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Posted: 2017-07-11T13:15:02Z | Updated: 2017-07-11T13:15:02Z The Best And Worst Salads You Can Order At Chain Restaurants | HuffPost Life

The Best And Worst Salads You Can Order At Chain Restaurants

Ordering a salad doesn't always mean you made a healthy choice.

If you’re the type of person who goes to a fast food (or fast casual) restaurant and orders a salad, we’re willing to bet it’s because you care about eating a healthy meal . You know you should be eating a certain amount of vegetables a day, and that salads will help you do that.

But just how nutritious are salads at these restaurants? Here’s the thing: it varies, by a lot. Some salads can make for healthy meal, while others can pack more calories, fat and sodium than a Big Mac .

We rounded up the updated nutritional information on popular salads you can find at McDonald’s , Burger King , Wendy’s , Taco Bell yep, they make a salad and Panera . The findings were somewhat surprising: while we weren’t shocked to learn that a taco salad served in a fried shell is probably the least healthy salad choice out there, we were surprised to learn that you really can get a healthy salad option at some of the other chains.

Check it out in order from most caloric to least caloric and eat smarter:

1
Taco Bell
Ingredients: seasoned beef, seasoned rice, lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, reduced fat sour cream, red strips (crunchy tortilla), beans and fire roasted salsa.

Nutritional information:
760 calories
39g fat
1,320mg sodium
27g protein
2
Burger King
Ingredients: green romaine, green leaf and radicchio lettuce, crispy chicken, thick-cut smoked bacon pieces, shredded cheddar cheese, tomatoes, buttery garlic croutons and dressing.

Nutritional information:
710 calories
50g fat
1,800mg sodium
32g protein
3
McDonalds
Ingredients: buttermilk crispy chicken, chopped romaine, spinach, kale, red leaf lettuce, carrots, cheese, bacon, tomatoes and Newman's Own Ranch dressing.

Nutritional information:
690 calories
44g fat
1,120mg sodium
35g protein
4
Burger King
Ingredients: mix of greens -- green romaine, green leaf and radicchio lettuce -- tomatoes, shredded cheese, buttery garlic croutons, grilled chicken and ranch dressing.

Nutritional information:
600 calories
43g fat
2010mg sodium
40g protein
5
Wendys
Ingredients: red and green apples, crumbled blue cheese, sweet cranberries, roasted pecans, warm grilled chicken and Marzetti Simply Dressed Pomegranate Vinaigrette.

Nutritional information:
560 calories
24g fat
1,020mg sodium
38g protein
6
Panera
Ingredients: romaine, kale, arugula-radicchio blend, citrus and pepper chicken, avocado, tomatoes, hard-boiled egg, green goddess dressing with whole milk Greek yogurt, pickled red onions and applewood smoked bacon pieces.

Nutritional information:
550 calories
33g fat
720mg sodium
36g protein
7
Panera
Ingredients: romaine lettuce, quinoa sofrito tomato blend, Greek dressing, kale, cucumber, feta cheese, almonds, kalamata olives.

Nutritional information:
530 calories
41g fat
870mg sodium
11g protein
8
Wendys
Ingredients: mango, strawberries, honey-roasted sunflower seeds, grilled chicken breast, feta cheese and honey citrus vinaigrette dressing.

Nutritional information:
470 calories
19g fat
1,140mg sodium
39g protein
9
McDonalds
Ingredients: grilled chicken, salad blend of assorted greens, corn, black beans, tomato, poblano, jack cheese, tortilla strips and Newman's Own Southwest dressing.

Nutritional information:
470 calories
19g fat
1,020mg sodium
37g protein
10
Panera
Ingredients: Romaine lettuce, citrus and pepper chicken, Asian sesame vinaigrette dressing, crispy wonton strips, almonds, sesame seeds and cilantro.

Nutritional information:
410 calories
20g fat
540mg sodium
25g protein

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