Saved by McDonald’s

I never thought I’d say it, but last weekend, I was saved by McDonald’s.

Yep.  With just a short amount of time to grab food at San Antonio International Airport, those shining golden arches were the only salvation I could find, and I am darn grateful I did.

You see, I have long been a fan of McDonald’s’ salads.  Ever since the Asian Chicken Salad (which I believe is now retired) came out topped mandarin oranges, red bell peppers, and edamame, I was hooked.  A fast food salad with edamame?!  Count me in.

Last weekend, it was the Southwest Grilled Chicken Salad that saved the day.

Salads at restaurants can go one of two ways: they can be a healthy choice to eat lighter and get in some veggies and protein; or they can be a dressing-filled, fat-laden nutritional disaster, equivalent (or worse) to ordering a burger and fries.

Here are a few ways to assure your McDonad’s salad falls into the former category:

• Order grilled chicken, not fried.  This saves 110 calories and 11g of fat.
• Watch your toppings.  On the Bacon Ranch Salad, leave off the cheese and you’ve saved 50 calories, and still get to enjoy your bacon indulgence for a mere 210 calories and 5 g of fat.  Play with different combinations on the nutrition calculator that accompanies each menu item online.
• Remember the dressing.  McDonald’s’ nutritional listings for salads do not include the dressing packets, which range from 40-190 calories a pack.  I think it’s wonderful that they offer Newman’s Own dressings (read: real ingredients).  Stick with either the Low Fat Balsamic (40 calories), Low Fat Italian (60 calories) or Creamy Southwest (100 calories) to keep things on the lighter side.

I remembered to order grilled chicken and a lighter dressing, but forgot to be mindful of my salad toppings.  Had I done so, I may have left out the chili lime tortilla strips.  That would have saved 35 calories, but frankly, they were delicious   Still, my salad only contained 420 calories and 15g of fat.

Question of the Day

Have you ever eaten a McDonald’s salad?  What food do you rely on while traveling?