Wellness Focus: Are Hidden Calories Sabotaging Your Spring Salad?

If you routinely find yourself saying "I'll just have the salad," you may want to take a closer look at what you're ordering.

In a recent review of several restaurant chains, researchers from the World Cancer Research Fund International found many salads that can sabotage health by packing in calories well above the recommended amount for one meal. In some cases, sodium levels reached the daily limit.

Choosing salads when dining out is a good idea in principle. "Salads can provide plenty of cancer-fighting vegetables that can fill you up without packing a huge caloric wallop," explains WCRF nutritionist Alice Bender, MS, RD. "But all salads are not alike. We found fast food and restaurant salads that contained over half the calories people need in one day."

Some calorie-laden restaurant salads are obvious about their high fat, high calorie makeup. You probably couldn't order Chili's "Quesadilla Explosion Salad," for example, and claim to be surprised that the entrée comes crammed with 1390 calories and over 2700 milligrams (mg) of sodium. (On average, adults need about 2000 calories daily and should limit sodium to no more than 2400 mg.) But even innocuous sounding chicken caesar salads can have upwards of 1500 calories.

Fast food salads might range from 40 calories for a small side with no dressing to Taco Bell's Chicken Ranch Salad at over 900 calories. The calorie culprits are the usual suspects: cheese, bacon, fried chicken and generous servings of salad dressing.

Three Tips to Keep Your Salads Lean and Healthy

1. For side salads: keep it simple. Start your meal with two orders of a vegetable-only side salad with one or two tablespoons of low-fat salad dressing. You'll boost veggie consumption and you may eat less of the main course.
   
   
2. For main-course salads: keep the protein lean. Choose entrée salads that include lean protein foods such as garbanzo beans, turkey, fish or hardboiled egg. Single meals should be around 400-600 calories, depending on the individual's need, so a salad with 400 to 500 calories could be appropriate if that's your entire meal. Choosing a salad with lots of chunks of fried chicken, for example, can turn an otherwise healthy option into a high-calorie megameal.
   
   
3. For all salads: always dress with less. Go easy on salad dressing. A little fat is good—a small amount of oil in the dressing enhances absorption of some nutrients and plant compounds such as beta-carotene, and may increase your sense of fullness. But add too much and calories skyrocket. A good rule of thumb: dress your salad with two tablespoons of low-fat salad dressing. (Oil and vinegar's a great choice, as prepared dressings often come packed with sodium.)

According to WCRF, staying at a healthy weight is one of the most important steps you can take to protect against cancer and other diseases. "Sadly, the days are over when you could say 'I'll have the salad' and know your were choosing a healthy, low-calorie option," said Bender. "These days it's up to the consumer to stay informed."

Source: World Cancer Research Fund International leads and unifies a global network of cancer charities dedicated to the prevention and control of cancer by means of healthy food and nutrition, physical activity and weight management.

Learn More

Dietitians of Canada offers an online factsheet to help consumers make more healthy choices at fast food restaurants.