Want to enjoy the appetizing texture and flavor of salads but are concerned about the impact on health? Want to know how many calories are in a salad so you can enjoy this side dish without hurting your health? It’s quite a tricky task to understand as salad largely varies based on type, amount, and item used to top.
Let’s get a basic understanding of calories to contain in a salad in terms of types and brands for your better convenience.
How Many Calories are in a Salad?
Calories contain in salad vary based on the amount and types of the salad, ingredient includes, and manufacturer. However, most average-size salad has around 300 to 500 calories while small-size salad contains 100 calories. Salads you eat at the restaurant have 1000 calories. Likewise, 1 cup of plain salad without dressing contains 8 calories while salad with ranch has around 165 calories.
Some popular types of salads with calories
1. Caesar salad
Caesar salad has croutons and romaine lettuce. It also needs to add Caesar salad dressing which is made of egg yolks, lemon juice, anchovy paste, Dijon mustard, Parmesan cheese, and garlic.
The croutons and dressing are the main sources of calories in Caesar salad. In general, 100 grams of Caesar salad contain 190 calories.
2. Pasta salad
Pasta salad contains mozzarella cheese, pasta, and various fresh vegetables like cucumbers, tomatoes, and olives. This salad is often tossed in tasty Italian dressing.
Compared to green salad, pasta salad contains considerably more calories and carbs. One cup of pasta salad with Italian dressing has 269 calories.
3. Chef salad
Chef salad can be made of various ingredients including cucumbers, cheese, tomatoes, lettuce, and hard-boiled eggs. Some chef also includes various sort of cold meat like turkey, chicken, ham, or tuna. It can also be dressed with Thousand Island, ranch, and blue cheese dressings. Typically, one serving of chef salad made of ham and turkey and served with ranch dressing contains 371 calories.
4. Greek salad
Greek salad is mostly made of tomatoes, olives, cucumbers, bell peppers, feta cheese, and red onions. The vinaigrette dressing that use to top this salad is made of red wine vinegar, garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, and Dijon mustard.
However, this salad doesn’t contain many calories compared to the other type. One serving of Greek salad has 211 calories.
5. Cobb salad
Typical cobb salad consists of bacon, hard-boiled eggs, mixed greens, chicken, tomatoes, turkey, and avocados. This salad is often topped with red wine vinaigrette. Some cobb salad recipe also includes chicken, eggs, or turkey. One serving of Cobb salad has 290 calories.
Mayo-Based Salads with Calories
| Name of Salad | Amount | Calories |
| Tuna salad | One cup or 238 grams | 466 |
| Egg salad | One cup or 222 grams | 571 |
| Chicken salad | One cup or 226 grams | 531 |
| Macaroni salad | One cup or 204 grams | 451 |
| Potato salad | One cup or 275 grams | 462 |
Various Brand of Salads with Calories
Wendy’s
| Name of Salad | Calories |
| Parmesan Caesar Salad | 440 |
| Jalapeño Popper Salad | 660 |
| Taco Salad | 690 |
| Southwest Avocado Salad | 570 |
| Apple Pecan Salad | 550 |
Subway
| Name of Salad | Calories |
| Chicken & Bacon Ranch | 460 |
| Italian BMT | 240 |
| Oven Roasted Chicken | 130 |
| Black Forest Ham | 120 |
| Steak & Cheese | 200 |
| Cold Cut Combo | 160 |
| Sweet Onion Teriyaki | 210 |
Panera Bread
| Name of Salad | Calories |
| Fuji Apple Salad with Chicken | 580 |
| Greek Salad | 400 |
| BBQ Chicken Salad | 510 |
| Caesar Salad | 330 |
| Asian Sesame Salad with Chicken | 430 |
| Caesar Salad with Chicken | 470 |
Why Should You be Aware of Calories in Salad ?
A good salad should be a mix of the proper amount of veggies, protein sources, and fruits to deliver the required amount of nutrients to be healthy. However, calories contain in salad vary largely, making it tricky to maintain the right amount of calorie intake to lose or keep a healthy weight.
Hence knowing how many calories are in a salad can help you intake the right amount of calories based on your diet plan while preventing from hurting health and weight.
Typically, the salad contains so many calories, sodium, and fats that are received from the dressing. So if you don’t count calories in salad and eat regularly, you’ll get an unhealthy and unbalanced lifestyle. In contrast, counting calories will help you create or improve mental health.
And the golden rule of being healthy is that you have to burn more calories than consume. So if you eat salad counting the calories, that’ll not only keep you healthy but also allow you to enjoy your favorite salad.
FAQs
Are salad calories healthy?
It depends on the ingredients contained in the salad and the type of dressing used to top it. It means if the salad is made of and topped with healthy ingredients and dessert, the salad will deliver you healthy nutrients like minerals, protein, vitamins, healthy fats, and smart carbs. Otherwise, it may pack in extra calories, sodium, fat, and sugar.
Is 600 calories a lot for a salad?
If you are following 2000 calories diet per day, it means you can take 500 to 600 calories from the salad. Otherwise, it can cause weight gain.
Can too much salad be fattening?
Whether it is a salad or other meal, eating too many salads can increase your weight and other health diseases. You should also avoid salads containing higher fat or calories.
Final Words
Salads can be either healthy and delicious options or high-calorie meals for weight gain. So knowing how many calories are in a salad is a vital topic in terms of your health and craving for a delicious meal. After reading the article hope now you can pick the right sort of salad from the restaurant or prepare the healthy one at home and enjoy the craving for the delicious salad without hurting weight. In this case, green salads with vegetables and protein sources are preferable options.
