If you want to consume more vegetables and make your diet healthier, salads are a terrific meal option. If you simply want lighter lunch and dinner options, they’re also ideal. Salads can be substantial and tasty, but they can also occasionally be expensive and time-consuming. Fast food salads can help with that.
Although you might not think of fast food restaurants when you’re in the mood for a salad, there are still several fast food businesses that provide delectable salads. Although some well-known fast-food businesses have recently removed salads from their menus (looking at you, McDonald’s and Burger King), a few still make wonderful salads that are packed with protein and vegetables and are just as filling as burgers.
Additionally, some places offer incredibly inventive pairings. Along with more unusual choices, you can anticipate some classic selections like Caesar and Greek salads. For instance, Wendy’s special Apple Pecan Salad has a mouthwatering pomegranate vinaigrette dressing that you might find yourself yearning all the time.
Here are seven fast-food establishments that provide the best salads (as well as a couple we wish would bring their salad options back). These salads range from those that include fruits, cheese, and a wide variety of greens to those that are topped with protein-rich meats and grains.
Wendy’s
One of the most adaptable fast food restaurants is Wendy’s. In addition to crunchy chicken nuggets, burgers with cheese that are fresh off the grill, tasty fries, and cool fountain drinks, you can also get chili con carne, cheesy baked potatoes, and yes, salads.
Salad selections are plentiful at the chain. A blend of Italian cheeses, romaine lettuce, and a creamy Caesar dressing make up the Parmesan Caesar Salad. The new Cobb Salad is made daily from scratch and includes diced eggs, crispy fried onion slices, and applewood smoky bacon. The Apple Pecan Salad, which includes both red and green apples, is a genuinely interesting alternative that is both sweet and salty thanks to its pomegranate vinaigrette dressing. Last but not least, the chain’s delectable Taco Salad is topped with the chain’s well-known chili and loaded with diced tomatoes, salsa, sour cream, and crisp tortilla chips.
The recently introduced Cobb Salad is beautifully presented and delicious. A significant bonus for a fast-food salad was the crisp lettuce, and the bacon had the perfect amount of crunch. The accompanying ranch dressing unified the flavors and wasn’t either too light or overbearing.
Chick-fil-A
Although Chick-fil-A’s chicken sandwiches may be its specialty, it turns out that the restaurant also serves rather tasty salads. There are now three different entree-size salad options available on the chain’s menu. Freshly breaded, pressure-cooked chicken is used in the Cobb Salad along with Monterey Jack and Cheddar cheeses, scorched tomatoes, and crispy red bell peppers. Roasted corn, black beans, poblano chilies, and tortilla chips make up the zesty Spicy Southwest option. The Market Salad features blue cheese crumbles, strawberries, and blueberries as its final ingredients.
Additionally, Chick-fil-A offers a fresh side salad that was just about saved from being eliminated when a social media backlash caused the corporation to rethink its decision. The side salad, which comes with mixed greens, two types of cheese, grape tomatoes, scorched tomatoes, red bell peppers, and a choice of dressing, goes well with heavier fried items.
Panera Bread
If you require a salad immediately, Panera is among the best places to purchase it. There are a ton of various salad options on the menu for you to try at the fast-casual business, which has hundreds of locations around the nation (so you’re never too far away from one). There are other options, such as the recently reintroduced Strawberry Poppyseed Salad with Chicken, the new Southwest Caesar Salad with Chicken, the classic Greek Salad, the creative Fuji Apple Salad with Chicken, and the savory Mediterranean Bowl with Chicken.
Jack in the Box
The fast food chain Jack in the Box has an entire section of its menu titled “Lighter Options,” which is simply a list of fresh salads. The West Coast is where the chain’s majority of its outlets are.
There are delicious options available, such as the Club Salad with Grilled Chicken, which is made with romaine and iceberg lettuce that is crisp with seasoned gourmet croutons. The Southwest Chicken Salad includes spicy corn sticks, juicy grape tomatoes, and a creamy Southwest dressing. The simpler side salad is made out of fresh vegetables like carrots and cucumbers and is drizzled with zesty ranch dressing.
Chipotle
Why not try one of its salads the next time you visit Chipotle to purchase a burrito? Chipotle’s salads are just as tasty as some of its more well-known menu items, which are marketed as “Lifestyle Bowls” on the company’s website. Superior even? They provide a variety of salad bowls to pick from. The chicken, black beans, vegetables, and small amount of rice in the Balanced Macros Bowl. Super greens, fresh tomatoes, and guacamole are included in the Wholesome Bowl, which is Whole30, Keto, and Paleo friendly. Corn salsa and sofritas, Chipotle’s plant-based protein, are included in its vegan Plant-Powered Bowl.