A Big Mac Is Healthier Than These 5 Salads

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McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) Big Mac is not health food.

According to Calorie Count, the fast-food staple racks up about 576 calories, 292 of which come from fat. And that’s the version of the burger sans cheese.

Big Mac’s reputation as a heart attack in a box may be warranted, but at least McDonald’s doesn’t pretend that its sandwich is healthy.

Salads are a different story. Many people look at a big bed of leafy greens and think “low-calories.” However, many salads on fast-food menus are actually worse for you than a Big Mac.

Business Insider recently interviewed dietitian Nicolette M. Pace to find out which salads are actually bad news.

Here’s a look at five salads that have more calories than “two all-beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions – all on a sesame seed bun.”

  • Crispy Chicken Caesar: This popular salad can be found at a variety of restaurant chains and usually contains anywhere from 900 to 1,000 calories, depending on its size.
  • “Asian” Grilled Chicken Salad: This salad can have a whopping 1,200 calories and 2,000 grams of sodium. Yikes!
  • Chef’s Salad: It’s a no brainer that a salad with cold-cuts isn’t low on calories, especially if creamy dressing is added. A typical chef’s salad is packed with about 900 calories.
  • Cobb Salad: Cobb salads are low on greens and high on eggs, bacon and blue cheese. A typical Cobb salad has about 1,300 calories.
  • Steak Salad: A steak salad is actually a better bet than a crispy chicken salad. It can even be a healthy choice if the right meat is added. But if the wrong add-ons top this salad (lots of cheese, creamy dressing, croutons, etc.), you’re looking at about 800 calories, 1,200 mg of sodium and 16 g of fat.

Visit Business Insider to learn more about these salads and to find out which other seven salads made the naughty list.


Article printed from InvestorPlace Media, https://investorplace.com/2012/08/a-big-mac-is-healthier-than-these-5-salads/.

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