If you’re looking for the best fast food salad, it would be reasonable to assume that any salad offered at a fast food restaurant would be a pretty safe bet but not all salad’s are created equal, and in fact – some salad options on the menu can even be the least healthy option, and you’d paradoxically be better off ordering a Big Mac.
Whether you’re seeking healthy option because you have dietary restrictions, are on a diet, or are just health-conscious about what you consume, we’ll unwrap some disturbing facts, salads to stay away from, and clue you in on the best fast food salad you can get from every major chain.
Tips To Find The Best Fast Food Salad
- Choose a deeper green lettuce over the lighter kind as it contains more nutritional benefits like minerals and phytochemicals which are compounds found in plants that can help combat cancer, and chronic disease.
- Instead of meat, get a a protein alternative with add-ons like, nuts or beans.
- Grilled chicken over crispy or fried every time.
- Reduce the amount of dressing you use. If it comes in a packet, only use a portion of it.
We researched every option, and present to you, our list of the best fast food salad you can get at every major chain.
The Best Fast Food Salad At Each Chain:
7. McDonald’s: Side Salad
Not well known for their salad choices, McDonald’s will every so often, throw a new salad option into the ring for the health-conscious eaters. From the now discontinued McSalad Shakers to the Asian salad, many gimmicky salads have arrived and disappeared over the years.
McDonald’s in the UK even had a Kale salad that equaled out to have more calories than a Big Mac.
Nowadays, there remains only one option on the menu – the “side salad”. During the pandemic, the chain removed all salads from their menu for simplicity due to supply issues…and it would seem they haven’t looked back.
It’s a very small salad (hence, side) so you’re appetite is likely going to scream for more, leading to unhealthy decisions (which might be the plan here).
McDonald’s Salad Menu:
- Side Salad – 70 calories
At 70 calories, the side salad is a small collection of bell peppers, cucumbers, red onions, a “premium salad blend kit, and shredded cheddar/jack cheese.
It’s far from the best fast food salad, but at McDonald’s…it’s all they’ve got.
6. Burger King: Side Salad
Burger King, likewise, doesn’t have much in the way of a salad selection. In fact, they offer only one, or possibly two options depending on the location. It’s not extravagant, and it doesn’t have a unique name.
Just like McDonald’s, Burger King’s salad Is about as basic you can get. There’s the side salad, and perhaps, a Chicken Caesar salad, but their website only mentions “salad” so the Chicken Caesar may be a regional thing.
Burger King Salad Menu (pre-dressing)
- Side Salad – 60 calories
At one time the chain offered four types of salads, including: Crispy Chicken Garden Salad, Garden Grilled Chicken Salad, Crispy Chicken Club Salad, and the Side Garden Salad. They made the move to whittle their selection down, just like their clown counterpart.
5. Wendy’s: Parmesan Caesar Salad
Wendy’s is a chain that you have to watch out for – mainly because of the sodium content which (especially in the salads) is off the charts in many menu items. The Jalapeno Popper Salad has a confounding amount of salt in it at 1590 mg of sodium, and the Taco Salad? It’s even worse, with 1890 mg of sodium…almost as much as the recommended daily sodium intake in one fell swoop.
Wendy’s Apple Pecan Salad is another unhealthy item where the sum of it’s ingredients contain more calories, fat, and sugar than some burgers.
The best salad on the menu when taking ingredients, sodium levels, and calories into consideration is a toss-up between the Summer Strawberry Salad, and the Parmesan Caesar Salad.
The Parmesan Caesar romaine lettuce, grape tomatoes, white-meat grilled chicken fillet, three-cheese blend, and crunchy parmesan crisps. While still high in sodium, it packs a lot of nutrients, and protein into the dish.
Wendy’s Salad Menu (pre-dressing):
- Summer Strawberry Salad – 340 calories (430 calories with dressing)
- Parmesan Caesar Salad – 290 calories (560) calories
- Cobb Salad – 430 calories (670 calories)
- Apple Pecan Salad – 450 calories (540 calories)
- Taco Salad – 690 calories
- Jalapeno Popper Salad – 400 calories (670 calories)
Salad Dressing:
- Marzetti Simply Dressed Caesar Dressing – 65 calories
- Balsamic Dressing – 90 calories
- Pomegranate Vinaigrette – 60 calories
- Southwest Avocado Salad Dressing – 140 calories
- Ranch Dressing – 100 calories
Wendy’s does not have the best fast food salad, in fact, you could say it has the worst fast food salad.
4. Jack In The Box: Grilled Chicken Salad
The options look really good at first glance but like Wendy’s most are packing a salty wallop being quite high in sodium, and even misleading because the listed nutrition facts are pre-dressing, and dry options like, croutons can quickly send things into a spiral.
The Grilled Chicken Salad is the clear winner here at 230 calories, (pre-dressing and no croutons). lettuce, grilled chicken strips, grape tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots, croutons, and balsamic dressing.
Salad to watch out for; the Crispy Chicken Club Salad. If you order it with grilled chicken, pre-dressing and no croutons – it’s not too shabby at just 350 calories but when you add all of the aforementioned with crispy chicken…it becomes a 730 calorie dish. And the sodium? 1,230 mg! These numbers are almost equal to the Bacon Ultimate Cheeseburger…which if we’re being honest, you might as well go all out if you’re going to dance that hard.
Jack In The Box Salad Menu (pre-dressing):
- Grilled Chicken Salad – 230 calories
- Southwest Chicken Salad (Grilled or Crispy Chicken): grilled: 340 crispy: 500 calories
- Chicken Club Salad (Grilled or Crispy Chicken) – grilled: 350 calories crispy: 510 calories
- Side Salad – 20 calories
Salad Dressing:
- Ranch Dressing – 251 calories
- Creamy Southwest Dressing – 191 calories
- Balsamic Dressing – 25 calories
3. Panera Bread: Caesar Salad w/Chicken
Panera has a robust menu of salads which touts 9 options (varies depending on the season). The salads are fiber-packed with quality ingredients, and vary in theme across the board. There is a mind-boggling variety from over ten different salad dressing’s to choose from.
The running theme, when looking for the best fast food salad is that they’re mostly all on the high sodium side, and Panera doesn’t stray from that dynamic.
The Asian Sesame Salad with chicken is the lowest calorie option but the Caesar is the overall healthiest choice, calorie-wise and ingredient-wise – if you’re looking to check every box.
The Caesar Salad has Romaine lettuce, grated parmesan, homemade pepper focaccia croutons, with Caesar dressing.
Panera’s Salad Menu:
- Asian Sesame Salad w/chicken – 410 calories
- Greek Salad – 400 calorie
- Caesar Salad w/chicken – 440 Calories
- Citrus Asian Crunch Salad w/chicken- 620 calories
- Green Goddess Cobb Salad – 500 calories
- Fuji Apple Salad w/chicken – 560 calories
- Strawberry Poppyseed Salad – 240 calories
- Southwest Caesar Salad – 630 calories
Salad Dressing (based on one packet):
- Caesar Dressing – 65 calories
- Greek/Herb Dressing – 160 calories
- Asian Sesame – 90 calories
- Poppyseed – 25 calories
- Fuji Apple Vinaigrette – 110 calories
- White Balsamic – 150 calories
- Green Goddess Dressing – 110 calories
- BBQ Ranch – 140 calories
- Pomegranate Vinaigrette – 60 calories
- Ranch – 100 calories
- Southwest Ranch – 140 calories
2. Chick-fil-A: The Market Salad
Chick-fil-A shines in the salad department with five different varieties on the table thanks to a move they made in 2013 where they decided to put more of a focus on healthier options. They did a comeplete overhaul of their salad menu, giving them a huge edge in the best fast food salad game.
The salad dressing selection is also a cut above the rest with a bevy of delicious options, including the standard fare.
Each salad is assembled using a colorful, refreshing cacophony of ingredients rich with nutrition, fruit, granola, and nut blends. They come with a pre-matched dressing to complement each (but you can swap for whichever dressing you desire) and each salad has the option to add chicken whether in grilled form, a grilled spicy filet, and even chicken strips.
The Market Salad is your best option as it contains the least amount of add-ons with the healthiest content. It has a bed of mixed greens, with red and green apples, strawberries, blueberries, crumbled blue cheese, served with granola, and roasted almonds.
Chick-Fil-A Salad Menu:
Includes topping, meat and dressing. Rated for only the salad without any fixing’s:
- The Spicy Southwest Salad – 690 calories (260)
- The Market Salad – 540 calories (330 calories)
- Cobb Salad – 700-910 calories (390 calories)
Salad Dressing:
- Light Balsamic Vinaigrette – 80 calories
- Chili Lime Vinaigrette – 50 calories
- Zesty Apple Cider Vinaigrette – 230 calories
- Creamy Salsa – 290 calories
- Fat Free Honey Mustard – 90
- Light Italian Dressing – 2 calories
- Avocado Lime Ranch – 291 (1 package)
If you’re discriminately looking for the most healthy option, or the best fast food salad – the Market Salad base is the way to go coming in at 330 calories without chicken or dressing. It has a base of mixed greens with both red and green apples, strawberries, blueberries, and then finished off with crumbles of blue cheese. If you pair it with the Light Italian dressing, you’re only looking at an additional 25 calories.
Chick-fil-A almost…almost is the go-to place for the best fast food salad but we found another chain that is hitting all the bases.
Chick-fil-A’s site has detailed dietary information on each salad, topping, and dressing.
1. Chipotle: Build Your Salad
Chipotle has some great varied options that are rife with protein, and fiber. They have the new Lifestyle Bowls and a Build Your Salad option which is great because you can, one hundred percent tailor your salad to your needs with fresh ingredients and a plethora of healthy add-ons. Hold the tortilla on this one if you can, for an even healthier, reduced carb meal.
Chipotle uses a fresh lettuce blend of Romaine, Baby Kale, and Baby Spinach in the build your salad option.
You can choose one protein or veggie: Chicken (180 cal), steak (150 cal), barbacoa (170 cal), carnitas (210 cal), sofritas ) 150, and “veggie”. Then you have a choice of white or brown rice, beans, and then finally, toppers such as salsa, guacamole and fajita veggies.
The sheer number of choices, fresh ingredients, and the fact that you can control your salad and it’s contents, gives Chipotle the top spot, as the place to go for the best fast food salad.
Chipotle Salad & Lifestyle Bowls Menu:
- Balanced Macro Bowl – 700 calories
- Wholesome Bowl – 470 calories
- Vegan Plant-Powered Bowl – 730 calories
- Grain Freedom Bowl – 470 calories
- High Protein Bowl – 870 calories
- Veggie Full Bowl – 700 calories
- Build Your Own Salad – varies
Salad Dressing:
- Chipotle-Honey Vinaigrette – 220 calories
Best Fast Food Salad Takeaways
When you’re looking for the best fast food salad or even the healthiest option from every chain, there are several things you need to look out for; the sodium content, additional add-ons, and the overall caloric content.
A base salad can quickly turn into an unhealthy option if you go crazy with things like croutons, and salad dressing, even adding chicken can take it into catastrophic territory, especially since many chains have fried or crispy chicken as a protein add-on option. If you need to have a meat, always stick with grilled..
Sometimes it’s not always about having the best fast food salad that one can get, but finding something that works for you, and your lifestyle.
If you stick to the parameters of this guide, and pay attention to a few factors, you can’t go wrong.
