Street salads have come a long way from a standard tuna niçoise.
Many offerings these days barely have a tray in sight, packed with multiple grains, seeds and an abundance of roasted vegetables, along with whatever dressing your appetite desires.
You don’t have to make a special trip to a trendy health food restaurant either; salads are available at almost every eatery, from McDonald’s to Greggs.
The popular bakery chain has even attributed record sales to its salad range this year.
But with endless choices, how do you choose an option that’s best for both your taste buds and your health?
Nutritionist Rob Hobson warns that many make the common mistake of assuming that a salad is healthier than a sandwich.
This isn’t necessarily the case, as some ingredients in salads increase the calories and fat to rival those of a McDonald’s burger, he says.
Here, experts reveal the best bowls on the British high street – and those that are nutritionally akin to junk food.
There’s an endless choice of salads on the British high street, but how do you know what to avoid?
M&S Caesar Salad with Chicken
Per 261 g salad: 551 calories, 8.4 g saturated fat, 3.1 g sugar, 34.9 g protein, 1.6 g fiber, 2.6 g salt
With more saturated fat than a McDonald’s cheeseburger (thanks to the oil-rich dressing), this seemingly healthy lunch might not be such a good option.
In Britain, the NHS recommends that women eat no more than 20 grams of saturated fat per day, while the limit for men is 30 grams. Consistently eating too much saturated fat can lead to a buildup of bad cholesterol in your arteries, increasing your risk of heart attack and stroke.
Hobson adds that this 550-calorie lunch is unlikely to keep you satisfied for long due to the severe lack of fiber, which makes the food move more slowly through the intestines, causing feelings of fullness.
There’s also almost a third of your daily salt limit here, which is bad news for people with high blood pressure.
‘The salad contains a very decent amount of protein of 35 grams, largely from the chicken and egg. That’s good for muscle building, but in general a Caesar salad doesn’t offer value for money,” Hobson concludes.
Rating: 1/5
Pasta salad with Asda cheese
Per 365 g jar: 596 calories, 14 g saturated fat, 7.3 g sugar, 21.2 g protein, 4.4 g fiber, 1.6 g salt
Not all pasta salads should be avoided, but many, like this Asda cheese option, contain very few vegetables and dressings that are packed with fat and sugar.
There are almost two teaspoons of sweetness here, most of which comes from sugar syrup used for extra flavor.
The “healthy” lunch contains 70 percent of your recommended daily maximum of saturated fat, much of it from the generous amount of cheese, which is more than you’ll find in a Big Mac.
Experts recommend M&S’s plant salad, which is rich in fiber and has fewer than 400 calories
Hobson says that in general you should avoid salads where the plant-based element consists of classic salad ingredients, such as lettuce, carrot, cucumber or corn. These vegetables do not contain as much fiber as others and are unlikely to satisfy hunger.
“For a lunch of almost 600 calories, I would like to see a lot more vegetable variety and fiber, and lower saturated fat content,” he adds.
Rating: 0/5
Itsu Tuna Tartare Poké
Per bowl: 684 calories, 2.9 g saturated fat, 22.2 g sugar, 25.8 g protein, 9.5 g fiber, 5.2 g salt
Itsu is known for its sushi-based salads, but these often pack a huge calorie hit. In this case, it’s about 100 calories more than Pret’s Chicken Caesar Bacon Baguette.
But will it keep you full longer? Probably not. Although there is more than twice the filling fiber here compared to the aforementioned baguette, there is less protein and seven times more sugar.
Eating large amounts of sugar in the middle of the day is associated with dramatic peaks and valleys in blood sugar levels, which can increase the risk of severe hunger pangs between meals.
Moreover, it contains no less than 86 percent of your daily recommended amount of salt, thanks to the soy-based dressing.
Greggs’ says its salad offering is responsible for a strong increase in sales, but experts urge caution
However, Hobson says there are also positives. Tuna, for example, is a low-fat protein source that is easily absorbed by the body, and skipping the dressing saves most of the sugar and salt.
Verdict: 2/5
M&S Nutrient Dense 35 Plant Salad
Per jar: 300 calories, 3.1 g saturated fat, 12.9 g sugar, 10.9 g protein, 7.6 g fiber, 1.3 g salt
American researchers recently discovered that eating thirty different plants a week can dramatically increase the diversity of the trillions of microbes in our gut. Research shows that this can have benefits for the immune system, digestion and mental health.
This colorful M&S salad contains no fewer than 35 different plants, making it an excellent choice, according to Hobson.
‘The generous mix of vegetables, whole grains, legumes, seeds and herbs all count as plants and provide 7.6 grams of fiber per packet, which is about the same as two and a half slices of whole wheat bread.
‘By adding a plant mixture, you get a wider range of nutrients and different types of fiber.
‘You get soluble fiber, which dissolves in water and can help improve cholesterol and digestion, as well as insoluble fiber, which bulks up stool to help food move through the digestive system.
Don’t worry too much about the relatively high sugar content, as most of this comes from sweet vegetables such as pumpkin and sweet potato, and not the kind that we should limit to 30 grams per day.
But a fairly moderate amount of protein may not leave you feeling satisfied for long, especially if you have a bigger appetite.
Verdict: 4/5
LEON Golden Beetroot Superfood Salad
Per box: 461 calories, 13 g saturated fat, 15 g sugar, 13 g protein, 10 g fiber, 6 g salt
Without the huge amount of salt, this salad would be an ideal healthy lunch, with a third of your daily fiber needs and enough plant-based protein to keep you full.
‘But most people wouldn’t realize that this choice contains more than the recommended maximum amount of salt for a whole day,’ says Ro Huntriss, dietitian and founder of Fertility Dietitian UK.
‘Ingredients such as agave syrup, sugar and dextrose also contain quite a bit of added sugar.’ As much sugar as you’ll find in about five Hobnobs.
There is also more than half of women’s daily recommended intake of saturated fat coconut oil in the vegetable ‘stracciatella’.
Leon’s chicken and avocado salad is filling, but the unnecessary sugar is its downfall
“This salad shows why foods marketed as plant-based or healthy can contain surprising amounts of saturated fat,” says Huntriss.
Verdict: 2/5
LEON Chicken & Avocado Superfood Salad
Per box: 565 calories, 7 g saturated fat, 11 g sugar, 27 g protein, 8.1 g fiber, 1.3 g salt
Despite the high calories, this generously portioned salad is packed with goodness.
“I wouldn’t be put off by the 565 calories, as a lot of it comes from foods like avocado and seeds, which provide healthy, unsaturated fats,” says Hobson.
‘These fats can help lower levels of LDL, also called ‘bad’ cholesterol, when they replace saturated fats in your diet, protecting your heart health.’
Chicken, quinoa, peas and many other vegetables also provide the majority of a woman’s daily protein intake, as well as almost a third of the fiber per day.
‘Higher fiber diets are also associated with a lower risk of conditions such as cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and bowel cancer,’ says Hobson.
A major drawback is the sugar, much of which comes from the pickled onion and, oddly enough, the chicken (probably due to a sweet marinade). However, some of it occurs naturally in beetroot and Greek yogurt dressing.
Verdict: 3/5
Tesco’s best British chicken and Middle Eastern tabbouleh salad
Per jar: 341 calories, 1.3 g saturated fat, 9.7 g sugar, 17.3 g protein, 7.4 g fiber, 1.4 g salt
Bulgur wheat, cucumber, tomato, onion, parsley, seasoned chicken breast, pomegranate chutney, lettuce mix of pickled vegetables, hummus, a spicy yogurt dressing pot, arugula and beet leaves, make this one of the most colorful salads in the chiller.
If you’re keeping your calories in check, this can be a good choice at just 341, says Hobson.
But despite the low energy consumption, there is still plenty of substance in this salad.
‘Chicken, bulgur, chickpeas and hummus make this a filling option because you get a nice variety of vegetables, herbs and legumes.’
The only downside is the two teaspoons of sugar added to the dressing and chickpeas. But experts say it’s less than a third of your daily recommended amount, so as long as you cut back on sweet treats, it’s a perfectly healthy option.
Verdict: 4/5
