Salad Index

Is a Salad Guaranteed to be The Healthy Choice?

Have you ever wondered which of our favourite restaurants sells the unhealthiest salad?

If you’re trying to be healthy, you might think that opting for a salad is guaranteed to be the best choice, but unfortunately, even salads can contain lots of fat and sugar.

We’ve looked at the nutritional information of some of the most popular high street chains to get some insider info and discover which salads aren’t as healthy as they might seem.

The Healthiest Salad Options

Prezzo has the healthiest salad available on the high street, with its Puy Lentil, Beetroot and Butternut Squash Salad, which has just 97 calories and 0.1g of sugar. This was followed by McDonald’s who came in second with their Grilled Chicken Salad, which has only 133 calories but quite a bit more sugar than Prezzo’s (4.3g).

The Unhealthiest Salad Options

The least healthy salad overall is Zizzi’s Super Zucca Salad, which has 572 calories and a whopping 14g of sugar. The most calorific salad available is Bill’s Chicken Caesar Salad (934 calories) and the salad with the highest saturated fat content is Pizza Express’ Pollo Salad, which also has the most salt (3.3g)

Salads with the Least Calories

While fewer calories don’t automatically mean a dish is more healthy, for those watching their calorie intake, the best place for them to head is Prezzo or McDonald’s.

Salads with the Most Calories

Pizza Express is the restaurant that serves some of the highest calorie content salads however it’s Bill’s who takes the top spot with a salad with over 900 calories. That’s nearly half the recommended calories for women (2,000).

Salads with Lowest Saturated Fat

Saturated fat is one factor we should be looking at when consuming food and these are the salad offerings with some of the lowest sat fat content. Surprisingly it’s McDonald’s and Prezzo that lead the way.

Salads with Highest Saturated Fat

Too much saturated fat, in the long run, can contribute to a rise in cholesterol, so those looking to avoid that should also avoid Pizza Express and Bill’s.

Methodology

We looked at the nutritional information of salads from some of the UK’s favourite chain restaurants and gave each a normalised score out of ten on the levels of fibre, protein, saturated fat, sugar content and salt in each, before taking a final average score.

*These rankings are based around these particular salads, all should be enjoyed as part of a healthy diet and in moderation.

Imagery:

Pizza Express Pollo Salad: https://www.instagram.com/p/CB-UoZija75/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet

Zizzi Rainbow Salad:
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bmi2ulthngX/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet

KFC Ricebox:
https://www.instagram.com/p/B7TzGFWqKs_/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet

Pret Salad Bowls:
https://www.instagram.com/p/CFJv8h4pnW5/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet

Bills Caesar Salad:
https://www.instagram.com/p/CE2J_NGFzqZ/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet