Nutrition

Are Pre-Packaged Salads Worth the Convenience?

Simin Levinson May 28, 2009

Mr.T in DC on flickr

You know real food beats processed food, but eating a salad—even if it's pre-packaged—has to be better than a lot of other on-the-go options, right? Not necessarily. Although easier than washing and preparing greens yourself, many salads at restaurants and grocery stores contain shocking amounts of calories, fat and sodium. Here's why you should think twice before eating your next pre-packaged salad.

The Unhealthy Truth

Problem #1: No Labeling

Take a look at the labels (or lack thereof) next time you buy a packaged salad. Small businesses are exempt from labeling their goods in many cases, according to the FDA. And, if you do grab a takeout salad from your favorite local restaurant, it's likely to not have a label. Why? Fresh delicatessen-type foods prepared at the store or restaurant aren't required by law to be labeled.

Problem #2: Salt Overload

Excessive amounts of sodium are added to pre-packaged foods as preservatives to keep it from spoiling and to help the food retain its flavor. While our bodies need salt for survival, too much can lead to health problems, such as high blood pressure and bloating. Plus, you're losing healthy vitamins, nutrients and fiber due to processing and manufacturing.

Problem #3: Calorie Count

You might expect 820 calories from a greasy sandwich and soup, but from a salad? In fact, the Bros. Bistro Salad available pre-packaged from Einstein Bros. Bagels contains 68 grams of fat and 820 calories. Add chicken, and it goes up to 940 calories and from 810 mgs of sodium. Unfortunately, there's no sign telling customers the nutritional information.

Other high-calorie salads include the Chicken Chipotle Salad at 710 calories and 1960mgs of sodium, and the Caesar Salad with chicken at 820 calories and 2290mgs of sodium.

The recommended daily value for sodium is 2400mgs.

The Facts 

Here's how some pre-packaged chicken Caesar salads from popular restaurants measure up: 

Of the chicken Caesar salads listed above, Trader Joe's grab-and-go is the healthiest. It provides a reasonable portion relative to calories with little sodium and fat.

The Solution

Skip the grab-and-go salad from the shelf and head to the salad bar. Salad bars typically charge by the ounce, so for the same price as a pre-packaged salad, you can build your own salad with fresh ingredients, and control the amount of calories, fat and sodium you consume.

No salad bar in sight? Here's how to make pre-packaged salads healthier: 

• Keep dressing on the side to dip your fork into instead of dumping all the dressing on your salad.
• Remove some of the extra fat, calories and sodium on top from cheese, croutons and bacon.
• Don't eat the whole thing! Often, pre-packaged salads contain more than one serving.
• Compare salads before choosing. A chef salad with three types of deli meat, cheese and ranch dressing will have more fat and calories than mixed greens with tomatoes, carrots and vinaigrette dressing. 

About The Author

Simin Levinson – As a performance nutritionist, Simin Levinson focuses on working with executives in the High Performance Programs at Athletes' Performance.

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Tags: Eating Out, Calories, Food, Lunch

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