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Calorie Breakdown Food McDonalds Yoga

Fat and Calorie Counts in Fast Food Salads From Arby's, McDonald's, and More

Fast Food Salad Breakdown

July 6, 2009

Chances are, you're doing some traveling this Summer and toting along healthy on-the-go snacks. But there's always a chance you'll find yourself hungry on the road with no choice but fast food.

Thankfully, many fast food chains are selling surprisingly healthy salads, but beware: fat and calorie bombs also abound. Of course, you're best off avoiding creamy salad dressing and opting for vinaigrettes: one pack of McDonald's Newman's Own Low-Fat Balsamic Vinaigrette has 40 calories and 3 grams of fat, while the brand's creamy Southwest dressing has 100 calories and 6 grams of fat per packet. If you opt for the creamy kind, try cutting the portion in half. Find out which salads have the most health appeal and which ones to avoid when you read more.

Food	Serving Size	Calories	Fat (g)	Saturated Fat (g)	Sodium (mg)	Sugar (g)	Carbs (g)	Protein (g)
Arby's Market Fresh Santa Fe Salad With Popcorn Chicken, No Dressing or Tortilla Strip	12.1 oz	415	17	5	806	6	37	25
*Arby's Market Fresh Martha's Vineyard Salad, No Dressing or Almonds	11.6 oz	273	9	4	609	17	25	22
*Burger King TenderGrill Chicken Garden Salad, No Dressing or Croutons	10.3 oz	240	9	3.5	720	3	8	33
McDonald's Bacon Ranch With Grilled Chicken, No Dressing	11.3 oz.	260	9	4	1,010	5	12	33
*McDonald's Caesar Salad With Grilled Chicken, No Dressing	11 oz.	220	6	3	890	5	12	30
Quiznos Flatbread Chopped Salad With Roasted Chicken Honey Mustard and Dressing	1 salad	1,070	71	13.5	1,770	15	69	37
Taco Bell Fiesta Taco Salad, No Shell	1 lb 0.8 oz	460	23	9	1,520	9	41	23
*Wendy's Garden Sensations Mandarin Chicken, No Almonds, Noodles, or Dressing	11 oz.	180	2	0.5	630	12	16	24
Wendy's Garden Sensations Homestyle Chicken BLT With Croutons and Dressing	14.7 oz.	780	53	14	1,740	14	42	37

* FitSugar pick

Source: Getty

13 Comments

WriterChick54 3 years 45 weeks

Wow, staying the heck away from Quizno's! I'm a big fan of Potbelly's vegetarian salad with non-fat vinaigrette. Sometimes I have them add turkey for protein but I suspect that shoots the sodium levels way up!

ella1978 3 years 45 weeks

I have to say, another veggie here who is bummed that no one has vegitarian options. Wendy's used to have a big summer salad or something like that.. but they got rid of it. Now there are no options at fast food places unless you go to subway or panera or something of that ilk.

Baby Girl 3 years 45 weeks

The Wendy's mandarin chicken salad is the only fast food salad I'll eat. Love it!

cg130 3 years 45 weeks

Great breakdown, thanks!!

miamixo 3 years 45 weeks

Wendy's taco salad is the shit. It comes with reduced fat sour cream and it doesn't even need dressing. So yummy!

3 years 45 weeks

Another fan of the McD's Southwest grilled salad, without dressing. the best FF salad out there.

kclulu 3 years 45 weeks

starlotus713 I am pretty sure it is the flat bread that is making Quiznos salads so high in calories. They really do give you a lot of bread. Also the honey mustard dressing isn't too great. I will get that salad,not eat the bread and get their fat free balsamic and ask for more veggies and it is still pretty good.

Modus Vivendi 3 years 45 weeks

I eat a lot of wendy's chili when I'm on the road. I think it's only two hundred some calories, and it has fiber from the beans and protein from the meat. Plus if you just sip it out of the bowl it's easy to eat while driving.

FireFly44 3 years 45 weeks

I love the McD's Southwest Salad but I didnt see it mentioned on the list. It's not bad, but I scrape off all the tortilla strips and cheese and use less dressing. The chicken in fast food salads sometimes grosses me out so I usually dont eat it all. Anonymous, you can ask for no meat, the Southwest Salad from McD's is good w/out meat!

3 years 45 weeks

Why do all fast food salads have meat in them? They clearly don't care about providing vegetarian options. I suppose it's better than hiding the meat products, like McD's frying french fries in beef fat for so many years in secret...

starlotus713 3 years 45 weeks

What on EARTH is making that Quizno's salad so high in calories??? I love that salad - I usually have them leave the cheese off and I only use a little of the dressing but even then I have to be around 800 calories. Is it the flatbread???

Spectra 3 years 45 weeks

I think the packs of dressing that they give you with salads at most fast food places are way too much for the amount of salad you get. I always use only about half the pack, even if it's a lighter dressing. I hate wet soggy salads.

3 years 45 weeks

Oh cool, recently, on a road trip I got a ceaser salad with grilled chicken from Mc.D. and I only used half the dressing.(It was really good too) I brought healthy food with me, but I ran out.

Link Love

13 Comments

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