Salad and weight loss are often associated with one another, and making yourself a healthy salad chock full of protein and vegetables is by no means unhealthy.  However, the idea that salad can serve as a weight loss tool is part myth.  With salad, it is quite easy to add extra calories without even realizing it.  A few spoonfuls of dressing, along with some nuts, dried fruit, and a side of bread with your salad can add up rather quickly, and in many instances, it is better to choose what you might think to be a higher calorie option instead.  By analyzing some popular salads offered at restaurants in Ann Arbor and comparing their caloric content to fast food items, it is clear that salad is not always the healthy choice.

Let's take a look at the popular chain restaurant Cosi...
 

...which known for their hearty flatbread sandwiches.  I have seen many people pass up the sandwiches and choose to order a salad instead, ditching the bread for the greens.  At first glance, Cosi’s popular signature salad doesn’t seem like a bad choice.  Mixed greens tossed with red grapes, pears, pistachios, dried cranberries, and gorgonzola cheese topped with a sherry shallot vinaigrette.  Here’s the bad news.  The signature salad delivers 611 calories and a whopping 45 grams of fat!  A person on a 1,200 calorie diet should only be consuming 40 grams of fat per day!  And with the only sources of protein in this salad being cheese and nuts, you are likely to feel hungry again very quickly.  Add a slice of Cosi’s fresh baked whole grain flatbread and you’ve added an additional 235 calories to your meal. 

Don’t be fooled by Cosi’s new lighter fare menu.  Although the light signature salad delivers half the calories, it still contains 19 grams of fat.  Instead of ordering a salad, you would be far better off having a sandwich.  The hummus and fresh veggie sandwich only has 397 calories and 7 grams of fat, and the sesame ginger chicken sandwich has 480 calories and 7 grams of fat.  And yes, these numbers even include the bread!  Cosi also offers a complementary side of carrots or potato chips with your sandwich.  Opt for the carrots, and you are sure to feel full and satisfied.  If you are bringing your sandwich home, dip your carrots in low fat cream cheese or hummus for added flavor!

It’s not just the signature salad that is high in calories and fat.  The grilled chicken Caesar does similar damage with 621 calories and 44 grams of fat.  A full Caesar from another popular chain restaurant, the Olive Garden, isn’t much better.  With approximately 800 calories, 61 grams of fat and 1,750 mg of sodium, the Caesar salad is not the logical choice.  That’s without the croutons!  While it might seem healthy because it is salad, there are better options that will not only give you more bang for your buck, but will also be better for your waistline.  It might sound too good to be true, but you would actually be better off forgoing your salad and ordering Dominoes Pizza instead. A 14 inch large slice of cheese pizza on the Dominoes lighter fare menu is just 240 calories and 8 grams of fat.  Order a small salad on the side and drizzle your own low-cal dressing on top, and you are much better off than ordering your salad.

Even McDonalds would be a healthier choice.  There is a lot of negative hype surrounding McDonalds food and its nutritional value, especially after the documentary “Supersize Me” premiered.  A regular hamburger from McDonalds, though, only has 250 calories and 9 grams of fat.  This is lower in calories and fat than Olive Garden’s alfredo dipping sauce, which contains 380 calories and 35 grams of fat.  Don’t be fooled by lighter fare menus either.  For instance, Olive Garden’s lighter fare menu item cappelini pomodoro is more caloric and fattening than Burger King’s tendergrill chicken sandwich.  The cappellini pomodoro, with roma tomatoes, garlic, fresh basil and extra-virgin olive oil tossed with capellini delivers 840 calories, 17 grams of fat, and 1250 grams of sodium.  The tendergrill chicken sandwich, a juicy grilled chicken filet on a corn-dusted bun with lettuce and tomato, is nearly half the calories with 490 calories, 21 grams of fat, and 1220 mg of sodium.  This isn’t even a lighter fare option!

The numbers make it quite clear.  Don’t be thrown off by salad and lighter fare options.  Clearly, it is not always the healthy route to take!  Instead, do your research and look up the nutritional information online, order a salad with dressing on the side, or order half a salad with soup.  Of course, it is perfectly fine to indulge in that signature salad every once in a while- but just make sure you opt for the sandwich the next time.  Bread included!