Lizard King
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Staff Member
- Sep 9, 2010
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Had to send this to my wife who thinks the salads she eats are sooo good for her, lol
I love Whoppers. I bet you do, too. Meat...good. Ketchup and mayo...good. Crunchy pickles...good. What's not to like?
I know what you're thinking: Dave, how could you of all people endorse the Whopper, a sandwich that perfectly encapsulates everything that's wrong with our nation's dining habits? Well, no one orders a Whopper thinking it's a sensible menu choice. It's an indulgence, an anti-diet food, and everyone knows it. Credit Burger King for being transparent with nutritional information.
Which brings me to my point: Just as you wouldn't order a Whopper because you're trying to watch your waistline, you'd never order a salad because it sounds like the most delicious item on the menu. No, it's a concerted effort put one of the healthiest foods on the menu into your body, flavor be damned.
Except, more often than you realize, that salad is the worst choice on the menu. Restaurants across the country have learned that "nutrition" sells, so they put these caloric calamities on the "light choice" side of the menu with cute little heart icons that make you think you're making a healthy selection. What they haven't learned, though, is how to make actual nutritious food. Here we've rounded up 20 examples of salads so bad, you'd be better off ordering that Whopper after all.
Eat This!
Burger King Whopper
670 calories
40 g fat (11 g saturated, 1.5 g trans)
1,020 mg sodium
Not That...
Romano's Macaroni Grill
Chicken Caesar Salad
650 calories
9 g saturated fat
1,450 mg sodium
The good news here is that this dish has almost 300 fewer calories than it did when we published our first edition of Eat This, Not That! Romano's has been one of the most responsive restaurants in the past few years—a number of items we've featured on our pages and online have shrunk or all but disappeared in the wake of such exposure. The bad news is that this dish still has a ways to go before we're ready to deem it a reasonable choice. To be fair, it has 20 fewer calories than a Whopper. But the problem with this dish is in the sodium count—it comes with nearly three-quarters of your daily recommended intake. Not good.
For up-to-the-minute nutrition and weight-loss tips, follow Eat This, Not That! on Twitter!
Cosi
Cobb Salad
708 calories
55 g fat (12 g saturated)
1,328 mg sodium
Blame the bacon and Gorgonzola cheese for the hefty weight of this simple salad. The good news here is that it comes with 65 grams of belly-filling protein. The shocking news is that it also comes with 28 grams of sugars—that's about three doughnuts' worth. For the culprit there, look to the sauce: A sherry shallot vinaigrette. Now here's the scary thing about this salad: Cosi boasts on its website that they feature it on the "Our Lighter Side menu." That's strange, considering it's the worst salad they offer! For a much smarter, TRULY lighter side, opt for the Shanghai Chicken Salad, and save nearly 400 calories.
Eat This Instead!
Shangai Chicken Salad
313 calories
13 g fat (2 g saturated)
839 mg sodium
Chipotle Mexican Grill
Chicken Salad with black beans, red salsa, cheese, and chipotle honey vinaigrette
720 calories
41.0 g fat (11 g saturated)
2,015 mg sodium
If you're seeking solace in salads at Chipotle, be sure to pass on the one and only vinaigrette on the menu. With 260 calories and 25 grams of fat, it has three times more calories than the most caloric salsa at Chipotle. Your best bet is to turn the tangy green salsa (just 15 calories per serving) into your dressing and spend the 245 calories you save elsewhere.
Eat This Instead!
Barbacoa Burrito Bowl with black beans, cheese, lettuce, and tomato salsa
410 calories
17 g fat (8 g saturated)
1,410 mg sodium
P.F. Chang's
Chicken Chopped Salad with Ginger Dressing
730 calories
48 g fat (8 g saturated)
1,280 mg sodium
The ginger dressing gives this salad a tangy Asian-style kick; it also packs in a whole day's worth of sodium. Order this salad as a starter and you'll be consuming the caloric equivalent of nearly three Snickers bars before your main meal even hits the table.
SPECIAL OFFER! Take control of your body, your mind, and your health by joining our community of 21 million monthly readers. Subscribe to Men's Health and Women's Health today with a special rate that saves you more than 65% off the cover price. You won't find a better deal—and you'll never feel more empowered!
Eat This Instead!
Spinach Stir-Fried with Garlic (large)
136 calories
6 g fat (1 g saturated)
895 mg sodium
Wendy's
BLT Cobb Salad with Croutons and Classic Ranch Dressing
760 calories
51 g fat
2,090 mg sodium
Don't be totally shocked by this high calorie count—this salad is sporting two of the biggest culprits when it comes to diet-busting greenery. First, check the classic Ranch dressing. Any creamy dressing is going to be high in fat and calories. Replace it with vinaigrette and save big. Next, ditch the croutons, which are really just an extra load of totally empty calories and carbs.
Eat This Instead!
Apple Pecan Chicken Salad with Roasted Pecans and Pomegranate Vinaigrette Dressing
580 calories
27 g fat (9 g saturated)
1,590 mg sodium
I love Whoppers. I bet you do, too. Meat...good. Ketchup and mayo...good. Crunchy pickles...good. What's not to like?
I know what you're thinking: Dave, how could you of all people endorse the Whopper, a sandwich that perfectly encapsulates everything that's wrong with our nation's dining habits? Well, no one orders a Whopper thinking it's a sensible menu choice. It's an indulgence, an anti-diet food, and everyone knows it. Credit Burger King for being transparent with nutritional information.
Which brings me to my point: Just as you wouldn't order a Whopper because you're trying to watch your waistline, you'd never order a salad because it sounds like the most delicious item on the menu. No, it's a concerted effort put one of the healthiest foods on the menu into your body, flavor be damned.
Except, more often than you realize, that salad is the worst choice on the menu. Restaurants across the country have learned that "nutrition" sells, so they put these caloric calamities on the "light choice" side of the menu with cute little heart icons that make you think you're making a healthy selection. What they haven't learned, though, is how to make actual nutritious food. Here we've rounded up 20 examples of salads so bad, you'd be better off ordering that Whopper after all.
Eat This!
Burger King Whopper
670 calories
40 g fat (11 g saturated, 1.5 g trans)
1,020 mg sodium
Not That...
Romano's Macaroni Grill
Chicken Caesar Salad
650 calories
9 g saturated fat
1,450 mg sodium
The good news here is that this dish has almost 300 fewer calories than it did when we published our first edition of Eat This, Not That! Romano's has been one of the most responsive restaurants in the past few years—a number of items we've featured on our pages and online have shrunk or all but disappeared in the wake of such exposure. The bad news is that this dish still has a ways to go before we're ready to deem it a reasonable choice. To be fair, it has 20 fewer calories than a Whopper. But the problem with this dish is in the sodium count—it comes with nearly three-quarters of your daily recommended intake. Not good.
For up-to-the-minute nutrition and weight-loss tips, follow Eat This, Not That! on Twitter!
Cosi
Cobb Salad
708 calories
55 g fat (12 g saturated)
1,328 mg sodium
Blame the bacon and Gorgonzola cheese for the hefty weight of this simple salad. The good news here is that it comes with 65 grams of belly-filling protein. The shocking news is that it also comes with 28 grams of sugars—that's about three doughnuts' worth. For the culprit there, look to the sauce: A sherry shallot vinaigrette. Now here's the scary thing about this salad: Cosi boasts on its website that they feature it on the "Our Lighter Side menu." That's strange, considering it's the worst salad they offer! For a much smarter, TRULY lighter side, opt for the Shanghai Chicken Salad, and save nearly 400 calories.
Eat This Instead!
Shangai Chicken Salad
313 calories
13 g fat (2 g saturated)
839 mg sodium
Chipotle Mexican Grill
Chicken Salad with black beans, red salsa, cheese, and chipotle honey vinaigrette
720 calories
41.0 g fat (11 g saturated)
2,015 mg sodium
If you're seeking solace in salads at Chipotle, be sure to pass on the one and only vinaigrette on the menu. With 260 calories and 25 grams of fat, it has three times more calories than the most caloric salsa at Chipotle. Your best bet is to turn the tangy green salsa (just 15 calories per serving) into your dressing and spend the 245 calories you save elsewhere.
Eat This Instead!
Barbacoa Burrito Bowl with black beans, cheese, lettuce, and tomato salsa
410 calories
17 g fat (8 g saturated)
1,410 mg sodium
P.F. Chang's
Chicken Chopped Salad with Ginger Dressing
730 calories
48 g fat (8 g saturated)
1,280 mg sodium
The ginger dressing gives this salad a tangy Asian-style kick; it also packs in a whole day's worth of sodium. Order this salad as a starter and you'll be consuming the caloric equivalent of nearly three Snickers bars before your main meal even hits the table.
SPECIAL OFFER! Take control of your body, your mind, and your health by joining our community of 21 million monthly readers. Subscribe to Men's Health and Women's Health today with a special rate that saves you more than 65% off the cover price. You won't find a better deal—and you'll never feel more empowered!
Eat This Instead!
Spinach Stir-Fried with Garlic (large)
136 calories
6 g fat (1 g saturated)
895 mg sodium
Wendy's
BLT Cobb Salad with Croutons and Classic Ranch Dressing
760 calories
51 g fat
2,090 mg sodium
Don't be totally shocked by this high calorie count—this salad is sporting two of the biggest culprits when it comes to diet-busting greenery. First, check the classic Ranch dressing. Any creamy dressing is going to be high in fat and calories. Replace it with vinaigrette and save big. Next, ditch the croutons, which are really just an extra load of totally empty calories and carbs.
Eat This Instead!
Apple Pecan Chicken Salad with Roasted Pecans and Pomegranate Vinaigrette Dressing
580 calories
27 g fat (9 g saturated)
1,590 mg sodium