Ordering a salad might seem like the ultimate healthy choice, but appearances can be deceiving. Many restaurant salads are packed with high-calorie toppings like fried chicken, creamy dressings, cheeses, and even croutons, which can transform a nutritious meal into one higher in calories than other menu options.
We reviewed popular restaurant menus to uncover some of the highest-calorie salads marketed as “healthy” choices—each exceeding 600 calories per order. While these salads can be delicious and filling, they’re often heavier than expected. That said, choosing a salad for its vegetable content is perfectly fine. Even high-calorie salads can offer fiber, protein, and essential vitamins from fresh vegetables, lean proteins, and healthy fats. Just keep portion sizes in mind and go easy on heavy toppings if you’re aiming to cut calories.
In this article, we’ll break down the nutrition facts for each salad and share tips to make them healthier without sacrificing flavor. If you only order these occasionally, it’s probably not a big deal for your health. But if these salads are a regular go-to and you’re trying to keep your meals lighter, consider skipping them and opting for one of these 10 Best Restaurant Salads to Order, According to Dietitians instead.
Applebees Oriental Chicken Salad
Nutrition (Per serving):
Calories: 1,570
Fat: 105 g (Saturated Fat: 17 g)
Sodium: 1,630 mg
Carbs: 119 g (Fiber: 12 g, Sugar: 45 g)
Protein: 40 g
With crispy noodles, almonds, and a sweet dressing, Applebee’s Oriental Salad packs 1,570 calories—more than many of their entrees. The crunchy toppings and sugary dressing are what make this salad so calorie-dense. For a lighter option, request grilled chicken instead of the fried breaded chicken tenders it comes with, ask for less dressing or even a vinaigrette, and skip the crispy noodles to bring down the calorie count significantly.
Cheesecake Factory Barbeque Ranch Chicken Salad
Nutrition (Per serving):
Calories: 1,950
Fat: 124 g (Saturated Fat: 22 g)
Sodium: 2,920 mg
Carbs: 110 g (Fiber: 10 g, Sugar: 58 g)
Protein: 45 g
Cheesecake Factory’s Barbeque Ranch Chicken Salad is loaded with BBQ sauce, ranch dressing, and fried ingredients, making it an extra high-calorie choice at 1,950 calories. The combination of heavy toppings contributes to both calories and saturated fat. To reduce the calorie count, skip the crispy fried onion strings, use the dressing sparingly, and skip or limit the BBQ sauce on the side.
Chili’s Quesadilla Explosion Salad
Nutrition (Per serving):
Calories: 1,420
Fat: 99 g (Saturated Fat: 28 g)
Sodium: 2,840 mg
Carbs: 86 g (Fiber: 7 g, Sugar: 16 g)
Protein: 53 g
Chili’s Quesadilla Explosion Salad includes cheese, quesadilla slices, and a generous amount of dressing, which totals up to a whopping 1,420 calories. This hearty salad also has 99 grams of fat. If you order grilled chicken instead of crispers, you’ll save 300 calories. You can also reduce calories and excess fat by skipping the quesadilla slices or asking for half the cheese and dressing. Opting for a lighter dressing on the side is another way to enjoy this salad without going overboard.
Buffalo Wild Wings Buffalo Chicken Salad
Nutrition (Per serving):
Calories: 1,100
Fat: 78 g (Saturated Fat: 22 g)
Sodium: 3,650 mg
Carbs: 53 g (Fiber: 10 g, Sugar: 9 g)
Protein: 48 g
At Buffalo Wild Wings, this salad combines crispy buffalo chicken, bleu cheese dressing, bacon, and extra bleu cheese crumbles, which adds up to 1,100 calories. While it provides protein, the fried chicken and creamy dressing are what push the calorie count high. To lighten it up, ask for grilled chicken instead of fried, and try the Vidalia Onion Vinaigrette on the side so you can control the amount you use.
Chick-fil-A Cobb Salad With Nuggets
Nutrition (Per serving):
Calories: 830
Fat: 60 g (Saturated Fat: 13 g)
Sodium: 2,220 mg
Carbs: 31 g (Fiber: 5 g, Sugar: 8 g)
Protein: 42 g
Chick-fil-A’s Cobb Salad includes Chick-fil-A Nuggets crispy chicken, bacon, and cheese, totaling 830 calories. If you forgo the recommended crispy red peppers and the avocado lime dressing for a lighter option, you can transform this salad into lighter fare. The crispy chicken and bacon contribute a lot of fat and calories. Request grilled chicken instead (which alone saves 120 calories), skip the bacon, and go easy on the dressing to make this salad a lighter, yet still satisfying, choice.
Red Robin Southwest Salad
Nutrition (Per serving):
Calories: 790
Fat: 46 g (Saturated Fat: 9 g)
Sodium: 1,540 mg
Carbs: 59 g (Fiber: 12 g, Sugar: 11 g)
Protein: 42 g
Red Robin’s Southwest Salad includes healthy ingredients like chicken breast, black beans, avocado, but also fattier foods like fried jalapeños, a creamy dressing, cheese, and tortilla strips, clocking in at 790 calories. The creamy dressing and cheese add the bulk of the calories here. You can lower the calorie content by opting for a vinaigrette on the side and going light on the cheese and tortilla strips.
Tender Greens Happier Vegan Baked Falafel
Nutrition (Per serving):
Calories: 1,449
Fat: 108 g (Saturated Fat: 10 g)
Sodium: 2,582 mg
Carbs: 90 g (Fiber: 20 g, Sugar: 15 g)
Protein: 28 g
Though it’s vegan, this falafel bowl from Tender Greens has a whopping 1,449 calories, largely due to the falafel and dressing. Baked falafel and a creamy dressing add a surprising amount of fat and calories. For a lighter version, ask for less dressing or request a vinaigrette or yogurt-based dressing on the side and dip your salad into it as needed.
CAVA Harissa Avocado
Nutrition (Per serving):
Calories: 840
Fat: 50 g (Saturated Fat: 12 g)
Sodium: 2,030 mg
Carbs: 63 g (Fiber: 12 g, Sugar: 12 g)
Protein: 42 g
The Harissa Avocado greens and grains option at CAVA is packed with healthy ingredients, including a balanced mix of protein, fiber, and carbs, but it still comes in at 840 calories. The avocado, dressing and spreads can make this salad heavier than expected. To lighten it up, go easy on the spreads that come with it like the Crazy Feta or request a half portion of the rice, and choose a lighter dressing like their yogurt-based options.
Sweetgreen Garden Cobb Salad
Nutrition (Per serving):
Calories: 740
Fat: 56 g (Saturated Fat: 10 g)
Sodium: 1,006 mg
Carbs: 32 g (Fiber: 9 g, Sugar: 11 g)
Protein: 22 g
Sweetgreen’s Garden Cobb salad is fairly balanced nutrition-wise, but it’s the highest calorie and lowest protein salad on the Sweetgreen menu. Likely due to the high fat toppings of avocado, blue cheese and eggs, this salad can quickly rack up the calories from fat. To make it more balanced, consider adding grilled chicken, and swap the dressing for a simple oil and vinegar drizzle to cut down on added calories without sacrificing flavor at Sweetgreen.
Ruby Tuesday Ribeye Caesar Salad
Nutrition (Per serving):
Calories: 920
Fat: 68 g (Saturated Fat: 22 g)
Sodium: 1,500 mg
Carbs: 36 g (Fiber: 4 g, Sugar: 12 g)
Protein: 43 g
This salad combines a hearty ribeye on top of your traditional caesar salad, totaling up to 920 calories. Plus, red meat is not always a heart healthy protein source due to its saturated fat and cholesterol content—and this menu choice has 109% of the recommended daily value of saturated fat. Try requesting the dressing on the side or opting for a lighter dressing like their vinaigrette to keep calories in check at Ruby Tuesday’s.
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