Unreal Eats[1] is Healthy Living's original video series, where we go behind calorie counts and health claims to examine what's really in the processed foods that scream loudest in our food environment.


You wouldn't be amiss in thinking that a restaurant's salad is a more nutritious and healthful option than their cheeseburger. But, in the case of fast food menus, that calculation doesn't always pan out.


In our latest Unreal Eats, we explored the calorie and nutrition profiles of fast food salads to see if it really is possible to eat healthfully at some of our country's most notoriously caloric restaurant chains.


We found that although fast food chains have put a big emphasis on developing "healthier" menus (see: McDonald's "Favorites Under 400 Calories[2] "), the nutrition content of salads turn out to be approximately the same as their counterparts without the health halo. In fact, in terms of calories and fat content, salads rarely fare much better than the unhealthy sandwiches and burgers we associate with fast food restaurants.


And that mirrors a 2012 study, which found that although fast food menus grew between 1996 and 2010 to include 53 percent more dishes and snacks, the average number of calories in each item hadn't changed[3] .


"Entree salads, which are increasing in number, can be bad, too. With fried chicken on top and regular dressing, they can have more calories than a burger," lead researcher Katherine Bauer, an assistant professor in the department of public health at Temple University, told HealthDay at the time of the study's release.


Which goes to show that adding lettuce won't make your meal healthier.


Video & Editing by Amber Genuske

Reporting by Meredith Melnick

Producers: Laura Schocker, Meredith Melnick and Amber Genuske

Assistant: Rachael Grannell




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  • Chicken Caesar or ... Chicken Tenders?


    Garden Fresh Salad Chicken Caesar with grilled chicken and dressing has 490 calories and 28 grams of fat. That's roughly the same as a 10 piece order of Chicken Tenders, which have about 450 calories and 28 grams of fat.

    And while fresh lettuce and other veggies will always be healthier than breaded meat -- rendering the salad the defacto healthier option -- 28 grams of fat is more than <em>anyone</em>, let alone someone on a specialized diet, should consume in a single meal. The <a href="http://www.cnpp.usda.gov/DGAs2010-PolicyDocument.htm" target="_hplink">2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans</a> recommends that adults get 20 to 35 percent of their daily calories from fat -- or about 44 to 70 grams a day.




  • Chicken Caesar or ... Triple Stacker?


    What a difference a grill makes. If the Garden Fresh Salad Chicken Caesar is prepared with crispy chicken instead of grilled (and dressing), it shoots up to 670 calories and 43 grams of fat -- about the same as a BK Triple Stacker, which contains three beef patties, three slices of bacon and American cheese. The sandwich has a near-identical 670 calories and 44 grams of fat.




  • Chicken BLT Salad or ... Double Bacon Cheeseburger


    Garden Fresh Salad Chicken BLT with grilled chicken and dressing has 510 calories and 33 grams of fat -- about the same as a Double Bacon Cheeseburger, which clocks in at 520 and 31 grams of fat.




  • Chicken BLT Salad or ... Double Croissan'wich


    Garden Fresh Salad Chicken BLT with fried chicken and dressing has 690 calories, 48 grams of fat. Similarly, the Double Croissan'wich, made up of sausage, egg and cheese, has 660 calories and 48 grams of fat.




  • Chicken Apple & Cranberry Salad or ... Italian Chicken Sandwich


    The Chicken Apple & Cranberry Garden Fresh Salad with grilled chicken and dressing has 520 calories and 26 grams of fat. But those in the market for an over-500 calorie lunch could just as easily indulge in the Italian Original Chicken Sandwich, which also has 520 calories and 22 grams of fat.




  • Chicken Apple & Cranberry Salad or ... Club Original Chicken Sandwich


    The Garden Fresh Salad Chicken Apple & Cranberry, when with crispy chicken and dressing shoots up to 700 calories and 41 grams of fat. That's nearly identical to the Club Original Chicken Sandwich at 700 calories and 44 grams of fat.




  • Strawberry Banana Smoothie or ... OREO Sundae


    A 16 ounce Strawberry Banana Smoothie will set you back 310 calories and 60 grams of sugar. That's a bit better than the OREO Sundae (440, 57 grams), but not much.




  • What Fast Food Restaurants Need to Become Healthy


    The Doctors reveal that fast food restaurants don't offer whole grains.