you’d think a salad would be way better for you than a Whopper®. With 670 calories, 1,020 mg sodium and 40 grams of fat, choosing a salad seems like an obvious way to cut back on calories.
What’s in a salad that could make it worse for you than a Whopper?
Plenty.
A recent article appearing in Men’s Health was disturbingly informative. I was shocked to learn that some of the salad options I’ve chosen over the years were worse for me than a Whopper.
WARNING: The list below may alarm you. Clichéd thoughts about ignorance and bliss may begin swirling through your mind. However, brutal honesty is far better in the long run than delicious self-deception.
Salads that are worse for you than a Whopper include:
Restaurant
Salad
Nutritional info
Chipotle Chicken Salad w/ black beans, red salsa, cheese and chipotle honey vinaigrette 720 calories, 41.0 g fat (11 g saturated) and 2,015 mg sodium P.F. Chang’s Chicken Chopped Salad with Ginger Dressing 730 calories, 48 g fat (8 g saturated) and 1,280 mg sodium Wendy’s BLT Cobb Salad with Croutons and Classic Ranch Dressing 760 calories, 51 g fat and
2,090 mg sodium Taco Bell Chipotle Steak Fully Loaded Salad 900 calories, 57 g fat (11 g saturated, 0.5 g trans)
1,700 mg sodium Quizno’s Chicken Caesar Flatbread Salad (with bread) 920 calories
66.5 g fat (20.5 g saturated, 0 g trans)
2,090 mg sodium Applebee’s Grilled Shrimp and Spinach Salad 1,050 calories, 11 g saturated fat and 2,530 mg sodium
2,090 mg sodium Taco Bell Chipotle Steak Fully Loaded Salad 900 calories, 57 g fat (11 g saturated, 0.5 g trans)
1,700 mg sodium Quizno’s Chicken Caesar Flatbread Salad (with bread) 920 calories
66.5 g fat (20.5 g saturated, 0 g trans)
2,090 mg sodium Applebee’s Grilled Shrimp and Spinach Salad 1,050 calories, 11 g saturated fat and 2,530 mg sodium
How many of you are more than a little bothered by this shocking salad surprise? Here are some salad survival tips that can help you avoid a calorie crisis:
Select:
- Dark, leafy greens
- Raw vegetables
- Fruits
- Lean ham or turkey
- Low- cal vinaigrette salad dressings
- Cottage cheese
Avoid:
- Croutons
- Creamy salad dressings
- Marinated vegetables
- Bacon bits
- Potato and pasta salads
Now the next time you’re out and about and thinking healthy, you’ve got healthy hints and tasty tips to help you avoid that slippery salad slope.
Photo credit: bunchofpants
