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Salad Toss Up: ShopSmart ranks healthiest restaurant salads

March 8, 2010

A new salad test from ShopSmart, publisher of Consumer Reports and featured in the April 2010 issue, investigates the nutritional value and taste-factor of 20 chicken-based salads sold at eight major chains.

"Just because it's a salad doesn't mean it's diet food. Add-ins can sometimes add up to almost as many calories as a bacon burger," said Lisa Lee Freeman, editor-in-chief of ShopSmart.

The top healthy choices at major restaurant chains include:

Panera Bread's BBQ Chopped Chicken Salad, with mild BBQ sauce, no dressing (350 calories)
On the Border's Citrus Chipotle Chicken Salad, with Mango Citrus Vinaigrette (290 calories)

Runners-Up

Panera Bread's Asian Sesame Chicken Salad, with crispy wonton strips and almonds, no dressing(320 calories)
Panera Bread's Fuji Apple Chicken Salad, with pecans, no dressing (370 calories)
Wendy's Chicken Caesar Salad with Grilled Chicken Fillet, with home-style garlic croutons, no dressing (240 calories)

The best from other chains:

Olive Garden's Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad, without Caesar dressing (430 calories)
McDonald's Premium Southwest Salad with Grilled Chicken, without Creamy Southwest dressing (320 calories)
Burger King's Tendergrill Chicken Garden Salad, without ranch dressing (270 calories)
Sonic's Santa Fe Grilled Chicken Salad, without ranch dressing (312 calories)

Not so hot: